You may not find evidence of it in medical journals, but growing pains afflict more than just children. Organizations suffer from them too. Even though growth is often a key measure of success, it requires constant rethinking and reorganizing. So when your organization has communication needs, it’s best to invest in a service that provides painless scalability. And that’s what we aim to do at Citrix, as evidenced by our web conferencing tools. GoToMeeting gives you one-click collaboration for everyday online meetings. GoToWebinar makes planning and hosting webinars a simple, do-it-yourself operation. And now we’re introducing GoToWebinar Premier Event, an extension of GoToWebinar that allows customers to host webcasts for events with up to 20,000 attendees and features professional support before, during and after your event. GoToWebinar Premier Event is the result of our customers asking for ways to host large events on their timeline with a tool that would allow them to either show slides or incorporate slides and video for a truly professional experience for their viewers. With GoToWebinar Premier Event, our customers can take advantage of a single vendor relationship with Citrix and satisfy all of their collaboration needs. Here’s some of what GoToWebinar Premier offers: Scalable to thousands of viewers Pay per event or purchase a bulk event plan Option to stream live video of the event Mobile access from iPad, iPhone, Android and Blackberry Playbook And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. To learn more about GoToWebinar Premier, read this fact sheet, visit our website or contact us for a free demo toll-free at 1 866 962 6492.

I worked on the grassy field background a bit more, adding in more details and got it to a place where it looks pretty good. I'm happy with the result.Another shot of the grassy field, but will be used for a closeup.Ideally one background a day would be good, but I'm not setting any goals other than to consistently put work into the project, alleviating the workload come next year. No doubt there will be some exploratory color designs in the coming days which will slow down production, but it must be done to achieve the look I am striving for.

Every two or three years, Microsoft releases a new version of Windows. Windows 7 will be three years old this fall, and its successor will be there right on schedule. Windows 8 is a complex product packed with big and small changes. If you’re an IT pro, Windows 8 will increasingly be on your radar screen over the next few months. This post focuses on answering the key questions you (and your boss) are likely to ask first. What is Windows 8? Windows 8 is the successor to Windows 7. It is built on the same foundation as Windows 7, and it runs virtually all the same programs that run on Windows 7 (the exceptions are system-level utilities that might need an update). On your enterprise network, it supports the same networking and security features as Windows 7. What’s new? What’s different? There are many small improvements in Windows 8 designed to make it faster and less resource-intensive than previous versions. It starts up and shuts down faster than Windows 7 on similar hardware, and its system requirements are unchanged. The biggest difference is that Windows 8 supports a new class of applications in addition to traditional Windows 7 programs. These new apps take up the full screen and are designed to be usable on touch-enabled devices. The new apps embody a distinctive visual style called Metro. That same style is embodied in the new Start and search screens, which also use the full screen, and are designed with finger-friendly arrangements of tiles for access to apps and information. Is it available now? Microsoft has made a preliminary version of Windows 8 available for use by the general public. In techier times, this would have been called a "beta." Instead, it goes by a much friendlier name: "The Windows 8 Consumer Preview." Don’t let the name fool you: this edition includes business and enterprise features, but its focus is to introduce the new product to early adopters, enthusiasts and IT decision-makers. Anyone can download and install the Consumer Preview on a desktop or notebook PC (or on one of the few Windows tablets available today). It’s free. Microsoft promises that a new test version, called a Release Preview, will be available in the first week of June. This release should be nearly identical to the final product, with bug fixes and a near-final user interface. When will it be finished? Even within Microsoft, the target dates for Windows 8 are a closely held secret. But the smart money says it will be released to manufacturing (and available for download by IT pros and developers) in August. I expect the General Availability date, when it’s available in shrink-wrapped boxes and on new PCs, to be in late October. How many editions will there be? On retail shelves and on new PCs, you will be able to select from two editions. The first is called simply Windows 8. It contains most of the features you find today in Windows 7 Home Premium. An upgrade version called Windows 8 Pro includes advanced features that power users and enterprises will find attractive or essential, like the ability to join a domain and to safeguard a drive’s data with BitLocker encryption. For enterprise customers with Software Assurance subscriptions, Microsoft will offer an upgrade to Windows 8 Enterprise edition that includes a handful of features and licensing rights that are useful in large organizations. The final member of the Windows 8 family is called Windows RT. It is designed to run on new devices (tablets and small PCs, for example) that use low-power ARM chips. This edition will include a free version of Microsoft Office 15 and some features from the Windows Desktop, such as Windows Explorer. But it will not run traditional Windows programs. How much will it cost? Sorry, that hasn’t been announced yet. But most observers think the prices will be no greater than their equivalent Windows 7 editions. For more on this topic, watch my recent webinar "The Ins and Outs of Windows 8 - What IT Pros Need to Know and Why". Image Credit: Ceo1O17

