Version 1.1 February 01, 2012
Version 1.0 January 31, 2012
I have to evaluate interns at the end of the semester using CTC’s form, so let’s look at the categories that are most important to Trickster Pictures. Read everything, there will be a test!
4. Communication / Social Skills
Since we are all working remotely, extra effort has to be made to stay in touch. Take the time to appreciate that this internship is actually more difficult than going to an office somewhere – working on our own requires that we concentrate, stay motivated and keep organized. Though we’ll be building technical competence, learning to thrive as a member of a (remote) team is our first priority.
Check in – whether you have questions or just want to make a progress report. This includes talking to the other interns too and being receptive when they check in with you. Keep the team in the loop.
How?
We’ll usually meet on Wednesday face to face. The rest of the week you should…
phone and text 231 882-0460
email doorbell@tricksterpictures.com
ftp (cyberduck, filezilla)
ftp.artisthouse.com (get login – username and password)
post to your new wordpress blog
Text is the best for me, it’s the least invasive to my focus and reaches me quickly. If I don’t respond to text within 3 minutes, phone.
For more complicated questions, email me a detailed explanation including illustrations, screen captures etc. Then text or phone to let me know there’s an email. It’s helpful to be looking at the same thing if we have to problem solve.
FTP is the best way to exchange biggish or proprietary files – movies, work files, etc. Learn to use Cyberduck or Filezilla, know your login.
Everyone now has a WordPress blog to post notes on. See Organizational Skills below.
Facebook is not an effective way to reach me. I don’t check it very often and I don’t want Facebook corp being able to peek at my projects and business. Keep Trickster media and projects off Facebook and such-like social media unless I authorize postings.
When?
Whenever you have questions, need advice on how to approach a problem, have a breakthrough or just want to share an insight – check in. If I know what you’re working on / thinking about consistently, that’s solid communication. Even if I don’t have the answer to a question right away, I may have a brainstorm later. Sharing daily emails or blog posts will keep our inspiration up. That’s the basis for great collaboration.
On the CTC evaluation form, everyone’s Communication/Social Skills starts with a D and that’s only because I am assuming I’ll see your smiling faces on Wednesdays – otherwise you’d start out as an F. You are guilty until proven innocent. The more you check in with me, the better your evaluation will get. Any questions?
10. Follows Directions
The internship tradeoff goes like this – you help me finish my projects and I help you get mad skills – in VFX, production, editing and maybe even life. If you don’t follow my direction, not only will my work not get done but you’re not going to benefit from my experience – so why are we working together? Your job is to pay attention and follow through. If you are confused, I expect to hear from you with questions, (see Communication/Social Skills above).
When I give you direction verbally, via email, text, etc. you should…
1) acknowledge
2) if you do not understand, ask questions until you do.
3) when you do understand, reflect the direction back in your own words.
4) make a plan to act – what do you need, when, who’s help, etc. and share your plan with me.
5) act
6) report on progress
Usually you’ll receive written direction via email or text whenever possible – so if you don’t follow through there will be a record, (dun dun dunnn!)
So let’s say you didn’t follow through, why not? You must learn to overcome setbacks and obstacles by documenting what happened and then assessing what went wrong. To be effective, an assessment has to go deeper than the following…
I lost it (the directions, your hard drive, etc.)
I forgot
Wha?
Why did you forget, were you too distracted? Why did you loose it, do you need to implement better organization?
This is better…
I deliberately poured Vernors on my keyboard because I was unable to pull a bezier handle off of the x value in the graph editor to tweak a curve between two position keyframes – Agk!
Whenever you run into an “issue”, ask yourself – What has to change so I can realize my dreams?
A Corollary – are interns worth the trouble?
I am into making movies… but I don’t want to spend more time staring at screens than I absolutely have to. Dan Kelly is about plenty of RL with friends and fun. That means when I am on working I want to spend most of my time creating cool stuff. As an artist using computers, lot of things try to get in the way – software/hardware glitches, arcane reference and technical resources, social media distraction, loosing the objective of the moment by chasing after tangents, re-inventing the wheel, corporate malfeasance, energy attacks from the spectral dimensions… As interns, if you are paying attention and following through, then you are NOT getting in my way. That should be your mantra.
1. Quality of Work
Why do something if we’re not going to do it well? And yet, everyone has their own ideas about quality. What makes an effect cool, compelling, hilarious, believable? How can we tell when our work is good enough?
With Trickster Pictures projects, we are going for professional results. To properly track and roto, an artist must develop patience, perseverance and a discerning eye. Technical esoterica comes and goes – but patience, perseverance and discernment are useful forever. Think about roto as a method – a practice – for developing these more general skills.
Guy is lost in NYC, he asks a cop for directions…
Guy “Hey Officer, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?”
Cop “Practice, practice, practice.”
Get excited to do a lot of the same thing, over and over. Zen.
So how will Dan Kelly evaluate the Quality of your Work?
By developing patience, perseverance and discernment, you’ll get a solid evaluation. I’ll measure your progress through your blog posts (see Organizational Skills below) and by checking your roto.
2. Knowledge of Required Tasks
The required tasks are becoming a competent rotoscoper on the Trickster Pictures VFX team. We’ve already established that consistent communication and the development of patience, perseverance and discernment are essential to that outcome. Doing the tutorials will build your theoretical foundation. Working on actual Trickster projects will hone your chops. Carnegie Hall. As long as you follow through on all of this, you’re good to go.
3. Organizational Skills
Being some kind of media genius means squat if you are unorganized. If you’re unorganized, you’ll show up on sets unprepared, you’ll loose files you spent hours (weeks) on, deadlines will be stress feasts, your collaborators will curse you, clients will fire you, your hair will fall out and you’ll develop strange rashes… and you certainly won’t score. I know what it’s like to be < 21, you’ve got time on your hands, right? Who cares how long it takes or whether you actually accomplish anything at all? Somebody as to feed you – right?
Ok, welcome to my world. Remember that bit about not getting in my way? If I have to work harder because you’re my intern, you won’t be my intern for very long. You WILL get organized when working with me. Comprende?
Fine, Dan Kelly, I want to be organized. I’m a tabula rasa, an empty vessel, TEACH!
You are going to start by keeping a notebook that we can both see. It’s called a WordPress blog. Here’s what you post there…
when doing video tutorials or reading manuals, take notes
when you figure out how to do something complicated, write a detailed recipe for how you did it that other VFX artists could follow
ideas about future projects
links to movies you post on youtube, vimeo, etc.
insights about current projects, improving workflows, flashes of insights
challenges you are facing
thoughts on why is Dan Kelly so amazing
progress on current assignments
log of hours and activities spent as intern for Trickster Pictures
other
See the bold stuff? That’s mandatory.
Posting to your blog is how I know you’re not dead. This is important because I am investing in you, and I need to know that my investment is going to pay off. If you’re dead, then I’ve got to train another intern – and that will make me very angry. So, not only do I advise you to stay alive, but you had better prove you are breathing to me at least once a day – more often if care about your evaluation.
Summary
• Check in often, at least daily and whenever you’re working on any movie in any capacity
• Take notes and post hours on your blog. Wax poetic about your discoveries, be detailed and specific about what you are working on, whether you are enjoying the process, what you need to remember, ideas, etc.
• When I give direction, immediately acknowledge. That means replying via email, text, calling me back, etc. If you don’t understand, ask questions. If you do understand, reply with a plan.
• Following through means that you are not wasting my time, getting in my way. It also means that you’ll be moving toward the manifestation of your wildest dreams, which is also a good thing.
• Mastery comes from practice. Do the tutorials and get ready, you are about† to become amazing…
†about = ~3 months