I relate too much, it’s bad and the reason I haven’t progressed. Thanks for being open and honest and seeing and acknowledging what and why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Thanks a lot for being open, sadly I know that I have the same problems, I feel I'm so slow :( part of the problem I think: 1.multitasking stuffs. 2.spending more time on learning than doing it. It's hard to change these habits I hope one day I can do more stuffs, one thing that I heard and I think it's really useful for people like us ( quantity over quality) don't try to finish something to its' deep end, just move on :))
Yea, I had a similar experience at my last studio. I was still pretty new and it was my first big studio job. I felt so complacent and stunted by fear. At the time, I had an amazing lead that noticed what I was going through and talked me through it. He had an open door policy. If I had any concerns, I can stop by. I lucked out since then I was able to progress with a little less fear. It still there, it just nice to have someone to talk to about it.
my advice to aspiring animator is being a good person and going out to an event and just talk to other animators get to know them connections can go a very long way
I too felt like this throughout this past semester during quarantine. I’ve been kinda complacent in the sense that I’m not actually investing more time into my work and I’ve felt like a failure because I haven’t been putting 100% of myself into my work and assignments. I loved that you opened up about this because it can happen so many times in our lives, and we need to put 100% of our energy. We can’t just complacent with out work and we need to remember that the work we do today can impact tomorrow.
karmel lammy not really. There are some things I like to do but I am always wanting to put more effort than I should. In my case, it’s trying to do excessively work on trying to be able to make a certain serve in a sport, and for a week, I would do it everyday. Instead of helping me, it strained me. Only after I took a a few days break and went calmer, did I progress further. Then, after my clubbed close due to virus, I sort of slowly stopped doing home practice.
@@Capeau must have been because of all the content and work that needed to be brought back to the studio. I remember she mentioned that she had worked partially from home (bless her), also the main reason why they managed to keep a part of the work going from there.
Sir! This is why I love your channel. Because you talk like a friend, you share your exprience, you teach us how to animate and how to be a good animator! Thank you so much!
Yes, I would like to know/understand why one is better than other.. they both looked good to me - all I saw were two different movements/expression for different personality types... I don’t get it.
@@FaithsStardust The first one looked great - but for another character. The second one looks spot on for the character - there just isn't enough of it.
@@steveedgell8382 It's an appeal thing, both in posing and clarity of choices being made in the second. First one also has spliney motion, and feels less decisive. It doesn't say much about how Hiccup feels and is engaged with the person who he's talking to. What does the weight shift mean, and why did he shift his weight at that moment? It's a little confusing and vague. Second has more attitude, and that comes across better in this caricatured art form.
You went from, “I want to create the greatest shot” to helping others create shots, which helps them earn a living. Give yourself a deep heartfelt hug.
I struggle with getting started and keeping at it until projects are finished too. The regret of not working hard enough, not sitting down and get started, or quitting a project before it is finished really tears me up inside. Just knowing that it's been over half a decade that I've just wasted.
This... Actually just caught me before my sleep, as a sprite animator I feel complacent all of a sudden and.. Heck. This was good timing. Very relative. I'm getting back to work for sure.
I've been an animator for over 20 years, and I completely empathize with this video. Maintaining that hustle energy is difficult, and fighting against complacency has always been my number one challenge.
7:24 - 8:09 I think that's why I'm struggling hard to get back into art at the moment. This year, after 5 years, I have decided to get back into drawing and 3D properly, but it's challenging.
I've had conversations with my professors about how the unique relationship you have with learning as a student that tends to fade away as you go into the industry due to fear. When you're in school- you have this great vulnerability to learn from your peers and make mistakes that you learn from. I believe many people feel in the industry afraid of making mistakes because they have their reputation and jobs on the line. But instead of being afraid- if we were more honest with the learning process in the industry- then we can allow great opportunities to come our way. Thank you for the video :)
honestly, your mistakes make you more relatable. Especially those of us that are kicking ourselves for making stupid mistakes at the beginning of our careers and playing catch up now
9:00 this more sounds like the Fear of Success. It happens much easier with the complacency you mentioned. Its not a "what if its not good enough" its more of a "what if this is good enough" because at that point starts a roller coaster of events and emotions that most people just find easier to check out of and blame the situation for it somehow. I know all about this, I suffer it all the time. I have the skills and the knowhow to get far, this much I know, hut I still can't finish projects because I psych myself out of it because I'm happy with where I am and what I do, and I know it sustains my family comfortably. My brain: "why would you want to change this?"
Came here for the tea, yet I leave with one of my favorite videos so far... Boy, the part of the floaty answers? I often blame my eh feelings about work on my ADHD, yet I always think I could do more if I just sat down and actually worked. I still have to figure some things out, but it was definitely a nice video to watch and recognize my own fears on someone I thought had most things figured out. Thank you!
As someone that's hoping to get into the animation program at their university, the whole "getting complacent" topic hit home when it comes to doing class work, and working on my portfolio.
Really refreshing to see a guy being honest about his own professional experience without an over-inflated ego. I do think you are being a bit hard on yourself, probably a by-product of your OCD/perfectionist/hardworking qualities. I see a lot of things in myself in you and I'm sure many of us do, but it did take a lot of guts from your part to put this out for the world to see. Hope it was cathartic and you'll get to take this positively. Don't be making the same mistake by ignoring lessons learnt from this :P well if you don't, you at the very least got one more subscriber! Keep at it and godspeed.
Hey man, super brave of you to open up about this and share. I have definitely run into this same issue from time to time and its really hard, but I am glad to have such a great animation community to help with keeping the fire alive.
The part where you mentioned: "Either getting the position of an artist in the animation department at dreamworks or exploring other areas of life before coming back to your dream work" is actually something I definitely relate with. Sometimes, I have confusion on what exactly I want to do in life... I am very passionate about 3D animation, but I still feel like I still need to explore more things in life before I finally settle for my dream work. Thanks for sharing your experience man.
This is what I have found and felt too. I am a graphic designer, and I left an extremely good job in a beautiful place in Washington state, moved back joke to California to freelance and try to do all I wanted to do. I’m learning that I don’t want to wait to long to try to jump into a staff position at a studio if that is what I really want to do. I say if it’s really what you and anybody else wants in working at a studio and similar, don’t wait too long, because I think it’s easier to get in while you’re young. For me, it’s just figuring out what kind of life do I want. To work on amazing projects and opportunities and around Los angles, good benefits, stability, or do I want to be closer to family and friends, travel more, more time off, and possibly do better financially than I could otherwise, with time and money to make short films, work on projects I have wanted to do. For me freelance/entrepreneurial/director is 50% right now, and working at a studio making connections and being part of the industry is also 50%. Just gotta figure out what I want to do and then commit myself 100% to that.
This is some bold move...WOOOW! Thank you for being honest. This reminds me even the great animators are just human. Thanks for the content you share with us, it means a lot. keep going. I raise a glass for you.
