After having reflected and redesigned my animation ready for it's third draft (and having started animating it), I realised I wasn't happy with the look of it and it just wasn't jelling together. It didn't look like one whole film: the type looked "shoe horned" in and it wasn't a style that was very "me".
After feeling frustrated with how the project was going, I decided to have a day's break to take my mind off it. I HATE HAVING BREAKS THOUGH. But they do work. Like, really. Returning to a project with fresh eyes and a clear head has such a great effect. It's probably because you haven't thought about it for a while and you're not completely wrapped up in it, so on returning, the ideas are often flowing and the productivity levels are high.
I say I dislike taking breaks because it feels unproductive, but sat there just thinking is also unproductive. Ideas aren't often plucked out of thin air. The more you sit there fretting over a project and trying to think of an idea, the harder it becomes and the less likely it will happen. If you feel bad for taking a break, just remember it's part of the natural thought process and it's good to let your ideas breathe. Easier said than done, I know. Also, taking a break doesn't need to mean be unproductive: you can do other productive [but project unrelated] tasks, such as work on a completely different assignment (like I did), do some cleaning/ decluttering, go for a walk, or do that thing which has been needed doing for ages, but you've kept putting off! Just some suggestions there, but there's tonnes of other non-project related things you could do. Let me know some of yours in the comments!
Scary break aside(!), I feel the animation is working a lot better in the way I'm producing it now. I'm using my more natural style and rotoscoping it. I feel it's a technique I've really developed over the last five or so years and I want to continue working in that way, but pushing it further than I've previously done and advancing my style more so. I still am going to incorporate text, but in a more natural way, which will fit better with the animation. This is opposed to the forced, computerised type I was working with.
I think this change of direction is a positive one and the right choice for me. I know I was talking about comfort zones and it's good to be stretching them, but if that is going to compromise the look/ quality of the work, then I don't think it's always a good idea. It just wasn't working for me and I think being honest with myself and redesigning it, is breaking a comfort zone for me anyway. I can't stand admitting a project of mine isn't working!
By incorporating text into my animation is something I've never done before, plus I'm using a different programme to animate in (TV Paint) than the one I usually use and I'm experimenting with a different rotoscope style. These things are out of the norm for me, therefore not doing something that is completely 'safe'.
Here's a work in progress screen grab of one of the frames:
Watch this space for more updates xo
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