Final PPP presentation 2017

Position Statement

When I first came to LCA I thought a lot about dropped out. I was terrified I'd never be as good as older students, that I'd never achieve anything and the idea of asking for a wage for my work made me feel uncomfortable. 

Looking back, I had no confidence in my work and as a freelance. However over the last three years of study and meeting the people I have outside of university, I've become a hugely confident, friendly and open minded artist. I've learnt so much about animation, a form of art I'd always loved but never imagined doing and LCA put me in a place where I could take the time to study an art form that I knew nothing about and in the end be able to base my own business off the skills I've learnt. I’ve learnt how to properly promote myself both for businesses and freelancing, including how to safe guard my own pay and work. I’ve learnt how to use software like Photoshop and After Effects, things I never thought I’d even be interested in as I was stuck in being committed to hand drawn and didn’t realize hand drawn digital animation was an option. And above all, I’ve learnt animation process going from concept, to script writing, to storyboarding and animations, to animation and finally promotion and publication.

I'm so thankful that I stuck to it and continued studying - because moving past that feeling of nothing under your feet and not knowing what you're doing 100% can be scary, but getting over that is the best way to learn and I've learnt so much as an independent artist and as a business woman. I plan to continue freelance work as an illustrator, animator and cartoonist. Although tempting studying an MA is, I don't want to drop out of the freelancing business now as I can feel it just starting to pick up. I want to say thank you to my tutors, who have (especially in my final year of study) been understanding and respectful of me and the issues I was having. Thank you and wish me luck.

When I first came to LCA I thought a lot about dropped out. I was terrified I'd never be as good as older students, that I'd never achieve anything and the idea of asking for a wage for my work made me feel uncomfortable. 

Looking back, I had no confidence in my work and as a freelance. However over the last three years of study and meeting the people I have outside of university, I've become a hugely confident, friendly and open minded artist. I've learnt so much about animation, a form of art I'd always loved but never imagined doing and LCA put me in a place where I could take the time to study an art form that I knew nothing about and in the end be able to base my own business off the skills I've learnt. I’ve learnt how to properly promote myself both for businesses and freelancing, including how to safe guard my own pay and work. I’ve learnt how to use software like Photoshop and After Effects, things I never thought I’d even be interested in as I was stuck in being committed to hand drawn and didn’t realize hand drawn digital animation was an option. And above all, I’ve learnt animation process going from concept, to script writing, to storyboarding and animations, to animation and finally promotion and publication.

I'm so thankful that I stuck to it and continued studying - because moving past that feeling of nothing under your feet and not knowing what you're doing 100% can be scary, but getting over that is the best way to learn and I've learnt so much as an independent artist and as a business woman. I plan to continue freelance work as an illustrator, animator and cartoonist. Although tempting studying an MA is, I don't want to drop out of the freelancing business now as I can feel it just starting to pick up. I want to say thank you to my tutors, who have (especially in my final year of study) been understanding and respectful of me and the issues I was having. Thank you and wish me luck.

- Molly Lester, BA(hons) Animation 2014-2017

3 years of study on BA(hons) Animation 2014-2015

Above is my final presentation given at Leeds college of Art, which documents the PPP work I completed in my final year of study. I spoke about my self promotion, the freelance work I'd finished, the events I plan to attend as well as future collaborations/jobs I'll be completing over summer.

Promotional Boards

Zines and Zine Fairs 2017

For this summer I'm releasing two new zines/comics I've been developing for the past month or so - as well as doing second prints of zines I sold last year that were successful. The two new zines I'm developing are quite a bit longer than the zines I created last year which are 'Depressed animals at the zoo' which promotes awareness about mental health in social situations and 'Deerick' (an old axed-animation I'm re-forming into a comic). The re-prints of zines I'm doing are for 'Bonk Dog' and 'How to be a woman'/'How to be a man' which all sold out quicker than the rest.

