This week my focus was on story, branding, and production management. I wrote a new version of our script, updated and redesigned our website, and implemented a new project management paradigm into our workflow.  

Task #1: Trello / Kanban Board setup 

• Summary: On Wednesday night I had a WONDERFUL conversation with Britt Gilbert as we were standing out in the rain waiting to meet up with people. We swapped project management tips and tricks — I told her about Slack (which has been a lifesaver on this project), and she gave me a quick rundown on Agile. We chatted for a bit about how Agile can transfer over to an animation pipeline (which is very different than gaming or dev work), and she suggested I look into a Kanban board to track my teams’ daily progress. I love it already.
• Positive Stuff: Trello integrates my boards in directly with Slack, so whenever I assign tasks or move boards everybody in my team gets a notification. This was annoying today, since I created like 20 tasks at once, but it will likely prove useful in the future. I loooove automated “bother my team” functions!
• Problems / issues: Still need to get everybody on board and using it!

Hours: 3

Task #2: Website Update

 

• Summary: Our website is updated and it looks pretty! This site will mostly function as a home for our PPJs, but it will also inform anybody stumbling along via Google about our rationale, research, and overarching themes.
• Positive Stuff:  Everyone seems to like it!
• Problems / issues: None so far.

Hours: 5

Task #3: Story 

• Summary: This week was a flurry of script re-writing. Gabe wrote a script, then Ethan edited it, then Dave edited it, and then I edited it. We’re meeting tomorrow to go through the story line by line and solidify something by the end of the night. We’re close.
• Positive Stuff: I honestly felt like our script got stronger and stronger as everybody continued editing and patching things up. I tried my best to fill the plot holes I noticed (there were a few), and we’ll go over everything else at the meeting.
• Problems / issues: We’re having a difficult time striking a balance with our Characters. They need to speak naturally, but they need to come off as educated scientists. They need to react emotionally to what they find, but they need to stay calm enough to advance the plot.

Hours: 6

LIST OF UPCOMING TASKS:
(but for real this time! hopefully the story will stand still now…) 

1. Refine Danforth’s shaders; shade and texture Dyer
2. Research Xgen styling techniques; style characters’ hair
3. Create composites of X-gen hair renders and bust renders