I took the weekend off to chill but got right back into production this evening.This is the start of a closeup of the grass and water.This is a shot of what will be an animated waterfall.Hope to work on them both more tomorrow.

Today we kick off a two-part series with Projects At Work, an online community of practitioners and thought leaders seeking to better understand the mobile workforce. "The Truth about Working from Anywhere" makes the case for unleashing productivity any time, any place via technology. Contributing editor Janis Rizzuto shares details from the first half of the report. "Planes, trains and automobiles." That’s not just the title of a popular ’80s movie. It’s a list of places where people work. Today’s mobile workforce can be productive from a multitude of locations well outside the four walls of an office. Just who is driving this trend? There may be two drivers, actually. Both businesses and employees have much to gain from flexible, on-the-go work arrangements. Lots of them are already there: VDC Research Group says the global mobile worker population exceeded 1 billion in 2010 - and will grow to 1.2 billion by 2014. Nowadays, just about every industry can find ways to enhance worker mobility and garner business benefits from it, including competitive advantages, reduced costs and increased productivity. Equipping staff with reliable mobile technologies so they can travel to project locations wins favor with customers and develops loyalty. And, as companies expand their ranks of teleworkers and mobile professionals, overhead expenses to support them decrease. By some estimates, office space for the average worker costs $10,000 per year. Switching an employee from an office-based to mobile work environment brings an estimated 15-to-35 percent increase in productivity. The personal gains in mobility for individuals are just as compelling. Feelings of increased employee satisfaction and better work-life balance flow from work on the go or at home. Ask mobile workers and they’ll say they are happier, healthier, wealthier and more balanced than their counterparts in cubicles. There’s a reason that someone coined the phrase "chained to my desk" and harried office workers use it to express frustration. Employees find that being deployed in the location where they are most effective is liberating - even life-changing. And fewer workers in the future will accept anything less. The so-called "digital natives" generation who grew up as pervasive technology users are likely to reject the more traditional 9-to-5-in-a-cubicle mentality. So next time you’re in the air or on the rails, and you see someone tapping a tablet or participating in a video conference, resist the urge to make small talk. There’s work in progress. To learn more on this topic, download the free white paper.

Not much to show but I spent the entire evening on working and reworking these rocks, at one point deleting about 45 mins worth of work because I didn't like the result.

I did not do any work yesterday. Sad, I know. I did however finish the waterfall background tonight.Christmas is upon us so no work will be done for 2 days. Hoping to crank out more backgrounds and finalize more designs come next week.Merry Christmas everyone!

