Pang!

Got a whole wodge of new shots this week, and I find myself experiencing my usual slight pang of fright. Loads of questions and ideas riding on the same lightning bolt strike me on the head: can I deliver the work on time? Where are the important moments? How do I hit the intent of each shot? How can I make it shine?

Yikes.

For me, looking at a chunk of outstanding work is always daunting, and to feel the pang is perfectly reasonable, in my book. The important point is to attack it head on and use it your advantage, rather than let it get the best of you. As is true with any endeavour, when you starting "dividing and conquering" everything becomes so much more achievable, so just getting stuck in is key. I think most animators I know feel a little something when starting a new sequence, and the experienced can take the pang and turn it on its head to motivate and inspire new ideas.

The bad stuff happens when things seem a little to much to cope with and it's all so scary that you become too terrified to do anything. That's when you start to look for any excuse to do something else rather than tackle what you should be doing. I know I am guilty of this, particularly in the illustration stuff I do in my spare time. (What do you mean you haven't seen any illustration stuff I've done? Exactly. I haven't finished any of it. Lucky I'm not like that at work!)

So, for your information I have included an artist's impression of the pang. If he rears his ugly head around your work station, then please feel free to squeeze all of the creative juices out of the little git and cast him aside. Don't feel any remorse, he'll usually be back...