I’d like to know if there are any good tutorials on workflow and project management. In other words, from the point where a customer/friend says, “I want a 3-minute video to…” to where you deliver the finished project. Obviously this encompasses much more than simply “blender virtuosity,” and I’d love to read something about that subject.
If I may make a suggestion, storyboarding is a good start. Make a sort of cartoon, with little drawings and notes, and run it by the client. That way you have a good clear idea of what is to be done, and you know you’re on the same page from the start. There’s nothing more frustrating than turning out a product, and then having the client say,…well,…that’s nice but I want blah blah blah. That is the most important thing. Beyond that it is simply a series of creative decisions, and finally simple math to put it all together. A sheet of graph paper works fine for me.
HI, I did a quick search but couldn’t find anything really useful. All I can suggest is that you check out the Alienware comp at CGTalk.com. In the documentation for the comp, there are guidelines for workflow. You could also check out http://www.3dluvr.com for additional comps with various workflow guidelines.
For example, you have one month to finish a project. Use the first week for concept drawings and idea analysis. Use the second and third week for modeling and the fourth week for texturing and completion.
Most of your workflow plans will change from one project to the next, due to the timescale allowed and the size of the project.
Hope this helps,
Sonix.
http://exposure.co.uk/eejit/index.html - great site.
This is a link to series of tuts on short movies. While the production section of the tut deals with real world camera movies, the rest of it is very applicable to making a 3D short film.