I don't really write too many of these more personal updates but it felt like at this point in production it would be helpful to those following the process.
It is at this part of the process that I have a weird mix of emotions. Part of me is absolutely ecstatic to see work visible moving along. I'm getting through the animation one shot at a time as well as receiving the finished roughs from various animators on the team. I am literally seeing these drawings come to life and breathing said life into more drawings.
The closest I can come to an analogous feeling to this is how I feel as a director on-set. When I see other artists: cameramen, actors, etc, bringing my story and characters to life on film the only word that can properly describe my emotion is "giddy."
I share that elation at seeing the progress of this film after years of work and fine-tuning. I hope you're feeling at least a fraction of that "giddiness" in following this blog and seeing the progress alongside myself.
With this great feeling come a large helping of anxiety.
I worry.
I worry about everything being completed by the concrete August 27th deadline for my MFA more than anything. I am not as far along as I would like which should come as to no surprise as this is simply the way of things with animation. Animation ALWAYS takes longer than expected. No matter the planning I have come to realize this as fact. The key is planning for it to take longer. In many respects that's exactly what the summer months have been. Even within that contingency I'm later than I'd like.
I worry about other things as well like the reception of the film upon completion. That I'm not generating enough interest in the process. That the film does not resonate with others the way I want. That it will not affect people the way I want. It's a lot to bare for one guy and an animated short film but I can handle the weight.
So.
That's where I'm at.
Thank you all for taking this journey with me weather you're new to the site or have been following since the very beginning. I hope this gave you even further insight into the workings of an animated production. If anything else it helps me catalog how I feel right now so that I may one day look back upon it. I promise I won't do too many of this serious an update!