Anyway, here are some pics from the first night, where half us volunteers worked to prepare for the event. The next night we had a whole new group of volunteers to work the event. I heard a rumor there are pics of the second night but I have yet to find them.

Cinematics, as a name, worked fine for the studio’s infancy. After all, we began as a game cinematics and animation studio, so it made perfect sense to call ourselves exactly that. Like when I named my cat, Cat, and my hermit crab, Mister Hermit Crab. Same logic. However, after three years as a studio, we have produced all manner of game art, building several dream teams of concept artists, asset modelers, VFX artists, character modelers, technical artists, and of course, animators. While our animation team is as strong as ever, our other teams have built a reputation themselves for producing Triple A work for Triple A titles. I can honestly say after sixteen years in the game industry, this is the best team I have ever worked with and I am proud to represent and serve them to the best of my ability.

So why the name change? Cinematics is too specific. It no longer represents the studio accurately. We still have a great cinematics team. In fact, a much more experienced and overall better cinematics team than before. Cinematics just happens to be one team of many around here and I want to make sure our game art is given equal time in the spotlight.

So what else is changing? Much of the change has already happened. As I mentioned before, we have expanded greatly in the last year alone and will continue to expand as long as we maintain a comfortable size. Our teams have experienced massive amounts of work on many great games. We have focused on the things that matter most to both our team and clients. This is quality, reliability and creativity. Our current clients have experienced all of this first hand and continue to rely on us as an extension of their in-house team. This will only get better.

What do we have planned for 2011? Well, I’m glad you asked. Education is a huge priority for us. On top of our commitment to producing the best work possible, we plan on contributing greatly to the education of future game artists and animators in Portland. We currently work very closely with the Art Institute of Portland, giving students valuable work experience and on the job training. Moving forward we plan on expanding this training to include more talks and workshops where students can hone their skills in specific disciplines such as concept art, character design, modeling and texturing and animation. Our mo-cap studio is still in its infancy but we are also set to become an official course at the AI for mocap training.

Producing more passion projects is a huge goal for us this year as well. We are currently in production of our first animated short set to debut this spring or early summer. These hyper-creative internal projects allow us to push ourselves to produce the best work possible, and help us to develop more efficient and organized pipelines for future client projects. This will be the first year you will see what our team can do, given full creative license on a project.

More work with independent games on the ipad and iphone! Being gamers ourselves, we have a soft spot for independent games and considering we are in the Golden Age of the independent developer, we are diving head first into this amazing new age of creativity. We have had a great experience working with independent developers this last year and we will continue to expand this portion of the studio. We have special deals in place to help make it possible for independent developers to have a solid art team to partner up with. There is no reason why a great game shouldn’t have great art to compliment it.

We will also continue to focus on creating the best ethical work environment for our team members. One that is conducive to culture, creativity and productivity. We want to make sure that if you are a talented game artist living in Portland, that Supergenius will always be the number one studio to work for.

So why Supergenius? Pbbbtt. Duh. Why not?

Today we meet our Technical Director of Lighting and Rendering, Shirak Agresta. Let the interrogation begin!

What do you do at Cinematics?

I am what they call a Lighting and Rendering TD (Technical Director). Basically when we have a scene with some characters in it, its my job to light it, like you would a movie set. I also check all the textures to make sure they are working, and in general make the scene look as good as possible. Then I render it out. Later I make some file adjustments before turning it into a movie file. I also fix any technical issues as they come up [before and after rendering].

How did you come to work at Cinematics?

I was working for another studio, an animation studio, with this Producer Mark Axton. Mark moved over to Funnelbox, which Cinematics is a part of. Through him I heard Cinematics needed a TD. The rest as they say, is history, in the making, or something…

What got you into the game industry?

I had studied film my first time through college. I moved to Portland and ended up going back to school, basically to be a camera man. I got interested in doing compositing. I got an internship at Bent Image Lab and after bugging a Director for awhile I got to work on a music video doing 3D. I had to learn Cinema 4D on the fly for that job, but they kept me at it after that (in 3DS Max) for over 4 years.

When you first got into the industry, what was your aspiration/dreams?

Ever since I was a kid, watching Star Wars, I wanted to do special effects. I kinda got interested in other things, but in the end it was my passion…or at least an extreme interest.

Where do you draw inspiration?

