Advice on Focus Control

[kurocrash]

My name is Jared & I have a focus problem. :uhh:

Lately, I've been trying to put together a new portfolio. It's been a long process. The problem is, I always keep getting these different ideas for models & projects, & I end up getting distracted from my original task & ultimately, end up working on several different things at once. And since I'm not channeling my full attention into each one, they all seem to suffer as far as quality. I either end up rushing a model, or burning out if I try to maintain my focus on one thing.
I know when it comes to being on the job, it's crucial. The thing is, having worked in motion graphics with a tight production schedule, I know I have the ability to stay on task when I need to, but on my own seems to be a totally different story.

So I was just interested to know, does anyone else find this happening to them & their personal work? And if so, how do you contend with the problem? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks.

-J

[FredH]

Good question. Sounds similar to making a character in a game. People love to start characters and get new equipment and skills for them, aka, making something shiny and new. However, when people reach mid level, new ideas for new classes come in mind. They start to question what if I chose an elf instead, or what if I did this instead of that, etc. If they finish the game with their current character, all the magic would be gone. They'd have nothing left to do because they have finished the game. So, they start over.. and over, and over:p

Perhaps you know that you can easily finish something if you really wanted to, so why bother finishing it. It's more challenging to start something new because since it hasn't been done, maybe you can't do it... and this is a challenge.

Personally, I had this problem before; However, I changed when I started to think intensely about a design and concept before I start anything. Since I spend so much time developing an idea, I know it will be kick ass if I finish it. Example, in both wars, I refused to start modeling until I made a concept that I felt could win the war. I left nothing up to chance. I researched what type of faces would look good for this theme, and even what type of gimmicks would give me an edge (big gun!!). I don't know if these concepts would have actually won war I and war II, but in my mind, since I put all my energies and hopes into my initial design, this energy (motivation or mojo) would carry me all way through a comp. Generally, I never look back or have doubts after a make a design because to have doubts would only cripple your motivation and progress. Yes, I do make changes along the way, but the fundamental design stays intact.

If you find yourself wondering from idea to idea, perhaps it's because you haven't come up with a really good idea that you are proud of. Why not take a little time to think up something awesome, and then when you have it thoroughly planned, execute it to perfection!:)

[xvampire]

^^ fred after the dom war ( which is I spent a lot of time for concept)

I started new project
I actually tried different technique
just like my old way, start the 3d while making concept
then its only finished half torso until now, and still not satisfied with the concept

so

I think the dom war way works with me better, and u are rite :)
even tho i felt I wont finish my project because I thought that I spend way too much time in concept than i did before.
learned a lot.

[indian_boy]

i agree with the "finding a good idea" thing. I'm not a professional, and so whatever, but still.. i also have these "commitment" issues. My incomplete WIPs outweigh my completed crap-art. The reason [as i realized during dom war 2] was that there was nothing to drive me. During Dom War 2, i knew that i wanted to finish something. And when i figured _that_ out [didn't take too long really] my first thought was: that means i need a concept that I like. And i've learned that that is necessary for any project i undertake.
So basically, like Fred didn't wanna start modelling till he had his idea down to the fullest, u {we} should do the same. So my advice to u: get a gooood idea down first. Make sure u love it. Make sure it makes u say, "holy cow faeces {sp?} im creativE!!11!" Give it some touches that attract u to it. Fred might have a fetish for big guns... there u go! I've recently realized my love for all that is Japanese... don't be surprised if _all_ my future artworks have at least a katana in them... u might have a "big-gauntlet" fetish or something. Just find something that makes u love the project, and that will serve as ur drive to finish the project.

i possibly shouldn't type advice when im feeling sleepy... so tell me if none of this made sense?

peace.

[ChrRambow]

I really know your situation-

Something that keeps me working on projects is, that i need to show off
my work in progress ... one advantage is, that you get critique ... another
(more important) advantage is that you will get comments from other people
... thats the best motivation to keep you working on your project.

So ... try to find an idea that will satisfy you and show off some work in progress to get comments for your motivation.

[Yung]

Another idea that I had after a chat from a more experienced friend is not to go entirely solo, ala Rambo, but mimic real production. In other words, have someone as the 'producer' or as that friend of mine said, "Someone to breathe down your neck and keep you on target."