Everyone’s mobile, everyone’s wireless and everyone’s device is different. And most business professionals typically use at least three - a smartphone, tablet and desktop or laptop. This is the new world of mobile work! But what about IT? For too long, IT pros have been chained to their desktops and stuck in the office, needing to stay connected and ready to deliver tech support at a moment’s notice. Not anymore! On May 9, 2012, at Citrix Synergy, the conference where mobile work styles and cloud services meet, Citrix GoToAssist unveiled its newest mobile app: GoToAssist for Android. With this new app, IT technicians can deliver remote support from anywhere at any time. Now IT departments can also enjoy the freedom and flexibility of mobile work. Available on Google Play, GoToAssist for Android gives IT professionals the freedom to be on the go yet always able to respond to customers’ or employees’ technical issues. More good news: GoToAssist for Android is offered as a freemium service. So, IT techs (and anyone else) can use GoToAssist free of charge to quickly and easily deliver unlimited live technical help from anywhere. For those needing to deliver advanced technical support, GoToAssist also offers a more robust full-featured app. Subscribe to GoToAssist Remote Support and use the full-featured app to connect anytime to unattended machines or servers. In addition, IT technicians can provide support from their desktops and access GoToAssist’s robust web interface, as well as perform remote diagnostics, file transfer, in-session chat, in-session notes, session reporting and more. With GoToAssist for Android, today’s mobile IT professionals can enjoy all the ease, speed and dependability of GoToAssist, the preferred remote support tool among IT, along with the convenience of mobility. Begin using the new GoToAssist for Android today! Here’s how to get started in 3 simple steps: 1. Download GoToAssist for Android from Google Play and install it on your tablet. 2. If you are new to GoToAssist, click "Create a Free Account" to set up your account, then log in. Customers with a current GoToAssist Remote Support service, simply log in when prompted. 3. After login, tap on the tablet screen to create a support session when instructed. Tell your user to go to www.fastsupport.com and enter the 9-digit session ID or send them an invitation to connect via email. When your user accepts the connection, you can begin to provide remote support directly from your Android device. Try the full-featured app with a FREE 30-day GoToAssist Trial Subscription today to experience the full power of GoToAssist Remote Support, including access to unattended computers and servers and more. Do you need a remote support app for your iPad? No worries, we have that available, too. Check out our GoToAssist app for iPad available on the App Store (be sure to set up your free account first).  

Here is a background shot of the cliff in the waterfall scene.I started painting a set of curtains for an office shot. It's too muddy and needs more contrast, but it's a start.

Today, we have a guest post from Charlene Li. Charlene is the co-author of the bestseller "Groundswell", author of the New York Times bestseller "Open Leadership", and Founder of Altimeter Group, a research-based advisory firm helps companies and industries leverage disruption to their advantage. In my webinar tomorrow, I’ll explore how the adoption of social and mobile technologies will change work. Beyond simply enabling people to work from remote locations (like the neighborhood café) or update each other on the latest office outing, these technologies will fundamentally transform the way work gets done - the very flow of information and decision making that takes place within an organization. But what are the implications of these technologies for your organization? Here are 2 trends that you need to know. Trend #1: Works gets fun thanks to gamification. Gamification tends to be a dirty word in the world of business - I guess it’s because we’ve been trained to think that work shouldn’t be fun, that it’s not a game. But the reality is that gamification has been happening for years - think of the sales incentive contests that challenge representatives to close 10 sales in 2 weeks, complete with a leaderboard on the wall. What has traditionally been a short-term, labor-intensive behavior management tool for enterprises is now easier to run and maintain and applied continually to encourage new and better behaviors. For example, gamification-provider Bunchball has a service called Nitro that adds points, achievements and rewards to Salesforce.com installations. Bluewolf, a business process consultancy, used this service to create an internal social business initiative called #GoingSocial , recognizing and rewarding behaviors such as posting on blogs or sharing content on Twitter. LiveOps, which runs virtual call centers, uses badges and points to encourage agents to shorten calls and close sales. Agents can compare results on leaderboards that are accessible to everyone online. The results speak for themselves: some agents reduced call times by 15 percent while others increased sales 8-12 percent. These game dynamics don’t even need a monetary incentive nor a clearly defined victor to be successful - everyone who participates can be a "winner." That’s because the social aspects of gamification - the "psychic income" of recognition by management and peers - can be just as, or even more, powerful than the other incentives. When these achievements are highlighted in corporate profiles and the enterprise applications themselves, it encourages people to chime in with their congratulations. Regardless of what it’s called, game mechanics tap into the age-old truism that something is always more fun with friends. Trend #2: Enterprise social data remakes work processes. Many companies today use enterprise social networks (ESNs) like Chatter, Lotus Connections, Socialcast and Yammer. These internal social networks allow people to share and update each other on their work. But when these updates take on a specific purpose beyond simple social sharing, the nature of collaboration changes. Picture the dreaded annual performance review, where the employee and the manager sit down to talk about the past year. The conversation goes something like this: Manager: So, what have you done for the last year? Employee: Well, I did that project last October, and in June I went to the conference. No data, few examples and little, if any, documentation is provided. What would it be like if they could instead look at a report of everything that the employee has done, generated by trends in social data from an ESN? Not only would the work be tracked better, but the manager would be able to see how other colleagues recognized the employee for a job well done through features like "Praise" and "Thanks" (in addition to the standard "Like"). Because of this readily available and easily analyzed data, the manager could also monitor and course-correct on a more real-time basis. So reviews could happen more frequently - and in some cases, as the work happens. That richness of social data inside the enterprise will lead to a re-working and re-thinking of how work gets done - thanks to an increase in information creation, intuitively captured data and readily accessible reports. These 3 aspects of social data - Creation, Capture and Use - will transform the face of work. Here’s how the new review process would sound: Manager: Looking at your activity, it appears you’ve really gained the support of the IT team for our plan. Employee: Yes, and you can see that at first they didn’t back it in October, but I was able to turn them around over the past few months. See that Praise comment from Jill? She was originally one of our biggest detractors. This is just one small example of how work processes could change - imagine the possibilities if social data permeated supply, finance and product development as well. We’re only at the start of this transition, from the traditional, hierarchical structure of today to something that’s more fluid and adaptive. The coming opportunities will be dictated less by technology constraints than by cultural norms that will be questioned. So prepare yourself by looking at these changes with an open mind and trying them on for size to see if they fit with your organization’s long-term goals. Be sure to join the webinar tomorrow to hear more about how these and other trends are impacting the workplace - and what you need to do about them.   Photo credit: seandreilinger

