[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":5026},["ShallowReactive",2],{"tag-count-latest-en":3,"tags-sidebar-en":4,"posts-latest-en-1-en-1":87,"tags-header-en":4968,"tags-footer-en":4997},195,[5,20,32,43,54,66,77],{"id":6,"title":7,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":10,"name":7,"navigation":15,"path":16,"seo":17,"slug":18,"stem":18,"__hash__":19},"tag/blender.json","Blender",null,"json",{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":12,"url":14},"public",{"posts":13},15,"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tag/blender/",true,"/blender",{"description":8},"blender","NGhuNL5GEEpGrAt0Y1hoiAFOBRkB8zKBFq90XcJR47E",{"id":21,"title":22,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":23,"name":27,"navigation":15,"path":28,"seo":29,"slug":30,"stem":30,"__hash__":31},"tag/company.json","Company",{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":24,"url":26},{"posts":25},35,"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tag/company/","Company News","/company",{"description":8},"company","CSg2BLNemwEASf_RYxGHsJOXTxg3xNUldTg2Upc7ZC0",{"id":33,"title":34,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":35,"name":34,"navigation":15,"path":39,"seo":40,"slug":41,"stem":41,"__hash__":42},"tag/customer-stories.json","Customer Stories",{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":36,"url":38},{"posts":37},3,"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tag/customer-stories/","/customer-stories",{"description":8},"customer-stories","vO2w4OuionBXR7-dsFeWvCucjpG7VuCqGV3NZOYyVw0",{"id":44,"title":45,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":46,"name":49,"navigation":15,"path":50,"seo":51,"slug":52,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"tag/glossary.json","Glossary",{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":47,"url":48},{"posts":13},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tag/glossary/","Animation Glossary","/glossary",{"description":8},"glossary","ahYw1ulGqHh4X1VqtWmRXHQzLH25NsXPHgKJ8kwOMwA",{"id":55,"title":56,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":57,"name":61,"navigation":15,"path":62,"seo":63,"slug":64,"stem":64,"__hash__":65},"tag/pipeline.json","Pipeline",{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":58,"url":60},{"posts":59},77,"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tag/pipeline/","Pipeline Automation","/pipeline",{"description":8},"pipeline","qa7lmThepbMYAJ--m7WHgcY7p9lpC51BDn7imjnLoHY",{"id":67,"title":68,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":69,"name":68,"navigation":15,"path":73,"seo":74,"slug":75,"stem":75,"__hash__":76},"tag/production-management.json","Production Management",{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":70,"url":72},{"posts":71},52,"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tag/production-management/","/production-management",{"description":8},"production-management","CK3g20iyLvLAN6TiR91N008bRCUY5R5T0A-dnAm-nfI",{"id":78,"title":79,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":80,"name":79,"navigation":15,"path":83,"seo":84,"slug":85,"stem":85,"__hash__":86},"tag/resources.json","Resources",{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":81,"url":82},{"posts":37},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tag/resources/","/resources",{"description":8},"resources","uMVK_T3_oD87qJ7NOx5cVBCT5uXC9zFj44ZZatYH5RQ",[88,121,147,183,208,233,258,282,312,336,361,387,412,437,464,489,515,538,564,591,616,643,667,693,719,743,766,790,815,841,866,889,914,939,963,988,1013,1038,1063,1088,1113,1138,1163,1188,1212,1237,1260,1285,1308,1333,1358,1383,1408,1433,1458,1483,1507,1532,1555,1579,1604,1629,1654,1681,1706,1731,1756,1781,1806,1831,1856,1881,1906,1928,1953,1978,2003,2028,2054,2079,2103,2127,2152,2179,2202,2226,2251,2277,2303,2328,2353,2376,2402,2425,2449,2474,2499,2524,2549,2574,2598,2623,2647,2672,2696,2720,2745,2770,2794,2819,2844,2868,2892,2917,2942,2967,2992,3017,3042,3067,3091,3113,3138,3163,3188,3213,3237,3262,3287,3312,3336,3361,3386,3408,3431,3456,3481,3505,3529,3553,3577,3602,3625,3647,3671,3695,3722,3748,3777,3803,3829,3855,3880,3904,3930,3955,3981,4006,4029,4055,4078,4104,4130,4154,4180,4203,4229,4255,4280,4306,4332,4358,4383,4408,4435,4460,4486,4512,4538,4563,4589,4614,4640,4664,4690,4715,4739,4765,4792,4817,4842,4869,4895,4920,4945],{"id":89,"title":90,"authors":91,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":97,"meta":98,"navigation":15,"path":113,"published_at":114,"seo":115,"slug":116,"stem":117,"tags":118,"__hash__":120,"uuid":99,"comment_id":100,"feature_image":101,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":103,"updated_at":104,"custom_excerpt":105,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":108,"primary_tag":109,"url":111,"excerpt":105,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:remembers-kitsu-arco-production.json","How \"Remembers Studio\" Used Kitsu to Scale Up Production on Arco",[92],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"630632b2ca5910003d4a70af","Basile Samel","basile","https://blog.cg-wire.com/author/basile/","\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎬\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Scaling a studio is not about adding tools, it is about introducing structure without slowing artists down.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/HlvIZsmB8-8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Piloter la production d’un long métrage : étude de cas “Arco” | Audrey Tondre (Remembers Studio)\">\u003C/iframe>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">To watch the full talk upon which this article is based, check out the video above\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>When the animated feature film \u003Cem>Arco\u003C/em> premiered in autumn 2025, the release was met with considerable recognition: a selection at the Cannes Film Festival and a Crystal Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Behind that success was a small Parisian studio, Remembers, navigating its first feature film with a lean production team and a project management tool most of its artists had never heard of before: Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At the Kitsu Submit conference, Audrey Tondre, the production director on \u003Cem>Arco\u003C/em>, shared an honest and detailed account of how she introduced Kitsu to a studio that was not asking for it, and why it turned out to be exactly the right move.