Ayca's Blog
Exploring ideas, one week at a time.

Author: Ekin Ayca Demirli

Categories
Design for Animation

First week – 22/09/2025 – Design for Animation

Among all the introductions, this class caught my curiosity the most because, instead of software, it focused on the theoretical side: film language, narration, and research. This week’s class focused on how to develop a research topic and to write a critical report, which will form part of our final assignment. 

For me, this class might be the one that connects theory with practice the most. I imagine it will push me out of my comfort zone, but in a way that will enrich my approach to creativity. But I also anticipate it will be challenging, especially since I’m not used to producing essay-style reports in a non-native language. I’m sure, however, it will provide valuable skills for my future work.

Categories
Unreal Engine

First week – 22/09/2025 – Unreal Engine

A full week of introductions: we met our classmates, tutors, and in this class, we were introduced to Unreal Engine. We also played an introduction game, where I had to draw the classmate sitting on my right using only my left hand.

Here’s my drawing of my friend:

And here’s the drawing of me:

I had never used UE before, so it seemed complicated at first, but after seeing the industry applications and the impressive work of previous students, it became exciting. I’m now very curious and can’t wait to explore it.

For next week’s class, I’ll be searching for inspiration to develop ideas for my project and kick-start the year.

Categories
Maya

First week – 22/09/2025 – Maya

This was our first class of the week. After the usual introductions: the tutor, the class, and ourselves, we went back to basics: the bouncing ball. In the small tutorial, we explored the graph editor, learning how curves work, as well as timing and the fundamental principles of animation. 

We were then asked to plan our own bouncing ball animation, which required gathering references. Since I had already completed a basic version of this exercise in the past, I decided to approach it differently by choosing a tennis ball. Its unique bouncing quality demanded a different type of planning and a more specific set of references. 

Here’s the references I found and used for my planning:

I also learned that The Animator’s Survival Kit is an essential resource, so I ordered the book, and it arrived today. I’m really looking forward to exploring it.