Week 2: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

 

Understanding Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud

 

Scott McCloud made a lot of good points that as a comic book and manga reader I would have never thought about when reading.

One of the points he makes I can relate the most is time portrayed in comics. When I read comics I’m sucked into a world that I view like a movie. I feel time passing through the pictures but I never understood how or why. I like McCloud’s analogy with the rope. It makes sense that when I read I’m following a timeline of sorts, watching and experiencing the character’s world in their time. That being said, I have also experienced the problems with time when reading. There have been times with the artist might not have clarified the jump in time from one panel or page to another. The implied difference in time wasn’t portrayed well in their words or images.

The last point he makes about comics was very inspiring and makes sense in any career path people. People can be inspired by anything which they may want to pursue more and learn how to do it. Although he relates the six step in regards to artists I can relate to this as an aspiring producer. When I started on my path to entering the entertainment industry I first got the idea during my junior year in high school. I saw the SURFACE of animation and watched the behind the scenes hearing vague explanations to how they were made growing up but it wasn’t until I read about an alum who went to Ringling, worked on big named animated movies and helped produce a successful Ringling Computer Animation thesis. I was in awe and once Big Hero 6 came out that year it sparked a dream. Entering college, I wanted to gain the knowledge and hone into this CRAFT. I wanted to learn more in how the production process worked and thus, I started catering my courses and extra curricular activities towards the dream. I started to take interest in filming as I worked for ART Network, Ringling’s TV Network. I learned the basics of filming presentations, interviews and the terminology like B-roll or white balancing. I was gathering more knowledge to the STRUCTURE of production. It wasn’t until my second semester of my sophomore year when I pitched an idea for a show and was placed in creating it myself. That meant putting all that I learned into something I was still unfamiliar with. I made mistakes but I still wanted to pursue the challenge and learn from it. This led to my pursuit of more opportunities the following year, Junior year. I continued the show, developing it more and now I’m still producing it but now I’m also taking in part of another producing opportunity. In the beginning, the alum that I admired worked on an animation thesis, well, now I’m in her place working with three Computer Animation students. Although my dream is a reality, I’m still aiming higher to find my IDEA/PURPOSE.

If I were to put myself in McCloud’s six steps, I would say I’m in between STRUCTURE and CRAFT but that can be expected for a college student that’s in her second semester of her junior year. I still haven’t made it out into the world to truly say I understand the art of producing, but like most people, artist or not, I’m on the pathway to get to the end.