Back on Track

After a chat with Derrick and a good long think, I'm back on track, I've e-mailed and spoken to all the teams I was producing and gotten back on with them all, this monday I've arranged production meetings and to see what they're all doing, and will join in and help them all out with whatever they need, I already have helped with the Tracking on Simon and Matt's peice.

I think my lack of confidence in myself as a producer due to one or two elements was a bit stupid now. I really want to do this, so why should I let anyone destroy my chances. I am going to get these projects finished, I'm determined, EVEN If I end up with 3 lots of work to help my groups accomplish what they want.

Roll on Monday. Tomorrow I'll find out where everyones at and set realistic deadlines around what we have to do!

Tx

Here are some quickies I've rendered up today, the final Pen with the Skull replacement, And I've done a few frames, some with Nails bent etc. There are a few more around.

Zee Third Year Projects

My Work for Today, Really enjoying the Burton-esque style of Cherie's Peice, I can really get on with it. And the little tidbits she's getting me to work on and design are quiet cool, even if they only play a small part in the peice!

Through the Hard times,....

Ok so... Producing has kind of gone down the pot.

I was working with Simon, Matt and Lee. Orla and Alex, Holly and Jess. I put together calenders for each of them and worked my way around stuff working as a contact point for the groups. Alex and Orla had some contact problems due to technical difficulties, and Jess was suffering with an ankle problem for a day or two and couldn't get in.

The hard part came pretty early on into the whole project, and as a result, I have thrown my producing onto a back rink to concentrate on doing my own project. I guess I feel kind of down heartened by it all. But it's been a hard ride. I guess I could lay blame,... but I don't see it as being the right thing to do. I kind of know now who I can and cannot work with. I'm going to continue helping Holly and Orla's groups. But I want to have something to show for this project, and I know I'm technically as well qualified to do something as awesome as everyone else. Admittedly with a lot less time than I scheduled my groups. But none the less that went out the window because no-one seemed to follow what I had set out for them and even when I pushed I found myself granted little to no respect in the way of my position. (Admittedly not with every group)

My main downfall came with the group I was working with within' my house. I know this may cause conflict, or even make it 'hard to live' but to be honest, It's far too hard for me to just house up emotion because others don't want 'dead air' that hasn't been caused by myself. 

Now I know I'm on the same course as everyone here, and I know that it's hard to have a leader if you don't do the whole authority thing, especially me being me, I've lost so many jobs because I refuse to be walked on, but at the same time, I still have RESPECT for everyone around me, and their given skills, I mean hell, everyone in Animation has some amazing talent, and I'm so lucky to be around the people I am, and recently I had even found that I had talent you know? I could organize people, I AM a good leader and I work well with people who share the same respect as me. This is why I tried my hardest to allocate jobs dependent on those skills while I was working as a producer. I even got told by a few people I did a great job. RESPECT is a reason that people act the way they do, but I had plenty of this when addressing my class mates and the people I was working with, if I had a problem I would address it with them directly, I would not go behind their backs to have words with anyone higher up. This is where my problems start. I have spoken about the issue to those that it matters to, and I hope that the person that lacked the respect for me in the role I had chosen gets treated better than I did when it comes their turn, Cause it's kinda hurtful. 

On that note, due to this, and my rota not being followed, groups have fallen behind, I know they can bring it back, but I don't feel that with the third year projects coming up and the focus on those, that I would like to be marked on my production of these projects, as a friend I will help anyone who asks it of me, as a want to be producer, I will help organise and track down anyone who needs to be tracked down, but I don't think I could claim responsibility for any of these things getting done. I don't feel as if this project has been handled in a professional mannerism, and maybe that's down to me,... but it also feels as if the work I had done and all I had tried to do had been undermined. 

Trying not to sound like myself in despair. No amounts of walking to Falmouth or getting out to take my mind of how I feel is helping. I'm hoping working with new people on the third year project will give me that breath of fresh air that I so crave. Plus maybe I'll even get to get a bit Tim Burton on everyone's ass! 

Tx

Ps. I know all of this could be written in an evaluation where only tutors could read it, but to be fair... That's not how I play. I will lay out and talk to ANYONE who has an issue with me, as I would expect with anyone else. I know everyone has their own personality and for some people it CAN be hard. But again,... it's all a part of respecting one another.

Upping my Internet Presence!

