My weekend with Mr. Samsa

Working with Paul and Viet was a refreshing experience. They are both creative, calm, and can put up with my obnoxiously meticulous attention to detail while making sure I am focused on the tasks at hand. I am truly proud of the animation we created. It is easy to get excited about a project when all of the members are on the same page about the concept, are equally enthusiastic about said concept, and have similar, yet unique creative visions that compliment each other well. This weekend went by so smoothly when we finally got to work. I can attribute this to our ability to communicate effectively both before and during the animation process. If it weren't for developing a coherent plan during preproduction, we may have been a little flustered by all of the work we had ahead of us. However, we developed more detailed storyboards, plans for transitions, and efficient work spaces for all of us to contribute equally and effectively to each scene. I feel so fortunate to have worked with these two men, especially on a project that is (aside from the story-inspiration and the 8mm projector sound) entirely our own, right down to the faintest noises of our soundscape. I am still taken aback by our work flow-- the animation and sound took less than a day to complete and I don't feel as though any of the quality or creativity was compromised. Due to some limitations with our equipment, we did have to change somethings: we didn't end up using gauche paints on glass, nor did we under-light the sand or charcoal. However, I do applaud our ability to think outside the box-- it just may have been a little too far out to accomplish in such a short time frame, but it is not something I wouldn't like to try in the future. This process was tedious, but fun. I am insanely gratified by the end result. This is definitely a kind of filmmaking I can see myself getting into as a hobby, or even a profession-- even if it is kind of old-school, I appreciate the intimacy and immediacy of this kind of creation. It allowed for so much more of ourselves-- our energy and personalities-- to be embedded within the animation, reflecting our cohesiveness in the final product. I am so excited to show this to the class. And to anyone, really. I haven't stopped talking about it all weekend!