Here's some stuff I've been working on the past few nights.Oh yeah, and happy new year.This is the city wall which surrounds the entire sector.This is the back of an elevator.Inside rails of the factory.Propaganda.Wastelands outside the city.More to come soon!

Today we have a guest post from Tim Wackel. Tim is one of today’s most popular sales speakers because he makes information entertaining, memorable and easy to understand. He combines more than 25 years of successful sales leadership with specific client research to deliver high-impact programs that go beyond today’s best practices. Tim is also the founder and president of The Wackel Group, a training and consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations find, win and keep customers for life. Read more at www.TimWackel.com. A few months ago, I decided it was time to move forward with a significant home-improvement project. I began calling several companies who had done similar work in the neighborhood, and they were all eager to send a representative to my home to review the project. All of the representatives I met with were friendly and had the expertise and experience I was looking for, and their companies had impressive resumes of similar projects they had successfully completed. I was very clear on how fast I wanted the work performed, and everyone agreed that my expectations were within reason. I was going to have a hard time deciding on which vendor to choose - or so I thought. In fact, after all that - driving out to my house, scoping the project and gathering my expectations - several of the reps never called me again. There aren’t many people on earth who have lots of extra time on their hands, so it beats me why these reps would spend over an hour with me and then not follow up. Was my project too small? Did something more profitable fall into their pipeline? I guess I’ll never know. A quick phone call or email explaining the situation would have gone a long way toward gracefully bowing out and saving their brand reputation.  The other companies I met with sent competitive proposals in a timely fashion and then immediately went into hard-close mode. Asking for my business came easily for these reps, but asking for my thoughts and feedback wasn’t as easy. I started to feel rushed by them, so I soon eliminated those reps from further consideration. My experience begged the question: What is the secret to effective follow-ups? And how can you ensure that you don’t push too hard, too little or not at all? Here are four simple but valuable ideas to help you gauge your success and improve your performance. Don’t put it off. Remember that your prospects are also prospects of your competition. When it comes to follow-up, do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you will do it. Everyone gets busy, but that’s no excuse to let prospects fall through the cracks. There are contact management programs to help you remember. Don’t like what your company uses? Buy your own! It will be the best investment you make this year. The discipline of keeping your commitments costs pennies, but the regret of having them slip can cost thousands. Ask great questions. Most sales people believe that listening is the most important sales skill. It’s important, but it isn’t number one. Asking great questions is - it’s the key to moving opportunities forward. Ask prospects things like: "What did you like the best about my proposal?" "What was missing?" "What, if anything, was off target and needs to be re-worked?"  "In an ideal world, what would this look like as we move forward?" Follow-up is your opportunity to learn and reposition. Don’t blow it by forgetting to ask thought-provoking questions. Your goal is to help your prospect make an excellent buying decision, and asking questions will let your prospects know you are engaged and interested in their input. Be persistent, not pesky. Be sure that you have a productive reason for every contact. Not many people are interested in having their sales rep "check in" to see if they’ve made a buying decision, but they won’t mind you adding value to their decision-making process. Share relevant, new research or have one of your best customers join you in a call to discuss their experience working with you. Don’t be afraid to get creative and fun in your approach. Your prospects already receive too many voicemails and emails that are dull, impersonal and confusing, so try reaching out via video conferencing instead. It’s more personal when you speak to your prospects face to face. They will value the fresh approach, and you’ll start being remembered for the right reasons! Check out 7 Vital Tips for Video Meeting Sales Success for more ideas. Just say no. If, for whatever reason, you decide not to pursue an opportunity, contact the prospect right away and let them know. Introduce them to someone else in your organization or refer them to a competitor. Prospects appreciate the truth just as much as you do, so don’t just disappear. Learning the art of a graceful exit will save your reputation and personal brand. Your ability to effectively follow-up is crucial to your long-term success. Most reps are great at the first few contacts, but very few know how to truly nurture an opportunity. Improving your follow-up abilities builds clients, adds to your accomplishments and strengthens your personal brand. Are you mastering these skills? If not, you should be. Watch the video: http://youtu.be/lCswHrk1f_E  What’s your experience with the art of effective follow-up? Leave your comments, suggestions and stories in the comments below.