I think the thing that influences me a lot, aside from the everyone’s answer of Pixar, are cinematographers. Whenever I have a scene I want it to look as good as it can. I am as big a fan of black and white as I am of color in films. There are also a lot of great painters, like Maxfield Parrish. I also love Van Gogh’s color pallet.

Are there any past projects (with Cinematics or otherwise) that you are particularly proud of?

Well, I haven’t been at Cinematics very long. I did some work for PBS on a show called Time Team America. It was an archeological show. I did some 3D models of the buildings they were excavating to show what they would have looked like when they were new. That was the first time I did a project that big by myself, it was a big step for me at that time. I later worked on 2 TV spots as the TD for a Canadian cellphone company. Both spots had to be done at the same time, and it was my job to make sure that happened. It was a lot of work.

Having not come from a game development background, do you play a lot of games? What is your favorite game?

I’m not a huge game fanatic, but I have played since I was young. I didn’t own a console until last year; I was mostly a PC computer gamer. I will get obsessed with a game, play it 50-75% of the way through, then lose interest and walk away. Sometimes I get into a game and play it all the way through, if I can really get into the story and the world. I really like games that take a new spin on old eras, like Bio-Shock did for the 1920s. I didn’t really dig the whole “I have genetic mutations” thing though, it got old real fast.

I liked the Balders Gate series, Half Life 2, System Shock 2, and the first Thief game. As far as current games, Mirrors Edge and Batman Arkham Asylum were great too. When I was young, I played the shit out of Lode Runner.

What is your super power, and how do you use it to fight crime?

I am… The Overthinker.

I fight crime with amazing plans that cover any and every angle of escape, every possible evil plan, and counter every conceivable counter measure.

It just takes me a while to formulate said plan.

“Griptonite is an awesome studio to work with,” says Paul Culp, Studio Director for Cinematics. “And we tend to do a lot of comedy projects, so this was a good fit for us .”

Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet continues the excitement of the original Marvel Super Hero Squad with an all-new storyline that follows Season 2 of the hit animated TV series as shown on Cartoon Network. Players can “Hero Up” with friends in cooperative play and master the unique Factor Power of each of the Marvel heroes in three game modes: Story Mode, Freeplay Mode and Challenge Mode. The game also boasts a brand new puzzle component, in which players will need to utilize the characters’ unique abilities to move or destroy objects, traverse through certain environments, and summon specific strengths to overcome obstacles. With new adventures, tricky puzzles, an expanded selection of Marvel Super Hero Squad members to unlock and play as, Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet is set to thrill gamers from here to Super Hero City.

Visit the site by going to http://marvelshsgame.marvel.com

The game, which recently debuted at the annual E3 Expo in Los Angeles, is based on the Super Hero Squad franchise that has spawned a wildly popular action figure line and smash hit animated series. The game draws upon the 5,000+ iconic heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe and offers players the chance to team-up with friends as they engage in exhilarating combat, show off their decked-out squad in the game’s social spaces, collect thousands of items, and explore interactive environments based on classic and new Marvel worlds.

The Oregon City studio is developing illustrations, concepts and environment art for the family-friendly massive multiplayer online game.

“We see the fine artists at Cinematics as our extended team, not just a vendor. They have shown unflagging and nearly maniacal commitment to quality.” Says Jay Minn, Director of Games for The Amazing Society. “As our project load grows here at The Amazing Society, we look forward to expanding our relationship in the years to come.”

“Cinematics is a superb team, and it’s a pleasure to be working with them.” Says Amazing Society Producer, Ellen Beeman. “Their great talent and enthusiasm make them a wonderful partner for us as we’re creating Super Hero Squad Online.”

Cinematics made local news for their involvement in A Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian for Eugene game developer Pipeworks less than two years ago.  Since then they have grown into a 20 plus person studio with a wide array of disciplines to complement their original core team of animators. The team has also earned praise for their work on the hit episodic series, Tales of Monkey Island and Sam and Max with Bay Area game company, Telltale Games. The recent growth has prompted Cinematics to relocate to a larger office space where they can accommodate the team size needed for projects such as Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.

“It’s continuing partnerships with companies like The Amazing Society that allows us to grow with stability and create local jobs in one of the worst recessions in history.” Says Paul Culp, Studio Director for Cinematics. “These long term relationships have been and continue to be the foundation of our studio.”