Dude, it's so nice hear you talk about this stuff. It must have been difficult to bear your soul like this but It just hit me so deep. Thanks, thanks a lot for showing we are all human beeings with our flaws, let's all work hard to be better!
I didn't know I needed to hear your words until they left me feeling heavily inspired. Whenever I'm making new content I only finish it 65% of the time, the other 35% is me not having the work ethic to finish them and I honestly think if I did I could destroy it. So thankyou kind Sir, you're a gentleman and a scholar and will let you know when your inspiration has caused the change I need!
This is absolutely me. I've been stagnant for years due to complacency and lack of discipline. Thanks for all the raw honesty in this video and reminding us of why we even got into animation.
I can relate so strongly. Fear of failure has stopped from trying so many things, as well as getting too comfortable. Especially when you are usually really good at something, any small setback can be detrimental to a very fragile ego
man... that fear of failure, the blank canvas, the "I can do anything, so choose to do nothing"... man that hit me so hard... that is me... and i hate it too... so much...
Thanks for sharing, Sir. I haven't had this on the scale that you have, but it was really interesting to hear. I used to panic when people at my studio wanted to see my work. But we have this thing called 'dailies', which isn't actually daily, but every second day, where the whole animation team, director, supervisor, and coordinators sit in the screening room, we watch everyone's work on the big screen, and our shots get picked apart with notes. After a couple months of panicking every time I had dailies, I realized it was actually a really useful experience, which helps all of us animators get better at our jobs. It's easy to worry you won't live up to others' expectations, but if you do the fixes you're given and don't get the shot to where you're capable of, they'll just help you again until you do.
This really hit the nail on the coffin. I am currently in that situation and know I need to just stop making excuse to not have to work or progress as an animator. So thank you so much, for sharing this video!
I appreciate your vulnerability, because you don't see this side from animators too often. It takes a lot of courage to admit being human, especially on social media where it seems the community tends to tear into anyone showing the slightest weakness. And yet this was an amazingly inspirational , genuine, and relatable video. A great reminder that it's okay to err, but you need to get back at it. As always, great work, and here's to all of us getting back on track with what we need to do!
The scary part about the fear of not being good enough, is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You fear the failure, which in turn stops you from progressing, and hence you've already failed. Really glad you shared this with us, and I feel like I'm on the same boat, perhaps like many others. All full of potential, just waiting to get acted upon
A fear of failure causing self sabotage is something I can relate to a lot. And it's paralysing and something we probably don't even really notice at the moment. It can be very subconscious until you look back at it and it is pretty evident. I'm always feeling like I look back and get mad at myself for not taking opportunities, but then I try to remember I was someone else then, and my then-self just may not have been ready for it. We have to try and recognise when we're our biggest obstacle and work hard and push through. Don't be hard on your self though, it was 3+ years ago! Thanks a lot for being vulnerable :)
I feel your pain my dude. I work in Blender and the scariest part is the blank startup workspace. Whether it's a character design or shot layout, it's hard to get it started because you're constantly thinking it could suck. But once you push through and start to see the pieces fall into place you get really excited. Just gotta keep pushing.
Agree with all of this, happend to me and i think is a constant struggle, we have to fight with our own mind to keep moving forward. Thanks for sharing!!
I think I needed to hear this. I'm very much not an animator, but I've been sitting and staring at a series of storyboards that I need to finish for a passion project for a month now. Might be time to finish them up and assemble the animatic.
I’m relatively new here, and this was an incredibly fascinating story to hear from you. I definitely needed to hear it too because I’ve been struggling to keep myself motivated and inspired to keep working on my animations, to stop giving up on them, and to make my work look the best it can possibly be
Thank you for this. I am really just getting started, but I've been watching your videos for years at this point and I really appreciate this one. Thank you for helping out.
Just found your channel while browsing some blender tuts, and I'm loving your videos!! Found this gem just digging in your channel and I love that you got vulnerable about fear of failure in creativity. Very relatable and something I really needed to hear! Keep rockin
I can completely relate to this entire video. I have a keen fear of failure. Once I've convinced myself that I will fail then I either give up or I just don't try. I figure, since I will fail anyway, why even try? It is difficult to get out of that mindset when you've been in it for so many years. Like you, I have also sabotaged myself over and over again. I am much more aware of when this happens but the problem is .... it still happens. One thing that has helped propel me into trying animation (which I've wanted to do since I was a child) was watching your videos and other animators' videos. Also, jumping in and joining various communities on Twitch and Discord has helped me push myself to keep going.
Fear of failure is a huge thing for me, sometimes I don't even want to open Maya because I'm just scared it's not going to go the way I want it to. Over the last year, I've met several amazing animators and other creative people and my interactions with them have varied from me not being able to ask them anything past an introduction, to spending hours with them just being friendly, which has a place, and was appropriate for the situation, but there had been potential to set up more that was lost. I've met you a couple times, I was the Cast Member at Disneyland who took you in to see the Buzz Lightyear animatronic, and you said that you'd love to take a look at my reel and I never sent it over because I don't have a reel. I don't feel like anything I made in college was complex enough to go on one. I'm trying to make a reel, but I'm so scared constantly that nothing is "reel worthy" I've finally been able to start working a little bit after reading Creativity Inc, which I highly recommend. Failure is learning, which is very easy to say and hard to do. We put too much pressure on ourselves to meet our goals that they just end up being terrifying to attempt. Little goals, and baby steps.
Feel like I've been losing the fire a tad in the past couple months from not seeing too much improvement on my end. This definitely feels like the kick to get my head up keep pushing.
this is exactly what i needed right now, im currently working on my first ever short film, and i got voice actors, and rigs, and everything ready in blender, im almost finished with the script. But i keep wanting to back out...and i dont know why really, i keep on thinking, "im a new animator, i cant make this! this is insane to even think of making." and i keep putting myself down, but in the end, im not gonna give up on these actors, even if it doesnt turn out as "perfect" as i see it in my head
This video hits so hard, I feel like not having enough time to do everything I like and having a life. I Love animating, and I should do more outside of my job and this is a good reminder for me, Thank you for sharing your story
I usually get this feeling when I have a vision on what to do in my head, but I don't have a clear next step in my head on how to get there, so I just kinda passively procrastinate. There's also the frustration of having a vision in your head of how you want something to look like, and not yet having the skills developed to do it, or realizing the tedious work to get there. What I've learned is that the hardest part is learning those steps, and the only solution is to keep the focus up and keep solving the problem question by question and step by step and not let your mind wander off. Great video man, and good luck with your journey!
I know im commenting on a year old video but I just wanted to add my experience and what you went through is relatable. I am also a Animation Mentor graduate. Loved my time there. Had multiple Pixar mentors as well as from ILM. And after 6 glorious semesters and diploma in hand.... i did absolutely nothing with my skills and I didn't know why. Its like the passion vanished, even though i still loved animated films, still loved all things Disney, the grind of animating I think affected me. And now 10 years later I still think about animation and am finally getting back into it and that's how I found your channel, and its a great channel indeed. Its that time of being out of it thats made me realize how much Ive missed it and love it. And you time at Dreamworks has taught you a invaluable lesson and you will benefit from it. Thank you for putting out such excellent videos. As an AM alumni, they so fitting. Thank you for teaching me how to change the background in Maya. Thats like the best tip ever. And Maya Indie is a life saver. Thank you, Thank you.
