Rejection Process

#1

Hi,

As all of you know, when an image is rejected, the artist is notified that the work is incomplete/etc… and is told to post in the wip forum.

this causes some unhappiness especially when the artist does not get a clear reason as to why the image was rejected. prompting the thread by leigh: http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthr...35&page=1&pp=15

maybe the way the system works could be tweaked?

  1. have a more comprehensive list of reasons for rejection. such as:
    untextured image, composition, modelling, others specify:, etc…

this could be in checkbox form, so that when a mod is deciding to accept or reject the image, he/she can check the aspects which need improving. This saves the mod from spending time to write a critique for every single image rejected, as we know, mod’s time is precious, and they have a life other than this forum : p
at the same time, submitters get more comprehensive feedback and a better idea of why their work was deemed incomplete so rejected.

One mod’s opinion is hardly enough, so rejected submitters should still post in the wip section. perhaps this process can be improved as well.

  1. When the submitter is sent the rejection notice, perhaps there can be an option to post in the wip. what I mean is to include a button, “post in wip” and just by clicking this button. The image will appear in the wip section together with the mod’s feedback and date of rejection.

you can say this is spoon-feeding, but i think this convenience will help submitters.
It is the impression that is important. As submitters may feel rejected but they know they can publish their work all the same, just in the wip section.

there may be some stigma about rejection, so some users may feel uncomfortable to publicly show that their work has been rejected. But if more and more rejected submitters begin using the “button” as above, I think others will begin to see that there is no shame in rejection.

  1. the wip section should have thumbnails just like the showcase galley section.

Viewers can immediately see which image catches their eye (as we all have different taste) and so are more likely to come across an image which they are interested in and can offer feedback on.

  1. The wip section should be just under the Showcase gallery section.

Since the expected workflow is: image rejected > post in wip > reworking > resubmit > showcase gallery. I think it is puzzling why the wip section is located so far from the showcase gallery section on the main page.

  1. Finally, when an image has received feedback and has been reworked, users should be able to submit the current image together with the past rejected image. This way a mod can see how an image has progressed, whether it is going in the right direction, whether the user has put in effort to improve the image.

If the user is going in the wrong direction or it can be seen that a lot of effort has been put in but the image is still not good enough. Maybe it would be time for the mod to offer some detailed critique.

Just some suggestions I thought of while reading the thread of yet another rejected submitter.

I think if CGtalk does not want to be seen as an “elite” forum, then more emphasis should be placed on wip and learning
(maybe feature some wip threads from time to time, the image may not be good enough for the gallery but may contain some good ideas that could benefit from exposure and feedback)

Instead of repeated adulation of plugged or Choice gallery works. Which may be the case in the “real” world, but who says we must follow these practices, especially when such practices may not be so desirable.

#2

Your suggestions are good. I appreciate you taking time to think and come up with a solution to something you felt needed remedy. Thanks for that.

Here are my thoughts as a newbie in the forums and someone who just got his own work rejected:

I knew my work would be rejected, because it was nowhere close to the quality of work (all variables included) people do here. What I’d do is regularly look at the CG Gallery works. This is the benchmark. On our own devices, we are pretty much uninhabited islands - we’re deep-rooted in our comfort zones, ignorance and bad habits. I’d try to understand the Gallery images from design, content, context, technique, artistic, execution points of view among many. Posting my work on WIP will help me understand these things much better and in more volume than, say, 20 checkboxes ticked next to my rejection letter (which would be approximations and generalizations, anyway). I’d rework after receiving feedbacks (not all of which will be useful; that’s life) and repost it on WIP. After I’m certain I have something good, I’d then post the work on WIP: Focused Critiques for a final review. Thereafter, if the work isn’t accepted in the CG Gallery, the judges could explain the reasons for rejection. The right places to go to improve one’s work is already present in the forums.

The point that I’m making here is the same you touched upon in your post - spoon feeding. This will get us nowhere. There are limits to convenient streamlining. We already have vast resources on the forums here. We also have knowledgable people who are helpful. One should take it upon him/her to use them to their full advantage. This initiative has to be personal.

Having said that, I defenitely appreciate your suggestions. They addressed each problem, offering very doable solutions. I’d leave you with this thought to explain my reasons for supporting the status quo. Google search is a great product of innovation - makes everything quick and easy. But, has that affected the patience I need to do proper reading and researching. Personal initiative has to show somewhere if we are to progress.

#3

This whole process needs to be a lot more transparent, I think a lot of factors other than the work presented determine whether an image gets accepted or not. Things like the judges personal taste, preference of software, the submitters reputation ( on cgtalk ). The point with elitetism rings true here, and this is typical of the VFX industry and you just have to grind your teeth and put up with it.

Yes I am feeling bitter after having some of my work rejected which in my opinion should not have been, judging on the basis of other works in the gallery.

But there are plenty of other forums and methods to showcase the work, and taking rejection is part of maturing as an artist. So thats fine, who am I to say how CGtalk should be run, when its one of the oldest CGi communities. :slight_smile:

#4

None of these have any effect whatsoever on whether an image is rejected or not.

#5

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.