Get Your Project Done - An Editorial by Pluginz.com Art Director, Zak Akin

January 19 2006

One of the most important lessons I ever learned in school was from one of my worst teachers. 2D Animation is a pretty difficult subject for anyone to teach in only 9 weeks, especially if your resume consists of Gumby shorts and the Smurfs. However, the following piece of wisdom still sticks with me today: "Zak, your drawings are crude and sloppy, your animation is almost non existent, but your timing is good and you're the only one in this class that has turned in a fully completed project so you're the only one to get an 'A'." This was even before South Park, but this and South Park are good examples of the point I want to make here - You can count on your middle finger all the unfinished works that have made their way to the public. A mediocre finished product is worth much more than an unfinished masterpiece (at least until you are held at the same level of esteem as Mozart or Van Gogh).

Right now is a great time to be an amateur filmmaker, or digital artist of any kind, because technology is readily available, demand for quality is waning, and distribution is everywhere. My point, which I'm going to repeat throughout is this, "get your project done!" I know so many fellow artists that are always in the, "if only I had this specific software or hardware I could finish my project," camp. You don't need it; just finish your project with what you've got. This may sound odd coming from a guy who works for the company that aims to sell you the latest cutting edge technology, but I'm targeting my writing here at the aspiring artist with a load of ambition and little money… I want to see you get a job, then we can worry about getting all those snazzy new plug-ins through your company. Any professional will tell you that it's your demo reel and experience that's going to win you a job. Had I sat in the corner at ILM, emptied trash cans, and soaked up what I could for four years instead of going to art school I can guarantee that I'd have had an easier time finding a job right out of college. Now, I'm not telling you that your degree in art is worthless, quite the contrary, but what's most important to go with that degree is finished work. Get your project done.

I'm sure you're wondering what I meant with "demand for quality is waning." I am aware that HD and 10 mega pixel cameras are the wave of the future but that's not necessarily the output for the aspiring artist. Today, thanks to things like iTunes, AtomFilms.com, MySpace.com, and RES.com there is a massive free distribution market for low resolution video and animation. It's the most ironic juxtaposition since the transition from 8-track to cassette tape. Like the 8-track, HD is superior in every way regarding fidelity. However, there is an ever growing appeal for the more convenient, lower quality, formats. More and more films are being watched in 320x200 browser windows, iPod's, PSP's, and cell phones. Consumers and potential employers alike are not expecting to see Shrek from your inaugural efforts. All they are after is a bit of entertainment. Your story and the timing, editing and animation is what really counts. Again, use South Park as your benchmark of compromised quality for good storytelling and look where it got Matt and Trey. Get your project done.

Do whatever it takes. If you have nothing more than the editing software that came with your computer or camera, use it. If you have to film your movie with the 30 second recording function on your digital camera, do it. Use your web-cam to do stop-motion; the tools are already in your hands. In addition, there is almost limitless amounts of free and open-source software out there, not to mention 30 day free trials of nearly everything so you've got no excuses. Remember, before Peter Jackson made Lord of the Rings he made Bad Taste, and Meet the Feebles. Be resourceful, be creative, and above all, get your project done.

by Zak Akin, Art Director
Pluginz.com