I haven't replied to this post in a while so ifigured I'd take a stab at it again. Guys and ladies, the update in everything is I do feel much better about all of this. Not to be mean but I'm so far having a fantastic day as my wife went off to Dallas, TX in a training seminar for Epson (she sells the shiznit out of printers here in Sioux Falls which is why she got invited to go) and I have the house basically to myself. She won't be back til Sunday night and I'm elated. I am working on my project again and I feel confident that I'll get a lot done in the next two days. I've gotten the Poly head tut but haven't had the time to use it yet. I will before October when I'm sure I'll need it to start modelling my more human looking characters. I finally realize that when you model, whether it's a car, a person, an ass, or a telephone pole, you don't need to use the Smooth tool until you feel safe and happy enough with the low poly version of an object. It has saved me a lot of grief since I learned that trick.

Also, I've learned your characters don't have to look perfect... just perfect enough for the artist making them. I love my guy now (Crae McShae) and as soon as I can figure out the best way to put clothes on him(either by Cloth in Maya or by modelling clothes and wrinkles in clothes and creases and such) I'll be ready to move on to my next character and the next. I'm excited.

I want my first short film to do well and get a lot of exposure and win awards and money and all that other mess that comes with a great film and I know it's not going to be quick or easy but I can wait as long as anyone else can. I don't know many 35 year old men out there just learning and getting involved in 3D or Maya and I don't mind being the first if I am. But for me, afterall of this time I've invested and money and patience, failure is not an option. In the immortal words of Tim Allen.. "Never give up.. never surrender!" Oh yeah... and "To infinity and beyond!"... :p

Russell