... if it weren't for the fucking clients....

From Clerks:

RANDALL: This job would be great if it weren't for the fucking customers.

...or something like that.

Man, I hate clients. Well, not all of them. It's just that clients don't know how to be clients. You see, the process should go something like this:

1. Client approaches you with request for (graphics/video) work to be done
2. Client provides you with everything you will need (designs, illustrator files, logos, colour schemes, instructions, etc) -- this one is important!
3. You listen to client's wishes, repeat them to client, and set off to work
4. You show your preliminary work to the client for feedback
5. Client provides feedback, requiring that you make some changes and tweak things
6. You make the changes and tweaks
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until it's done
8. Client pays you
9. You buy new game/X360/new graphics card/booze
10. Pay rent and other overdue bills
    

I'm having a rant just now because of a client who asked for a design without giving any input. At all. They gave me a copy of their invite which was just blue text on white with a sort of blue stripe feature on 1 of the pages. So I did my best, and came up with a design that I thought, frankly, was crap. But the client liked it, and requested a tweak. That was fine.

AND THEN I was asked to make further changes -- in essence, to throw away the majority of the design in favour of a baffling new one which squishes everything into a third of the screen and leaves the rest for a purdy animation that was really only a background loop.

So, being studious and industrious and all that, I did what the client wanted, because hey, we give em what they want, right? Anyways, I have no doubt that it shall be rejected and they will ask for a further change, but one that is in line with my previous efforts. So when they do that (and they will, I'm 95% sure of it) I will be left, wanting to say 'thanks for wasting my time' but of course, unable to because we need clients, right?

Well, I'm with Randall. I'd love this job... etc, etc

Tail end of Xmas; a new year; impatient to do work

So the big consumerism day has come and gone, and now we're all gonna get really pissed , set of fireworks and pretend for about 5 minutes that we're much better people than we really are -- really!

To be honest, I want to get that behind me as well. I suppose I've grown past the whole new-years thing, and I'd much rather sink my teeth into some graphics instead.

I've been working on a test shot, which I shall reveal soon, designed to teach myself how to work with lighting and some other elements when compositing a 3D shot. I've spent a few hours here and there over the last 2 weeks putting this shot together, and it's almost time to render everything out and sink my teeth into the exercise proper. But I didn't go into work today (what with there being no actual work to do) and therefore did no extra on this shot. And since I'm not there, I can't even post up a work-in-progress pic. Oh well. I may do some tomorrow, and render it out whilst I get drunk over the new year. Then come back on January 3rd and try with an almighty headache (so I'm presuming) to work the composite.

Well I have the highest hopes of it all working out, because then I will have passed a milestone in terms of creating a visual effects shot. After that, I will only need to perfect my camera tracking and on-set data knowledge, and I might be worth some money to the industry!

By the way, if someone is willing to give of their time to help me learn about on-set data collection, and how to use it, please email me!

End of 2007 -- peace out! Let's not screw up '08, eh?