As someone with some baggae around art, and who really wants to be in it, this is extremely valuable. Thank you for sharing! It really helps hearing about others struggling with that fear.
Thank you for this video. I’m currently at Animation Mentor (going into Advanced Body Mechanics next week) and it takes a lot of guts to be this honest about the things you talked about. Everything I needed to hear.
you have no idea how important this was for me... It is very similar to my situation as an animation student and with the exam coming up I will work harder thanks to you! You're a hero to me man!!!
Ha! I’ve been animating for 20 years. Can totally relate. So many opportunities were passed up or let go. Some others were taken. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re amazingly talented. And a great teacher too.
Thanks for sharing this. I am also going through the same thing. complacency and now I am going taking steps to address that too. There's also nothing to be ashamed of, your journey makes you who you are but self awareness is your strong trait. You will do well, i'm sure of it.
Great video. I've been going through the same thing for the last few years. it's difficult when you have the chance and you just blow it off. Looking back you know what you did but it seems to keep happening. That fear of not living up to your expectation is a motivation killer. The resistance is real but not unbeatable. Best advice - When something scares you, that means you should do it.
Hey this is an awesome video! Am gonna a start on my first feature film and hearing your stories on DreamWorks really wants me to push myself even more!
When I was working on Klaus, I felt a little bit the same. My objective was to become a better animator and maybe take the chance of doing a shot if the test were good enough. I stayed a few nights finishing test animations, but on top of that was my job as production assistant (and if you are a P.A. at the night, you'll be helping people during the night). And I think, I did really well and learned a lot from the feedback but it takes time (an incredible amount of time) to finish a shot when you are also working in a studio. You invest your working hours already, so when you finish that you may feel dull, and I don't think is a bad thing. We are humans and we have our limits.
#relatable The key ideas that stick with me are about fire vs complacency. The other is about preparing for your future BEFORE it gets there! You can't backtrack and get ready sooner.
Thank you so much for sharing this It’s hard for some people to share their failures or missed moments We’re all different we all handle things differently.
Thanks for sharing. I can definitely relate. Soon, it will be a year since I complete my online course. I got notes on my reel from CTN that I still need to address, and I have been slowing working on another shot for months. I'm baby stepping for now, but I can feel the power.
I think it's very good of you that you decided to make this video and tell your story. I can relate, not in like a big studio but more in a small scale. So don't be too hard on yourself and thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much for telling your story, your strugges and most importantly your flaws. It resonated so much with me, i tend to auto sabotage myself because of my fear of failure as well and it means a lot to hear this!
I can relate to this on so many levels as a computer animator. I'm glad I'm not alone with thoughts and actions like these. Thank you for telling me not to lose my passion, fire and the motivation to help me do what I need to do. I needed this video
Thank you for making this video, It is important to learn the job you have been hired for first but that dosen't mean you can reach out to people and chat in the free time. Something that took me several months to do as I was worried they wouldn't want to look at my work... During this whole lockdown period I was lucky enough to get my old job back in tech but I have found myself becoming complacent again and not even using the free time I have to work on some animation since I just want to get away from my desk for the evening. But thank you again for the video since it has motivated me to schedual some time even if it is for an hour to sit down and finish an animation piece!
It can be difficult to self analyse and come to terms with things that perhaps you could've done better. I've struggled with this for a while too but being completely honest with yourself is the best way to improve. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, you're doing great, onto the next step in your journey!
Thank you for your story, I feel the same as an artist and especially talking about the fear of failure. It really help me to understand, that it is usual thing and people fight this feeling so should I.
Hey Wade. I just discovered your channel when your Blender video showed up in my feed. Subbed. Been an artist since the bronze age. My advice to the aspiring animator would be thus: a) Care more about the job than even your boss. When they set the bar for you, surpass it without their knowledge. Obsess over minute details when you can (within reason), and only let them know if you really have to. You don't want to move the bar, you want it to stay where it is, but you want to surpass it. 2) Get into a habit of treating each job as a new test of your skills and knowledge. Always look to improve your process and skillset. c) Own the process, not the work. Take great pride in your efforts and skill, but when the client asks you to transform your perfectly harmonious and balanced work of genius into a clump of crap... do it and keep the good version for yourself. You still gained a skill level even though they ruined the work in the end.
Ever since I got out of college, I've had certain circumstances that made it so I got less and less motivated into doing personal work or improving as an animator. I've been fortunate enough to work with Mocap or in some small 3d companies but the fear of failure always pushed me away from doing more personal work. I've been stuck in this fear for, maybe over 4 years. Only recently did I seek out for help properly, worked really hard to get back on the right path. It's been difficult, having stayed out of the loop for so long, not having animated for so long. I'd say every passing day just made it worse, he more I waited, the more afraid I was to do work, I was certain everything I'd create wouldn't be good. But now I'm having fun, I've got incredible people supporting me and challenging me to push my animation (It's just a small group of other 3d artists, but just having people around to get you started is of incredible help). And honestly, it couldn't feel any better, I've been loving doing animation and I don't plan to stop there! If there's an advice I can give anyone out there, it's not to give up. Sometimes things will seem hard, you'll feel stuck, you won't know where to go. And really, it's okay to ask for help, and I highly suggest it, you will get hard crits, harsh comments but you can do it. We all can! So thank you Sir for this incredible video and for sharing your your stories with us.
You are so honest! You deserve my sub! I just discovered you for your Blender video, and I'm actually trying to go into the game dev direction(I'm a CS undergrad), but you are fun and you are honest!
Yeah, I gotta work harder for sure. I have this free time I have to learn and improve my sculpting (want to become a character artist) but I am making just excuses to not work. There's always this fear of what if it doesn't come out well? I know I gotta try more to improve for things to turn out well, but well, I am trying hard to get out of this deep pit of complacency!
Thank you for making this video. As absurd as it is I’ve been sabotaging myself this way on my current project in architecture and I can’t understand why would I do so... Your perspective really helps me
This reminds me of myself years ago. I had feared getting into art because I wouldn't make good things, which I think is the other side of this topic, the fact that you should be okay with failure, so long as you try again.
