So in last 2 articles , we learned how to create Index of Valuable information. and Best Coaching is when we learn Thinking Process and there are certain measurable elements behind any outstanding result. And we must be Testing everything before applying on large scale.
In this article , I’m going to show you how you can breakdown all the things in ONE PRACTICAL WAY.
See all these will be helpful even when you will be doing Research for Career in Animation
I loved computer programs from like from 7-th class , One cool thing about computer programs is we can make them do anything, but they need to know
EXACT PROCESS , Step by step , precise instructions and ALL THE POSSIBILITIES that may occur and HOW TO HANDLE them.
If we take care of that as we all know they perform awesome consistently and also there are some programs , like created by search engines like Google, called spiders which crawl websites , they are even smarter , they learn and improve themselves after every crawling , they find patterns, recognize patterns , and they adapt new things. and Work more efficiently than last time.
How does all this relates to taking notes for animation ?
Ignore the computer programs , just read the 2 sentences in BOLD .
That’s your OUTCOME while taking NOTES OF ANYTHING.
to know
EXACT PROCESS (Thinking Process),
Step by step , precise instructions and ALL THE POSIBILTIES that may occur
and
HOW TO HANDLE them.
Finding the patterns , recognizing the patterns , adapting new things, finding the important parameters that make things work.
and Improving it consistently,
creating our own unique way .
If you have to learn to draw , and I coach you exact thinking process ,
What should be your thinking process before drawing
while drawing
and
after drawing
What are the elements in any awesome drawing ?
what are the things that make drawing make look awesome ?
What one must never ever do while drawing?
What one must do while drawing?
How does all the elements come together to form impressive drawing?
How does they relate to each other ? how does they affect each other ?
that how to think about drawing anything , what to think when you have to draw anything from life ?
what should be your first question , what you must be noticing first , what’s the second , what’s after that ,
how you should think while drawing, what should you be picturing in mind while drawing?
Finally breaking down all the things in one unified way of practical steps
Like first – second- third -fourth-…….-twenty first …
Imagine , I coach you these things or say you read book and you take notes of these things ,
wont you be able to draw impressively.?
I bet you will !!
Let’s say you are going to read a book about Directing Animation Short .
Here are The Six Steps for Taking Notes
First thing
READ ANY BOOK WITH OUTCOME AND PURPOSE , WRITE BOTH DOWN
Don’t ever read any book without any precise outcome in mind.
let’s say Your outcome -after this book I will be able Direct any Animation Short
Now break it down even more precisely . Using Precision , Questions tools (You can define anyway you want to define the Outcome and Purpose)
to know
EXACT PROCESS (Thinking Process), while directing animation short
Step by step , precise instructions and ALL THE POSIBILTIES that may occur
and
HOW TO HANDLE them.
Finding the patterns , recognizing the patterns , adapting new things, finding the important parameters that make things work.
and Improving it consistently,
creating my own unique way .
Second thing
Do not read that book alone , have at least one or two books about directing , and also go on web find out as many articles, blogs you can find about
Directing animation short
Why more books and articles ??
Your outcome is not read one book or fifty books about directing animation short ,
Your outcome is you have to FIND ONE WAY no matter what animation short you have to direct. Chances are really less that one book is going to do that.
Third Thing
Get new Notebook
You might say , “Wait , wait , I already have One for Directing !”
That’s for Indexing , structuring Valuable information (i Will tell you how to use that too)
but here YOU ARE WORKING ON PROJECT that you are in search of Finding ONE UNIFIED WAY for Directing Animation Short
New project – New notebook.
Forth Thing
Start reading one by one , take down notes
Of important things like you usually do
Write down the elements , statements ,
Is author teaching thinking process?
Write down the questions author tell you to ask while directing ?
And so on ..
Take notes from all the books , articles .
Fifth Thing
lets say you took a month for reading all and taking down the notes (it all depends on your speed sometimes you need only 2-3 days)
AND you have
1. One project book that has notes of all books and articles
2. you have Notebook that has Indexed valuable Information about directing
(its optional if you have maintained the Indexed book over months or years or days )
Now close the door , have peaceful environment .
Look at all the notes , Indexed valuable information
Find out the most important elements , parameters while directing anything .
Most of times books have similar topics covered but in different styles
All we are looking for patterns in all those notes.
Ask questions. Use your Question tool as much as you can
What is the first thing one must do even before directing the short ?
What is second .. ..
Find patterns , clues in those notes.
Combine different ways to make your own ..
Imagine you have Animation Short to direct , what must be your steps?
Go through all those notes again and again ,
You have to find the thinking process that what one must be thinking while directing
And thinking process is asking -answering QUESTIONS
consistently write down, on paper the important words,
It will take may be 4-5 consistent hours , just keep focusing on OUTCOME
ONE UNIFIED WAY
THINKING PROCESS
IMPORTANT ELEMENTS
PRECISE STEPS
After 4-5 hours of thinking and writing ,
You will be able to combine all the notes come up with ONE UNIFIED WAY
Think as if you have to give this precise commands, step to Computer and he will be able to do it
like what are the Steps
Even Before directing
Thinking process (Questions )
What are the elements
While Directing the short
Thinking process (in terms of Questions )
What are the elements
Sixth Thing
Test it !
Test the way , test small direct a small scene or shot .
You will learn many things , what works , what doesn’t ,you will learn how you can improve your way , what should be included.
And now even if in future you read another book about directing , you will have to just see what’s different and what can produce even more good result
and is there something you should add in your UNIFIED WAY.
So these are SIX STEPS for making your OWN UNIFIED WAY.
It’s like boiling down all the things to ONE in your own way.
And throughout our entire animation career you will be able to improve it , adapt new things and add in your unified way.
And WHAT IF you have only one book or one training program ?
Then
Go through same steps
And
Ask this Question
Okay , I learned this much. And Now when I will be boil all these things , the chapters , concepts to one final thing and what would be the
One Unified way of directing the short , using all these concepts?
What would be first thing I will have to do ?
What would be Next ?
What would be the one after that and so on …
what are the important areas that i will have to focus on?
and how I’m going to do that
What are the steps for that ?
So on…
Your most questions should be – what I should (must )be thinking , what I should picturing , how I should be looking , what I should be listening , what I should be feeling,
Unified way is STEP BY STEP Thinking Process. You may have 70-80 steps or sometimes 10-20
(AND again ITS NOT LIKE TUTORIAL STEPS , it’s THINKING PROCESS in terms of Questions)
When you will be actually practically using this thinking process again and again. After few times , you won’t have to go in notebook to see what’s next , it will become your THINKING PROCESS ,like an instinct.
After years of practice , you will say it’s actually ART not science ! 😉
So this concludes our How to Take notes session