I've already set up travel for the year and payments, but here's a list of Zine Fest's/Fairs I'll be attending:

• Northwest Zine Fest
• Peckham Platform Press House: Zine Fair
• Small Press Zine Fair
• Hyde Park Zine Fair

This year'll be my second attending artists markets and promoting myself as well as selling my work - I'm hugely excited as last year I was completely underprepared and sold everything way before I should have. This year my aim is to promote my social medias, myself as a freelancer and earn enough money to pay rent.

Creative CV and Letter Head

Words:

Molly Lester

Animator, Illustrator and Cartoonist

Profile

Molly lester is a visual storyteller based in the North of England. Previously finding inspiration from social circles and communities around her. She current devisees inspiration from current political and social issues as well as aiming to positively represent LGBTQ+ identities and cultures and promote awareness/acceptance.

Skills

2D Animation

Story Boarding

Character Design

Visual Storytelling

Traditional Illustration

Watercolour

Screen Printing

Software

Photoshop

After Effects

Education

Nidderdale Highschool GCSE ART A* (2010-2012)

Harrogate College FINE ART EXSTENDED DIPLOMA D* D* D* (2012-2014)

Leeds college of Art BA(HONS) ANIMATION _______ (2014-2017)

Contact

Email   MOLLYPUKES@GMAIL.COM

Instagram/Twitter/Tumblr/Facebook  @MOLLYPUKES

Letter Head:

Showreel 2017

Above is my 2017 showreel that I've created to promote my work from my previous three years of study at Leeds college of Art. I selected a lot of the segments from my final year film 'a fox wants to play guitar' as well as a few examples of commissioned pieces. The soundtrack used in this showreel is also owned by 'James Grimshaw' and I have full approval of using the soundtrack so don't have to worry about copy right.

My first and very own Website

Since 2014 I've been meaning to create my own website. I understand it's hugely promotional but in my first and second year, I didn't feel confident enough to promote myself with my own website. However this year I've taken huge steps in my life as a freelancer, a self-employed business and all the promotion that's needed for that sort of work to keep on coming.

I created my Website using wordpress.com. I didn't have much money to work with so started with a persona plan of £30 a year for a website domain. Mollypukes.com is now officially up and running. I'd contemplated not calling it 'Mollypukes' as a few clients had mentioned my name wasn't very professional however I wanted to continue branding myself past my legal name. 'Mollypukes' is me as a business and 'Molly Lester' is me as a person. I also wanted to create this website much like I created my business cards - I wanted it to be approachable and friendly.

Here are a few screenshots from my website:

I designed the 'starting' page of my website to be redirected to my illustration page, as I'm treating my illustration page as a form of portfolio - mixed with personal projects but mainly client and commission work. I hadn't used wordpress before and to be honest I was really confused when using it. I set up pages within the menu setting as well as logo links to all my social medias - but getting it to show on the website itself was the tricky part. After a long reading of their 'how to' page I managed to bring it all together. As of now I haven't updated that I have a website on my social media page - as I'm planning to after a few commissioned works are finished and I have the approval to use them in my portfolio online.  

Creating an Arts collective

I'm not quiet about politics, especially right now - When Trump was running for US president I campaigned against him and what he represents, as well as when he was sadly elected. Before I had been an active protestor against the cuts to the NHS, Universities and Communities around the UK. With Brexit I personally saw an increase in hate speech against minorities and immigrants. I also noticed the community I've lived in and called home for the past 2 years suddenly become a different place. Hyde park is a student area, because of it's closeness to the universities however the close surrounding areas are homes to families of multiple cultures and religions and is welcoming to all couples and identities. As this is the case and I am aware the impact of University Dept, cuts to education, cuts to public services such as liberties and community spaces - all impact the working classes first and their accesses to the arts. So one night, around a kitchen table myself and two others began discussing politics and the state of the country. Leaving EU and not having free travel was scary for us, as freelance artists - the idea of being blocked off was terrifying but we knew we couldn't do much as three people. However, we could help our community. 

