AnimSchool Tips: Am I Ready for Polish?
What is a Polish Pass and how do I know if I am ready to “polish” my shot? The answer isn't so clear. Every polish pass for every animator will mean something different. Animschool Instructor and Industry Professional, Robert Manriquez, has some general tips and questions to help you figure out if you are ready for a final polish pass.
The biggest and easiest question is, did your supervisor give you the go-ahead? This might seem like a trivial question but ask any industry professional and they will understand. If you jump into polish before your supervisor has greenlit you to go ahead, you might have to end up scrapping the whole polish pass in lieu of additional notes that need to be addressed. Remember, Polish is the last thing you want to work on in a shot. The time that you spend polishing a shot has the power to distinguish you as a great animator but before you dedicate that time and energy do a quick check-in.
Ask yourself, am I truly done with Spline? Are all of my ideas working? Do I need to make any large adjustments? This method isn’t foolproof and even the most experienced animators sometimes jump into polish too early. Still, these questions will help protect you from going too far too fast and will allow you to build a solid and appealing base for your animation before moving down the line into the final touches.
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