I finished all the hand drawn animation last week. Left on the to do list: Backgrounds, detail drawings, and some minor tweaks. I still don't see this thing premiering before the new year,but I am glad to see that the end is near.
Things I have learned since starting this process:
I will not be creating another animation in this style. It has taken entirely too long and would not be cost effective in any business venture.
Let others help. I've been so afraid to let anyone in on this project that I've only really shown it to three people. Allie has been the only one to help and the guy doing the sound hasn't even seen it yet. I'm a very private person, but sometimes it's better to get these things out there and get some crowd reaction.
Let the computer do more. I was so hell bent on this thing having a hand drawn feel, I completely ignored any digital help the computer could have done. The last few days I've been thinking how a few different rendering techniques could have saved me months of work.
In the end, I'll be proud of the finished piece. It's even inspired a few more ideas for animations that I hope to produce in the future. If nothing else, the experience of making this animated short has given me a sense of purpose in an otherwise directionless time in my life.
