one step back

setbacks

Creative stop motion is an adventure:

"Si l'on sait exactement ce qu'on va faire, à quoi bon le faire ?"

If I knew exactly what I was about to do, what's the point of doing it?

So there are days when you do something new in animation and nothing goes to plan; 
you do takes and retakes and when you review the shot, 
it's just not good enough because
  • it's overexposed
  • out of focus
  • the camera moved
  • the lighting changed 
  • something crept into shot
  • the composition isn't right
What to do when this happens?
  1. Take a break. You've probably been bending down drawing or moving characters. Stand up, have a coffee, stop worrying. It might be time for lunch.
  2. Walk out. If it's a sunny day, take the camera off the tripod and go and take photos in nature. Rediscover your love of layout, colour and light. Be open


  3. Pack up for the day. Remember, this is how long it takes, learning the craft, learning to check all the things that can go wrong before pressing the shutter. Even a day with no discernable footage is a day spent learning to be focussed. Keep trying.

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