Derry, Northern Ireland

Derry, Northern Ireland
A book I'm working on is set in this town.

Monday, January 4, 2010

17 straight hours

Working on this storyboarding job because it has to go to the client Monday but changes have to be incorporated and what if we did this instead of that and can you still get the third section done before you leave on Wednesday? I laughed at that one, considering how much work went into this section...a section that was just supposed to be minor tweaks over the first section. As if. And section 3 is new practically from the first frame.

Anyway, I just sent off a PowerPoint presentation of section 2 so we'll see how it goes over. I finalized it at 79 frames, having worked up twice that many and having reconfigured half the ones that were accepted. They've already paid me twice the fee I priced this job at, and that's maybe 10% of what I'd have made at my rate, considering all the extra work. This is why I'm not working for less than that, again. Period. People always tell you it'll be easy and even if you allow for the fact they're underrepresenting what they really want, invariably it winds up being twice as much work as you figure. And if you want more money, they cut you off...which is what happened with "Kerosene Cowboys." Mario Van Peebles completely rewrote the script and needed all new storyboards...and wanted me to read his mind as to what he was envisioning. I told the producers fine, so long as I get paid for it. Didn't happen, but I don't think Mario really wanted storyboards, anyway; too constricting.

Y'know, I've had people tell me creative types are different from everybody else. They're always looking for a better way of showing something or telling a tale and don't think about how much trouble they're causing, and I've had people tell me this knowing I'm a creative type -- but, shit, I don't pull this crap on people. Is that why I'm not successful? Or am I just fooling myself in thinking I'm a member of the tribe?

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