I've been putting in 12 hour days, trying to get this beast under control. I can't think of a good way to cut corners and speed it up, as the quality/detail level ain't really negotiable - the detail level is actually pretty minimal. It's mostly about composition at this point. So, the only solution I can think of is to work longer days. Which i'm doing. Getting up and going at it at 8 in the morning, rather than starting at 10, and spending two hours scratching my head because i'm asleep and confused.

Alot of this stuff is pretty goddamn tedious, so there's lot's of little mind games one has to play with oneself. So I don't puke from the monotony. Generally, i'll take a snapshot, doodle on it in Photoshop to see how I want the composition. Then, I make a pile of crap. Not designing a particular item for a particular spot - just churning it out in an effecient fashion. This doesn't require any attention span, and the gratification is pretty quick. Then, I get out the camera and needle nose pliers, and put the junk on the set. This is the sore-back/brow-furrowed stage, requiring concentration. Then i'll go make specific props to tidy things up; a small skinny blue book here, a long light-coloured paintbrush here, etc.

I also try to leave myself something specific and non-tedious to do for the next day; decide it in advance. So I can get right into it, even though i'm half awake and confused.