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/04/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/04/image.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Audrey joined Remembers specifically to produce \u003Cem>Arco\u003C/em>, a traditional hand-drawn 2D feature directed by Ugo Bienvenu and co-produced by Remembers (which Bienvenu runs with partner Félix de Givry) and the company Mountain (founded by Sophie Mas and Natalie Portman). Her background before this project was almost exclusively in 3D feature films, a world where production tracking tools are deeply embedded in every workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Coming into a 2D studio, producing its first feature was a significant context shift. And that gap between worlds is precisely what makes her story useful for any animation studio looking to grow.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"a-studio-built-for-small-scale-work\">A Studio Built for Small-Scale Work\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Remembers had built a strong reputation on short-format projects: music videos, commercials, and short films. The quality of the work was not in question. But the infrastructure for managing a long-form project simply did not exist yet.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"There was no pipeline, no development team. All the space was dedicated to the artists.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>The entire film was produced in-house at Remembers, spread across three separate premises in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. At peak production, around 70 people were working in the animation studios, with a total headcount of roughly 150 people over the course of the project. The production team consisted of Audrey as production director and executive producer, two production coordinators, and one intern.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With that ratio of production staff to creative staff, having the right tools was not optional.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-challenge-introducing-tools-no-one-asked-for\">The Challenge: Introducing Tools No One Asked For\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When Audrey arrived at Remembers, the studio was tracking projects with Google Sheets. That approach works at the scale of a short film where six people share a room and can turn around to check on each other's screens. Not at a feature film scale.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But the core team was not asking for anything different.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"Very clearly, when I talked about production management and tracking tools, there was no demand for it.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>This is a common scenario in small and mid-sized studios making the jump to larger productions. The habits formed on smaller work do not automatically flag themselves as insufficient. Audrey knew she had to solve a problem that had not yet been named, and she had to do it without creating friction.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"I knew that if I brought in a new tool, I needed to address a need that hadn't been identified by the core team already in place. The main challenge right away was not to constrain them.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-kitsu-won\">Why Kitsu Won\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Audrey's reference point for project tracking came from the 3D feature world, where the dominant tool is Ftrack, a powerful but developer-dependent platform. She immediately recognized it would be the wrong choice for Remembers.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"I immediately sensed that it wasn't going to be suitable at all in the context of \u003Cem>Arco\u003C/em>.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/image-1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/04/image-1.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/04/image-1.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-1.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Ftrack and similar enterprise-grade tools require in-house developers to deploy, configure, and maintain. Remembers had none of that: no IT staff, no technical director, no pipeline developer. Bringing in a tool that required that kind of support would have created more problems than it solved.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu addressed her core constraints from the start. After a demo with the Kitsu team, the studio collectively decided to move forward. The reasons were practical:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>No development required to get started\u003C/li>\u003Cli>No ongoing maintenance burden\u003C/li>\u003Cli>No in-house technical resources needed\u003C/li>\u003Cli>An interface intuitive enough for people picking up a production tool for the first time\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cblockquote>\"That reassured me greatly. And obviously we were looking for something very intuitive, because since I was addressing people who weren't asking for tools, they needed to be able to pick it up and get on board very naturally.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-kitsu-worked-in-practice\">How Kitsu Worked in Practice\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"the-artist-experience\">The Artist Experience\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Every artist on the production, regardless of which of the three sites they worked from, had a personal page in Kitsu showing all their assigned tasks (rough animation, clean animation, or other), the status of each task, the estimated time allocated, and a running log of time already spent.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/04/image-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/04/image-2.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-2.