Basically that person will do nothing in production, but he/she will give advice and also make sure you stay on target. I did this by asking help from a fellow friend who did well enough though she was reluctant in being harsh (keyword). Having someone to keep nagging you for progress somehow seems to make it complete more.

Works well enough for me in the war, but due to my inexperience with game characters, my entry totally broke during the normal map process.

And I totally agree with Fred and the rest on nailing a concept that you really really are proud of first, before even head into 3D.

[kurocrash]

Thanks for the comments guys! Sorry to be a bit late to respond, a job opportunity opened up & I had to put a reel together, then I started (trying to begin) focusing on my entry for the competition here.

It maybe a bit of a quality control issue on my end, but I'm pretty proud of most of these concepts. Rarely do I see other people doing the type of stuff I have in mind. That's not to say it's good. Hell, others could be avoiding that stuff for a reason! lol But there are huge folders sitting on my desktop dedicated to each one with info, tons of reference material, sketches, etc, because when I think of these things, I tend to want to work on them rather than anything else.
That's not to say I don't have a filter. I have a preliminary checklist in my head. With each one, I ask myself things along the lines of: "how unique is it?", "would you want to see this in a game you were playing?", & "is it cool enough to pique interest long enough to finish it" But usually, whether it's loving the idea too much in the spur of the moment or me being ambitious, I usually say "yes".
And it's not like once I come up with something better the old project is completely dead to me. It's a lot more fickle than that. It's a lot of back & forth without much substantial progress. That's where I'm having the real problem. My interest for each one, no matter how much I like the concept or how long I've been working on it, seems to wax & wane.

I'd have to say, on the couple of occassions where I'm never happy with the concepts are when it comes to the comps & challenges. There, it's all my model, but I have to work in a timeframe, so there's a more a feeling of urgency. I end up being very indecisive with my initial ideas (probably because I'm naturally competitve & I always want to have the coolest idea lol). And without fail, I usually post a couple of ideas for my entry, asking for opinions. Time passes, I start getting behind with not a heck of a lot response, so I make an executive decision & start working in one direction. When I post progress, I get a bunch of comments saying that I should go with something else. that gets frustrating! lol it happened a little bit with this baby I'm working on now, but not nearly as bad as my DW2 entry. It made me lose interest for a while. Then when I came back with something new, I scrambled & the end result was crap. Though I did finish (with minutes to spare lol)

As for finding elements that keep you attracted to the project, I also went through a very heavy Japanese phase for the same reasons. I'm probably still in the middle of it in some regard lol. But I certainly made my fair share of katanas back in the day. overall though, i like my characters to kind of just exude an attitude. not that they'd really be a "punk" per se but just giving them a little bit of a punkish/modern look to ground them in reality a little bit more (in my mind). so i kind of had that established already, but it was really a kick in the pants during DW2, when over at CGS we got "ancient" as a theme & that's a bit contradictory to that whole idea. lol

When I worked in in my old job, I used to set arbitary deadlines for myself way ahead of time if i could, & that seemed to work really well. I even tried doing that now with "I'll have the arm modeled by the end of today, then the UV's tomorrow, maybe start the normal maps, but definitely have them done by the following day" but that doesn't seem to be much help either. I might get the arm in. But then, the following day, upon waking up, I start thinking about the cityblock of Tokyo I started building elements for... & how I really don't have any environmental models to show for. And then I find myself working on that & setting new deadlines, without any regards for the ones I made the previous day. And then the next time I open up that other model, ready to UV, it's like... "oh... wasn't this supposed to be done already?"

I really like Yung's friend's idea about having an "art director" to keep you on task. The only problem is I have friends who are diligent but wouldn't be harsh enough & friends who are harsh enough, but without the diligence lol but i certainly will look into hassling somebody to keep me on task!

lol even now, writing this huge post, I'm trying to avoid the fact that I really want to work on something other than the baby for the comp. I really need to finish that baby! lol I really do appreciate the suggestions though guys. I'll definitely try to filter my ideas & exert a bit more quality control over the whole concept process. I just don't know how well that's going to work for me.


-J

[FredH]

I think this was the longest post I have ever seen! I had to come back twice just to read it:p

Ahh, so you come up with a lot of good ideas, so much in fact that you have to store them in folders:doh: At least you are well organized:D

You are right about getting a friend to pressure you to work. This would certainly help. As long as this friend knows how. Nagging is never an asset.

So, uhmm, how is the baby coming along?:inocent: