because thesis isn't enough work, let's start again from the beginning

So I've decided that doing the entire animation in one shot just isn't working out, and I just don't have enough time left to *make* it work. At a later point in my life, I'll go back in and make it all one shot again, but for now it has to change.

AAAAAH I going through my whole piece and reworking the camera! blah! I'm pretty sure there aren't words in the English language for how frustrating this is. But I have to make it look sexy in 5 days for the presentation.

Goals for March 6:
- finish camera changes
- put in all the textures and lights I have
- refine the animation in the first shot and the super magicky shot where the cat wraps itself around the old woman
- have render tests

If I can get the camera done and the first shot done by Monday I can totally handle the rest by Friday.

My sinuses are infected

I've been very sick for over a week now and haven't made much progress. I hate feeling like I'm wasting my time. My mind wanders, though, and my head hurts. The strange thing is I don't feel worried about the upcoming presentation. Two weeks isn't much time, but it's enough for what I need to get done.

Maybe I'll feel differently when the anti-biotics take effect.

I've been copying and pasting keyframes and posing characters. My characters still aren't 100% done, and I'll have to recopy/paste keys, but it feels good to see them animated anyway. My mind still reels at how hard this thesis stuff is. The funny thing is I have all these ideas for projects I want to pursue after I graduate. I'll most likely be doing these on my own.
Restart progress
Return to square A

I know I complain about rigging, but I keep thinking about what it would take to rig a belly dancer. Rigging may well be the death of me, but I'm not sure I can avoid it. Everyone has their own self-destructive tendencies, right? Rigging is mine. I guess it's better than smoking.
On the flip side, I'm loving the look development part of this project. I made some sexy-looking cobwebs earlier today. This is by far my favorite part of the process. Possibly even moreso than animating. It would be nice if my job title could be "Person that makes it look pretty"

I want to go to Eastern Europe and study animation there.

There's some spectacularly awful music coming from my roomate's computer.

I think I shall sleep now.

Who put bacon in the soap?!?!?!?!?!

basically, I hate Maya.

Is it wrong to hate a computer program? Like, really wish pain and suffering upon it? Is it childish of me to want Maya in some physical form so I can punch and kick it until I'm too tired to lift my limbs?

It is throwing every curve ball it has to ensure that I will not animate a goddamn thing tonight.



In other news, I think my adventures in texturing everything in gauche is working out well (isn't the watercolor paper texture beautiful in 3D?). I also think my old lady is the cutest thing on earth. At leased one thing is going right with this project; I feel like if I can just get past all these rigging issues, everything will be fine.