As you may be sick of hearing, I recently finished work on my first animated film.

When I had a near-final version, I contacted several friends to ask if they would watch the film and give me feedback.

Now, of all the leaps I took while working on this project, this may have been the biggest. I am a dreadfully thin-skinned creator. Typically, when people review my work, I get whiny, defensive, then crank up my well-oiled excuse-making machine.

But my goal with this project was to stretch myself — and I decided that meant more than just learning new animation techniques. In the interests of making the best possible film, I would be willing to open myself up and take a risk.

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I hate that I’m not more open to feedback. It’s held me back throughout my life and limited my progress in all sorts of ways. I’ve worked with so many amazing and brilliant creative people over the years and, had I been willing to solicit and accept their feedback, I know I would’ve gained from it if only I had been so wary.

But with age, I’ve turned over a new leaf and decided it was finally worth trying. What doesn’t kill me will make my film stronger.

I made a list of people whose opinions would not just stroke my ego but help make the film better, people who actually know what they’re talking about. That was important because I’d get valuable and actionable feedback. But also it would take away the “he/she’s just an idiot” excuse when I tried to shrug off the critique.

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I contacted a few friends who are professional animators and others whose creative work I love and sent them a link to the film.

The vast majority replied with something along the lines of “Love it! Awesome! 👏” Nice, but not what I was looking for, so I replied, “okay, thanks, but can you give me more specifics about what maybe isn’t working for you?”

Again, most said, “Nope. 100%. It’s perfect!” A couple of folks did send some general grumbling about the music and said I should try something else. I kinda liked the music but I spent some time trying alternatives and ultimately decided to leave things as they were.

I felt bad about that — after all I had asked for feedback and now I was choosing to ignore it. Would they hate me and never offer an opinion again?

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One friend, who has worked in the animation industry for decades, was one of the last to respond. Turns out, she had been out of town when I sent the request. Michelle said that, rather than email me her comments, how about if we watched the film together and she would give me notes that we could discuss in real time.

I leapt at the chance.
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We got on Zoom, I shared my screen and ran the film. Then we spent two hours discussing every scene, each transition, the way each character moved, the color palette, the behavior of the camera, the lighting rigs, the level of the sound effects… the music.

I took pages of notes, made screen shots and recorded the call so I could go over it again later. I ended up with an enormous todo list but I understood exactly why I was going to make all of the changes on it.

It was an incredible masterclass. I learned so much about my film and about animation in general. But I also learned a lot about how to give and to take feedback.

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In the past, I would have left a session like this horribly deflated, my ego porcupined with barbs (“She hated it!”). I would have looked at all the required changes and anticipated them with dread.

But, because I was focussed on making the best possible film, I didn’t look at my mistakes as failings. They were lessons to learn how to make more and cooler stuff. Instead of feeling like a failure, I was excited to buff my diamond.

I was so lucky to get all this advice. It was like getting an in-depth review from an incredible coach or consultant, free of charge.
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Some tips on how to give and get feedback

Here’s a little summary of what I learned from the experience.

1. Be clear on the purpose of the project. Know what the goals are, the audience, the usage and anything else that’s relevant. This is a crucial starting point because it means the feedback will be actionable and helpful. My goal in making this film was to learn as much as I could and Michelle knew that. It was not a commercial project. It was primarily for adults, especially creatives who were afraid to draw. We also knew that the film was meant to entertain and persuade so it could help people learn how to make drawing a part of their lives.

2. Set expectations about what sort of feedback you want. Do you want super specifics or broad ideas? Are there areas you are adamant about not changing?

3. Make the feedback specific. Don’t make broad generalities. What exactly is falling flat and why? Give specific examples. If my friends who didn’t like the music had made much more concrete and specific suggestions, I might have been better able to understand to what they were reacting and tried something more upbeat, or more percussive, or Bolivian nose flutes.

4. Give feedback that can be acted upon. Give specific recommendations or brainstorm solutions to the problems you detect. “Try moving this an inch to the left so it isn’t centered.” “If it was blue, it would stand out from the background.”

5. Make it objective. Use clear criteria that you both understand. Not “It just doesn’t work for me” but specific, concrete comments on technical stuff like composition, materials, legibility, color balance….

6. Strike a balance. Make sure you discuss what’s working as well as what can be improved. A spoonful of sugar…

7. Be nice. It’s so important that both parties respect each other throughout. Don’t be harsh. Don’t be overly negative or too personal. Discuss the work, not the maker.

8. Work together. Make the whole process feel like a collaboration rather than a judgement. Come up with solutions together. This isn’t about final grades. It’s about making art.

9. Recognize that this is tough. Putting yourself out there takes guts. So everyone needs to be supportive and encouraging and recognize why the artist is asking for feedback. Perhaps you’re just starting out. Or maybe you’re trying something super-hard that’s taking you into new terrain. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s an essential component of growth.

10. Check back in later. Any questions? Was everything clear? Would you like another round after you’ve had a chance to address these comments? Plan a follow-up because both parties will learn a lot from this experience.
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I hope this was helpful and will encourage you to reach out to others for help. If you’re a member of the Skool Yard, try out some of these techniques when you comment on someone’s post. Or solicit specific feedback when you share your own art.

My advice: Don’t be shy and don’t be fragile. Make it great!

Your pal,

Danny

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💖 Perfection. I've been recently obsessed with Rajiv Sundera. And this tour of his apartment is like settling into a perfect warm bath. Link​