I've recently gone about giving myself a bigger presence on the internet. You can now also find me at:

Tumblr: http://TomDowler.Tumblr.com

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/star69sugar

Formspring.me: http://formspring.me/TomDowler

Top two are probably of relevance, bottom one is for any questions you wish answered by yours truely. I try to check all of my internet resources as often as possible. Admittedly my Tumblr will be becoming vastly used as it's just such a quick way to blog. 

Also in other news.

Today is a production meeting, I'm going to try and get as much as possible from my groups to show you on my blog and to tell you all where they're at and set new deadlines for them as the end of this project is fast approaching with more being thrown our way each day.

Dissertation is a bit of a killer due to not knowing exactly what I want to do yet and I wanted to focus a lot of attention on that aspect of the course, just to up my knowledge in this area. I'm having a few dry weeks at the moment. Hoping I can whet my appetite a bit more after today!

Producing!

Ok so I've began Producing on two groups for the post production project and I'm helping out as best I can also with their projects. I have collected Contact information for both groups and compiled two Contact sheets. I've done both groups calenders and been on location filming with both. I'm currently working up some Gantt charts for both of them.

My First group. 

Simon Acty, Matthew Luxton & Lee Dutfield

I've been involved with this Idea from the start essentially although Matt and Simon took their creative juices a flowing, Their initial Idea was a trailer for a feature film kind of thing which was reminiscent of "The Secret Garden" or "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe". The Idea to have a main protagonist sucked into a book and taken on an adventure through a fantasy world. The Idea has been cut down to a single scene involving the main character walking to a ruined shrine and opening the book and the book's magic being released. 

This Idea is going to focus a lot on Particle effects from the book, and changing the setting. The book is also going to have effects such as a burning letter effect and animations upon the page or so I believe. So far I have helped Simon on the Director role, helping him pick shots, we went out on a recci the week before I was appointed Producer. Taking shots of the vale and places we could use for the actual peice before settling on a ruined area in the middle of Kennel Vale. 

I then Set them up their calender for work which so far has been well kept to and we're time in hand. Just what I wanted as a producer. At the moment I have set Lee working on 3 Matte paintings for use in places. And today as I write this, Matty and Si are getting the renders to get working on. So far this group is working well. Although Lee seems to be segregated from the others, I hope to get them all working as a Team. This proves hard as it's not exactly my "Job" I am still just their housemate, but I'm doing my best as a Producer to work it out. I know that the respect of a producer isn't probably what I have between them. But I want to help them with all I can. I guess this gives me a chance to prove myself. I know Simon and Matt are working to their upmost to make this project something they can be proud of. I think they've settled on using Adobe After effects for their particle work. 

Second Group.

Orla McElroy & Alex Joleaf

I only really got together with these guys this Monday, Orla and Alex are fantastically ambitious in their project and it sounds as if it will be really good. They plan to do a 30 second clip of a music video for one of Alex's friend's band. Integrating 2D with live action environments, They are also filming at Kennel Vale. The first thing I really got to do with these guys was talk about what they planned to get done, I didn't want to stunt their creativity, but I know it's going to be a lot of work, and I know Alex said he planned to do a lot of work outside of University hours. So as the producer, I worked to Uni hours and set up a calender for them also to follow, which to my surprise Alex said he was very impressed with. I have since then changed a few things as this week didn't go as planned and they've taken a few more days to film, which is cutting into the days we had planned for tracking footage, but the two of them again are doing a fantastic job. I bumped into them at the Vale the other day whilst working with Simon and Matt to get footage. I get the idea with this group I'm going to end up pushing a lot toward the end, but I might be wrong. I really hope it comes to fruition for them cause both of them are working really hard with it. My worry was with the Animation coming first but they both assure me that the Animation and comping will be done together, so they'll not be without a finished article at the end.

Orla and Alex's schedule runs like this.

Producing and Styles

I think I've definitely found where I want to be within' the Animation/Media industry. I'm going to continue to work towards becoming a producer, I know it's not an easy route, but having discussed it all with Andy Wyatt and Georg Finch, I now know what to do. So I aim to get myself re-aquatinted with Excel and other Office packages. And to work as best I can with as many groups as possible.

I think this will be from now on a very prosperous year all being well. 

Anyway. Here's some Anime/Cartoony styles I've been experimenting with recently. 

Also Currently finding my love for Australia and their god damn amazing Music! Whey Silverchair! New South Wales is my Spiritual home! haha. Tx