Dear AD, I'm a newbie and am wondering/overthinking about the whole process of working/communicating with an AD. After receiving the Briefing do you usually have a call to talk about first ideas and hear what the AD is looking out for? Or is it normal to just get back with the first sketches without much communication in-between? Thanks a lot!
Hello newbie!
If your AD isn't clear about what they expect from you, be sure to ask. After receiving the briefing (the description of the art needed), you should acknowledge that you received it and ask for any clarification if needed. If they have a deadline for sketches, repeat it back to them. If they haven't given you a deadline for sketches, make one for yourself so they know when they can expect to hear from you. For example, "Thanks for sending this over! Everything sounds good. One question: for page 39, did you want the banana to be wearing a trenchcoat or more of a windbreaker kind of deal? He seems like he's got kind of a classy vibe but I didn't know how specific to the 80's you wanted this retro urban fruit sci-fi story to look. Please let me know. I'll have the black-and-white sketches for you by Wednesday morning. Thanks!" Some ADs may want to chat on the phone, especially if it's a complicated project, but usually communication is done over email. Moral of the story: DON'T leave your AD hanging! Don't leave them wondering whether you got their email and when sketches are coming. Always leave them feeling confident that you understand the assignment and will turn it in on time. That's professionalism.
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