I haven't posted anything lately because there is nothing worthwhile to post...at least that's in a presentable state. I tend to bounce around a lot in my workflow, not spending too much time on any one thing at a given moment. That could be viewed as bad or ADD and I wouldn't argue it, but if something isn't working after a few attempts, I'll move onto another shot. If I'm doing a shot and it's coming together just fine, I'll move to another shot because I get bored.The hardest time I have is starting something new, be it a shot or a background. If I get all of the starting points knocked out real fast, I can simply build upon the foundations little by little.Here is a background painting of the junkyard which plays a pivotal role in the movie.And here are a couple finalized shots that will give a good indication of how the character animation will look. The green are for keyouts in post; they're not the actual final color.

Today we’re launching a new free eBook to help London’s small businesses not only survive the Olympics but also capitalise on new working opportunities. The Citrix Guide for Surviving the Olympics outlines how to minimise disruption as well as how to make the most of new online working applications to enable staff to work with anyone, anywhere. As an added bonus, Citrix’s collaborative working platform Podio and conferencing application GoToMeeting will be available free for the duration of the Games. The greatest sporting event in the world is just a few short weeks away. And you can be sure that, right now, the world’s top athletes are pulling out all the stops to ensure they’re ready. For them, the Games represent the culmination of years of intensive preparation. But how prepared are London’s businesses? The results of our latest survey, published today, are surprising. Nearly half (41%) of small businesses expect to suffer disruption. Yet only one in five (21%) have put in place a business continuity plan and only 10% are adopting new working practices to minimise potential disruptions. Of those expecting disruption, 87% expect it to have an adverse effect on productivity. The challenges are undeniably immense. With London doubling its population from July until September, commute times will double or even triple. There will be extensive road closures. And with more ways to watch and engage online than ever before, it is likely there will be a sharp upsurge in unrelated digital activity on company time. So it’s vital to be prepared with alternative ways of working. With Podio, GoToMeeting, and the Citrix Olympic Survival Guide, London’s small businesses can do just that. Citrix Olympic Survival Guide For Small Businesses View more documents from GoToMeeting Full press release here. Photo credit: caitlinhouse

Slowly I have been working on a redesign of NuShift.net which will be transformed into a better portfolio site than I had before. I've been trying to integrate this blog feed with the site design and have become successful, but the formatting is lost. I'll continue to work on it in my spare time.As for Robiety, I'm prepping shots for presenting. Minor cleanup and coloring a few extra shots to completion. Looking good so far.

