One of the realities of professional animation is being told to do something to your shot that you really don't quite agree with. Maybe there's an expression or a gesture you're trying to pull off. All the feedback you've gotten from your fellow inmates... err, "animation co-workers", says the expression or gesture is working. Folks are digging what you're dishing. Then in dailies the director says something like "Hmm. It's not clear to me what he's thinking." Then the director probably will give you a suggestion for a completely different performance beat there.
This is the point where you earn your money. Do you mentally and emotionally give up on the scene? Or do you enthusiastically adopt this new approach and try to make it work? The difference between being a pro and an "art-eest" is clear. An "art-eest" will whine and fight and pout, complain to everybody about how obviously 'clueless' the director is for not seeing his genius animation- then do a half baked job at the new performance and subconsciously sabotage the effort to be sure that his or her original idea coms out looking better. That's bush league. A pro, on the other hand, figures , Oh well. Guess that one didn't work. This new idea should be a fun puzzle. Sure, there is room for valid disagreement over how to handle a scene, and there are such things as stylistic differences. But this isn't your student short film, this is a job.
Listen, when somebody else signs your paycheck, they call the shots. So you do your best, try to offer your unique take on a scene. But when they call for something different, you shrug your shoulders, toss the old idea away and get back to it with the same level of enthusiasm and energy as when you first got your scene in handoff. It's not always an easy thing to do (especially when you're on your third "Let's try this...." version of a scene), but it's important to keep that positive vibe going. In the end you're gonna have mixed feelings about the scene probably, but there's a fairly good chance that you'll also like that scene a LOT more than if it had been bought off on the first whack. Almost invariably the scenes that I liked a lot when they get approved on my first attempt end up not being the scenes I really like with the process of time. It's the scenes where I'm pushed to find something new, find something different in a character than I thought was there originally- those are the ones that taste a bit bitter at first, but they age much better with time.
There is NO such thing as a 'perfectly animated scene'. I'm absolutely convinced of that. There are any number of 'valid ways to solve a scene'. If your way is valid, but it doesn't fit the director's vision for that moment, well, then it's your job to find another valid solution that does fit. You can like your version better, that's fine, but you better hold your precious ideas loosely. You cannot hold the opinion that it is inherently better just because it was your idea. When you think there's only one way to do a scene and have it be "right" you shoot yourself in the foot and set yourself up for a lot more frustration than you really need.
3 comments:
Hey Keith,
At my office we often are asked to do things which don't exactly fit our job descriptions or are not the way WE would do it. Bottom line, it is a job and "It all pays the same." That's right I get paid just as much to make photocopies as I do animating. In the end my employer would be crazy to pay me my salary to make copies for long but I find it is a nice diversion now and then.
Michael Thoenes
True.
If you are working for a director with vision, it's a pleasure. I love it. I really appreciate comments, even if I have to redo the scene seven times (been there done that, haha). Hardly I can disagree with someone, who, well knows better. I only do pieces, he or she does the big thing. I am not here to interfere, I am here to help.
But there are times when people you work for aren't directors, and they don't really know what they want, especially when you freelancing and do stuff directly for clients outside the industry.
More than few times I did my scenes, got request for changes, changed it, got another request, handed back previous version of the scene and got applause. Of course those wasn't big productions, medium profile commercials done as freelance only, where I am supposed to be "animation driector" or whatever.
Anyway, arguing, figthing too much etc.. even with a client I described above does not make sense. They get what they call for, I don't mind animating backwards if asked. Just need to be sure you get number of revisions and what is a revision defined in your contract, when you take a freelance job.
Otherwise you can get screwed up financially, because project takes two times longer and you get the same cash Not to mention all nerves lost :).
I wish everyone good, charismatic directors, producers and animation supervisors, because when we have a pleasure working with such persons, everything is going really easy, even if we are called 5 times for the same scene.
This is also why we all need some sort of other creative outlet. Something to do when we go home that nobody critiques but ourselves. Whether it's animating your own stuff, or composing music, or painting, or photography, everyone needs an outlet, a place to make mistakes without fear of outside criticism. It's a way to grow and learn.
Remember at work, your not just trying to please a director, you're ultimately trying to communicate and entertain the audience. They are the ultimate critic. We have to create things that other like and want if we expect to get paid for it. It's show BUSINESS - without the business you aint got no show.
Post a Comment