OMG!!! I relate to this video so much. I have the same tendencies Sir, but I agree its time for us to work on it. I am inspired now, especially when all my days have felt like they are bleeding together during this quarantine. Thank you for your courage in making this video if anything you've at least helped one person 💗
The same thing that happens in the game industry "I WANNA MAKE A GAME, LIKE GTA BUT BIGGER AND BETTER, ITS GOING TO BE THE BEST GAME EVER" - he has no experience -he has no personnel -he has no budget -he has no business or programming/game-designing perspective And what you get is the internet flooded with awful generic and derivative games. that's why you see so many "Fort Clash Gangsters Royale Strike Craft" games
Everything you said was exactly what I needed to hear. It made me realize that I AM all "talk big, but no show". I literally have all the resources I need to make a demo reel right now but I'm not doing anything with it. I kept telling people I'm gonna make it big as an animator but I haven't been putting enough work on it. And you're right it's because I've become complacent... Thank you so much for this video. It was a big painful slap in the face (im serious, you should've seen my expressions while watching this) but it's just what I needed to wake up, stay focused, and work harder :)
this sounds like the situation I'm at right now where I have plans, I have ideas, and I want to get stuff done but I'm just not motivated enough to get it done. Thank you for this. I really do need to start up again.
Great video. I'm currently making my own video game and over the last couple years I have definitely found myself fearing failure. Sometimes even to the point where I excessively procrastinate certain tasks, despite the fact I know I'm capable of completing them to a high standard. It doesn't make a lot of sense sometimes but it was helpful to hear you articulate it so well. Knowing I'm not the only one who struggles with those thoughts definitely helps! So thank you!
I really like that Hiccup test. I can see why you might have felt it fell short of the DW style for a normal scene, where there's a lot of pop and swing to it, but as a candid behind-the-scenes kind of piece, it worked and it fit the audio really well. I hadn't realised how much Hiccup looks like Jake Gyllenhaal (was he the physical inspiration for Hiccup's face?), but the actor interview style and gestures drew that out.
Thank you for being honest on a very uncomfortable topic. I have had the same feelings as well and its very helpful knowing that someone else is also feeling the same thing. You found words to the emotions I have felt when I was in position where I could have done more. The guilt is nagging me and always on a time when I at my weakest. Thank you for your video and please continue doing this. You were correct on your decision to do youtube before going back to studio work. You end up helping a lot of artists more that you could have in a studio and we are eternally greatful you took the time. Thank you.
Sir, I can seriously relate to this problem because as a student too... I am afraid at some point and back off not to work hard thinking about getting fail and miss the good opportunities.....thanks for sharing it with us it will really help animators like us to keep going.....and never give up!!..... Right now you are doing the most amazing job in mentoring us all....so we people are lucky and glad.
I can super relate to this feeling! Glad to know it's not just me! I initially clicked play as procrastinating, and now I'm jumping into trying to polish a shot :)
Thank you for your honesty... admitting mistakes takes courage especially admitting publically. it takes a special character to do that. *** Watched to the very end*****
This has been really useful and made me recognise parts of my behaviour too. The first year of college was intense, stressful, and I had a constant need to make promises to everyone because I wasn't delivering enough. Floaty answers, try to keep people satisfied and avoid embarrassment. Also first time living on my own and leaving the country. Thanks for being open about it.
(Sigh) Yup, you're right. I should certainly get going harder on my animation stuff. I mean, I am literally just starting out and have at least a dozen different animations already running through my head in their entirety. It's especially important in my case, since the stuff, I seek to animate isn't just for fun or for a future job, but rather I hope to be able to allow others to understand my... honestly insane way of thinking. I just need to get started...
Thank you so much for this. I'm in college studying a robotics degree, and for two years now I've known I want to be an animator, but I keep using "I don't have time to practice" as an excuse not to go further than basic body mechanics exercises, and right now I fear I will go with the flow and end up working as an engineer. Not that it's a nightmare, but it's not my passion
I think after the old video where you explained your decision of why you left Dreamworks, you have gained a lot of people's respect both as an artist and as a person. A person can easily have more than one goal in life, it is not always work, money, success, popularity. A person can pursue at the same time more humble goals, concerning family, desires, personal stuff outside your career's field and which are as important as the others. What's wrong with that, right? And it is absolutely difficult to take a decision like you did. Growing as an artist inside Dreamworks is... yeah, everybody's dream, but it doesn't mean it is the only way, it doesn't mean you cannot achieve that growth on your own. A person that accepts its mistakes and makes them open to everyone regardless of their reaction in order to save other's lives, is really respectable. As you can see all over the comments, you have already saved hundreds of lives. Thanks for being so honest and helpful with your viewers, and I hope you never give up on sharing knowledge.
Thank you for sharing this, it's one of those subjects that's always taboo; nobody wants to admit these weaknesses. This is honest, genuinely inspiring, without fluff. Just what I needed to hear.
This really resonated with me. I've been struggling a lot with similar things in a slightly different field. It is encouraging to see successful people sharing their stories like this, so thank you.
Welp, this video popped up for me in the right time. Thanks, I needed the message. Now, I gotta work on stuff, and not miss good opportunities, fear of failure and not meeting expectations is quite powerful, but yeah, we gotta keep on doing stuff, and keep moving, I guess.
This is extremely relatable. My entire path as an artist I've had a ton of opportunities as well. Many from people who decided to give me a shot at an animation or a logo or anything in between and I wasted all of them. I either procrastinated to the point where the final product wasn't good, and I told myself that those weren't the jobs I wanted to do anyway, or I made up some other excuse in my head. I honestly can relate, and thank you for sharing, this video took a lot of guts and I can truly appreciate your honesty. My mindset has completely changed now and I have decided to never waste any opportunity, no matter how "small." Again, great video, and good luck with your future endeavors.
I aspire to be one of the best modelers. However, I've become complacent too. I wished i had a mentor to help me along to keep me motivated. I also would like to get into animation but the dream to be a modeler supersedes that. This video has been inspiring.
Did you watch to the end? What's the most important advice you'd give to an aspiring animator?
I relate too much, it’s bad and the reason I haven’t progressed. Thanks for being open and honest and seeing and acknowledging what and why you’re doing what you’re doing.
sir everything happens for a reason!! you are a great teacher and ive learned a lot from you! GOD BLESS YOU
Thanks a lot for being open, sadly I know that I have the same problems, I feel I'm so slow :( part of the problem I think: 1.multitasking stuffs. 2.spending more time on learning than doing it. It's hard to change these habits I hope one day I can do more stuffs, one thing that I heard and I think it's really useful for people like us ( quantity over quality) don't try to finish something to its' deep end, just move on :))
Yea, I had a similar experience at my last studio. I was still pretty new and it was my first big studio job. I felt so complacent and stunted by fear. At the time, I had an amazing lead that noticed what I was going through and talked me through it. He had an open door policy. If I had any concerns, I can stop by. I lucked out since then I was able to progress with a little less fear. It still there, it just nice to have someone to talk to about it.
my advice to aspiring animator is being a good person and going out to an event and just talk to other animators get to know them connections can go a very long way
"You and me, let's just work harder, yeah? Let's do it."
Deal. I'm with you.
Honestly this was my favorite part. Like having an in person mentor.
