Here's an interesting article by an animator in the animation industry, titled "The Animation Scene: Surviving the Grind." You can read the full article here [link]

Meanwhile, I'll just post some bits of it that I can absolutely relate to. Maybe some of you do too.

"...fresh new animation talent...working late into the night...dragging themselves in the next day, dark circles under their eyes, hair frazzled, clothes crumpled, chugging coffee or some kind of 'energy' drink..."
(Personally it's not that bad for me at work...but it was definitely like that back in The One..hahaha!)

"Their social life suffers...if they have a husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend...that relationship is soon feeling the strain, as the overextended artist so rarely even makes an appearance at home...only to fall comatose into their beds and die a dramatic animation death."
(Once again, not that bad. I still have a social life, mostly at church. I still do get to meet up with friends from college and primary/secondary school...although I haven't been back in Ipoh since I started working.)

"...a modern-day schedule...be it feature films, games, or a TV series...has gotten insanely short, small and compressed...Expectations are high, and the pressure is on, to produce animation fast!"
(Yeah! We don't get to extend deadlines like we did in college..hehe...but seriously la, 3-4 weeks per episode with no breaks in between epeisodes can be really hectic and exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally)



However, here's some tips that'll help us through the crazy schedules and workload.

"...when deadlines are missed, it's not necessarily the artist's fault, it is usually fallout from the extremely unreasonable expectations on the part of folks who set up the project schedule in the first place. Do your absolute best, of course, and give it your all, but don't take it personally!"
(We're only human after all.)

"After 12 hours straight, the average person's real productivity tends to drop off pretty drastically anyway. Go home. Get your sleep...take naps if you have to, but don't work straight for to many hours. "
(Bring pillows to work! )

"Stay hydrated! Drink as much water as you can..."

"Email does not need to be checked every 10 minutes..."
(LOL!! This is for you Outlook addicts)

"Get up and go for a walk. Get outside, breathe, get your focus off work for a few minutes. ..Run, jump around, get the blood moving. Sitting at a desk hunched over a computer is a lot like flying nonstop to Europe."
(Yeah, but I'd rather fly nonstop to Europe, at least at the end of the 12+hours I get to be another country rather than the carpark...hehe)

"Don't work when you are genuinely sick! That's just sick!"
(This is something I really should learn to do...because I was sick enough to stayback in college while having dengue.)

"In most animation jobs, we get a variety of things to work on, some far more difficult and time-consuming that others...artists who will get obsessed with a difficult scene and almost kill themselves trying to get it out in one big push...Take a break, walk away from it, and get three or four simple scenes done. It'll boost your morale...give you a fresh new perspective on the scene that was killing you."
(I gotta try this out as well, I've been working on a scene for 2 days plus and I've got 10 more scenes and the deadline is less than a week.)

"...there is a fine line between really working your ass off, and letting yourself be abused."
(Enough said.)

"Don't lose your sense of humor!"
"We are making cartoons...It is supposed to be fun."
"Yes, the deadline is important, and we always do our best to make it. But at the end of the day, our health, our peace of mind, our sanity, and our good nature is important. Remember, one day we'll look back on these stress-filled days and laugh...even refer to them as 'the good old days!'"
"So keep your perspective, take care of yourself, and just do the best you can."

Well, I think it's great to know that there are other animators and not just Malaysian animators who share the same feeling about working in the industry. So, let's keep encouraging and take care of each other, as well as keep the passion burning for animating!