Haydn Robinson's Personal Statement

Haydn Robinson's Personal Statement

Since as long as I can remember I have always had a fascination with moving image, this combined with a strong aspiration to understand the workings behind some of the great visual effects masterpieces that had me fooled as youngster into believing that dinosaurs are still alive and that Star Wars was real, is partially the reason for my choice to pursue a career in visual effects. Sixteen years later and I have developed a basic understanding of the capabilities of visual effects producing programmes. Over the past three years at university, many skills have been acquired, including knowledge of how to operate a Sony XDCAM, backlighting a green screen and using Keylight, a basic understanding of 3D modelling, texturing and lighting in both Maya and Cinema 4D and a range of skills developed in After Effects, including compositing, generating visual effects and motion graphics.

After gaining an understanding of these techniques and processes, I became inspired to write a short film with an accompanying trailer to promote the idea to be produced as a feature film. This idea is based on some of the work by David Icke, to which I have received outstanding feedback with everyone who has analysed my spin on the idea, being able to give no reason why funding councils would not be willing to invest in this production. It takes on the current interest in CGI base Sci-fi and combines the use of conspiracy theory with psychological thriller to subconsciously provoke many questions raised by modern society. This truly deep idea has bags of potential and is expected to further the reputation of the British Visual Effects and film industry. Whilst it maybe apparent that this is my first attempt at scriptwriting it demonstrates some of the key skills that I have developed and promotes a possible route that this idea could take.

“The Return of Nibiru” aims to follow in the footsteps of “THX 1138” and “District 9” in terms of an idea first devised as a student film making it to the big screen. The only real criticism I have received from my tutors throughout my time at University is; “trying to achieve a professional looking finish,” “aiming too high” and “attempting the unachievable.” In hindsight I would agree with this, both my lack of knowledge and the five-year old computers provided by the college hindered my goals and my results, however this has not set me back in what I aim to achieve. My planned career path given funding for my film isn't granted, is to work my way up through a visual effects/post-production company, aiming to be a visual effects supervisor by the age of thirty. In the meantime I will continue to script-write in my spare time as it is a new found enjoyable hobby of mine, I feel I have a magnitude of ideas waiting to be expressed and I am sure that one will hit the big screen by 2020.