sketches - March

032308
Thursday saw a brief clearing of my mind that was enough to give specific directions to the artists on the "level that is way behind". By Fridays review, we had managed to pull our asses out of the fire enough so we didn't look like total chumps, again - the AD was happy, so we are happy. We still missed the mile stone with Saturdays final review of the week, but I think we'll be able to meet it with only a few days of work, and not a few weeks like the last time. Even the artist are happier for that. A comment of "That was a miracle" was made by one of the project managers described the situation perfectly, and now my mind is, again, enveloped in deep fog that will require sleep to clear for Monday's continued direction. Hopefully we'll nail it by Tuesday so we can continue forward. To give some perspective, several people actually did not go home for two days before Fridays art review.

032108
It's 1:20am and I've been here at work since 8:30am of the 20th. The first day back in the office, the 19th, was a tough one. My mind was totally i a fog and I could not think clearly if my life depended on it. I sure didn't want to be here, but with another mile stone three days away, I was not happy, and was quite annoyed at the artist for this one particular level. Let's just say that this level was, and is still my bane, and a total pain in the ass. Now it's 2:17am and I am totally out of here, but need to be back at 8am for an art review with the Home Office.

Be seeing you

030608
Well, this is it. The last day, yet again, before I leave for the far outer regions of where I call Home. The brain is still a little slow and on idle, so we'll see how I fair on Wednesday when I go back to work. Two and a half months left, woohoo! Also, I went sketching again with a friend at the local Borders. Now back to cleaning the house.


031008
I flew back last Saturday so I can be back in time for a co-worker's wedding yesterday. It was a good excuse to come back and enjoy the clear blue Sky's over California, and the comforts of home that I always miss. Also, the road trip that I hope will unwind my head so it does not bust with anger and frustrations of work. The next two months are the final gauntlet months for this project, and will test my patience and endurance before a final crunch back here at the Home Office.

030308
It's been a really busy two weeks since we miss a very important mile stone, and sadly, one team still didn't hit it tonight. This is quite a blow and doest not give the Home Office a very warm and fuzzy feeling inside - they pretty much yanked the last level from this place and that's going to be very bad for the senior management team here. I felt pretty bad for the lead of that art team, because he tried really hard to get all the issues done by tonight, but with lack of experience, there's nothing I can do. Even with the associate AD here to help with the overall look, it's been slow going. At least the AAD implemented some processes that will help in the long run. Although I was happy that the last levels were pulled from the schedule, here, something I requested months ago, but never taken seriously, so I can't say that it's all Shanghai's fault, it was every body's fault. This is the new frontier of game development for this corporation, and there's no going back, so we have to make this work for all future projects.

Still haven't had a chance to do any sketches, but maybe that will change with the shifting of my production work to the art team, so I can concentrate on their progress for the next three months. I can't believe that it's almost over. I have to admit that it will be sad to leave the artist that I have worked with for the last five months, but i do miss home and can't wait to sleep in my own bed this Saturday. Then I get to play dress-up for a co-worker's wedding and then a nice road trip with some other friends later in the week.

And finally, as no. 6 would say,
Be seeing you