Letter of Intention

To The Animation Workshop,

My name is Emilio Elmowy, I am twenty years old and live in Sydney Australia. This is my first time applying for the Computer Graphic Arts program at the Animation Workshop.

You can find my CGA portfolio here: http://emilioelmowyportfolio.blogspot.com

My love for drawing began at an early age and continued into the margins of many maths books throughout my school years. At the age of 15, I was fortunate to have an art teacher who encouraged us to develop our drawing skills through weekly life drawing classes which I eagerly attended through to graduation. As my skills began to develop over time, I found a real enjoyment in the process of drawing and started to understand the importance of practice, patience and economy. In life drawing, I have been able to combine my fascination with science and art by applying the principles of anatomy and light to the drawing process. In my final year at high school I took  part in a two day residency at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the University of British Columbia, Canada where working alongside the assistant curator Ildiko Szabo I was granted access to their full specimen collection. This collection provided key references for my graduating HSC major art work.

After graduating from high school I enrolled at the Australian National University for a double degree: Bachelor of Science: (Biology) / Bachelor Visual Arts: (Painting). Though I found the relationship between biology and art fascinating  I decided to pursue my BVA in painting full time. The art history classes and weekly life drawing became the highlights of these 2 years while at the same time there was a growing realisation that I wanted to pursue a career in animation. Over the course of my second year at university I began to teach myself, using various books and online resources that allowed me to hone both my traditional and digital skills. During my time at ANU I participated in the “Interhall Arts Exhibition”, competed twice in the “Life on Campus” charity auction selling both artworks and was invited to publish illustrations in the student newspaper “Woroni” (issue 1 vol.66, issue 2 vol.66, issue 4 vol.68, the “Nostalgia” issue). At the end of my second year, I decided to defer my degree at ANU and pursue entrance into the Animation Workshop.

I believe that a strong understanding of both 2D and 3D animation is essential to working in the industry and that the CGA course at The Animation Workshop can provide me with the practical and conceptual skills necessary to succeed. Furthermore, I imagine The Animation Workshop would provide a stimulating and creative environment where I would be given the opportunity to work alongside other passionate artists; in particular working in group projects, especially the third year graduating work. I have a passion for visual storytelling and hope to work as a creative director for an independent film or video game studio sometime in the future. I believe 3D animation is the new medium of the digital age where a combination of artistic and scientific practices will produce the unique works of the next generation. I see the field of animation extending past the realm of animated films and into the world of videogames, VR/AR and in conjunction with scientific imaging processes.

My grandfather was a sculptor, painter and draughtsman and has remained my greatest influence. Growing up I was surrounded by his work which instilled an appreciation for art at a young age. I draw many of my influences from the history of art and I especially admire the artists of the Italian Baroque, the early Modernists and the Surrealists. I take inspiration from the works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Bernini, Jacques Louis David, J.M.W. Turner, J.A.M. Whistler, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Salvador Dali, Lucian Freud, Edward Hopper and Francis Bacon. My favorite artist would be the Belgian Surrealist painter René Magritte, for his mysterious compositions that assimilate literary concepts into the language of painting. I have also taken influence from Australian artists such as Jeffrey Smart’s precisionist landscapes and Shaun Tan’s magic-realist depictions of suburban life.

Influential animated films include Hayao Miyazaki’s dreamlike Spirited Away, Charlie Kaufman’s existential Anomalisa, Henry Selick’s nightmarish Coraline and Marjane Satrapi’s personal Persepolis. My most admired animator would be the French director and animator Sylvain Chomet, especially his film The Triplets of Belleville. His characters are grotesque yet charming and move in hallucinatory gestures that act as extensions of their physical form. Watching his films is to be sucked into a world of pure imagination.

The potential for uncovering new and innovative storytelling techniques in the field of video games makes the possibility of working in the industry an exciting prospect. I am greatly influenced by the merging of gameplay and narrative elements in the atmospheric underwater city of developer Irrational’s Bioshock. Davey Wreden’s The Stanley Parable is revolutionary in its questioning of the fundamental nature of interactive storytelling and the potential to craft mature stories is evident in developer Campo Santo’s portrait of a man struggling through mid-life crisis in Firewatch.

An approach to animation that “dumbs down” a work (for financial or other reasons) at the expense of creativity is a work that does not respect the curiosity and intelligence of its audience.

You may wonder why I would like to travel halfway around the earth and take up residence in a country different to Australia. Last September I travelled to Europe as part of a university tour in art history visiting Rome and Paris. It was my first visit since my toddler days and I was was in awe as I explored the various monuments, galleries, gardens, museums, châteaux and palaces that the two cities had to offer. The experience gave me a deeper appreciation for the role that architecture and art has to play in a city's identity. My time overseas was life changing and has made me eager to travel and absorb cultures very different to my familiar surroundings.

I have applied for a scholarship though will be supported by my parents for tuition and accommodation costs while I have worked part-time over the years to save costs to cover my living expenses.

The opportunity to study and work at The Animation Workshop would be a fantastic experience. Thank you for considering my application,

Emilio Elmowy



Programs and Experience Level:

• Adobe Photoshop CS6 - advanced 
• Adobe Illustrator CS6 - intermediate 
• Adobe Flash CS6 - intermediate 
• Adobe Audition CS6 - intermediate
• Steinberg Cubase 7 - intermediate 
• Valve Hammer Map Editor - beginner