Isn’t it funny how people are always trying to coin new terms for everything we do? I usually laugh at them and roll on, but this one hit home for me because it certainly fits what I do. I work for myself, making my living with writing, speaking and consulting. Some days I’m flying around the world to shoot photos and report on what I experience. Other days I’m workshifting from a train taking client calls while writing my next book. Digital Dads is a popular guys website I run, and Passion Hit TV is a successful web series I recently launched. On top of all of that, I usually have a handful of other ongoing projects as well. Calling myself "self-employed" would work, but it sells everything I do rather short. A solopreneur is defined as "an entrepreneur who works alone, running his or her business single-handedly." With technology allowing us to work with and for anyone in the world, this kind of work is growing every day. When you hire someone, there is a good chance you could be hiring someone like me. I love that instead of having to always travel to a client, we can jump into a GoToMeeting session anywhere and feel like we are together. This saves us both time and money and allows for greater productivity. Plus, it’s more reliable and professional than some other options. The trick to being a solopreneur is to make sure you block off times to be productive, because you’re the only one controlling your calendar. In my experience, it is far too easy to let a day run away from me with calls, meetings and other events. Lately, I’ve found it useful to schedule all my calls and meetings on two days each week and then set aside another as my content creation day. This is still a new work hack for me, but so far it has been highly productive and great for my sanity. Another trait of solopreneurs is that we are always looking for new ways to collaborate and get all of our work done effectively. If you have suggestions or tips, please share them so we can all learn!    Photo credit: CC Chapman

I took a lot of reference videos earlier this week with help from my sister and over this weekend finished up a couple shots tonight and inbetweened a few others. Trying to complete the first 20 animated shots pretty soon, compositing and adding effects along the way. Hoping to finish the inbetweens this week and color the remaining shots of the first quarter by week's end.

I usually save clean up for school because the Cintiqs are easier and more accurate for nice line quality as opposed to the Intuous. Rethinking a few shots that would be more interesting but haven't gotten any roughs I liked. Probably will shoot some reference or look in the mirror to get the angle I want. I need to start finishing up some quick backgrounds just so the movie looks more complete.I started reviewing sounds as well but it's not something I can passively do as I previously thought. Narrowing down the batch of files might be brainless, but figuring out where to place sounds and when is what will take an attentive mind.Hope to post some stuff up later this week with some "new" finished shots.

Today’s guest post is from Gihan Perera, a consultant, speaker and author who helps business professionals leverage their products, services and business practices - particularly with regard to their online strategy. He is also the author of the books Secrets of Internet Business Success and Webinar Smarts, among many others. Find out more at www.WebinarSmarts.com. I came across this comment recently on a blog post about online presentations: "While I’ve seen dozens of inspirational or motivational speeches, I can honestly say I’ve never attended a webinar that was anything better than ho-hum. Heck, I’d even settle for one that made me feel like it was time well spent." I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’ve never attended a good webinar, but I do agree with the commenter that - sadly - they are the exception, not the rule. But why should this be so? An online presentation - whether it’s a webinar or other form of online training - is just another presentation, and there are plenty of articles, books, videos and coaches that teach presentation skills. Yet most presenters - even experienced ones - do a poor job with their online presentations. Of course, some may argue this is because we are using new technology. However, online presentation technology has matured to the point that it’s reliable, accessible, and easy to use. So the technology itself is no longer the biggest obstacle - the real problem is that the physical environment of online presentations is different, and some presenters haven’t yet learned the necessary skills to adjust. The environment gets in the way. In a typical in-person presentation, a room is set aside and arranged for the presentation. Your audience is with you in the room and they have set aside time specifically to attend. They are sitting next to others sharing the same experience. All of these factors greatly contribute to your overall presentation. Online, things are different. The physical environment works against you, rather than for you. In particular: You are a much smaller part of their environment - literally just a slide show on their computer screen. Your audience is impatient and easily distracted - and if you lose their attention and interest, it’s much more difficult to regain it. This means you have to put more work into preparing and planning your presentation so you can overcome the obstacles of the environment. Put more work into your slides. In an in-person presentation, you are the main visual for your audience, and your slides are merely visual aids. But when it comes to an online presentation, your slides aren’t visual aids; they are the visuals. Because your slides play such a prominent role in an online presentation, put more work into them than you would with an in-person presentation. Broadly, you should focus on two areas: Sequence: Plan the flow of your material in a logical way. Design: Make the slides look attractive while optimizing them for online viewing. Think of this as serving both the left brain and right brain of your audience. The left brain wants to see a clear structure, logical flow and clear progress, while the right brain wants visual appeal, engaging slides and emotional tangibility. Create a clear sequence. The most basic presentation advice - which you’ve probably heard before - is: "Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Then tell them. Then tell them what you told them." In other words: Give them an overview, then the body, then a summary. This helps your audience follow along and keeps them engaged. In your slide deck, create an overview slide, a slide to introduce each main point and a summary. An online presentation is not the time for random thoughts, off-the-cuff speaking or a stream-of-consciousness presentation! Think "paint by numbers" rather than "Picasso masterpiece." Design better slides. Here are five tips for improving your slides for online presentations: Use more slides: Your screen should be changing at least once every minute, but even more frequently is better. Make them more visual: It’s time to ditch the slides full of bullet points and text. Replace them with pictures, icons, models and diagrams. "Build" complex slides: If you really must show a complex slide, don’t show it in full; build it up step by step as you talk about it. Create faster slides: Everything has to be transmitted across the Internet, so use smaller pictures, remove animation and transitions and eliminate anything that’s purely decorative. Create slides faster: Learn how to use PowerPoint’s "Smart Art" feature to create visually attractive slides quickly and easily. Find out more about creating effective online presentations: Download the ebooks. The Secret Formula for Online Presentations that Engage The Secret Formula for Webinar Presentations that Work Every Time   Photo credit: kk+

