Open Poll: How do you manage your time?

[silentcomposition]

Hey everybody.


Just opening up a question on time management.

Everyone has different schedules, and things in life that cause them to feel overworked, or stressed

Whether from
- time crunch from a person in charge, to complete a task
- Accidentally taking on more than one can handle.
- Or dealing with stress from others to finalize a product.


On occasion I pop in to see what people are doing, and I notice that a lot of people have many complaints about
- Dealing with individuals not completing things by a deadline, or
- Not feeling well enough to complete a task, despite a deadline.


I am just opening a poll asking how people manage their time, both from an actors point of view, and a producers point of view, to perhaps give other members ideas on how to better deal with deadlines.

Perhaps to give people ideas on how they can rework their schedule/deadlines to better productivity.
Also producers give examples of how much overflow-time you schedule in-case retakes need to be done, computer failure or others.


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I personally in the past have taken on more projects that I could handle before, and found that it results in every project being too much to handle, and having to drop not only one, but many, just to get back to a creative status quo.

Since then I have created myself guidelines for how much I will take on.
As a composer/SFX designer, I have found that I can comfortably take on 2 projects as a SFX designer, and 1 as a composer. Any more than that, and I begin to let stress effect my work.

I currently have been working on two projects with other teams, where I must follow their deadlines,
But I also have been participating in my own Monthly projects, which I set reasonable goals that I know I can accomplish within a month.
I also use this project as a buffer in-case one of the other projects picks up in intensity, and I am forced to make adjustments to my schedule.

This is how I better manage my schedule, and avoid overkill.


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Just wondering what VA's, and producers of this site do to better manage their own time?
Hopefully this can help.

[Tomoyo Ichijouji]

As a producer, in terms of managing deadlines for VAs I'm working with, I give deadlines of about 2-3 weeks for a normal load of lines, or 1 week if it's just a line or two for a redo or such. I don't space them out more than a month usually, and that's if there's 20+ lines in a workload.

If a project requires a whole lot more than 20 lines total for any one VA, then I have multiple deadlines, done by part: I send out the first 20 lines or so along with any references and set a deadline for doing them. Then, after I get those and I'm done looking through them, I give the next batch of 20 lines with a new deadline, or less if I have some redo requests -- that way, redoes get done on time just like first takes, and my VAs don't have to spend extra time for redoes; they're just a part of the next set. Rinse and repeat until we have everything we need. =D I've found it's very effective for me getting in lines for large projects in general.

As a VA, I sort things explicitly by deadline. I have a little task list in my Email that shows what the project is, # lines, and if it needs to match lipflaps or requires yelling or are particularly difficult for some reason, alongside the due date. I can tell at a glance what I might need more time for, and I organize them roughly in order of what priority it has in relation to its urgency and workload. (So bigger workloads I would get started on first alongside a smaller one with the same deadline).

This also means be warned if you don't give me a deadline -- it will go on the bottom of the list if others have specific encroaching deadlines because of my priority system ^^;;

[ProjectTrinity]

2-Week deadlines for everyone for every part of my productions unless I'm being a jerkface by telling them they have 2 episodes to do at the same time. Hello, Perjurer team!

I don't manage my time, sadly. I'm a clumsy mess. I do things as I do them and they just so happen to get finished in timely/an impressive manner. ' -' I hope to get that fixed for next year, though. Could you imagine what my sig would look like if I actually focused and had a better management plan?

[Tomoyo Ichijouji]

I don't manage my time, sadly. I'm a clumsy mess. I do things as I do them and they just so happen to get finished in timely/an impressive manner. ' -' I hope to get that fixed for next year, though. Could you imagine what my sig would look like if I actually focused and had a better management plan?

And yet you've produced in a more timely and prolific manner than I have by a few truckloads. 9_9 Clearly, my anal-retentive ways of organizing and putting together my productions equals getting more things done! x_x

[Damaru]

My time...

50% laziness
20% life obligations
20% loafing around, doing my own stuff
10% voice acting

>_>

I used to bite off more green apples than I could chew... So I always choke when I end up needing to turn in lines and such. =P

Now I only audition for one project at a time (hardly now these days) and only accept scouts when I know I can do my part in time. As far as my own projects... One big one and tiny ones on the side please. ;3 Currently everything seems pretty stable for me in terms of balancing VAing goals.

[11linda]

I multi task when it comes to a lot of things
And lots and lots of music
I am a person who finds it hard to be lazy (well I sit in front of a computer, but I do something!)
I work on a magazine that features art and writing which comes out every 3-4 month in the last month is the only time when it becomes hectic and when that happens I usually work 8 hours on it well still searching the internet, finding music to listen too or keeping up on emails.
I am a person that doesn’t wait, if I have something with a dead line it is the first thing I do the first chance I get. This is due to I hate keeping people waiting, If I see a message, I answer it right away. I cannot ignore anything!
Since it is summer managing time is flawless, school will be the issue 8 hours of boredom. I hope that I have some teachers that don’t mind my iPod that way I can keep track of my emails still.
Other things I do
VA-this is something I will do right away or (Sunday) the day my family is out of the house
Magazine- usually only takes up one month ever 3-4 months and about 8 hours, (with school I usually stay up past 3 working on the magazine, but only 3-4 days a week)
Blog- I started a weekly web blog on writing, art, songs and animation. This when school comes or the magazine becomes too much will become a monthly thing.
Writing- I usually do this well I am role-playing, or watching a movie with my bf. He doesn’t know it though and if he knew, he would hate me for it!
I am learning 3d/animation software-This stuff I work on for about a half hour before I get too frustrated and do something else.
I like having a lot on my plate as you can tell, but I always manage to juggle it all, those are in the order of what would come first if I had to choose! I wish my writing was high-up I have so many writings started, but I have been in a slump for the past few weeks, and that time I had put to other things (now because I don’t have time to do them! I just haven’t been in the mood to write)

[rebelcheese]

Deadlines: I usually give deadlines of 3-4 weeks for a standard episode. If the episode is a long one I usually increase the time to 6-8 weeks. I think this is a bit more generous than the usual deadlines and the reason being is that the added time increases chances for a recording window for the VA as well as more time to make an adjustment if something comes up for the VA.

Project management: Whatever episode of whatever project gets its lines turned in first is the episode that's produced first. I need to focus on an episode and get it done before I can worry about anything else. Hence, right now I'm throwing Devoted Episode 4 together.

Time management: I mix whenever I can in what little scraps of time I manage to get. Work and real life always comes first. There's no real "method" here. Writing time is much easier to come by because I can just flip my ancient PC on and use its word processor. But for mixing time I either have to head to the library or wait for my turn on the home PC.

[finalCrystine]

Well I recently just started my first production and everyone had 2 lines for a trailer so I gave them a week. Sadly someone already didn´t respond so I´m not gonna wait months before that person finally responds, I´ve already recasted after 2 weeks passing the deadline. I don't want to let everyone wait and I hate waiting myself (I'm too impatient >.>.)
For normal episodes I give them 2 till 3 weeks.

For the project, when I receive the lines I mix it in right away. Before I even send out a script I already have a fandub ready complete or almost completed, at least I have it finished before the cast send in their lines, so that reduces a lot of time. It depends on my mood when I work on the project.

For voice acting I just do whatever, I do have a list with fandub projects I want to audition for and what roles I have and the deadline of each project. Most projects have not started yet so I feel I could audition for a few more. That's my time management. Then I just try to find time whenever I feel like VA. Mostly at midnight for quiet roles and screaming parts when my parents are gone. When I have a busy schedule I mostly record in the weekends or when I'm lucky to be home early. Then I'll start my homework