MY STORY
My name is Mya Sutherland, and I am a full-time Canadian student pursuing a Masters of Arts in Creative Enterprise - Film at the University of Reading. I decided to do my Masters abroad to learn more about global cultures and to have the chance to live in one of the top film industry 'hotspots' in the world.
Before starting this project, my theoretical and practical knowledge in animation was minimal. Since exploring this film medium, I have learned so much and had so much fun! I hope to create a wonderful piece of cinema using the traditional modes of 2D animation and grow in my artistic expression.
I'm raising £2000 to create a 2D animated short film (approximately 10 minutes long) which is a commentary on the mundanity of everyday life. Cup O' Joe will depict the obscene mundanity surrounding coffee culture. The acts of grabbing a cup of coffee and serving it are often overlooked because of its regularity. Cup O' Joe will revolve around male protagonist Jonathan, a barista at a locally-owned coffee shop in Reading, England. This character is an optimistic man who wants to spread joy and happiness by serving coffee during the holidays. The short film will take place during December, around Christmas. I want to portray the increasing feelings of stress and depression often associated with the holidays. Jonathan will attempt to display the Christmas spirit but constantly feel as though his joy-filled and selfless actions are not reciprocated by any of the people he interacts with, as his efforts are suppressed by crudeness.
All-the-while, Jonathan is awaiting the arrival of his long-distance girlfriend who lives in Toronto. When she suddenly finds out she can no longer visit Jonathan during the holidays - his Christmas seems ruined.
Where will the money go?
The funds raised will help fund the equipment and software necessary to make a great animated film.
The University of Reading offers access to a plethora of amazing technologies to help with filming, production and editing processes, but animation isn't taught within the core curriculum so animation equipment isn't on hand for students like me to borrow.
In order to make the greatest possible animated film, some software extensions and add-ons are necessary in order to help express my artistic vision.
Creating animation frames using my existing mouse and laptop is extremely challenging, so in order to create the best possible project I want to use funds to upgrade my equipment to a digital drawing pad and pen. I also know that some software extensions such as Blender, Maya, Houdini, etc., and add-ons like TurboSquid, GrabCAD and Mixamo will make a real difference to help add a sense of realism and definition to the film. Having this equipment would greatly improve the accuracy and detail in my work and be much more time efficient too.
If I raise more than my target, the funds will be used to embellish the film farther & maybe even help to host events that you could attend like a film screening at the Reading Biscuit Factory - one of my favourite places in Reading! Beyond that, I will put any extra funds towards other educational resources that myself or my classmates may find helpful throughout our endeavours in this programme.
Rewards
Any person(s) who donates to this project will receive a final copy of the short film I create & an email poster of the curated art for the film!
CLOSING REMARKS
Thank you for taking the time to read about me and my film. It is important to me to tell this story as I believe animation can go beyond the realm of human expression and inspire our most inner emotions. I figured a film about Christmas would be suitable as I started the project around the holidays & I absolutely love Christmas! A lot of the narrative of this film has been pulled from my own experiences as I am an international student who will be spending the holidays away from family and friends this year! While Christmas is my favourite time of year - I am aware that it can be an incredibly sad and stressful time for some people & I want to bring attention to those feelings while spreading joy & love, too!
Any contribution would be greatly appreciated.
