Definition - High vs Standard & Nonstandard

[Cathy]

Terrence (great to see you again) you hit the nail on the head - one must love what they do. I think that also answers Paul's comment as well. Unless you really love what you are doing you will not be able to endure the long dark nights, the loneliness, the set-backs, the monotony and fatigue. It is love and passion for the art that sustains us through those bleaker times. Sure, anybody can begin anything with great dreams of accomplishment only to later admit defeat and abandon all hope. This is part of the human condition, I think, for I see it far too often. But to strike out on the adventure and then endure every hardship to the end one must have that spark of passion leading them on, constantly giving them hope and assuaging their wounds.

-Cathy

[artfx]

Hi Terrence
I think about you at least once a month or so, wondering when you will pop up again and here you are now. I have a suggestion for PART II to your "LEARN HOW TO Create Your Own Animated Film!" project. It's: Learn how to FINISH Your Own Animated Film! I'm serious; I see too many people with great determination rushing into making a movie "like no other movie" (or "just like other movies") but never thinking through the skills needed to actually complete the BIG ONE.

There are certain principles one must understand to be able to finish a film, starting with Understand Yourself First and ending with Understanding the Joys of Loneliness. Animation schools are notoriously unsuccessful at getting these principals across to their students. I, for one, never succeeded; all my students always took too big a bite to chew, in spite of all my repeated warnings.

You are really right Paul, and sad to say, I haven't truly engrained these things in my mind either. I have more than once bitten off more than I can chew and had a project go down in flames. There are also times when the loneliness part of the picture is too much for me. It's hard to find a balance. My last project, a commissioned gig, had me behind the computer all day, every day for weeks, and I think my friends started to wonder what happened to me.

I don't remember where I heard or read it, but I came across the idea that finishing it is the most important thing early on. Whoever said that, at the time, said that it's best to finish it, even if it is horribly bad. It is better to have something bad you can fix than 2% of a masterpiece you can never complete.

Thanks for thinking of me, and I will try to incorporate those ideas in my future videos.