A good chunk of the articles I write are inspired by people that ask me specific questions about stuff I do on a daily basis. Then I realize my answer to them was long and pretty detailed and worth making a blog post about, and then I do. :) This is one of those.

A friend asked me recently, since I’m “always looking for a better mousetrap,” what do I do to manage my contact information, calendar, appointments, todo lists and notes? As a matter of fact, I have two nifty little applications for doing so! Click on the jump to read more: (more…)

Ever wished you were better at writing emails you want a response to? Here are a few handy tips:

1. Get to the point. No one likes reading rambling emails. Respect my time and my attention span by staying on-topic. Keep it short because I’m not interested in reading a novel.
2. HAVE a point. When I’m done reading an email, I want to have a clear Next Action. If you don’t give me one, you shouldn’t rely on me to come up with one. The best way to do this in my experience is to ask a direct question. If you don’t have a question, I’ll probably look at the email and think “Hmm. Okay. Next.” But if you ask a question, I have something to do.
3. Answer my question. If I’ve asked you a question, answer it early in the email and directly. Don’t make me dig to find it.
4. Regulate your paragraphs. Keep your language simple and your paragraphs orderly. Too few paragraphs that are long result in a sea of text I won’t want to read. Too many paragraphs that are short turn into a broken-up jumble of text I won’t want to read. 3 to 5 lines per paragraph, and 2 to 4 paragraphs is reasonable. Separate your ideas in a meaningful way and if you change the subject, start a new paragraph for it.
5. Have an active voice. Don’t say “I could do this” when you could say “I am doing this.” Speak to show you’re taking action and doing stuff instead of sounding passive. Using exclamation points conservatively can also liven up an email. Finally, a strategically placed smiley face to add personality. Have an active voice! :)
6. Heed the rule of 3, 4, 5. If you’re itemizing something, or listing things, or organizing thoughts, try to keep them in threes, fours, or fives. People like these numbers and they’re easier to remember and understand than arbitrarily huge numbers that won’t fit in your head. 7 is a good number, too, but usually only for articles and not emails.
7. Sign your name. This seems obvious but a lot of people don’t do this. Sign with your full name to help make it stick in my head. This is subtle, but important. Professionals sign their name. :)

Does anyone else have any useful emailing tips?

I found something awesome on LifeHacker a moment ago that smArtists may appreciate. It’s called The Freelancer’s Toolset. It’s a list of 100 web applications to enhance freelancers’ productivity.

It looks like a fantastic list! Here’s a few highlights from it:

• Stikkit is a central sticky note repository that interfaces with apps like Outlook. It stores names, addresses, birthdays and other snippets of information. It’s also open for collaboration even for people that don’t have or use Stikkit… and you can email it notes, too, which is pretty cool.
• NetVibes which I use. Basically it’s the ultimate customizable homepage, much like My Yahoo, except more flexible. You can turn any RSS feed into its own window, as well as drop all sorts of kickass productivity applications onto one page. It even has separate tabs you can load up with different categories of information. For example, I have a tab that contains a calendar, my personal life todo list, upcoming holidays and weather. On another tab, I have a series of small boxes that contain RSS feeds to every major news site I visit. On another tab, I have useless crap I waste time with. :) There’s a huge, thriving community of amateur developers that make modules and custom applications for it to make it infinitely extendable. I highly recommend checking out NetVibes.
• Google Calendar - I use this as an embedded window in NetVibes. It’s simple, straightforward and fun to use. I also set it up to email and text message me on my phone anytime I have an upcoming appointment so I never forget. It’s indispensible!
• FreshBooks - The Fastest Way to Invoice! This is a really cool and well-positioned company. Invoicing can be a bit of a bitch and this can help you keep track of it more easily. You can manage a huge series of invoices, send them by snail mail through the website, track the time spent on the job, accept payment online, manage work orders and generate reports. What a kickass idea!
• ConceptShare - An online visual collaboration tool. Basically, add notes or paintovers to anything you need to, and have small sticky notes that can turn into miniature discussion threads that float on top of the image and have pointers everywhere. This is so damn cool, I may try using it myself with my contractors.
• Meebo - Gain access to every single IM app on the planet through their website without downloading or installing anything. This is such a mind-bogglingly great idea. smArtists, listen up — IM communication is incredibly useful, and offering it can often be a good thing. Whenever possible, offer it as a quicker alternative for email for smaller, quicker questions. Even if you don’t use that app normally, Meebo can help. :)
• K7 - A terrible name but an awesome service. This will set up a temporary phone number for you to receive faxes and voicemail messages, which are emailed to you. What a great idea!
• Nolo - Got a legal question that pertains to contracting? Have it answered here and check out their articles and how-tos.

Any other gems I might have missed?

