the yak occidental

Here are two pieces of advice that have helped me when I'm in a tight spot No matter how hard or conscientiously we work, conflict at work is unavoidable. Here are two pieces of advice I have found especially important when you are in a tight spot. The first piece of advice is from one of my career mentors, and it is:  d on’t offer feedback unless you have been specifically asked to do so. This was a hard one for me to learn. Aren’t people always looking to improve? Isn’t sharing ideas and thoughts a way to show you are engaged and bring something to the table, especially if the answer is like , so  obvious? Unfortunately, the answer for the former question, aren’t people and organizations always  looking to improve —is often no, or they do not have the infrastructure in place to deal with feedback. And as for your feedback making it look like you’re keen and come with good ideas, it can often be seen as  presumptuous  or uninformed. Additionally, at least accor...

Tons of research and experts agree: it's okay, even highly recommended, to admit when you don't know something. One of our primary responsibilities in Production is being a conduit of information. We are not  the  information. This is an important thing to distinguish because I find that Production attracts a lot of Type A folks - we like to be in control, have all the answers, and are achievement-oriented.  At the same time, I have found in my experience at least, that the weakest Production staff I have worked with tend to have one thing in common: they rarely (or never) admit when they don’t know something. When people don’t admit if they don’t know something, I find this leads to further problems: missing opportunities for collaboration and teamwork, and being inflexible for growth and feedback. In a  previous video , we also discussed how pretending to know it all is also a sign of someone who is a micro-manager. In Production, it’s not about knowing all the ans...

Micromanagers have a bad rep. But do we know what micromanagement actually looks like in practice?  Regardless of what industry you work in, micro-management has a bad reputation. Even for myself, I will say that the worst work environment for me personally is one in which I’m micromanaged.  The thing is, I have actually had a few people over the years while in Production in animation say that they actually don’t mind or even  prefer  being micro-managed. I remember being stunned a few years ago when someone who is now an Art Director told me specifically they NEED to be micromanaged to succeed at work. I get this feeling that a lot of us complain about it, but we don’t actually know what micro management means or looks like in full. Fortunately, this chart from R adical Cantor: Be a Kick-ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity  by Kim Scott lays it all out for us. She identifies these traits of micromanagement: The table above is from  Radical Candor  b...

In Production, you are on front lines of communicating with the client. Here are some best practices. BODY OF EMAIL Is it clear which episode, shots, and assets you are referring to? Have you attached the reference/drawover/example? Specify when feedback is due, or if there is no need to provide feedback If there is no deadline, are the next steps clear (ex, "Confirming we'll be prepared to discuss Shot ABC_123 live in our 4/28 call") Clearly identify what you want feedback on so there are no distractions Is the asset/shot/episode name consistent with what the Client uses? I.e. we often name assets and shots differently in Shotgrid than what the client is used to Add caveats/DNRs as appropriate Ex, "I'm including a screen cap of the book prop in question for shot ABC_123. Please disregard Jane and Joe, their designs are WIP. Please also note this is not the final BG colour. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the book cover" HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: break...

Maintaining momentum is so important when receiving feedback at a studio or show-level. Over the course of my career in animation so far, I have seen several instances of studios doing studio-wide surveys or questionnaires, or even show post-mortems, all with the goal of seeking feedback from their employees. I have seen very mixed results, and my message for you with this video is if you received feedback at this level, act on at least one piece of feedback as soon as you possibly can.  In other words, do it now.                                    Receiving feedback on a show-wide or studio-wide level can be very tough, it often means here is a tidal wave of criticism headed your way as a leader. I have seen studio and show leaders get paralyzed by this, and they end up doing nothing, wasting the time of their employees who actually sat down and spent time on a studio-wide sur...

Last days are an opportunity to thank someone for their hard work. Here's how to do it right. Animation in Vancouver is a small industry. You will very likely work with the same people again at different studios, so it is worth it to leave a good impression and keep the door open for future opportunities to work together! Determine if the person is leaving your studio entirely vs. moving to another show Ensure the supervisor is aware the artist is leaving Reassign artist's remaining work Strongly suggest to book first and last days into the calendar and have reminders so people remember to prepare! Remove person from relevant email, chat, Shotgrid groups, especially if they are just moving to another project within your studio If there is any other place your show tracks crew (say a Crew Tracker sheet), remove them and mark the last day according to your show's processes Send any offboarding questionnaires or post-mortems if relevant (or flag for exit interview if relevant)...

How you welcome someone new is crucial for setting a tone for your workplace/show/studio. Here are some things to keep in mind. The first 90 days of a contract (aka 'probation period' in most Canadian contracts at least) are just as much for the employee to see if they like their new studio as it is for an employer to see if they are the right fit. It is critical to make a good first impression to welcome and maintain new talent. Here is a breakdown of common onboarding tasks to prep for an incoming/new hire. In the Animation industry, all of these tasks should be handled by someone in Production. Welcome Send a welcome email! Include Who's Who (supervisor and lead, who their immediate teammates are), info about submitting sick/vac days, key log-in info, and how to submit a ticket Ensure Supervisor/person training the incoming new hire is aware and has work/assignments ready When adding new hire to chat groups, remind the team this is someone new and to give a warm welcome!...

Kicking off a new series of blog posts, here is a back-to-basics post on booking meetings. Booking a meeting at work? Here are some key things to consider when bringing the team together in the animation industry. EVENT DESCRIPTION Reiterate date and time in event description, don't just leave it to the calendar booking software Reiterate meeting location (boardroom, zoom, google meet, etc) Attach or link applicable reference Animatic Contact sheet Client reference/drawover Network paths Shotgrid playlist State the purpose of the meeting (i.e. why are we gathering?) Meeting title should reflect the purpose of the meeting Ex, "Line 4 Ep 112 Team Check-in" is preferred over "112 Anim Meeting" If applicable, ask attendees to come prepared (ex, having watched an animatic, read a script or document, etc) WHO Have you checked the calendars of key attendees to ensure the meeting time works? Mark people as optional, can elaborate in event description as needed Ensure th...

  Painting above: Winter Tree 3 (c.1957) by Georgia O'Keeffe It was snowing when I got off the bus at Flax Hill. Not quite regular snowfall, not exactly a blizzard. this is how it was: the snow came down heavily, settled for about a minute, then the wind moved it--more rolled it, really--onto another target. One minute you were covered in snow, then it sped off sideways, as if a brisk, invisible giant had taken pity and brushed you down. Next, just as you'd caught your breath, a boomerang effect made a snowman of you all over again. I could only see a few steps ahead of me, and about one step behind me. - from Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi