232: Start of the [SAO] Anime Production

Start of the [SAO] Anime Production

Tokyo Animation Studio, Elffire City.

Gail Hart had just exited the creative meeting of the [SAO] Anime.

It was his first time participating in a meeting like that, and even with his rich experience in the industry, the meeting was an eye-opener for him.

He was able to see with his eyes the process of the creation of an anime.

He was so surprised by the number of talented people working in this studio.

Even though Gail did know much knowledge outside of In-Between animation, he still was able to see that his coworkers were very talented.

Everyone was very knowledgeable in their own areas.

But the thing that surprised him more was the level that his bosses were at.

Boss Gray and Boss Riverdale could answer any doubt that the animators had in their tasks.

And the way they answered was as if they knew everything.

That was especially the case for Boss Gray, he was always so calm in his answer.

He did seem like a veteran animator.

He did not seem like the owner of a multi-millionaire studio.

And Boss Riverdale was equally awe-inspiring.

The 39yo animator was glad that he got into this company.

He finally could work in his dream job while receiving a decent salary!

In-Between Animation Workstation 2-G.

Gail entered the workstation of the team he was the leader of.

As soon as he entered he saw that place was great.

It had a fresh decoration and top-notch animation equipment.

He also observed that his teammates were seated already while reading something.

"Uhum!" He coughed a little to draw their attention.

The animators lifted their heads and looked at the middle-aged man who just entered their workstation.

"Hello! My name is Gail Hart, and I'm your team leader." Gail introduced himself with an amiable smile.

Gail wanted to be a good leader, and the first thing a leader should do is pass a good impression to his subordinates.

It was then that the animators remembered that their team leader's name was indeed Gail Hart.

"Boss, you came!"

"How was the meeting?"

"What did they say?"

The animators started talking excitedly when their team leader finally arrived.

Gail smiled and waited for them to calm down.

"How about we introduce each other first? Afterward, I can tell you in detail how the meeting went." Gail suggested with a calm voice.

He was an experienced man, even though he never worked as a team leader before, he already had some considerations about it. 

There were two key points for a good leader.

Empathy has been identified as the #1 leadership skill. Unfortunately, many leaders have been promoted to their positions based on past performance or because of their industry credentials, but they have little or no leadership training. The result can be a heavy-handed, order-giving manager with unclear expectations and little empathy for his or her employees. Low productivity and morale are usually the results.

Being genuine with the team shouldn't mean becoming best friends with them. It means sharing our common human experience, bringing down the defensive walls, and showing that he/she is a real person too. It makes the leader seem more approachable and helps him/her earn respect. 

'Are you still the boss? Yes, but by exhibiting empathy and mutual respect, employees are far more likely to give and accept honest feedback.' 

Be a good listener.

Who doesn't want to be heard? Hand in hand with empathy, a good leader values the input of his or her team members, wants to know what makes them tick and helps them set and achieve career goals. Will the leader always agree? Of course not, but demonstrating that the leader value them by truly listening and acting on what he hear will earn Gail a huge amount of respect and loyalty. Is there a conflict with another employee? Address it as quickly as possible. Is there a family emergency? Offer a way to adjust their work schedule without worrying about their job security.

When they have good ideas, then let them know! The more Gail can build that professional relationship with his staff members, then the easier it will be for them to be honest about the positive improvements that should be made.

These were all the things that Gail knew about leadership.

Even though it did not cover everything.

He was confident that he could lead this group of animators.

His teammates nodded and agreed with him.

And like that the team 2-G introduced themselves.

After that, Gail explained how the meeting went.

When the animator heard that they received a task, they eagerly asked what they should do.

It could not be helped.

It was their first day as studio animators, and they were dying to start working.

Gail did not make much suspense and explained what was their task.

They were responsible for the in-between animation of the anime's intro.

This part was also known as the anime's opening, and it was one most important parts of the anime.

Gail and his team did not receive the additional task, but the anime ending was equally important.

Anime opening and ending themes are a big deal not only for fans, but for the creators, and the companies producing anime. Opening themes are a show's "best foot forward," and the staff will usually put quite a bit of effort into coming up with an impressive sequence for whatever song is chosen. Anime production committees, the group of companies putting up money to produce the show, often include a record label or music publisher, and so those theme songs are valuable places to promote their artists.

In some cases, the director will go into the project already wanting a certain existing song or wanting to work with a particular artist to compose something specifically for their new project -- regardless of whether that artist has anything to do with the companies on the production committee. Other times, the production committee will insist on using the songs to push a specific artist, and the director just has to deal.

In the [SAO] anime's case, Theo knew exactly the songs he would use for the opening and the ending.

And he would produce them himself after he finished producing his music album.

So, the only thing his studio animators had to do was to produce the animation and he would enter with the music.

So, Gail's team would work together with some other teams to produce the opening.

This was a huge responsibility as everyone loved a good opening.

Who would not remember Naruto, One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist, and other iconic anime openings?1

These were things that could sink or elevate the anime.

When Gail's teammates heard they would work on the opening, they draw a deep breath.

They were a little nervous, but their eyes were shining in anticipation.

They wanted to start at that moment.

And like that Gail's team started their journey in the Tokyo Studio.

And it was not only his team that was excited.

After every team leader returned to their own teams, they explained the overall situation to their teams.

And after everyone got to know their tasks, they started working with enthusiasm.

Every team was striving to deliver their best work.

Even though Theo and Ryoko did not mention what would happen when the production of the [SAO] anime ended, some people still guessed that some things would change after that.

They vaguely felt that they were still being evaluated.

But they were not sure, so they shook off the feeling and started working with extra motivation.

Like that the Tokyo Studio finally started the production of its first anime!

In four months they had to finish it.

Would they be able to do it?

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