I too felt like this throughout this past semester during quarantine. I’ve been kinda complacent in the sense that I’m not actually investing more time into my work and I’ve felt like a failure because I haven’t been putting 100% of myself into my work and assignments. I loved that you opened up about this because it can happen so many times in our lives, and we need to put 100% of our energy. We can’t just complacent with out work and we need to remember that the work we do today can impact tomorrow.
That touched my heart.
karmel lammy not really. There are some things I like to do but I am always wanting to put more effort than I should. In my case, it’s trying to do excessively work on trying to be able to make a certain serve in a sport, and for a week, I would do it everyday. Instead of helping me, it strained me. Only after I took a a few days break and went calmer, did I progress further.
Then, after my clubbed close due to virus, I sort of slowly stopped doing home practice.
"I made one huge mistake. I deleted an entire movie."
Pixar had the same issue... when a server check accidentally deleted (almost) the entire Toy Story 2 movie..
@Alfie it was a pc 🤣 they took care of that computer from going to the house to the studio like a baby 🤣 seat belt and all
@@ramuneglass9233 Why?! You just need to get the disk, thats all
@@Capeau must have been because of all the content and work that needed to be brought back to the studio. I remember she mentioned that she had worked partially from home (bless her), also the main reason why they managed to keep a part of the work going from there.
@Alfie ig he said almost because the danger is avoided
Sir! This is why I love your channel. Because you talk like a friend, you share your exprience, you teach us how to animate and how to be a good animator! Thank you so much!
Thanks so much for this. I really like the advice, "Don't wait for permission."
"notice the animation difference, this one is much better"
Me, squinting: I would give half of my liver for either
Yes, I would like to know/understand why one is better than other.. they both looked good to me - all I saw were two different movements/expression for different personality types... I don’t get it.
@@FaithsStardust The first one looked great - but for another character. The second one looks spot on for the character - there just isn't enough of it.
@@steveedgell8382 It's an appeal thing, both in posing and clarity of choices being made in the second.
First one also has spliney motion, and feels less decisive. It doesn't say much about how Hiccup feels and is engaged with the person who he's talking to. What does the weight shift mean, and why did he shift his weight at that moment? It's a little confusing and vague.
Second has more attitude, and that comes across better in this caricatured art form.
@@FaithsStardust just like Mutchil ssid
But also, the first shot took him 6 months, compared to the other one completed in 3 weeks
No! You need your liver in one piece silly! 😮
I can relate to you Sir Wade. I tend to get "comfortable" and stop putting in the effort. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Let's work harder friend!
But don't u realise at tht moment tht u are being comfortable ?? In first place ??
You went from, “I want to create the greatest shot” to helping others create shots, which helps them earn a living. Give yourself a deep heartfelt hug.
I struggle with getting started and keeping at it until projects are finished too.
The regret of not working hard enough, not sitting down and get started, or quitting a project before it is finished really tears me up inside. Just knowing that it's been over half a decade that I've just wasted.
This... Actually just caught me before my sleep, as a sprite animator I feel complacent all of a sudden and..
Heck. This was good timing. Very relative. I'm getting back to work for sure.
Go to bed. Sleep is important too.
I've been an animator for over 20 years, and I completely empathize with this video. Maintaining that hustle energy is difficult, and fighting against complacency has always been my number one challenge.
7:24 - 8:09 I think that's why I'm struggling hard to get back into art at the moment. This year, after 5 years, I have decided to get back into drawing and 3D properly, but it's challenging.
I've had conversations with my professors about how the unique relationship you have with learning as a student that tends to fade away as you go into the industry due to fear. When you're in school- you have this great vulnerability to learn from your peers and make mistakes that you learn from. I believe many people feel in the industry afraid of making mistakes because they have their reputation and jobs on the line. But instead of being afraid- if we were more honest with the learning process in the industry- then we can allow great opportunities to come our way. Thank you for the video :)
burn out is a thing... most of the time.. human just end up do other thing and found themselves just had no will..
As an animation student, this video truly couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you so, SO much for this! :)
honestly, your mistakes make you more relatable. Especially those of us that are kicking ourselves for making stupid mistakes at the beginning of our careers and playing catch up now
Damn. Relatable AF at 7:58. I wish I knew how to get rid of that mindset.
9:00 this more sounds like the Fear of Success. It happens much easier with the complacency you mentioned. Its not a "what if its not good enough" its more of a "what if this is good enough" because at that point starts a roller coaster of events and emotions that most people just find easier to check out of and blame the situation for it somehow. I know all about this, I suffer it all the time. I have the skills and the knowhow to get far, this much I know, hut I still can't finish projects because I psych myself out of it because I'm happy with where I am and what I do, and I know it sustains my family comfortably. My brain: "why would you want to change this?"
Came here for the tea, yet I leave with one of my favorite videos so far... Boy, the part of the floaty answers? I often blame my eh feelings about work on my ADHD, yet I always think I could do more if I just sat down and actually worked. I still have to figure some things out, but it was definitely a nice video to watch and recognize my own fears on someone I thought had most things figured out. Thank you!
As someone that's hoping to get into the animation program at their university, the whole "getting complacent" topic hit home when it comes to doing class work, and working on my portfolio.
Really refreshing to see a guy being honest about his own professional experience without an over-inflated ego. I do think you are being a bit hard on yourself, probably a by-product of your OCD/perfectionist/hardworking qualities. I see a lot of things in myself in you and I'm sure many of us do, but it did take a lot of guts from your part to put this out for the world to see. Hope it was cathartic and you'll get to take this positively. Don't be making the same mistake by ignoring lessons learnt from this :P well if you don't, you at the very least got one more subscriber!
Keep at it and godspeed.
Hey man, super brave of you to open up about this and share. I have definitely run into this same issue from time to time and its really hard, but I am glad to have such a great animation community to help with keeping the fire alive.
The part where you mentioned: "Either getting the position of an artist in the animation department at dreamworks or exploring other areas of life before coming back to your dream work" is actually something I definitely relate with.
Sometimes, I have confusion on what exactly I want to do in life... I am very passionate about 3D animation, but I still feel like I still need to explore more things in life before I finally settle for my dream work.
Thanks for sharing your experience man.
This is what I have found and felt too. I am a graphic designer, and I left an extremely good job in a beautiful place in Washington state, moved back joke to California to freelance and try to do all I wanted to do. I’m learning that I don’t want to wait to long to try to jump into a staff position at a studio if that is what I really want to do. I say if it’s really what you and anybody else wants in working at a studio and similar, don’t wait too long, because I think it’s easier to get in while you’re young.
For me, it’s just figuring out what kind of life do I want. To work on amazing projects and opportunities and around Los angles, good benefits, stability, or do I want to be closer to family and friends, travel more, more time off, and possibly do better financially than I could otherwise, with time and money to make short films, work on projects I have wanted to do.
For me freelance/entrepreneurial/director is 50% right now, and working at a studio making connections and being part of the industry is also 50%. Just gotta figure out what I want to do and then commit myself 100% to that.
