Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Q: What advice would you give to students making their fi rst short?
Chris:
You need to create a character that you care about on some level and want to
watch.
You just need to follow the principles of narrative. Have a beginning, middle, and end,
and make it a manageable size, depending on your resources. You need to be able to
make it. It's great to have an idea, but if you can't actually produce it, it's not worth the
paper it's written on. So really think about what you can do within your skill set. If you're
great at Flash, think within Flash. Know your strengths and your assets.
And I don't think you need to be completely unique because nothing is. You will always
hear, “This is like that.” It is always going to be the case because there are so many
things out there and we are exposed to so much. That said, I think that you need to
think of your spin on it and that will give it as much uniqueness as it needs.
Mike:
I agree with Chris. You have to know what you want to make. Do you really
want to make a complete short fi lm that will make the festivals? Or, do you want a demo
reel that showcases your specifi c area of expertise? If you're gunning to be an animator,
it doesn't make sense to spend a ton of time modeling and lighting, only to have your
animation side suffer.
But if you are going for a complete short fi lm, it's all about quality over quantity. A half-
fi nished, poorly executed epic won't get you as far as a high-quality shorter piece.