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cblockquote>\"You can understand that between this and having no tool at all, we've already made an enormous step forward. And it's not just about productivity, it's more enjoyable too.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>Viewing a specific version of a shot no longer meant digging through a shared network drive and risking pulling the wrong file. In Kitsu, every version is one click away and tied directly to its comments. That alone removed a significant source of confusion and wasted time.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"the-supervisor-experience\">The Supervisor Experience\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Supervisors built their review pages using simple filters. An animation supervisor could filter for all shots currently \"waiting for approval,\" see exactly what needed attention, and post feedback directly on the relevant version. Comments were timestamped, attributed, and version-specific.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"It's very targeted and it works well.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/image-3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/04/image-3.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/04/image-3.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-3.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Beyond the functional benefit, Kitsu gave supervisors something less obvious but equally valuable: structured time. Rather than being interrupted throughout the day by artists seeking feedback, supervisors could set aside dedicated review blocks in the morning and afternoon, and spend the rest of their time on their own work.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"cross-department-communication\">Cross-Department Communication\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>One of the most practical features Audrey highlighted was the ability to tag anyone in the project from within any task comment thread. On a long production where compositing might uncover an issue with a background that had already been approved weeks earlier, this closed the loop quickly.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"Inter-department exchanges are really quite easy and can be quick. Often it's small edits, things that slipped through because the shots had already been approved.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/image-4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/04/image-4.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/04/image-4.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-4.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"using-kitsu-data-for-production-tracking\">Using Kitsu Data for Production Tracking\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The second half of Audrey's talk addressed a concern that production managers with experience in more advanced platforms sometimes raise about Kitsu: the lack of custom-built analytics pages. In tools like Ftrack, you can construct dashboards that process and display data in multiple ways without leaving the platform.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu does not offer that out of the box. Audrey's response was pragmatic and worth paying attention to.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"In reality, all the data that can be valuable in production tracking does exist in Kitsu. It's just not always visible on pages you'll find ready-made.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>Her approach combined two simple steps: export a CSV from Kitsu, then import it into a Google Sheet she had built herself.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"tracking-production-curves\">Tracking Production Curves\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>For each major department, she maintained a projected completion curve plotted against time. The vertical axis tracked the number of shots completed, and the dashed line represented the original model. Each week, she exported real data from Kitsu's Sequence Stats page, which shows the exact number of shots in each status across every department. She imported that CSV and the Google Sheet updated automatically.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-5.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/image-5.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/04/image-5.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/04/image-5.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-5.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The result was an immediate visual indicator of whether production was tracking to plan or drifting.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"A feature film is a big undertaking with a lot of inertia. If you start drifting for one week, that's okay. Two weeks, you need to look at what's happening.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>She also applied a simple weighting system to shots currently in progress. A completed shot counted as one. A shot in editing counted as 0.75. A shot waiting for approval counted as a lower weight. This gave her a more accurate picture of work done rather than just work fully signed off.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"tracking-inventory-between-departments\">Tracking Inventory Between Departments\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>On a linear production pipeline, each department feeds the next. If animation moves faster than layout, animators sit idle. If compositing falls behind, it creates a bottleneck no matter how far ahead animation is. Audrey tracked inventory levels at each stage: what was fully available for each department, what was still in progress, and what had already passed through.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/04/image-6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/04/image-6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/04/image-6.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/image-6.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>She built a table in Google Sheets with all sequences on one axis and all departments on the other. Cells turned dark green at 100 percent, light green for work in progress, and white when nothing remained. Every cell was formula-driven. No numbers were entered manually. One CSV export from Kitsu's shots page, one import, and the entire table refreshed.