This is some bold move...WOOOW! Thank you for being honest. This reminds me even the great animators are just human. Thanks for the content you share with us, it means a lot. keep going. I raise a glass for you.
Dude, it's so nice hear you talk about this stuff. It must have been difficult to bear your soul like this but It just hit me so deep. Thanks, thanks a lot for showing we are all human beeings with our flaws, let's all work hard to be better!
I didn't know I needed to hear your words until they left me feeling heavily inspired. Whenever I'm making new content I only finish it 65% of the time, the other 35% is me not having the work ethic to finish them and I honestly think if I did I could destroy it. So thankyou kind Sir, you're a gentleman and a scholar and will let you know when your inspiration has caused the change I need!
This is absolutely me. I've been stagnant for years due to complacency and lack of discipline. Thanks for all the raw honesty in this video and reminding us of why we even got into animation.
I can relate so strongly. Fear of failure has stopped from trying so many things, as well as getting too comfortable. Especially when you are usually really good at something, any small setback can be detrimental to a very fragile ego
man... that fear of failure, the blank canvas, the "I can do anything, so choose to do nothing"... man that hit me so hard... that is me... and i hate it too... so much...
Thanks for sharing, Sir. I haven't had this on the scale that you have, but it was really interesting to hear. I used to panic when people at my studio wanted to see my work. But we have this thing called 'dailies', which isn't actually daily, but every second day, where the whole animation team, director, supervisor, and coordinators sit in the screening room, we watch everyone's work on the big screen, and our shots get picked apart with notes. After a couple months of panicking every time I had dailies, I realized it was actually a really useful experience, which helps all of us animators get better at our jobs. It's easy to worry you won't live up to others' expectations, but if you do the fixes you're given and don't get the shot to where you're capable of, they'll just help you again until you do.
This really hit the nail on the coffin. I am currently in that situation and know I need to just stop making excuse to not have to work or progress as an animator. So thank you so much, for sharing this video!
I appreciate your vulnerability, because you don't see this side from animators too often. It takes a lot of courage to admit being human, especially on social media where it seems the community tends to tear into anyone showing the slightest weakness. And yet this was an amazingly inspirational , genuine, and relatable video. A great reminder that it's okay to err, but you need to get back at it. As always, great work, and here's to all of us getting back on track with what we need to do!
Thanks for being so open. Heavy relating on this one.
The scary part about the fear of not being good enough, is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You fear the failure, which in turn stops you from progressing, and hence you've already failed.
Really glad you shared this with us, and I feel like I'm on the same boat, perhaps like many others. All full of potential, just waiting to get acted upon
A fear of failure causing self sabotage is something I can relate to a lot. And it's paralysing and something we probably don't even really notice at the moment. It can be very subconscious until you look back at it and it is pretty evident. I'm always feeling like I look back and get mad at myself for not taking opportunities, but then I try to remember I was someone else then, and my then-self just may not have been ready for it. We have to try and recognise when we're our biggest obstacle and work hard and push through. Don't be hard on your self though, it was 3+ years ago! Thanks a lot for being vulnerable :)
I feel your pain my dude. I work in Blender and the scariest part is the blank startup workspace. Whether it's a character design or shot layout, it's hard to get it started because you're constantly thinking it could suck. But once you push through and start to see the pieces fall into place you get really excited. Just gotta keep pushing.
Agree with all of this, happend to me and i think is a constant struggle, we have to fight with our own mind to keep moving forward. Thanks for sharing!!
I think I needed to hear this. I'm very much not an animator, but I've been sitting and staring at a series of storyboards that I need to finish for a passion project for a month now. Might be time to finish them up and assemble the animatic.
I’m relatively new here, and this was an incredibly fascinating story to hear from you. I definitely needed to hear it too because I’ve been struggling to keep myself motivated and inspired to keep working on my animations, to stop giving up on them, and to make my work look the best it can possibly be
Thank you for this. I am really just getting started, but I've been watching your videos for years at this point and I really appreciate this one. Thank you for helping out.
Just found your channel while browsing some blender tuts, and I'm loving your videos!! Found this gem just digging in your channel and I love that you got vulnerable about fear of failure in creativity. Very relatable and something I really needed to hear! Keep rockin
I can completely relate to this entire video.
I have a keen fear of failure. Once I've convinced myself that I will fail then I either give up or I just don't try. I figure, since I will fail anyway, why even try? It is difficult to get out of that mindset when you've been in it for so many years. Like you, I have also sabotaged myself over and over again. I am much more aware of when this happens but the problem is .... it still happens.
One thing that has helped propel me into trying animation (which I've wanted to do since I was a child) was watching your videos and other animators' videos. Also, jumping in and joining various communities on Twitch and Discord has helped me push myself to keep going.
Fear of failure is a huge thing for me, sometimes I don't even want to open Maya because I'm just scared it's not going to go the way I want it to. Over the last year, I've met several amazing animators and other creative people and my interactions with them have varied from me not being able to ask them anything past an introduction, to spending hours with them just being friendly, which has a place, and was appropriate for the situation, but there had been potential to set up more that was lost. I've met you a couple times, I was the Cast Member at Disneyland who took you in to see the Buzz Lightyear animatronic, and you said that you'd love to take a look at my reel and I never sent it over because I don't have a reel. I don't feel like anything I made in college was complex enough to go on one. I'm trying to make a reel, but I'm so scared constantly that nothing is "reel worthy" I've finally been able to start working a little bit after reading Creativity Inc, which I highly recommend. Failure is learning, which is very easy to say and hard to do. We put too much pressure on ourselves to meet our goals that they just end up being terrifying to attempt. Little goals, and baby steps.
Feel like I've been losing the fire a tad in the past couple months from not seeing too much improvement on my end. This definitely feels like the kick to get my head up keep pushing.
this is exactly what i needed right now, im currently working on my first ever short film, and i got voice actors, and rigs, and everything ready in blender, im almost finished with the script. But i keep wanting to back out...and i dont know why really, i keep on thinking, "im a new animator, i cant make this! this is insane to even think of making." and i keep putting myself down, but in the end, im not gonna give up on these actors, even if it doesnt turn out as "perfect" as i see it in my head
This video hits so hard, I feel like not having enough time to do everything I like and having a life. I Love animating, and I should do more outside of my job and this is a good reminder for me, Thank you for sharing your story
Thanks for sharing your struggles! I feel the same.... Don't be so hard on yourself... Sometimes working hard all the time is exhausting.
I usually get this feeling when I have a vision on what to do in my head, but I don't have a clear next step in my head on how to get there, so I just kinda passively procrastinate. There's also the frustration of having a vision in your head of how you want something to look like, and not yet having the skills developed to do it, or realizing the tedious work to get there. What I've learned is that the hardest part is learning those steps, and the only solution is to keep the focus up and keep solving the problem question by question and step by step and not let your mind wander off. Great video man, and good luck with your journey!