Although video game focused, Cinematics is the latest addition to a growing hub of animation companies such as Bent Image Labs and Laika, to call the Portland-area their home.

Cinematics is a subsidiary of funnelbox inc. a film and multimedia production studio located in downtown Oregon City. funnelbox was recently awarded the 8^th fastest growing companies in Oregon, by the Portland Business Journal.

Christopher Truax’s sculptures seem as though that they can come alive and start moving at any moment. After experimenting with animation and model making, Truax was inspired to express himself in a 3-D format. His figures seem almost robotic. His sculptures are a combination of hard and soft materials. His mix of metal and organic wings adds an element of the unexpected to his sculptures. His flying Toaster, a suspended shinny toaster with a giant wingspan, is a perfect example of this creative juxtaposition. “Inspiration is all around me everyday, sometimes I can’t help but to see things pop out. My art is far more than the finished piece; it’s the flashes and glimpses of otherworldly insight. It’s the joy of the process, it’s the dance.”

The Clackamas County resident is a parts technician for his father, who owns the Bird Nest in West Linn, specializing in Thunderbird parts for cars from 1958 to 1966. But Truax takes vintage car parts that might otherwise be discarded and turns them into art.

“Most of my art incorporates the feel of emotion, and most pieces have a movement – they are pose-able and unique on a detailed level,” he said. Some of his pieces are robotic in nature, with parts that “mimic and bend like a normal joint,” while others are whimsical, like a toaster with wings.

Last spring, Truax won best in show at an art exhibition at Clackamas Community College for Lilli, which he describes as robot with “beautiful wings coming out.” She is made “mostly from Thunderbird parts from 1955 to 1966. Basically it took me a year and a half to make her.”

Lilli’s wings are crafted from a real goose. He looks upon the use of the wings as “recycling,” and said he saved the wings from being destroyed. “I went on You Tube and learned how to taxidermy the wings, so there is no smell,” he said.

Another of his creations is Elli, an elephant made from “90 percent Thunderbird hardware and 10 percent tea pot,” he said. He incorporated a red low-fuel light into Elli’s body for a reason. “There is meaning behind my madness. I saw a low-fuel light and realized that some Asian elephants are being depleted [by starvation].”

For sheer whimsy, it is hard to beat the flying toaster with three sets of wings. “I used an old vintage chrome toaster – it is funny. It is meant to be,” he added.

http://www.christophertruax.com/

The new space exceeded all of our expectations.  Once the animators applied liberal amounts of sunblock to buffer the shock of near direct sunlight on their milky white flesh, and dedicated an appropriate amount of time complaining about the glare on their monitors we were all settled in and back to work.

“It’s fantastic,” says Nathanael the intern. “It’s hip and modern.”

“F*ing sweet,” says Justin our Lead Animator.

“Love it,” says Hector, our Lead Modeler.

“Yes, Yes, Yes, delicious,” Says Ish, Character Animator and resident Magick: The Gathering Guru.

“I think it’s fabulous,” says Brice the Animator. “But it needs more beer.”

“It’s awesome. It truly brings us together as a cohesive team,” says our Art Director, Greg, robotically.

“Can you give me two minutes?” asks Bryan, the Animation Director. “I’m kind of trying to work, you know?”

“Ha ha, what?  Did I miss something?” asks Zack the Animator.

“Just try to keep the door to the server room open.” Adds Julius, Cinematics Technical Director.

“The space gives us the necessary real estate to experiment with evolutionary augmentation, which will theoretically allow us to transcend matter and enter a new cycle of time freedom,” says Paul.

All in all, it appears that everyone here is satisfied with their new studio. Bryan eventually freed up some time and had this to say about the new space. “It’s a very open, barrier-free environment that is already encouraging greater team collaberation.  We ‘re spending more time discussing our work together and solving problems as a group.” I think that sums it up quite nicely, Bryan.

Be sure and check out our Facebook page for more photos. Also, if you’re in the area, please feel free to drop by, see the place and have a cup of coffee with us.

• Cinematics signs multiple projects with two major TV game show licenses.

• Cinematics signs multiple contracts with Seattle Area game developer, The Amazing Society.

• Cinematics signs new project with Griptonite.

Cinematics signs project with undisclosed developer on two major TV game show licenses.

