When you develop an animation project you will be faced with lots of challenges. You might be tempted to quit at various stages. But how do you know when you should quit and dump the project?
Seth Godin has written a book called “The Dip” on knowing when to quit. He says that a free market rewards the extraordinary, the “best in the world” (or “best in your niche”). If you are number one in the market you reap 10 to 100 times the benefits than number two. This means that if you are only doing your best, and you can see that you will not succeed at being THE best, you should quit.
Godin’s idea translates very well into animation development. Every year the film markets at Berlin or Cannes are flooded with projects that try their best. But only a handful of them really shine as the best in their categories. Godin suggests that you ask yourself three questions when you consider quitting. They can be applied to animation development as well:
1. Are you panicking? If you quit when you are panicked, the results can be costly. You should aim to quit in the planning phase, and not when you’re in the midst of the problems. This means that you need to do your homework BEFORE you invest time and money in scripts, character visuals, bibles and trips to film markets.
2. Who or what are you trying to influence? If you are trying to influence a single person, you’ve got limits on what you can do. This is very often the case with film projects, and can mean that a few key people turning down your idea is enough for it to be scrapped.
3. Are you making measurable progress? Look for milestones that can be set in advance and measured. If you are not making headway in the time you’ve set for the project, or if you are indeed falling back, you should seriously consider killing the project.
When you reach the decision of killing a project, kill it fast. Do not spend any more resources on it. A rule of successful poker players is to never throw good money after bad.
But also remember: The way to success is paved with discarded projects. So don’t mourn the past but concentrate on making your next production the best in the world!
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