I know im commenting on a year old video but I just wanted to add my experience and what you went through is relatable. I am also a Animation Mentor graduate. Loved my time there. Had multiple Pixar mentors as well as from ILM. And after 6 glorious semesters and diploma in hand.... i did absolutely nothing with my skills and I didn't know why. Its like the passion vanished, even though i still loved animated films, still loved all things Disney, the grind of animating I think affected me. And now 10 years later I still think about animation and am finally getting back into it and that's how I found your channel, and its a great channel indeed. Its that time of being out of it thats made me realize how much Ive missed it and love it. And you time at Dreamworks has taught you a invaluable lesson and you will benefit from it. Thank you for putting out such excellent videos. As an AM alumni, they so fitting. Thank you for teaching me how to change the background in Maya. Thats like the best tip ever. And Maya Indie is a life saver. Thank you, Thank you.
As someone with some baggae around art, and who really wants to be in it, this is extremely valuable. Thank you for sharing! It really helps hearing about others struggling with that fear.
Thank you for this video. I’m currently at Animation Mentor (going into Advanced Body Mechanics next week) and it takes a lot of guts to be this honest about the things you talked about. Everything I needed to hear.
you have no idea how important this was for me... It is very similar to my situation as an animation student and with the exam coming up I will work harder thanks to you! You're a hero to me man!!!
Ha! I’ve been animating for 20 years. Can totally relate. So many opportunities were passed up or let go. Some others were taken. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re amazingly talented. And a great teacher too.
Thanks for sharing this. I am also going through the same thing. complacency and now I am going taking steps to address that too. There's also nothing to be ashamed of, your journey makes you who you are but self awareness is your strong trait. You will do well, i'm sure of it.
Great video. I've been going through the same thing for the last few years. it's difficult when you have the chance and you just blow it off. Looking back you know what you did but it seems to keep happening. That fear of not living up to your expectation is a motivation killer. The resistance is real but not unbeatable.
Best advice - When something scares you, that means you should do it.
Hey this is an awesome video! Am gonna a start on my first feature film and hearing your stories on DreamWorks really wants me to push myself even more!
WoW, story time with Sir Wade !!! Love the video man. Very educational. Thank you for sharing :)
When I was working on Klaus, I felt a little bit the same.
My objective was to become a better animator and maybe take the chance of doing a shot if the test were good enough. I stayed a few nights finishing test animations, but on top of that was my job as production assistant (and if you are a P.A. at the night, you'll be helping people during the night).
And I think, I did really well and learned a lot from the feedback but it takes time (an incredible amount of time) to finish a shot when you are also working in a studio. You invest your working hours already, so when you finish that you may feel dull, and I don't think is a bad thing. We are humans and we have our limits.
#relatable
The key ideas that stick with me are about fire vs complacency. The other is about preparing for your future BEFORE it gets there! You can't backtrack and get ready sooner.
I absolutely love the art work and stuff you have in your background
Thank you so much for sharing this
It’s hard for some people to share their failures or missed moments
We’re all different we all handle things differently.
Thanks for sharing. I can definitely relate. Soon, it will be a year since I complete my online course. I got notes on my reel from CTN that I still need to address, and I have been slowing working on another shot for months. I'm baby stepping for now, but I can feel the power.
Hey man. I feel you. I deal with the same issue. hope you find your way. There is still time until there is no more time. Thanks for sharing
I think it's very good of you that you decided to make this video and tell your story. I can relate, not in like a big studio but more in a small scale. So don't be too hard on yourself and thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much for telling your story, your strugges and most importantly your flaws. It resonated so much with me, i tend to auto sabotage myself because of my fear of failure as well and it means a lot to hear this!
I can relate to this on so many levels as a computer animator. I'm glad I'm not alone with thoughts and actions like these. Thank you for telling me not to lose my passion, fire and the motivation to help me do what I need to do. I needed this video
Thank you for making this video, It is important to learn the job you have been hired for first but that dosen't mean you can reach out to people and chat in the free time. Something that took me several months to do as I was worried they wouldn't want to look at my work... During this whole lockdown period I was lucky enough to get my old job back in tech but I have found myself becoming complacent again and not even using the free time I have to work on some animation since I just want to get away from my desk for the evening. But thank you again for the video since it has motivated me to schedual some time even if it is for an hour to sit down and finish an animation piece!
It can be difficult to self analyse and come to terms with things that perhaps you could've done better. I've struggled with this for a while too but being completely honest with yourself is the best way to improve. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, you're doing great, onto the next step in your journey!
Thank you for your story, I feel the same as an artist and especially talking about the fear of failure. It really help me to understand, that it is usual thing and people fight this feeling so should I.
Hey Wade. I just discovered your channel when your Blender video showed up in my feed. Subbed.
Been an artist since the bronze age. My advice to the aspiring animator would be thus:
a) Care more about the job than even your boss. When they set the bar for you, surpass it without their knowledge. Obsess over minute details when you can (within reason), and only let them know if you really have to. You don't want to move the bar, you want it to stay where it is, but you want to surpass it.
2) Get into a habit of treating each job as a new test of your skills and knowledge. Always look to improve your process and skillset.
c) Own the process, not the work. Take great pride in your efforts and skill, but when the client asks you to transform your perfectly harmonious and balanced work of genius into a clump of crap... do it and keep the good version for yourself. You still gained a skill level even though they ruined the work in the end.
Ever since I got out of college, I've had certain circumstances that made it so I got less and less motivated into doing personal work or improving as an animator. I've been fortunate enough to work with Mocap or in some small 3d companies but the fear of failure always pushed me away from doing more personal work. I've been stuck in this fear for, maybe over 4 years. Only recently did I seek out for help properly, worked really hard to get back on the right path. It's been difficult, having stayed out of the loop for so long, not having animated for so long. I'd say every passing day just made it worse, he more I waited, the more afraid I was to do work, I was certain everything I'd create wouldn't be good. But now I'm having fun, I've got incredible people supporting me and challenging me to push my animation (It's just a small group of other 3d artists, but just having people around to get you started is of incredible help). And honestly, it couldn't feel any better, I've been loving doing animation and I don't plan to stop there! If there's an advice I can give anyone out there, it's not to give up. Sometimes things will seem hard, you'll feel stuck, you won't know where to go. And really, it's okay to ask for help, and I highly suggest it, you will get hard crits, harsh comments but you can do it. We all can!
So thank you Sir for this incredible video and for sharing your your stories with us.
Complacency gets the best of us sometimes. Whats important is learning from these mistakes. Nobody is perfect. Thanks for sharing your experience.
You are so honest! You deserve my sub! I just discovered you for your Blender video, and I'm actually trying to go into the game dev direction(I'm a CS undergrad), but you are fun and you are honest!
Yeah, I gotta work harder for sure. I have this free time I have to learn and improve my sculpting (want to become a character artist) but I am making just excuses to not work. There's always this fear of what if it doesn't come out well? I know I gotta try more to improve for things to turn out well, but well, I am trying hard to get out of this deep pit of complacency!
