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September 2, 2010
Crossing the Finish Line
So I’ve been back in the States for a few weeks now. Project Durian is coming rapidly to a close. Though a bit of work still continues, the film is pretty much as complete as it’s going to get. The credits are materializing, the final work on the mix is right on schedule.
It’s been a weird but easy experience coming back. It’s almost as if I never left– like I’m picking up right where I left off. It’s interesting how so much of your experience is connected to the physical reality of space. My desk is the same, my room is the same, my family still stresses me out. When I was in the thick of work on Sintel I felt like the project would never end. But looking back on it… it doesn’t seem like such a long time.
It’s incredibly hard to look at the film now with any real perspective. I try to imagine what it’d be like if I was never involved in the production, and instead randomly stumbled across the finished movie online. Would I be impressed? Would I be disappointed? What would annoy me?
Hard to say. There are some films that really blow my mind. But in my imaginings, I don’t think this short would’ve totally rocked my world. This doesn’t mean I don’t feel great about how it’s come out. I’m extremely proud of the work I’ve done on the film, and I’m proud of everyone who’s worked on it. We struggled against a lot of things and won. But “Sintel” is surely not the best short animation ever made. From a technical and philosophical standpoint, however– as a movie made entirely with open source software, released creative commons to the world– it’s kinda groundbreaking. I’m honored to have been involved in probably the biggest Open Movie project the world has ever seen.*
I wouldn’t trade anything for the chance to be a part of this project. I appreciate every moment of it– even the painful parts. I made a lot of friends, worked with a lot of talented artists, learned a lot about myself and the process of directing. I’m sure my view of the film will shift a lot as I gain more distance from the film. It’s not even released yet– the jury’s still out. I look forward to attending the premiere in Utrecht in just a few weeks! And even more than that, I look forward to the moment it’s out in the world and I have thousands of YouTube comments to read. 
–Colin
* citation needed.
Sounds like it’s been a wild ride. It’s awesome what you’ve accomplished and I’m excited to see Sintel as well as En Route. Keep at it man and I’m sure even more great things will come about.
You have no idea how much I envy you…
Ive always wanted to become a part of project I actually liked with passionate people all over the place – somehow I always ended up working on project I hated for people who didnt really care 
Thank you very much for the inspiration you provide with the Sintel project.
Good luck in the upcoming days.
Maybe its like what they say; stardom is not all that it seems to be
You should know, Colin, that you are a celebrity in the eyes of us Blenderheads 
. We’re VERY proud to have people like you on board. Its you people who make the difference.
Good luck, and hold your head up high, cause you’ve groundbreaking and fabulous job!
Ah! the feeling of having finished something and wondering what you would have done differently.
Isn’t it deliciously painful?
I’ve never directed, but only working on a short film and “finishing” it made me that experience and it really is undescribable.
We’re all looking forward to the premier. And we all know it’s gonna be awesome, so don’t worry XD.
Not sure if you are back from the premiere in Amsterdam; hope it went well. Give us a call( or send an email) when you have a chance; we would like to meet you, when it fits in your schedule.