Something I’ve learned is never to skim emails. Sit down and read them. Assess what they mean. Understand their ramifications. Build a quick and rough mental time estimate of how long it will take to address what’s in the email.

You have three options:

1. If it takes less than five minutes, do it immediately.
2. If it requires more time than that, schedule it for later.
3. If it’s a dead or already-completed issue, archive it immediately.

Watch your to-do list and your inbox clear out faster than you ever thought possible. :)

If I’m your art director and you see that I’ve named files a specific way, that is for a reason. I’ve already sent you the file naming conventions… stick to them. If you still don’t know what to do, just ask me.

File naming conventions MATTER.

I will like you so much more if you make an attempt to save me work by naming files properly. But almost no one ever even tries, and you make me have to do it. This is why I write the file naming conventions in the first place. This is one small way to show excellence that will put you head and shoulders above your competition. I respect attention to detail and quality customer service.

Here’s the introduction of a new series of little thoughts that won’t really fill out a full post.

Everyone likes to get involved.

If you have people in your pipeline that have to approve your work, at any level, they’ll probably want to get involved with your work. To make their mark. To make a difference. To take some form of action to justify the fact that they’re “doing their job.” Even if your work is absolutely perfect, they’ll have something to say about it.

This is often a pain in the ass, and it’s inevitable. More often than not, they’ll pick out something that’s a nightmare to change.

But hey, what can you do?

I’ll tell you. :)

What I suggest to you — whether you’re a manager looking at your boss, an artist looking at your AD, or an AD managing an artist — is find ways to leave your work looking about 95% complete. Make the final 5% it needs obvious.

People WILL meddle and want to have a hand in whatever you’re doing. Position your work in such a way that the final 5% that needs doing just immediately jumps out at them. They’ll point it out and suggest a change. You’ll say “Oh, shit! You’re right! I’ll do that!” then go in and fix it, show it to them again, get their approval now that they feel they’ve done their job, and the asset is done.

Everyone, everyone, everyone wants to feel involved. To have their say. To feel like they made their mark. Anticipate this! Simply define the boundaries in which people can be involved freely without severely affecting what you’re doing.

This requires a soft touch. Doing stupid, insulting, obvious shit like leaving a head off of a character or forgetting to color a concept is a slap in the face. It will make you look stupid and prove you don’t follow directions. Be subtle, be smart, and be respectful of peoples’ need to participate, and you’ll go far.

I just found a great post by Gianfranco over at GBGames that’s called What Would A Game Developer Do?

Gianfranco starts out detailing focus problems we all relate to, then drops some knowledge in the form of solid tips on surrounding yourself with things that motivate you. Then he breathlessly goes straight into conditioning your mind to think more like a game developer and to help stay focused. A choice quote:

Would a game developer come home from a day job and watch television? Would a game developer feel much anxiety about sitting at the computer to work on a game? Would a game developer procrastinate on game development in favor of chatting online with friends or reading random articles online?

No. A game developer would BE a game developer.

A simple mantra like “WWAGDD?” is a fantastic way to focus your mind on what’s important by asking a tough, no-nonsense question you can’t shy away from. This is good stuff! Go read the post!

Want to know how to make more money as a contractor? Here are some tips.

1. Be fast. Show me you can produce good work quickly. Don’t drag your heels and always make sure to underpromise and overdeliver. If you think it’ll take a day, tell me two and get it to me sooner than that. I’ll think, “Wow, this guy is fast!” It’s vitally important to manage the perception of you and your work speed. Other ways you can do this is by immediately addressing concerns, changes and assignments and finishing them as quickly as you can. Who doesn’t like speedy service?




2. Show me what I’m getting for my money. Make everything look as polished as possible whenever you can, even if it’s an early WIP. If it’s concept art, a cool and stylish background will do wonders for presentation. Even if it’s ugly, make it look like it’s not. Find a way to add style and flair to everything you send me. Small coats of polish lend a feel of professionalism and value. Don’t expect to be paid more just because you want to be paid more. Show me where my money’s going. Make me feel like I’m getting a bargain for what you have to offer and the cool-as-hell way you offer it. Who doesn’t like being dazzled?




3. Remember that I am a CUSTOMER and you are a BUSINESS. Deal with me accordingly and focus on the kind of customer service YOU like to get out of a business. Act professionally, be responsive, meet or exceed my expectations and make me feel valued. Just because I work for a company bigger than yours (you) doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate or deserve that kind of treatment. Treat me right and I’ll reward you for it. I do give raises. Who wouldn’t reward a company that treats them well with more business?




4. Do something special, just for me. Nothing I can use, necessarily, just bait. If you think I’m interested, or you want me to be interested, make a test asset in the style of my game. This will show that not only can you do the work, but that you WANT to. You’re so motivated to work for me that you’re ALREADY making stuff that I’d like! Never, ever spend too much time on this, and don’t give it away for free. When done correctly and intelligently, this is a VERY strong message to send to a potential employer. It’s worked on me before. :) Who wouldn’t be flattered?