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"It lets us ask the right questions: 'Oh, this department is moving a bit faster. Do we need to accelerate the previous one, or can we shift some artists from one department to another?'\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"adoption-was-easier-than-expected\">Adoption Was Easier Than Expected\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A common worry when introducing new tools to a creative team is resistance. Audrey's experience ran counter to that fear.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>She set up Kitsu before the bulk of the team arrived. By the time animators and background artists joined in large numbers, the tool was already in place and populated. They arrived to a working system rather than a work-in-progress.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"Kitsu is something that's very, very easy to pick up. You can click anywhere, you see the film's images, you see all the departments and sequences that might relate to your own.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>That last point matters more than it might seem. Artists did not experience Kitsu as a reporting obligation. They experienced it as a window into the broader project. Browsing shots from other departments, seeing the whole film take shape across sequences, made the tool genuinely interesting to use.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"It's also enjoyable and motivating to browse around in the tool. It's not just 'oh, I have to post my latest version.'\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"key-takeaways\">Key Takeaways\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Audrey's experience on \u003Cem>Arco\u003C/em> offers a few clear lessons for animation studios at a similar inflection point.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The absence of a technical team is not a blocker. Kitsu does not require developers, a technical director, or an IT department to deploy and maintain. For small and mid-sized studios, this removes the single largest obstacle to adopting a real production tracking platform.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Simplicity builds adoption. The more complex the tool, the more training it demands and the more resistance it generates. Kitsu's interface allowed a team with no prior experience with production tracking software to get on board quickly and without building up resentment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The data is already there. If Kitsu does not offer a specific analytics view out of the box, that is not the end of the conversation. CSV exports from the Sequence Stats and shots pages provide all the raw material needed to build whatever tracking logic a production manager requires, in whatever format suits them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Structure and creativity are not opposites. Ugo Bienvenu's ambition on \u003Cem>Arco\u003C/em> was to make a film that could almost have been made in the 1950s: beautiful images, precise animation, minimal compositing, and great music. Kitsu did not interfere with that vision. It protected it by keeping the production on track so that the artists could focus entirely on the work.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\"The goal was to structure things in the most imperceptible way possible.\"\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":99,"comment_id":100,"feature_image":101,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":103,"updated_at":104,"custom_excerpt":105,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":108,"primary_tag":109,"url":111,"excerpt":105,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"c66d47f2-d263-4a9e-aad5-f27aebe2c46a","69d4c1a6c037da0001fce813","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/04/arco-ugo-bienvenu-critique-film.jpg",false,"2026-04-07T10:34:46.000+02:00","2026-04-16T11:48:34.000+02:00","Discover how Remembers used Kitsu to scale production on Arco. Learn how a small studio transitioned from Google Sheets to a structured pipeline without developers.","\u003C!-- Prism.js theme (syntax colors) -->\n\u003Clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/themes/prism.min.css\">\n\n\u003C!-- Toolbar plugin styles (for the Copy button) -->\n\u003Clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/plugins/toolbar/prism-toolbar.min.css\">\n\n\u003C!-- (Optional) Line-numbers styles -->\n\u003C!-- \u003Clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/plugins/line-numbers/prism-line-numbers.min.css\"> -->\n\n\u003Cstyle>\n/* Tweak code block appearance a bit (keeps theme styles intact) */\npre[class*=\"language-\"] {\n  border-radius: 8px;\n  overflow: auto;\n}\n\n/* ✅ Always wrap long lines (no horizontal scroll needed) */\npre[class*=\"language-\"],\npre[class*=\"language-\"] code {\n  white-space: pre-wrap;    /* preserve indentation but allow wrapping */\n  word-break: break-word;   /* break long tokens if needed */\n  overflow-wrap: anywhere;  /* last-resort wrapping */\n}\n\n/* Improve toolbar (Copy button) spacing/looks */\ndiv.code-toolbar > .toolbar {\n  opacity: 1;\n  right: 6px;\n  top: 6px;\n}\ndiv.code-toolbar > .toolbar .toolbar-item > button {\n  background: #1f2937;\n  color: #fff;\n  border-radius: 6px;\n  padding: 6px 10px;\n  font-size: 12px;\n}\ndiv.code-toolbar > .toolbar .toolbar-item > button:hover {\n  filter: brightness(1.1);\n}\n\n/* (Optional) Auto line numbers on all code blocks\n   If you want line numbers, uncomment both this and the CSS/JS includes above/below. */\n/*\npre[class*=\"language-\"] {\n  padding-left: 3.25em;\n}\n*/\n\u003C/style>","\u003C!-- Prism core -->\n\u003Cscript defer src=\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/components/prism-core.min.js\">\u003C/script>\n\u003Cscript defer src=\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/plugins/autoloader/prism-autoloader.min.js\">\u003C/script>\n\n\u003C!