How I'm Fighting the Animator's Block

Post written by Renato Vargas

I don’t know if professionals suffer from this condition, but as a hobbyist I can honestly say that there is something similar to the creative block that writers feel, but in the world of animation. I am probably not coining a new phrase but yes, I suffer from the animator’s block.

Image courtesy of my mom

Writers fight the dreaded block in several ways. Some say that spending enough time preparing for the actual writing process can help a lot, meaning that they will outline their writing carefully and have brainstorming sessions to stock up on ideas for their piece, so that when the time comes the writing will come naturally as it is the only thing that hasn’t been done. Others take their mind completely away from their writing, doing unrelated activities, in hope that their subconscious will work during that time. Others take hallucinogenic agents that give them a lot to write about, even if some things don’t make sense (that’s what editing is for). What can an animator do? I guess smoking peyote is out of the question.

I first conceived the idea of doing an animated series about Guatemala’s spooky stories from its rich oral tradition back in 2006. I bought a domain and hosting service to showcase them. I then adapted one such story for the little (computer) screen and made a rough storyboard. Since then I’ve made countless “tests” for everything, but haven’t completed one single scene. Not one. The story is only a couple of minutes long, but it does not get made. Over the years I’ve learned what needs to be done (countless bouncing ball experiments, walk cycles, etc.). I have bought the software to do it, and I have everything ready for it. I have even worked on freelance projects. I just don’t sit down and do my thing. I am not animating my stories. I sit at the computer staring at the timeline, and nothing gets done. I play around with a few frames. Do a little here, a little there, and in the end, nothing looks completed. I have decided it’s time to end this.

Here are the steps I’m taking to combat my animator’s block:

1. Stick to the system. Animation is a well established business and its productivity rules were discovered by the big guys decades ago. It would be dumb not follow a natural sequence of steps that has proven right for big and small studios alike. Here goes the short version: storyboard; sound; animatic; backgrounds; rough keys, breakdowns, and in-betweens; cleanup; color; and postproduction.

2. Develop the habit of animating. Since my income does not come from my animation skills, I tend to go for weeks and even months without drawing one simple line. A very wise person often speaks of making one-and-a-half hours a day your unnecessary creating time, where you go crazy and just create. I will animate for at least three hours a week. I will sit down and put my tablet’s pen to good use every Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday for at least one hour each day. If I miss a day, it doesn’t matter; I’ll just pick up where I left off the following day.

3. Do the key drawings first. This rule may seem similar to number one, but it is an important one to remember. Oftentimes, I will sit at the computer and stare at the animation program without doing anything until I turn it off, only because I don’t know where to start. It’s easy. Start with the key drawings, and tell the story as if it was a comic book, going from pose to pose.

4. Develop accountability. The problem with animation hobbyists is that nobody is breathing down our necks for the animation to get done; especially when you haven’t developed a fan base. That can change by telling others about one’s project so that they keep asking about it. I will announce a release date for my first short and advertise it any way I can so that there is no turning back.

I am confident that these steps will work. Are you getting your animations done? Tell us all about it in the comments.