Cinematics has been contracted to create two cinematic intro sequences for the video game versions of two major network game shows. The studio has also been contracted to create animated shorts for one of the shows itself, to be aired on a major television network. Stay tuned for more info.

Cinematics signs multiple contracts with Seattle Area game developer, The Amazing Society.

Due to the sensitive nature of the license, we are not at liberty to disclose the project.  We will say, however, that the fan boys here on the team are enjoying the project immensely.

Cinematics signs undisclosed project with Griptonite.

Geez, what’s with all the hush hush?  It’s not as much fun to brag about a project when you can’t say what it is.  So we’ll just say it’s just as much fun to work on as it will be to brag about it when it finally gets announced.

Production Intern Blog

The most difficult and ironic problem with breaking into the game industry right out of school is the lack of experience. This is ironic because experience requirements for a job posting, immediately disqualifies you for the job. This is especially true for Producers, simply because almost every Producer or Producer related position requires multiple years of industry experience.

You’re probably thinking “Who cares! What nut right out of school wants to be a Producer?” Well, this nut. And I get a lot of people saying those words, or something similar, to me on a fairly regular basis. I get it, I am insane, but that doesn’t eliminate the fact that I have no experience to break into the industry with.

Well, I didn’t at least. Thanks to Paul Culp here at Cinematics I have the opportunity to be a Production Intern. Something I had never even heard of, but Paul says it with such confidence I am sure he didn’t make it up just to make me feel better…

A little about myself. My name is Nathanael Horton, currently a senior at The Art Institute of Portland for Game Art and Design. I have about 4 months till I graduate. My aspiration, as previously mentioned, is to be a Producer in some 3D media. I have a rather varied background, I went to accelerated high-school specializing in science and technology and now I attend art school; I have also done a lot communications and leadership training outside of school.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first came to Cinematics, I was stealing myself for coffee making and what was to certainly be my new donut delivery service; but from day 1 Paul made sure I had industry relevant work for me do. He challenged me to do some things I had never done before, especially in a professional capacity. I always receive the feedback I needed to get my work done right. I defiantly feel like I am part of the team and that the work I do is important enough that if I didn’t do it, someone else would have to, which means I am being useful!

My major challenge at Cinematics so far has been some assumptions I picked up while in school, the first being that everyone uses Gantt charts to plot schedules and asset lists. I actually have extensive experience creating and managing Gantt charts, and I never expected it would hinder me. Once I sat down to create a schedule at Cinematics (my very first assignment) I was confused to find all Cinematics schedules and time lines in spreadsheets. Of course, it makes sense now that I think about it, Gantt charts really are overly complicated for many different tasks, and sticking with one type of file system is better than changing between spreadsheets and Gantt charts. Of course, having not opened a spreadsheet in years, it took me some time to get familiar with building an easily read and maintained schedule or database. I am still figuring out the formatting Cinematics likes to use, but I am learning fast.

I have been exposed to several programs here at Cinematics I hadn’t delved too deeply into before. Programs like 3D Studio Max, I myself was trained in Maya, so having this chance to work in Max and learn where it is more efficient than Maya has been great. I’ve also been exposed to different uses for some of the same programs I have used in the past, such as After Effects. I have also gotten to use many programs I am familiar with, but those are never as interesting.

For the weeks I have been here at Cinematics I have had a chance to dip my hands into many facets of project management and production. I have created file structures, archived art work, created a contractor database, created storyboard templates, researched and archived reference art, documented some processes, documented project overviews, cleaned up some rough artwork and created project schedules. And I even have my own desk, I think that is the coolest part, It is certainly what I brag the most about.

I couldn’t have asked for a better place for an internship. They even let me come into the office as much as my schedule allows; even though I spend a good bit of my time hovering around Paul and Bryan like a creepy hobo waiting for them to drop scraps (aka: work I can handle for them).

Bryan Provencher has also been tremendously helpful. He is always willing to explain to me how Cinematics handles things, how clients may take certain things on the schedule, and he never verbalizes how stupid any of my questions are! He has helped me get familiar with Max and some FX in After Effects. He even pointed me to some really good project management related videos online.

Overall, this is the best industry related opportunity I have had, and I look forward to continued work with Cinemantics.

