Wasted Time. Wasted Money.

Esteban Valdez
Aug 24, 2017 · 2 min read

In our industry time is held with such disdain and disrespect, with a lack of importance and seen with little to no value whatsoever. When it comes to money, everyone will clam up their wallets and automatically become conservative with every dollar spent. However, time is spent as if it’s a credit card with no limits.

No one seems to worry about how much time is wasted and in the end, seem to spend more time and even more money.

Most commercial projects want a product on the market within 2 weeks and spend as little money as possible. In order for them to achieve their goal of a 2 week delivery, it’ll mean a small team working many hours or a larger team working shorter hours.

Either way, money and time will be spent. The illusion that 2 weeks will be enough often carries with it it’s own costs in the form of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion.

The amount of overages accrued often equals out to the equivalent of a 6 week budget, but because it was done in 2, money is theoretically saved.

However, in practice, the 2 week schedule churns mediocre results and then another week will be added in order to fix mistakes or scrap all the work done again in order to get it done right. So now the 2 week schedule becomes a 3, then 4 and then 6 weeks of work along with overage costs which inflate the budget three times over and then some.

And rather than take responsibility for their misunderstanding of time and human nature, more often than not, the creative will be punished for the transgressions of the producers disrespect and unawareness of time and how it’s spent. The creatives will come to resent the producer and their relationship will suffer — if not break all together — and what could have been an enjoyable project where people are able to do their best; the drive for results only ruins all.

Time… The one thing everyone seems to spend without consideration for how much it costs.

Script To Screen

“Script to Screen” (STS) is a monthly blog on the Art and Business of Animation, and general thoughts on the animation industry at large. Formerly the official blog of the animation studio, Echo Bridge, STS, is now its own independent platform.

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Esteban Valdez

Written by

A 20-year practitioner of hand drawn animation, creating and producing 2D animated content for various media platforms. Founder of Echo Bridge.

Script To Screen

“Script to Screen” (STS) is a monthly blog on the Art and Business of Animation, and general thoughts on the animation industry at large. Formerly the official blog of the animation studio, Echo Bridge, STS, is now its own independent platform.

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