My main task as a production assistant was to take detailed notes during every meeting. I would comment my notes on individual ShotGrid posts, along with sending a master document of notes to the director/producer.
The most efficient way to organize the notes is by crew member; this helps both the crew and me in the long term. It was great for me to look at individuals’ ShotGrid activity and post notes from there, and easier for individuals to go back and review their critiques.
One additional section of notes I have added, which helps a lot, is a general notes section. This is a great place for updates on textures, common issues & their resolutions, and upcoming important dates.
As a learning exercise for myself, I made my own shot list to refer to. This personal exercise helped me become familiar with the basic format of shot lists along with important vocabulary.
I had this list printed and hung on my wall, so I always had a physical reference of what all animation was finalized. It was great to see the more 'final' that filled the 'status' column throughout the quarter!
While I could not instantly memorize what the number and sequence were for every shot, with this list I was able to quickly reference what shot we were on and what animator worked on it whenever looking at rough cuts. Eventually, I did get to the point where I could name shots and sequences off the top of my head!
One unique format of note-taking I also did for this short film was the notes for the sound design. While I am familiar with writing a spotting log, this unique format catered more towards the format of our film’s notes format, especially since this short was just under five minutes in length, and all notes were more about the sound effects rather than the score. This format gave a clear idea of what the director wanted from our sound team.
I made sure to cite links to sounds of inspiration for certain sounds in our film. Also, for convenience, I made sure to bold the sound effects mentioned in each sequence section.
Challenges
This was my first time ever on an animated short, so there had been many learning curves, but I am forever grateful for the team allowing me to observe the production process and be involved.
Learning 3D animation terminology
Adapting note-taking for a fast-paced environment
Understanding naming conventions and tracking animation assignments to ensure the proper notes were sent to the correct animator.