You know what it is. You’ve heard the advice. Some would say it has existed since the beginning of film narrative. Some would say it existed much earlier, when man first painted images on cave walls before a great mammoth hunt. The images told the story of how they took down the beast long before they ran out across the plains, screaming, naked, junk flapping, with spears hoisted toward the sky. Problems could be solved in advance and steps taken to avoid calamity. Steps like don’t stand in front of the hairy elephant, or maybe we should cover our shame before someone gets hurt. This is one way early man learned to keep their mammoth hunts on time and within budget.

Early man was smart. Maybe smarter than modern man? Who is to know? They didn’t keep records. We have only their storyboards as clues to how they lived. If only there was a method to study the past and the world around us…but I digress.

Always storyboard. Always. Make time for previsualization, or “previs” as we in the field of brevity say. Be prepared. Know your battlefield. A clean team is a mean team. Hygiene is its own reward. Storyboards are the map in which we rely on for successful navigation over the tempestuous waters of media production. That last one is good. I suggest you tattoo it in old English across your forearms, lest you forget.

Storyboards are quick and cheap, and their value far exceeds their expense. They are definitely cheaper than changing direction halfway through a project due to an unforeseen, yet foreseeable issue. They not only can, but will, save your team days, weeks, months of work down the line. Yet impatience and the need to see something on screen STAT is often the siren song that leads us to the razor sharp, jagged rocks of a badly planned project. Do not be fooled. Resist! Oh demons of impatience, leave thy child! The power of previs compels you!

I am guilty of this myself. I am only a man. Shame on me, nevertheless. Shame on me. I have traded precious previs for expedience and paid the price. It is a raw deal, I tell you. It is a deal with the Devil himself. I have erred but see the light. Blind but now I see. Consider this blog entry my Amazing Grace.

Template Scenario

If this entry is my Amazing Grace, then we shall consider the studio I now captain, my Amistad. I am sailing toward the Great Isle of Redemption as I write this. We never, ever, under any circumstance skip the previs stage. Of course all projects are different and some require or allow more detail in previs than others, so there isn’t a perfect one-size-fits-all process, but there are guidelines. We need to be creative and pragmatic at the same time. To help illustrate a good template scenario, let us invent an imaginary project. In this project we are given the liberty of defining our ideal previs situation, with plenty of time in the schedule. Picture the following scene. It is set in the parking lot of an elementary school where a soccer match is scheduled to begin. Two suburban moms are fighting over the last SUV sized parking space. It is a brutal fight to the death.

1. Brainstorm ideas for the fight scene. List potential weapons they can use such as a car seat, baby bottles, happy meals, a Thighmaster, etc. List insults they can yell at each other such as “your child did NOT make the honor roll you lying skaz!” or “Your Pilates instructor is a terrorist you Hobag!” etc.
2. Come up with a shot list that includes the elements from your brainstorm session. You will obviously have to come up with a narrative using the list, but you’re creative, so I’m not too worried about it. Make sure you book-end it with a compelling intro and finale. Include time estimates for each shot.
3. Create storyboards using the shot list as your reference. From these storyboards you will be able to define camera position, camera movement, action, content and dialogue. Being able to simply draw these scenes ahead of time you can experiment with the camera angle, such as placing the camera behind the windshield of the SUV or shoot from the ground with the baby bottle in the foreground, out of focus.
4. Cut your storyboards up into individual screens and create an animatic using your favorite editing suite. With this animatic you will be able to demonstrate how scene transitions will look (screen wipes, whip pans, etc.) You can also include scratch dialogue tracks which help synch up your shot times with the audio. If you have music, even placeholder music, you can work out your edit timing far in advance. This can save you silly amounts of time. Animatics are fun to play with and you can figure out a lot by trying out new things. This animatic will be the template in which you can replace each static, sketched scene with final rendered animation. Of course there will be adjustments and changes along the way but they are minor in comparison to cutting a scene that took hours or days to set up and render.

1. Use the animatic to create an asset list of all elements that need to go into the scene, including setting, people and characters. This list will help you schedule your project, since you can predict what needs to be created from scratch, what you can reuse, purchase, or if you need to contract an extra artist to create the asset. You will also get a good idea of how to light the scene and what kind of effects will be needed. All this information is crucial when planning and scheduling your project.
2. Go on to animate the best soccer mom fight your client or the world has ever seen.

