If you don’t already know him, I wanted to introduce you to MDotStrange.  I think this dude holds the record for making the most animated movies all by himself.  He has created 3 animated feature length films.  He set a bar if you ask me on what can be done.

So often I have spent my time in areas where there are tons of artists.  These tons of artists have wonderful skills and abilities but they waste it working for the man.  Instead of creating their own way they exchange their life for a buck.    I mean if you like animating for someone else that is great.    But I’ve seen so many artists desire to make their own stuff but think it is impossible, that is it too hard and it takes too long.   So they don’t attempt to create their own original stuff.  It really is sad considering how many stories are waiting to be told and never will be.

Here is the truth.

1) It is not impossible.

2) It is not hard especially if you can draw or do animation (digging ditches and working construction is hard work, not sitting in the AC creating)

3) Too long?  In 10 years MDotStrange created 3 full length films.  Now imagine if you use premade assets and things like mocap and use various short cut methods that build results, then the truth is it doesn’t take 10 years to make a movie.

Here are some of his works.

We Are the Strange

Heart String Marionette

I don’t have time.  Time is a precious commodity that is not always in great supply.   It takes Pixar 4 years from start to finish to make 1 animated feature film.  That is with 100s of people working on the project.   That is a daunting task.

Needless to say that is a great big hurdle.

But one that we can face and leap through with a little time management.

Girl who le pt through time.

 

The trick to overcoming the challenge of time in your animation process is conserving your time and not wasting it.  We all have the same amount of time, rich or poor.  Although money does buy time.  But there are other things that buy your time.

One day a few of my friends and I decided to calculate the amount of time we spent on certain non essential activities, IE watching TV, Video games, sports, browsing, etc.   We calculated 40+ hours almost on a given week doing all these things that quickly added up.

Here is a little research I found online.

In the US

5 hours per day watching TV

3 hours a day online

5-7 on video games

That is 140 hours a month, 1680 a year.   

1680×4 years = 9 full months of your life.  

Creating or consuming?  It is up to you.

Kind of gives you a reality check don’t it?  I find myself in this predicament all the time but if you want to make your anime you will have to spend that time creating.