Thank you for making this video. As absurd as it is I’ve been sabotaging myself this way on my current project in architecture and I can’t understand why would I do so... Your perspective really helps me
This reminds me of myself years ago. I had feared getting into art because I wouldn't make good things, which I think is the other side of this topic, the fact that you should be okay with failure, so long as you try again.
OMG!!! I relate to this video so much. I have the same tendencies Sir, but I agree its time for us to work on it. I am inspired now, especially when all my days have felt like they are bleeding together during this quarantine. Thank you for your courage in making this video if anything you've at least helped one person 💗
Achingly the same case with me,
"WaNna bE a FiLMmaKeR"
What have you shot ?
"UuUh... TheRe's tHis IdeA i Gat, I'm PlAnNIng BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH"
The same thing that happens in the game industry
"I WANNA MAKE A GAME, LIKE GTA BUT BIGGER AND BETTER, ITS GOING TO BE THE BEST GAME EVER"
- he has no experience
-he has no personnel
-he has no budget
-he has no business or programming/game-designing perspective
And what you get is the internet flooded with awful generic and derivative games. that's why you see so many "Fort Clash Gangsters Royale Strike Craft" games
Everything you said was exactly what I needed to hear. It made me realize that I AM all "talk big, but no show". I literally have all the resources I need to make a demo reel right now but I'm not doing anything with it. I kept telling people I'm gonna make it big as an animator but I haven't been putting enough work on it. And you're right it's because I've become complacent... Thank you so much for this video. It was a big painful slap in the face (im serious, you should've seen my expressions while watching this) but it's just what I needed to wake up, stay focused, and work harder :)
this sounds like the situation I'm at right now where I have plans, I have ideas, and I want to get stuff done but I'm just not motivated enough to get it done. Thank you for this. I really do need to start up again.
Great video. I'm currently making my own video game and over the last couple years I have definitely found myself fearing failure. Sometimes even to the point where I excessively procrastinate certain tasks, despite the fact I know I'm capable of completing them to a high standard. It doesn't make a lot of sense sometimes but it was helpful to hear you articulate it so well. Knowing I'm not the only one who struggles with those thoughts definitely helps! So thank you!
I really like that Hiccup test. I can see why you might have felt it fell short of the DW style for a normal scene, where there's a lot of pop and swing to it, but as a candid behind-the-scenes kind of piece, it worked and it fit the audio really well. I hadn't realised how much Hiccup looks like Jake Gyllenhaal (was he the physical inspiration for Hiccup's face?), but the actor interview style and gestures drew that out.
Thank you for being honest on a very uncomfortable topic. I have had the same feelings as well and its very helpful knowing that someone else is also feeling the same thing. You found words to the emotions I have felt when I was in position where I could have done more. The guilt is nagging me and always on a time when I at my weakest. Thank you for your video and please continue doing this. You were correct on your decision to do youtube before going back to studio work. You end up helping a lot of artists more that you could have in a studio and we are eternally greatful you took the time. Thank you.
Thank u for being so honest about your journey and sharing about what you've been through. it really helps
I feel you so much. So many opportunities that I've missed... I'm gonna work harder on my own reel.
true the blank canvas failure you say in this video is one of my biggest anxiety.
Sir, I can seriously relate to this problem because as a student too... I am afraid at some point and back off not to work hard thinking about getting fail and miss the good opportunities.....thanks for sharing it with us it will really help animators like us to keep going.....and never give up!!..... Right now you are doing the most amazing job in mentoring us all....so we people are lucky and glad.
I can super relate to this feeling! Glad to know it's not just me! I initially clicked play as procrastinating, and now I'm jumping into trying to polish a shot :)
Thank you for your honesty... admitting mistakes takes courage especially admitting publically. it takes a special character to do that. *** Watched to the very end*****
It was super useful experience you've shared. Thanks a lot!
This has been really useful and made me recognise parts of my behaviour too. The first year of college was intense, stressful, and I had a constant need to make promises to everyone because I wasn't delivering enough. Floaty answers, try to keep people satisfied and avoid embarrassment. Also first time living on my own and leaving the country.
Thanks for being open about it.
(Sigh) Yup, you're right. I should certainly get going harder on my animation stuff. I mean, I am literally just starting out and have at least a dozen different animations already running through my head in their entirety. It's especially important in my case, since the stuff, I seek to animate isn't just for fun or for a future job, but rather I hope to be able to allow others to understand my... honestly insane way of thinking. I just need to get started...
Thank you very much for sharing! I have very similar self-sabotaging problem and it's really useful to take advice from you as a great animator!
Thank you so much for this. I'm in college studying a robotics degree, and for two years now I've known I want to be an animator, but I keep using "I don't have time to practice" as an excuse not to go further than basic body mechanics exercises, and right now I fear I will go with the flow and end up working as an engineer. Not that it's a nightmare, but it's not my passion
I think after the old video where you explained your decision of why you left Dreamworks, you have gained a lot of people's respect both as an artist and as a person. A person can easily have more than one goal in life, it is not always work, money, success, popularity. A person can pursue at the same time more humble goals, concerning family, desires, personal stuff outside your career's field and which are as important as the others. What's wrong with that, right? And it is absolutely difficult to take a decision like you did. Growing as an artist inside Dreamworks is... yeah, everybody's dream, but it doesn't mean it is the only way, it doesn't mean you cannot achieve that growth on your own. A person that accepts its mistakes and makes them open to everyone regardless of their reaction in order to save other's lives, is really respectable. As you can see all over the comments, you have already saved hundreds of lives. Thanks for being so honest and helpful with your viewers, and I hope you never give up on sharing knowledge.
Thank you for sharing this, it's one of those subjects that's always taboo; nobody wants to admit these weaknesses. This is honest, genuinely inspiring, without fluff. Just what I needed to hear.
This really resonated with me. I've been struggling a lot with similar things in a slightly different field. It is encouraging to see successful people sharing their stories like this, so thank you.
Welp, this video popped up for me in the right time.
Thanks, I needed the message. Now, I gotta work on stuff, and not miss good opportunities, fear of failure and not meeting expectations is quite powerful, but yeah, we gotta keep on doing stuff, and keep moving, I guess.
This is extremely relatable. My entire path as an artist I've had a ton of opportunities as well. Many from people who decided to give me a shot at an animation or a logo or anything in between and I wasted all of them. I either procrastinated to the point where the final product wasn't good, and I told myself that those weren't the jobs I wanted to do anyway, or I made up some other excuse in my head. I honestly can relate, and thank you for sharing, this video took a lot of guts and I can truly appreciate your honesty. My mindset has completely changed now and I have decided to never waste any opportunity, no matter how "small." Again, great video, and good luck with your future endeavors.
I aspire to be one of the best modelers. However, I've become complacent too. I wished i had a mentor to help me along to keep me motivated. I also would like to get into animation but the dream to be a modeler supersedes that. This video has been inspiring.