Poor kid

Managed to get Karl to commit to seeing his latest project in Animation class through to the end (and it hasn't been easy or pleasant). Some days he would compliantly work on new cells and churn out 10 or more...but so many more days he would simply do nothing. On top of that, there is a consistent component in his cells that has a large area of black (representing a hole in the side of a mountain). Somewhere around frame 40, he rationalized that he could get more actual new cells drawn if he opted out of filing in that dark area for the time being. Good theory.

Trouble was he never gave thought to the time when he would actually have to fill that black hole in in order to shoot the project (image it) for editing.

A-ha....you see where I am going with this, don't you?

The day of reckoning arrived two days ago, when he let it 'click' that Tuesday was the day he would have to image the work in order to make Wednesday a turn in day.

Ummmmm, no....the filling in of the large, ever-present hole still was not complete. It was all he could do to complete the "punchline" of the story. Drawing the outcome, and then, make himself go back to another gag he planned for the middle of the story (and actually had begun to draw), and complete that. Those last two pieces had the pessimist inside doing cartwheels and handstands. Karl didn't/couldn't allow for thoughts of success and completion to work in his head, only that he couldn't make it look the way he wanted, therefore if "I don't draw it, I can't fail at it."

[heavy sigh]

Brian and I filled in a good number of the open holes, but there were still SO many to do that not every cell was completely filled in by the time he/we left the lab last night. However, he did finish the cataclysmic events in the middle and end - his two important gags!!

However, however....when the computer rendered (or, was rendering) the imaged work for saving, he received multiple error messages until the final one popped up. That's when he blew his cork. The final message told him there was no room on the PC (Mac) to save the work - no memory! That meant all of his 2-stepping and last minute work was going to have to be repeated today! Argh and @&#$@!!&#@!

I don't really think he took anything more away from the experience other than "what's the point," "Macs are useless tools and the devil's playthings," "I'm never taking two classes at the same time ever again," and "this school sucks," among others. But you get the idea, right?

No, he is not going to see reason regarding doing his work in a timely fashion, that he chose his story and how to execute it and just how detailed he made it, and on and on....and that the choices were all on him - nope, that stuff is not registering. Or, it is and he is just covering with all the rest to assuage his 'guilt' in knowing he blew things (blows things) off, and puts things off, and generally ignores deadlines and responsibilities. It doesn't matter how many reminders, how much cajoling, pleading, threats, warnings, bribes I throw in there.

Couple this whole set of circumstances with an earlier meeting that afternoon with his MRS representative, and the day was wonderful from beginning to end. More on that another time (maybe, if I've had enough to drink first).

For now, for this morning (in the time remaining before heading back to the lab/classroom), I have a huge load of shading to do so those unfinished cells are camera ready. I know, I hear you. Get him up and make him finish his own work. Well, I'd rather stick my keester over a hornets nest than have that argument before class. I want him functioning and engaged today, not fuming and unreceptive, biting and rude....and if we begin something explosive now, nothing will be gained from the experience. NOTHING, but thanks for the back-up.

More later.