The Kamehameha Effect
Some random observations I’ve recently identified in regards to working on a Visual Novel project…
Having worked with 3D modeling and animation in the past, Visual Novels seem very similar in the effort required up front, and the reusability of the art resources. But the most interesting aspect that I’ve found is the Kamehameha Effect.
As far as effort is concerned – Oy! It seems like such a long, difficult, never-ending process. But I suspect that completion for resources will proceed in a logarithmic fashion. So it’ll seem like very little progress is being made for a long time. And then all of a sudden, without warning, everything will be done. Oh, I’m waiting for that day.?
As far as reusability is concerned, it’s definitely a nice change of pace from doing comics. With sequential art, one really can’t reuse anything one draws. Oh sure, one might occasionally be able to swipe a panel here or there from some random, previously finished page. And there are instances where a panel needs to be repeated (usually for comedic effect). But those are rare instances that are far and few between.
But the best part of working on Visual Novels? The fact that one can concentrate one’s efforts onto such a small set of resources. Or as I like to call it: The Kamehameha Effect.
Basically, with sequential art, one has to be fast – damn fast. The pages have to be churned out as fast as one can physically stand (sometimes, beyond). Consequently, quality is usually not a high priority. So, while sequential art may highlight a person’s absolute speed and reliability, it doesn’t necessarily give one a chance to shine, as far as quality is concerned. And that’s something I’ve sorely missed over the years – the chance to concentrate and obsess over a “small” set of artistic resources.
Although, this process does highlight the fact that most of my skills are based around speed. I sometimes find myself at a loss when I need to add in gobs of detail on something. But hey – just like most things, I’m sure it’ll come in time. Maybe. Hopefully…