Letter of Intention 2015

March 15. 2015 Letter of intention Hello, My name is Anja and my portfolio can be found here: http://www.anjahojmose.com/cga-portfolio/ I am applying to the Computer Graphics Arts program, of which I also applied to in 2013 and 2014. I would very much like to tell you about a dream of mine: Years back, I did not take art serious. “Art” was something that you could only play with in your spare time, unless you wanted to become a classic “Artist” like Claude Monet. However, as my love for drawing grew, and a teacher of mine began to teach me the basics about human anatomy, a completely new world opened before my eyes. For some reason I suddenly realized, that behind every piece of my beloved games, movies, posters, furniture… somebody ACTUALLY made that. From scratch! I was truly amazed and since then I have had a completely different way of seeing everything. Now I do not just see the finished piece, but I see the designer and artist behind every little detail. That made me realize, “Art” was not what I thought it was. Art was so much more. For years I did not just “watch” movies or “play” games, I truly studied them. It was no longer a choice of mine - I just did it, and I was fascinated every single time. This is when my dream grew and I became certain; I want to be a part of these great teams behind all these fascinating movies and games. I want to spend the rest of my life creating art for all these kinds of fantastic projects. I want to spend the rest of my life having fun working. That is what truly appeals me. (This is the time when I found out about the Animation Workshop, - and just how much it seems to fit my dream.) Ever since, I have been very serious about art and its aspects. I asked my family for feedback, and went to the internet for inspirational training and in search of constructive critique. At the same time, I was lucky to be discovered, and considered a “young talent”. This led to my joining of the “Ung Kunst” association, where I was a member for 3 years. When I finished elementary school, I went to the Technical Gymnasium of Søndeborg. Here I still spend a lot of time working on my drawing skills. I did this combined with classes but I also worked on them in my spare time. Here I took classes in architecture, programming, innovation and design. I got a more technical approach and I realized that it makes it easier and more amusing to play with the visual, if you know the theory behind it. After high school, I took jobs to raise money for the program, and I was accepted in “Sønderjyllands Kunstskole” to work with my skills and get new perspectives on art. Furthermore, I took classes in croquis, which gave me a much better understanding of the human body and its weight. I attended the latest “Webintegrator grundforløb” at Media College Viborg, which began in September 2014. I learned so much from this program it was so amazing! At the beginning, we had Peter Meldgård who taught us about character design, then we had Iben Lindebjerg with drama/movement, third we had Deni Chapon with background design, and lastly Niels Dolmer with storytelling. Other than that, we learned a lot Page 1 of 3

March 15. 2015 about Photoshop, Flash and After Effects at the Media College. Some of the movies can be found in my Optional category. This past year I have been working with Maya and found it interesting. The idea of working with 3D modelling and rigging seems to be the way for me to go right now. I find it intriguing to be able to make a character come to life and see the possibilities of movement. With an increased skillset and further education, I could easily see myself making games for a company with the focus of character development and design. My main sources of inspirations are movies like “Harry Potter”, “Prince of Egypt”, “Tangled”, “How to train your Dragon”, “Big Hero 6”, “Shrek”, “Lord of the Rings”, and I could go on all day… I love how especially the character designs in animated movies are very free. They are not limited to the human body and can use shapes and colors in every imaginational way, to define the character making them unique and unforgettable. The reason why I admire movies like “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” is the level of details in the movies. The combination of the real world and the magic are very well animated and I get completely mesmerized. For a second it can be hard to differentiate between fact and fiction. It is the same with games. I like fantasy games that are so complete, that the unnatural becomes natural. Where the anatomy, skeleton, weight and the design of a characters are highly prioritized, making it a natural part of the scenery and the story. Even though movies and games probably affects me the most, I do enjoy books. For example, I read “The Maze Runner” last summer. This was the very first thriller I have read, and it had a huge impact on me. While I read it, all the scenes where visualizing in my head, and I could feel every single little detail in my toes. I know that I want to make movies and games like that! I also have a very special place in my heart for a lot of other artist. Three of these are “Sergi Brosa”, “Noah Bradley”, and “Even Mehl Amundsen”. They all have their own unique style with a keen eye for details, which are expressed really well through their works. That really amazes me. During my life, I have been lucky, and have been able to travel a lot. Travelling has been a great part of my inspiration, and the two most important trips have been to Beijing in China and Kandersteg in Switzerland. In Beijing, I got the opportunity to see a culture that I am not used to here in Denmark. Both the rich and artistic part of Beijing but also the poor. In Kandersteg, the nature inspired me. I got to walk the mountains, walk on a glacier and swim in a glacial lake. It was truly fascinating, and I really wish to experience it once more. If I must say so myself, I am a fast learner when it comes to software. Here is a list of my current knowledge: Photoshop: Very familiar After Effects: Very familiar Elements: Familiar Paint Tool SAI: Very familiar SketchUp (3D): Very familiar AutoDesk’s AutoCAD: Very familiar AutoDesk’s Maya (3D): Familiar ZBrush (3D): Familiar Blender (3D): Beginner/familiar Page 2 of 3

March 15. 2015 With the help of all the work I did these past two years, SU, savings and the money that my grandmother left for my education, I will not have any problem with financing the education. I have been at the school many times now, and I am in contact with some of the current students. All I can say is that I am one of many who loves the school’s atmosphere. I enjoy sharing my works, have people look at it and afterwards give me constructive feedback. This is also one of the reasons, why I would very much like to join the program. I am really excited and I am looking forward to joining the program. I hope you can see my potential in my portfolio and most of all what it will become. Yours Sincerely, Anja Højmose Page 3 of 3