Film update & words of wisdom

I've spent a long time away from my film this month, and after what a particular Quentin Tarantino character may recognise as "a moment of clarity", I've decided just to stick with all the rotoscoping and ballpoint pen colouring.

I've finally come to terms with the fact that this film (using the drawn process) will never look as great as I ideally desire (which requires more experience, resources, and time than are available to me in 4th Year). This realisation has helped me to 'enjoy' [I don't think that is the most suitable word] the production process more and just see what happens... The final result will be decent by my own perfectionist standards, so it should be fine for other students too - and I suppose by not meeting my exceptional expectations first time around will mean I've still got something to aim for with my next project! I've certainly got enough obscure influences/inspirations/ideas/drive to get started on a new auteur-style film after this project is concluded.
Anyway, I thought that this post (with it's "moment of clarity") would be suitable for publishing some of the words of wisdom that I've received over roughly the past 12 months...

- "We as an art college should be striving to produce innovative, exciting new works, and attempting to break new ground for the future animators. We shouldn't be trying to imitate someone else in the professional world, or settle for what we know and have access to. We are the explorers of today (like Len Lye, Walt Disney, and Norman McLaren were in the past); we have the rest of our careers to comply with the industry and do as someone else tells us, but for just now, as students, we should do what we want to do". (Neil Kempsell, March 2008)

- [about the concept selection for a graduation film] "I think it's best to just pick a simple concept right from the beginning. Many people go into 4th Year expecting to produce a 10-minute masterpiece [of the quality like Disney, Petrov, or Burton] and then they realise much later that they won't be able to achieve it, and they will have to cut it all right down - which ruins the story... It's only a student film after all, it's not a big expensive industry film". (Erica Weiste, April 2008)

- "Try not to be too much of a perfectionist". (Erica Weiste, March 2009)

- [about the work load/scheduling of a graduation film] "Start planning it all right now [the end of 3rd Year] and make sure that you've got the story, the style, the process, EVERYTHING, completely sorted out by October [the start of 4th Year]. That way you can get as much time as possible to develop it and work on the animation". (Louis Hudson, May 2008)

- [about the dedication required on a graduation film] "There's so much to do that it will mean not sleeping for the next few weeks". (Alison Cross, April 2008)

And finally, just because I think it's pretty humorous, a quote I found on the internet from an actor talking about his job... "I'm an actor... I do a job and I go home. Why are you interested in me? You don't ask a truck driver about his job". (James Gandolfini).