Am i wasting my contractors time?

[MiSSiSSiPPiDiCK]

I am a student animator(a senior) and I scored my first bit of work, a contract for some character animation. I am 3 days into it and I've completed about 16 seconds of raw key-framed animation. I feel like this is intolerably slow. To my credit I am working with a very peculiar and purpose specific rig built by a company I like to call macroshaft(they're publishing in this case, the rigs "special-purpose" is not key-framing).

Am I blowing huge amounts of time for what I've completed? How long should it take an animator to complete 4 second cycle?

[yaustar]

As long as you are completing all the work within your contractors conditions, then I don't see a problem.

[Mouseshadow]

Yeah, if the time will allow it, then doing the best job should trump all other considerations - this is what's going to be in your portfolio. If time doesn't allow, then look for how corners can be cut - cut'n'paste animations where they won't be noticed. NB. I'm not an animator but I'm sitting right behind a very senior experienced animator and from what he says, the time given to do x seconds of animation varies hugely between different companies. Get good first, then get fast.

Congratulations on getting a gig.

[sjaak]

Yeah I totally agree with the previous posters. It really depends on the wishes of your client, how much detail is needed, style, etc. From what I have heard a Pixar animator might have a week for like 4 seconds, but Pixar would be an extreme example :)

Maybe you can ask your boss directly what his expectations are?

[MiSSiSSiPPiDiCK]

but i'm a dude and asking would be showing weakness!

They extended the contract so I must be doing all right.... I am extremely stoked about that.

I'll end up having a lot of content in this thing... and I really want to rant about this stupid rig I have to work with but I would rather it be in private forum land.

anyway, thanks for the vindication.

[thegreatpretender]

but i'm a dude and asking would be showing weakness!

Excuse me? Worrying about "showing weakness" would be weakness.

Carefully managing a relationship (certainly including time frames: start, stop, how far when etc.) is part of being a good professional. These kind of things need to be locked down before you start, so both parties have a fair chance of knowing what is expected.

Managing expectation pretty much dictates how people feel about the end-result.

[Rusty_Nutz]

Holy Necrothread Batman!

I think he might be finished by now ;)