[...] I’m teaching again. Yes, I am once again the storyboard instructor at the Vancouver Film School. If you are planning on attending there in the near future, it will be I who whips you into storyboarding shape and crushes your dreams. [...]

[...] if you need some guidance and feedback, let me help [...]

And if you didn’t even get told *why* it was bad, then what kind of learning is that?? I mean, give you something!

The whole class in on it didn’t help the ego any, I’m sure. Waa. It’s perfectly natural for it to hurt.

And yeah, TOO creative…that’s it. Stick with that one.
K

The way the class was set up, we (as a class) critique everyone’s work. Everyone said what the liked and did not like, as well as wrote reviews that would get graded and passed back to the author. Everyone liked everyone’s story except for mine. It was the first time I had been critically panned. And man, did it hurt. I, and my dream, had been crushed. Okay, not everyone hated it, since I had one friend in that class, I included her in the story, so how could she hate it?

Anyway, I can’t recall the teacher ever telling me what exactly was wrong with my story, other than agreeing with the other students at the time. I just imagine my manuscript being marked with red ink, but I can’t remember if that was her thing. I didn’t care for the way she “taught” the class either… but all of that doesn’t matter now. I did learn to take criticism much better since then, as well as how to tell better stories. I didn’t accept bad reviews then and felt bitter about it for a long time. I was actually kicked out of the creative writing program (I had some other problems in that class), but I like to say that I was booted for being too creative.

I hope they drop by too (say “Hi” if you do!).

And pretty soon they will have many more templates to scamper off with.

@ Eyeteaguy – Great article. Leave it to the older folks to tell it like it is. Thanks.

K

I’m just dropping by from sticky ol’ Brisbane. Your post, this post with all the wonderful follow up comments, inspired me to make a post on my animation teacher’s blog. I hope my students drop by your blog to read your posts and not just scamper off with the templates.

Humid, frangipani scented regards

Don’t get me started on the kid thing! This whole “everyone wins, no one loses” thing they do in schools and sports is so wrong in my opinion.

It creates unrealistic expectations when they grow up and get out in the real world. “What? I’m NOT perfect? What? I have to WORK at something? What? I don’t get everything I want all the time?”

*sigh*

By trying to ‘protect’ kids in this fashion, they are damaging them. It’s a shame.

But of course I can’t say anything because I don’t have kids.
K

Anyway, I suffer from the exact opposite problem that you write about at work. I am rarely critisized. Mostly because no one knows what I do. And it is damaging. I try to join groups and get ideas but there is nothing like a boss saying, “Nope, that is not the way.” It does stretch you and force you to learn. The ego takes a bruising but you are better for it I think.

Anyway, your post is right. How ironic, I have no citicism for you.

Eyeteaguy

K