the yak occidental

Differing opinions is how we learn about different ways of doing things As practical and hands-on as I hope A Course In Production is, I admit that my favorite videos to make are these more philosophical ones. I think this is because I believe that critical thinking is a crucial skill for Production staff that is underemphasized.  I’m not talking about pondering Shotgrid/Shotgun/Flow filters for improved efficiency, I mean reflecting upon our motivations for being in a position of leadership in the first place, how we can constantly strive to be and do better, and being open to learning this information from a variety of different sources.  Even in making this very course, I have drawn on books and materials by lawyers, poets, poker players, choreographers, university professors, journalists, and basketball coaches. And this is all in the name of improving my work as a Production Manager in the Animation industry. Annie Duke, the aforementioned champion poker player and author...

Two great thinkers offer something simple: let's think of Love as a verb, rather than a noun. Dreaming Shepherdess by  BOUCHER, François ( c. 1763)   In the great literature of all progressive societies, love is a verb. Reactive people make it a feeling [...] If our feelings control our actions, it is because we have abdicated our responsibility and empowered them to do so.  Proactive people make love a verb. Love is something you do: the sacrifices you make, the giving of self [...] If you want to study love, study those who sacrifice for others, even for people who offend or do not love in return [...] Love is a value that is actualized through loving actions. Proactive people subordinate feelings to values. Love, the feeling, can be recaptured. - from  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey The world "love" is most often defined as a noun, yet all the more astute theorists of love acknowledge that we would...

Here are five things to keep in mind when booking a meeting at work  Booking a meeting at work? Here are 5 main things to keep in mind while gathering people on the clock including: Event Description Who/attendees  Time Etiquette Meeting wrap up  The big thing with a meeting invite is that we want all the details included so that, theoretically, anyone could join and understand right away the purpose of the meeting, when it is happening, what they need to prepare for the meeting, or otherwise have context for the meeting.  Also, especially if you have a hybrid crew or crew in different time zones, take the time to reiterate in writing the date, time, and location of the meeting, whether it be a meeting for your in-studio crew or if you are using zoom, google meet, teams, etc. Event Description Checklist 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) Atta...

Here are six things to keep in mind when emailing the client If your role entails direct communication with the client via email, here are some key things to keep in mind, particularly across 6 categories: Title of an email Body of the email Who the email is going to/distribution Tidiness/appearance of an email Email etiquette Email follow-up  For email titles, always include your show code/shorthand title of your show and what exactly you are referring to, whether it be a given shot, episode, asset, etc. If your client or studio has established email title naming practices, follow those.  Email Title Checklist Date of meeting notes included? example: SHOW CODE - [Client Name] x [Your Studio]: E109 Animation Dailies - 2022-04-28 Relevant department mentioned? Episode/Shot/Asset name clearly indicated? If your show or studio has specific email title format practices, make sure you are following those! For the email itself or body of the email, be sure to reiterate what you are ...