Of course, the schedule does not always allow time for this entire process. In that case I give you permission to skip the animatic stage if you are in a pinch. The storyboards should hold enough information to keep you on the right track. If you do have the time though, I highly recommend going through the animatic stage. It is the best way to fully understand and predict what the end result will look like. The further you get into a project, the harder it is to change things without seriously upsetting the schedule.

Another plus of good previs is that it serves your client well. What serves your client well, serves you well. By going through the previs stage hand in hand with your client, they are able to insert their creative input and see the results quickly. This ensures no major changes happen down the line and helps facilitate a symbiotic relationship between you and your client, also known as a “Promance.” A Promance develops when you are open to your client’s input and they, in turn, are respectful of what can and can’t be done within the time frame and budget. Whenever possible, create the conditions hospitable to an effective Promance. You will be rewarded with more projects, more money and ultimately a new friend.

Retrospective

Us narrative animators aren’t the only ones who benefit from good previs. It is a vital tool for game developers as well. It is surprising to me how little I have seen gameplay storyboards in all my years in the game industry. My first job in games was actually as a storyboard/concept artist. Uh oh, I feel a flashback coming on. The year is 1995…San Francisco…wavy lines, echoes….

I had just been hired on to the team at Blam as a storyboard/concept artist. I wrote about Blam in my last blog. We were a young spunky group of game developers working out of an old dilapidated Victorian on the corner of Union and Van Ness. One particular memory that stands out is from the first daily meeting I attended. This was my first impression of the game industry and I had never seen anything like it. Here were twenty five to thirty young people crammed into a living room strewn with Godzilla toys, game controllers, RC robots and comic books, all debating and opining about the creative direction of the game. It was the most diverse group of people I had ever seen in one place all working together. It was a novel experience for me.

What was especially interesting to me about this meeting, was that everyone seemed to be on the same page speaking the same language, which for me sounded like, “blah blah blah, persistent bits, blah blah, bamboo punk, blah blah, barrel attack,” you get the picture. I know a lot of that came from just having experience in games but this was more specific and related to this particular project. How did all these people know this game so intimately, especially considering I knew some of them had come on board just days before me? That seemed an awful short time to be that acquainted with it all. I thought there was no way I would be able to wrap my head around it quick enough to hit the ground running, which was required at a small developer like Blam. You had to pull your weight when your team was that small and you were so visible.

It hit me all at once. I was zoning out, staring at the wall, when I noticed it was covered in pictures. But not just any pictures. Storyboard pictures. Every inch of every wall was covered in gameplay storyboards. Every single mechanic of the game was represented – barrel jumping, staff attacks, door puzzles, bombs – all fleshed out in rough, yet detailed form. Of course there were plenty of character and environment concepts too, which is why I probably didn’t see the boards right away. My eyes were drawn to the colorful art, like a child, not the black and white sketches of the storyboards. All it took was one full three hundred sixty degree turn and I was caught up. I found the Rosetta Stone.

I spent the next few months drawing storyboards, learning the ins and outs of game development and having a helluva good time. As a storyboard artist I worked closely with the designers, turning their ideas into images, which I then submitted to the programming staff. The programmers used the boards as a blueprint for game mechanics and as the project moved on, they implemented the important ones, set aside the iffy ones with potential, and scrapped the ones that were pure designer-wish-list. Not having them would have been a disaster. Worse than driving with your eyes closed. In story-boarding the picture tells much more than a thousand words. It eats a thousand words for breakfast and defecates a bazillion, give or take a trillion. Seriously.

For those of you who are reading this, thinking “What is this guy talking about? I don’t need no stinking storyboards. Pbbbbth” I ask you to please stop and remember the wisdom of our noble ancestors and their sacred storyboards. Before you go running out into a field, lightly armed and naked with your junk exposed, draw it up first. The big hairy elephant is yours for the taking.

Epilogue

The same day I am writing this this I am drawing up a batch of boards for a client, worrying about the schedule. I am thinking about how much quicker I would get this done if I could just jump into the project at full speed. I realize a scene I am working on wont work the way I planned. I fix it in five minutes. I think about how many hours, how many days it might have cost me if I discovered it two weeks from now, when the project is in full swing.

Paul Culp is the Studio Director of Cinematics, a game animation studio in Oregon. www.cinematics.com