Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1120864
D E PA R T M E N T 31 KEYFRAME • BE DIRECT AND HONEST WHEN DELIVERING NOTES. HUMOR HELPS. "I once had an artist who broke his SBPro files into so many layers (because he was coming from a Flash animation background) and the files were unmanageable. Calling him in and saying, "Buddy,...your files make me need a drink," with a smile made it feel less like being called into the principal's office," recounts Ashley Long, Supervising Director Paradise PD. • IN ADDITION TO DELIVERING A NOTE ABOUT WHAT ISN'T WORKING, HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT IS. It's the old "compliment sandwich." Praise, criticism, and end with encouragement. • AVOID VAGUE OR NONSENSICAL NOTES: "Jazz it up," or "Find the sweet spot." "This tells an artist you don't know what you want, can't articulate your thoughts, don't have a trained eye for the media or all of the above," says Michael Losure. 'I'll know it when I see it' should be reserved for inexperienced Craigslist freelance clients, not studio productions." • IF NOTES AREN'T BEING ADDRESSED, REQUEST A MEETING AND DIPLOMATICALLY ASK WHY WE AREN'T ON THE SAME PAGE. "Try to empathize with the artist," says Lauren Andrews, Storyboard Director on Paradise PD. "Perhaps it was a misunderstanding or a time constraint, but definitely stress the importance of the note, and the expectation that notes will be followed in the future." • NEVER MAKE THE NOTE PERSONAL. IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE WORK. • ASK FOR CLARITY WHENEVER A DIRECTION IS CONFUSING. • TAKE A DAY TO "MARINATE" ON A NOTE BEFORE CHALLENGING IT. • IF YOU ARE GOING TO FOLLOW A NOTE, DON'T SEND AN EMAIL EXPLAINING WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO OR HOW YOU PLAN TO DO IT. "Sometimes writers write long essays about how they're going to fix a note," says Michael Olson, Writer, Puppy Dog Pals. "It's a waste of their time and of the executive's time. Just fix the note." • SHARE YOUR WORK WITH COLLEAGUES AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK BEFORE YOU SUBMIT IT. "I'm a supervisor, and I still go to my peers for notes—not necessarily in my chain of people—but from someone working on another film whose eye I trust and say, 'Hey, will you a take a look at this shot? Something feels a little off,'" says Jason Mayer. • NEVER TAKE A NOTE PERSONALLY. IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE WORK. NOTE-IQUETTE FOR SUPERVISORS AND NOTE GIVERS NOTE-IQUETTE FOR RECIPIENTS WHY WE PAGE. "Try to empathize with the artist," says Lauren Andrews, "Perhaps it was a misunderstanding or a time constraint, but definitely stress the importance of the note, and the expectation that notes will be followed in the future." PERSONAL. WORK.