This is a near-final composite of SIMB's introduction shot. I spent most of this week cleaning up and coloring this shot. It took a long time but I'm very pleased with how it came out. Down the line, I may tweak pixels but for now, I'm happy with it and moving onto finish up some other stuff.Here's a view of the timeline and all the glorious keyframes I had to draw and manage:And here's the pretty movie version:

Every once in awhile, we get a customer review that just makes our day. We email it to our co-workers. We tell our spouses about it. We get that warm fuzzy feeling inside. The following from Michael Banks, owner of Samurai Comics in Phoenix, AZ, gave us a glow that was practically radioactive: Super Powered Product! As the owner of Samurai Comics, I can’t afford to have some JOKER overseeing my business. Unfortunately there aren’t any SUPERMEN or WONDER WOMEN to turn things over to… When it comes to managing my business, it falls squarely on my shoulders. That was tough enough with one store, but now that we’ve expanded to 3 locations I was a bit overwhelmed. THEN I DISCOVERED GOTOMYPC! Now I can manage all 3 stores from the comfort of home. I can easily toggle between the computers at each store, doing orders, transferring inventory, leaving instructions for my store managers… I can even watch what is happening on the Point of Sale computers at my stores in real time - allowing me to keep an eye on my employees and help eliminate any possible theft. And best of all, I can spend more time with my children, working from home, rather than being stuck in my stores all day long. Thanks GoToMyPC! We were so honored and impressed, we decided to contact Mike and ask him a few follow-up questions. I had the privilege of chatting with him via GoToMeeting with HDFaces. What led you to start using GoToMyPC? We were looking for a network solution between stores, so we searched the Internet and tried a couple of things. We looked at LogMeIn, but we loved how easy it was to use GoToMyPC. Can you think of any specific instances when GoToMyPC "saved the day?" Once a long-time customer was upset because his order wasn’t coming up right on the Point of Sale computer at the store. I was able to jump on GoToMyPC, find the layaway item and help the salesperson solve the problem remotely. The relationship with the customer was successfully maintained. What devices do you use to access your store computers? At home, I use my laptop and my wife uses her iPad. I also use GoToMyPC on desktop computers in the back of my stores, because if I’m out on the sales floor, my customers engage with me and I can’t get work done. What is your favorite comic book hero? I like Howard the Duck, because it got me into collecting, but Wolverine is my all-time favorite hero. Villain? Dr. Doom. What makes your business special? We like to say we’re "so much more than a comic book store." We’ve been in business 10 years. While other comic book store chains have folded due to the economy’s troubles, we’ve grown to 3 locations because we’ve added merchandise that makes our stores fun for the whole family. We even have Batman bathing suits! What would you consider the biggest benefit of using GoToMyPC? In addition to theft prevention and business management, the ability to spend more time with family is a big benefit. Yesterday I was on GoToMyPC for 12 hours - able to manage all aspects of the business - from poolside, while my 2 children swam at their grandma’s house. Thanks for sharing your story, Mike! We are so glad to hear that our product is making a difference in your business and improving your work-life balance. Share your story. Do you have a story to share about how you benefitted from using a Citrix GoTo product? We’d love to hear it! Email voiceofthecustomer@citrixonline.com.    

