WHERE EVERYTHING BEGAN

When I first started, I had a grand vision of creating a strong, rich animation all by myself. I prepared by designing the entire cast and environment with detailed references. But where I fell short was in understanding just how much time it truly takes to bring an ideal story to life through animation.

There are so many roles in animation, and each one demands just as much attention as the next. I now realize that I didn’t dedicate enough time to storyboarding, which is essential for clearly communicating the narrative. My eagerness to jump ahead ultimately worked against me.

Still, it’s not too late to get back up. My best solution was to start over. Eight weeks have passed, and while that setback affected my progress in other areas—like animating—it was a necessary sacrifice. After speaking with professionals, I learned that what really makes an applicant stand out is having a clear, visual message that shows character development and story progression in a short.