This week has been quite busy. There is so much scheduling, sketching and planning with my new project called "Talent Night". Guess what? It's a new animated short film project! In next four months I'll focusing only to this project and keep my strictly on the screen. Read more about what I've done in this week.

Starting BIG project isn't easiest part

Start isn't easiest part when you know that project will be really big one, especially if you are alone. There is so many points that you need to pay attention. Decides that you have been make at the beginning of project impacts much of the process in later. If those decides were "wrong" that could increase your workload. So it's always best to plan project very well at the beginning even it takes some time. Usually it takes less time to plan project properly than fix all problems later 😉 So I spent this week working with text editors, scheduling and with brainstorming.

Gantt Charts & Scheduling

Gantt Charts are really easy and intuitive way to make some scheduling. I started project with making of some charts and organize things in that way.

There is one really good Gantt chart program for scheduling called GanttProject. I found this program lately and can recommend it to this kind usage. It's very easy to use and there isn't too much options. I just need Gantt Chart nothing more. Only UI is a little bit old looking, but it's not matter in this case.

Story is king! Always.

What you know about storytelling and plot. I know many people who like generate ideas for the new stories and they do this very well I think so. Sometimes I'm one of those. Usually these stories just get stuck in point where you should to go further with your story and rip it open to the pieces. Sometimes I belong one of those too. I think it's not that hard if you just try to focus the story. Now I tried.

There is so much theory in web and in books that can help you with your storytelling and plot to do it even better. Here is some great theory lessons for you to start to learn some storytelling and plot.

Seven Point Story Structure

I found this serie of five videos by Dan Wells from the "Fumbling with fiction"- blog. There is good post about this "Seven Point Story Structure" technique with explanations about these seven points.

1. Hook
2. Plot Turn 1
3. Pinch
4. Mid-point
5. Plot Turn 2
6. Pinch
7. Resolution

Lesson Story Structure and Plot

I watched this good lesson serie fron YouTube. There is 12 videos in this lesson. There is some really good points about story structure and plot. If you have intrested about this topic you should watch these pieces.

Talent Night - Story

In this week I've tried to focus mainly to the story and ripped it to the pieces. Now first version of the script is ready, WOHOO! I do not show the script here yet, but if you follow my blog you can get answer what is all about in this story.

Talent Night - one liner: Talent Night is a story of two robots where other want to be a great artist without success it alone.

First attribution: My brother helped me a lot with story and gives some good ideas for that, so thanks bro!

How to stay motivated?!?

I guess many artist wrestles with this "how to stay motivated". Mainly I meant times when you need to do things that isn't best part of the job. In these situations I try to think about the final result of the project and keep my mind motivated by that way. Motivator booster could be good (and some times bad) feedback 😉 Talking with the other artists is also great way to motivate yourself and others.

Visual Person

Many CGI-artis is a visual person. So am I. And for these persons there is motivation booster when you do something visual. It could be anything that you enjoy and it's best if that related to your project in someway.

I think it's good way to make fast sketches with silhouette technique. I make some really fast sketches from main character while I brainstorming the idea of the plot. One this kind silhouette sketch takes only 1-5 minutes time. So it's pretty fast to think shape with this kind. This is also good preproduction for the storyboard.