Spring break is now over and I didn't step foot outside once. I don't have a problem with that because the weather is still crap. There's nothing that says "Spring Break" like waking up to a snow-covered city. Aside from that, I've been finishing up keys with some inbetweens scattered around. Redid some animation from different angles and am playing around with improved ideas.

Today we have a guest post from Brigadier General (ret) Thomas A. Kolditz. Kolditz is the founding member of Saxon Castle LLC, a leader development consultancy. He is a Professor in the Practice of Leadership and Management and directs the Leader Development Program at the Yale School of Management. A highly experienced leader, Brigadier General (retired) Kolditz has more than 26 years in command and supervisory positions, serving on four continents in his 34 years of military service. His most recent book, titled In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended on It, was based on more than 100 interviews taken on the ground in Iraq during combat operations. He holds a BA from Vanderbilt University, three master’s degrees, and a PhD in social psychology. In the early 1980s, I was a lieutenant in the United States Army, responsible for coordinating artillery support for a myriad of observers. I was excited that my unit was fielding a digital system to manage the requests for support, but was surprised that my sergeant was less than enthusiastic. He told me, "Sir, you can set all the priorities exactly according to our plan, but in combat, I’ve allocated missions based on the amount of fear I heard in the voice of the observer on the radio, or the amount of gunfire in the background. Without those nuances, I would have never gotten the prioritization right, and a lot more of our men would have died."  It was my first introduction to the challenge and complexity of communication in what would become the information age. All leaders have to be savvy end users of technology and design smart protocols that account for the human dimension of communication and interpersonal influence - the core of leading in a complex, sometimes ambiguous world. There are three fundamental approaches that leaders must consider, in turn, in order to maximize virtual presence and influence. Be Specific about What You Need to Know as a Leader In leadership roles, it’s important to be clear and practical about what you need to know, and when you need to know it. Consider pulling together a list of critical information requirements and specify what information you need immediately, 24/7, and what information can wait for the next business day. Communicate in Core Ideas Rather Than Specifics In balancing specificity, it is highly effective to provide people with core ideas with the specifics stripped away. Why? Because it empowers people to respond in ambiguous, volatile conditions. An effective core idea pronouncement is a statement of intent. Intent statements differ from vision statements because they guide behavior in more practical ways. They generally consist of four parts: purpose, methods, end state and risk. Impact the Decisive Point When the organization is attuned to both specifics and broader intent, what’s left for the leader is to have direct impact at the precisely the right time and place - in person or virtually. At any given time, there is one point in the organization where performance is critical for success. That is where an effective leader exerts direct influence. Let’s face it - for leaders at all levels, there are myriad requirements, responsibilities, and distractions. No leader can give equal emphasis to every potential demand. Thus one of the more important leadership skills is to be able to articulate the decisive point at any given time, and use technology or other means to exert direct influence. Provide your critical information requirements, articulate core ideas through intent, and directly impact the decisive point. Whether virtually or physically present, these three leader tune-ups can change your influence - and your organization’s performance. Interested in more examples and details? Attend the General’s webinar on July 3rd, 2012 "Revolutionize Your Leadership" Download the complete white paper, "Three Fundamental Approaches to Influencing and Building a Revolutionary Team"  

The official Robiety logo and title card.Edgey.Pretty nighttime shot.Still working on inbetweens, cleanup, and colors and hope to have that done soon because I'm tired of worrying about them. More and more shots are finding their way to completion with just a few outstanding shots. Maybe it's just me but sometimes there are shots that I just avoid like the plague until I grow a pair and tackle it. I've got a few of those scattered around that are always on my mind. Hope you guys like what I'm doing and if you don't, too bad.