Sami, Timneet and I worked together to create Sand Traps & Six Shooters, a Western film about a mysterious stranger who shows up in the town of Sagebrush and causes a stir. Working with our team was a delight and we collaborated well together. Here are just a few of the things I think made our collaboration work so well.
Our initial brainstorm: This was a fun process with all of us freely putting out a lot of different ideas. Writing everything on the whiteboard kept it loose and made it possible for everyone to follow the ideas as they came together. Once the core of our story began to materialize, we still had to narrow down our ideas a lot, but I think all of us were able to both advocate for ideas and to let go of some that didn’t end up fitting in. We didn’t toss everything out, though–some of the best shots and moments from our final came from that initial brainstorm, like the overhead shot of the glass fading into the title card (Timneet’s idea) and the line, “What the hell is he doing here? There ain’t a green for miles!” (a true gem from Sami). I really loved getting to collaborate with Timneet and Sami. They are such fun people to create ideas with!
Illustration and division of labor: All of us are illustrators but we all have different styles, so how should they integrate? We split it up by subject matter. I did backgrounds, Timneet did main characters, and Sami did text and background characters. I think this allowed us to create a cohesive illustrative style that represented all three of us. Using the same color mask and paper texture on all of the illustrations also helped to create a coherent style and palette that brought it all together. All of the illustration would have been a lot of work for one person, so I’m really glad we were able to split up the work this way!
Positivity and mutual support: Our group had a positive attitude, and we created an atmosphere together that was supportive, flexible, and kind! We were having fun together and I think that shows in the final video. I especially loved our in-person shoot day. I learned that Timneet is a great director (she worked with me on my line delivery and hat tip pacing), and Sami’s enthusiasm and excitement were infectious and made me feel less nervous about being on camera.