Here’s something for the smArtists out there! These will hopefully give you an insight into how an employer thinks and how to be a better and smArter contractor. :)

1. Never overpromise. So you have a habit of being inappropriately optimistic with time estimates and are constantly slipping. Recognize the pattern. Realize that when you say two days, it really means four, and then TELL me four. I don’t like having to make mental calculations like “Oh, Poly McArtist says two days, that really means a week.” Sure, it sounds great if you say it can be done super quick, but when you don’t deliver it on time, you lose credibility. If all your time estimates are wrong, shouldn’t you adjust them? Most don’t. I care less about optimism and more about realism.
2. Don’t get stuck overworking. So you find yourself in situations where your time estimates are out of control and you’re constantly working overtime to make up for it. You have a problem. A lot of artists think that this super high level of ‘hustle’ is a good trait to have and are proud of it. Hard work is great, but not when you have to hustle that hard because you suck at scheduling yourself! Why would a manager keep an artist that a) doesn’t know his own ability and b) constantly creates problems for himself? I’d rather someone deliver work consistently and at a normal intensity instead of getting stuck in the time slip\overwork cycle.
3. If you’re late, don’t hide. Let’s say you promised me a model on Wednesday, and it’s slipped a week. Tell me. If you’re late delivering me something, don’t hide from me or give me excuses. Just tell me, in advance whenever possible. Don’t be afraid and don’t puss out. It’s a lot worse when you treat me like I’m too stupid to figure it out you’re hiding from me. As if it won’t be a problem just because I can’t find you to ask you where the work is. Yeah, sure, I’m just going to forget you’re a week late and that you’re suddenly never on IM anymore. :)
4. Factor in review time. Art needed by Friday needs to be done and approved on Friday, not just submitted on Friday. Art never gets accepted on the first pass. I have to take a look at it and request changes to be made before it’s considered a finished piece of art. If I say Friday, submit it for first review on Tuesday, expect I’ll get back to you on Wednesday, give yourself Thursday to implement the changes, so by Friday, it’ll be done without any surprise freakshows. This is a fantastically important point that almost nobody thinks about or plans for. Many thanks to Scott Hsu-Storaker for bringing this up in the comments! This is his great suggestion almost word for word. :)

Being able to schedule yourself effectively and give realistic time estimates is a huge advantage. There’s a lot of power in saying you’ll do something, then doing it. Ever find yourself impressed by really competent and confident people? This is one of the ways they cultivate that image.

I just checked out Rick Stirling’s excellent blog and found an article for young artists that I wholeheartedly agree with… it’s called Art for games, not games for art. Basically he posits that one of the chief considerations of art for games is putting the needs of the game above your own art and your need to feel creative for yourself only without consideration for the project. Very true, often overlooked, and needs to be said. :)

Found a cool article this morning: 101 Hidden Tips and Secrets for Photoshop

Some useful information in here I didn’t know. A few repeats, but here were some of the highlights I found most useful:

• 5. Sick of the default gray background around your image? Select paint bucket, hold shift and click on the gray background, it will change to whatever color you have in your foreground color box.
• 10. Hold Ctrl will temporary make any tool into move tool until you release Ctrl.
• 19. When free transforming with Ctrl+T, hold Alt to keep the original image and then to transform a duplicated layer of it. Ctrl+Shift+T to repeat whatever you did in the last transform.
• 28. Hold Alt while clicking on the eye icon beside the layer, it will hide all other layers.
• 39. Ctrl+Tab allows you to switch between different image files you are working on.
• 58. Change the active layer : Alt + [ or ].
• 59. Move the active layer up and down : Ctrl + [ or ].
• 62. When using the Polygonal Lasso Tool, click backspace to undo a lasso step.

Hope these are helpful. :)

Just found a cool writeup on the best of what’s new in the upcoming Photoshop CS3, and it’s actually got me excited:

Adobe Photoshop CS3: Top 5 Standout New Features

There’s a lot more detail in the article above, but this is the basic breakdown:

1. Nondestructive Smart Filters
2. Quick Selection Tool & Refine Edge
3. Photomerge with advanced alignment and blending
4. Automatic layer alignment and blending
5. Vanishing Point with adjustable angle

As a game developer I’m excited about Nondestructive Smart Filters and ESPECIALLY the Quick Selection Tool. As a dilettante photographer, I’m really psyched about Photomerge and the automatic layer alignment and blending. Sounds like Adobe’s really stepping up their game! Most of the new features I notice from version to version is making each new version harder to use by rearranging icons and arbitrarily changing keyboard shortcuts.

Looking forward to CS3!