Our goal is to set up a non-profitable charity collective, that promotes artists from local communities and gives back to community projects such as keeping green spaces open, charity spaces like food banks and soup kitchens. All of this is very new to me, however I'm determined to help my community and the working classes accesses to the arts. 

As of now, we are a group of three who have begun approaching artists of all ages, backgrounds and identities to take part in the future. And we currently don't have a name. 

Future Brief// Junk It Promotions

Previously this year I'd worked with the 'noise rock' band JUNK IT on official branding, merchandise design and promotional gear - which is all yet to be finished. However I've been asked officially to continue working with the group as an official 'visual artist' and in the future I will be engaging further with the group with visuals for live gigs, music videos, posters, illustrations and designs for merchandise - all things I'll be paid a wage for.  However all this won't be happening for another few weeks.

Our future plans are to finish poster designs by late June. After we're also planning on defining our deadlines/goals for this project at our local pub, as a meeting. I've recommended them having a 'heavy hitting' social media posters at the begining of the project, things that stand out as no one will be looking out for their promotions currently as not many people know of them. I've also began drafting up ideas for merchandising with a home studio screen press - screen pressing bags, shirts, badges, posters and maybe even socks. I've confirmed my material costs will be paid for, before the project is over - at which I'll be paid for my wage.

Future Brief// OPL Animator/Visual Artist

Previously this year I'd worked with OtherPeoplesLives, Animating looping visuals for one of their live gigs - which was hugely successful and has lead be into more work with the band. I was invited to a very relaxed meeting with the band at the local pub and we spoke about their plans as a band in later 2017, going into early 2018. They mentioned wanting a bigger online presence and really wanting to crack 'going viral'. The conversation quickly became asking if I'd be interested in doing several music videos and animating visuals in the future. Last time I'd worked with the band, I not only enjoyed it but found the whole process of working with them as clients very fluid. So I agreed.

I've loosely been referred as 'visual director' or 'artist' however for these music videos I'll be working as animator and concept artist. As well as myself,  I've approached a photography friend from my networking circle and introduced them to the band as they didn't have contact with a photographer. She'll also be working on the music video with me, taking photos from the shoot to use as promotional media on their social networking sites which was an idea of mind to build up views/hits. As of now, the basic concept for the music video is a dancer who's movements begin to take on a life of their own. I've used 'Rotoscoping' before in a WIP working on their first set of visuals and they liked the aesthetic to the look of that sort of animation. I'm planning on using rotoscoping but also including over animating certain movements - with exaggeration and secondary motion/action.

For this series of projects we plan to begin working on the first music video in late May and finishing late June/early August. I am being paid for this work, but because of the nature of being an un-signed band, I'm aware my payment won't reach me until after the project is completed. 

Brief// Bandcamp Thumbnails

Brief 

Illustrate small square thumbnails for Bandcamp images.

Details

Twice this year I've been asked to 'quickly' draw out some illustrations for music releases from a client on his Bandcamp - Bandcamp being a website for musicians to upload their latest tracks, sometimes earning a small amount from it if anyone wants to download the track. Each time I was told loosely what the client wanted, before pitching a concept. Each brief had to be finished within a few hours and at the time I was working on 'A Fox Wants To Play Guitar' so treated these briefs much like warm up session before starting to animate for the day. Which worked really well, as I was earning a little bit of money off preparing to work on a university project. I also requested my Instagram was linked in the description of the uploads onto BandCamp, as a form of promotion.

Outcome

Both times the client was happy with the illustrations, I had no problems with meeting the deadline or getting it to him on time - using wetransfer (like E-mail but for files). Below are screenshots of my illustrations being used on Bandcamp with the tracks they were drawn for. For both tracks I was fully credited and my instagram was linked - which is my biggest promotional social media page.