Zombie Cliche Lookout: Motivation
We all have jobs we hate doing. Some of us like to prioritize them to get them out of the way to allow more time for the stuff they actually like to to. Others, like me, tend to procrastinate, as if waiting long enough will make the task magically complete itself. Sadly, after years of trying this approach, I’ve yet to have a job do itself. Naturally, some jobs in the zombie apocalypse will be just as undesirable, likely much more so. I doubt many of us would want to – say – drag the disgusting, half-rotten bodies of dispatched zombies outside to burn, or take the necessary steps to ensure a loved one doesn’t reanimate after dying. Nonetheless, these jobs certainly need to be done.
While we might not like doing those jobs, a little motivation is usually all we need to get to work. Take, for example, the boring job of nailing up all the doors and windows in a house. It’s pretty hard to procrastinate on that task when there are a couple of dozen zombies outside, working desperately to get inside. There’s nothing like the fear of getting eaten alive to help get you moving.
About this Episode:
In hindsight, I should have made the floor a different color. I really like how light the yellow and tan color scheme are in the living room, but there’s also not a ton of contrast, which is kind of a shame.
Discussion Question: Dealing with Crappy Jobs
I mentioned a couple of different ways of dealing with jobs we dislike above, as well as my predilection toward putting them off until the last minute. That makes me wonder, what do you guys like to do? And, keeping this tied closely to the subject matter, how do you think procrastinators like me would fare in the zombie apocalypse?
I am wondering how this will turn out
Excellent; exactly what I’m going for.
Watching them boarding up windows reminds me of my times playing State of Decay 😀
Yes indeed. I wished the mechanic had been used more in that game.
Typo alert: “many of of” replace second of with “us”. 😀
Fixed! Thank you, sir.
I don’t mind the yellow floor half as much as the shallow depth of field that apparently blurs foreground and background objects at random, when the entire scene should be in focus. Can Dave do anything about improving the overall depth of field? After all, they’re supposed to be in rooms, not football fields! 😀
This is a style thing. I like the shallow depth of field because it let’s me highlight certain characters or objects.
Does anyone else dislike it?
I dislike mayonnaise.
Procrastinators would do fine, as long as they did not procrastinate about sleep, or at least popping some caffeine pills to stay alert. From experience, basic survival instinct overpowers the urge to not get things done. I like to procrastinate, but if it is something such as getting a new bulletproof vest because the old one is worn out and therefor dangerous(remember, I work in Canadian law enforcement), I see the relevance to git’ ‘er done! But when I was in school, I was the world’s biggest procrastinator until grade 11 when scholarship instinct kicked in 🙂
That’s a very good point, SB. I tend to do the same thing (although not with bulletproof vests). If something is important, it gets my attention one way or another.
My guess is that procrastinators would not be procrastinating nailing up boards, but perhaps more mundane and unpleasant tasks, like cleaning the latrine bucket, gathering edibles, washing clothing, etc. One doesn’t procrastinate the most pressing or urgent tasks, but the ones that would barely be noticed if they didn’t get done today. Then, today becomes tomorrow becomes this week or next…
Exactly that; but you never know when that mundane task you’ve been putting off will suddenly become important.
If you ever watch the TV show Survivor you find that when they are in their camps, some people are staying busy getting the basic survival things done like collecting firewood and boiling the water while others are too busy plotting or doing nothing and “saving their energy for the big challenge”.
You can easily see this in a group of people trapped in a house with an ever growing horde of zeds outside. Some will be nailing up boards and taking care of other “immediate” chores but others will be taking the wood and making another stake while others will be planning the best escape route.
Trick will be getting everyone to agree on what is the important tasks that need to be done and getting everyone to help to the best of their abilities.
Ever notice how during zed attacks democracy goes out the window and it is either dictators or socialism?
I’m glad you swapped Teddy’s face, he had a creepy smile before.
I suppose that procrastinators in the apocalypse would be screwed. For example, a guy who just killed like twenty walkers and decides to post-pone his activity of disposing of the bodies. Then, during the night, one of the zombies whose brain wasn’t completely destroyed might get up and devour the procrastinator.
If this guy happened to survive, I guess it would be a ‘lesson learned’ on him. But of course, this is just one example. Plus, there’s a big difference from procrastinating because you don’t want to do your work assignment, and when there are a horde battering down your door. In that case, I don’t think anyone would procrastinate instead of barricading those windows!
Kudos for that second frame Dave.
It really caught my eye, giant crack sound coming from where they are working, and I really get a sense of the kids and Ted stopping and waiting to see if they are about to fight or run. Kids arms in the air, and Ted hammer to the side… very well put together frame.
I’m curious to know what cracked, window… not such an issue. wood framing… things are about to get real.