SENIOR CAPSTONE

YOU’RE NOT PERFECT, I WOULDN’T WANT YOU TO BE

After Effects, Premiere Pro, Audition, stop motion, green screen

Artist Statement

You’re Not Perfect, I Wouldn’t Want You To Be is not a love letter to gymnastics. Instead, it is a critique of the sport, the national organization, how we view athletics in general, and, humbly, life. The greatest lesson I learned as an athlete was that you will fail, and that’s okay. I learned some other stuff, too.

I learned about perfection. Point your toes, lock your knees, keep your shape.

I learned about fear. Get on the bar, what’s the worst that could happen? Call the ambulance.

I learned about health. I don’t care, I don’t believe you, your hands are fine.

I learned about individuality. Cut your hair, wear this, line up on the red wall.

I learned about discipline. Get away from the chalk bucket, stop laughing, close the door.

I learned about success. They’re better than you, do it again, winners don’t take breaks.

You’re Not Perfect, I Wouldn’t Want You To Be is a subversion of negative messages that I was exposed to as a gymnast, told through gymnastics imagery. It’s how it feels to be a gymnast, it’s what I would teach, it’s what I hope to live my life by. It’s not perfect; neither am I, neither are you.

Case Study

After settling on my narrative, I began my research.

I was inspired, initially, by the Olympic Games, being they are the pinnacle of sport and the central focus of gymnastics.

Each Olympics has its own art poster, I compiled them all, made notes on each Games, and set forth recreating each with a different positive health message.

In the end, this proved only to be an excercise and not a probable set of final deliverables.

There were too many posters and I wasn’t creating anything new or original.

I switched gears; conducted interviews with gymnasts and asked how instructing the sport could change for the better.

I ended up with six themes, subsequently narrowing the six down to four.

Know What Fears You Have to Face, Take Care of Yourself, Express Yourself, and Have Fun.

These four ideals about improving the sport would become the pillars of my capstone.

I. Know What Fears You Have to Face

I was always taught to “have no fear.”

Every injury I sustained as a gymnast came from this notion of having no fear.

All thought is removed from the equation when you “have no fear”.

You blindly execute skills and put yourself at risk.

So you shouldn’t “have no fear”.

You should, however, discern your fears, insert critical thinking, and assess why you are afraid and how you can overcome your fear.

I was told of a story of injury resulted from recklessness, and resolved with step-by-step thinking.

Knowing what to be afraid of and how to overcome it, instead of pretending not to be scared.

My first iteration (to the right) of this story used narration, an unfitting guitar soundtrack, and kinetic typography.

First Iteration

This iteration did not fit the theme and environment I wanted to create.

It was representational, smooth, and didn’t feel at all like gymnastics does: rough, painful, and uneasy.

To get the final version, I used my own scratchy handwriting, chopped up the video, and kept the natural sound of the pencil scratching to mirror these feelings.

II. Take Care of Yourself

Take Care of Yourself was the first idea I had for a final deliverable.

Taking Olympic imagery and, quite literally, tearing it to pieces and putting it back together differently.

The audio is impacted by two of the most famous American gymnasts in two crucial moments.

Kerri Strug’s final vault and Simone Biles’ emphasis on the importance of mental and physical health.

Both seemingly opposite events, one resulting in gold and injury, the other in inspiration.

What’s more important; victory or health?

Take Care of Yourself Storyboard

III. Express Yourself

For the Express Yourself section, I wanted to connect the subject matter (gymnastics) with the process of the creation of the capstone film.

Carving a linoleum block exhibited the exact feeling I was looking for: raw, untamed, destructive, rough.

Expression is a necessity, it is hugely important in athletics, art, and life.

The expression of carving.

The expression of animation.

The expression of gymnastics.

IV. Have Fun

Athletics exist for personal health and enjoyment.

I wanted to emphasize that.

I started with a motion graphic using flat primary colors, reminiscent of the basics of both gymnastics and art.

The motion graphic failed in the same way as the kinetic typography of the first section; it didn’t feel like gymnastics.

Looking back on a Nike Olympic advertisement was all the inspiration I needed to make a change.

Using a George Orwell inspired quote, Nike made an entire campaign on how athletics exist to beat down your opponent and finish on top; bloody and victorious.

“Sport is war, minus the killing.”

In reality, sport should exist for the opposite way.