-- Toolbar + Copy-to-Clipboard plugins -->\n\u003Cscript defer src=\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/plugins/toolbar/prism-toolbar.min.js\">\u003C/script>\n\u003Cscript defer src=\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/plugins/copy-to-clipboard/prism-copy-to-clipboard.min.js\">\u003C/script>\n\n\u003C!-- (Optional) Line-numbers plugin -->\n\u003C!-- \u003Cscript defer src=\"https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/plugins/line-numbers/prism-line-numbers.min.js\">\u003C/script> -->\n\n\u003Cscript>\n  // Configure autoloader to fetch language definitions (bash, python, etc.)\n  window.Prism = window.Prism || {};\n  Prism.plugins = Prism.plugins || {};\n  Prism.plugins.autoloader = Prism.plugins.autoloader || {};\n  Prism.plugins.autoloader.languages_path = 'https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/prismjs@1.29.0/components/';\n\n  // OPTIONAL: If you want line numbers on every block automatically, uncomment:\n  /*\n  document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {\n    document.querySelectorAll('pre > code').forEach(function (code) {\n      const pre = code.parentElement;\n      pre.classList.add('line-numbers');\n    });\n  });\n  */\n\u003C/script>",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"69c20df4cb09d8000107cfe7","https://blog.cg-wire.com/remembers-kitsu-arco-production/",8,"/posts/remembers-kitsu-arco-production","2026-04-13T11:11:27.000+02:00",{"title":90},"remembers-kitsu-arco-production","posts/remembers-kitsu-arco-production",[119],{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"al6z2t2K9mRQwGazWVe51MY_TEybs5Zl73HsassAVtY",{"id":122,"title":123,"authors":124,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":126,"meta":127,"navigation":15,"path":140,"published_at":132,"seo":141,"slug":142,"stem":143,"tags":144,"__hash__":146,"uuid":128,"comment_id":129,"feature_image":130,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":131,"updated_at":132,"custom_excerpt":133,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":134,"primary_tag":135,"url":137,"excerpt":133,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":139},"ghost/posts:blender-python-event-automation.json","Automating Blender with Python Event Handlers",[125],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">⚙️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Blender events let you automate workflows without adding extra steps for artists.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>A render finishes at 2am, no one is watching, and the output sits in a temporary folder until someone remembers to move it. An artist exports a file with the wrong name. A camera gets left at the wrong focal length before a client delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All these issues add up. Fortunately, there is a simple solution for all of them: Blender's Python API gives you direct access to the events that drive the application. You can write code that listens for those events and acts on them automatically, without any artist involvement. By the end of this article, you will have two working examples you can adapt in your own pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-ways-to-listen-to-events-in-blender\">3 Ways To Listen to Events in Blender\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender exposes three main mechanisms for responding to events through its Python API:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>app.handlers\u003C/code> are passive listeners that fire when Blender performs a specific action: a render completes, a file loads, a frame changes. Your code registers a function and Blender calls it when the moment arrives. The artist does not need to do anything, so this is often the right tool for automating background pipeline tasks.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Modal operators are active listeners. They take over Blender's event loop for a given window and intercept everything the artist does in real time, mouse clicks, key presses, cursor movement, until the operator finishes or is cancelled. This is the right tool when you want to build interactive tools that respond to what an artist is physically doing inside the viewport.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The third way to listen to events, \u003Ccode>msgbus\u003C/code>, lets you subscribe to changes on specific data properties, like the active object or a scene setting. It is useful but narrower in scope. This article does not cover it.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The two examples this article builds cover the most common studio automation needs: the first removes a background task from your artists entirely with a handler, the other replaces a slow, manual workflow with a single click with a modal operator.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-auto-export-on-render-complete\">1. Auto-Export on Render Complete\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are many useful handlers available, among them:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>render_init\u003C/code> - fires when a render job starts\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>render_pre\u003C/code> - fires before each frame renders\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>render_post\u003C/code> - fires after each frame renders\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>load_pre\u003C/code> / \u003Ccode>load_post\u003C/code> - before/after a \u003Ccode>.blend\u003C/code> file is loaded\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>save_pre\u003C/code> / \u003Ccode>save_post\u003C/code> - before/after a \u003Ccode>.blend\u003C/code> file is saved\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Open Blender and switch to the Scripting workspace from the top tab bar. You will see the Python console on the left and the Text Editor on the right. Write your code in the Text Editor and run it with Alt+P.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide/\">use an addon to keep the script persistent\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of building a full render pipeline tool, we'll start with something small to understand the main pattern: a minimal handler that fires the moment a render finishes and writes a timestamped confirmation to a file. It's a useful starting point for verifying that your handler is working correctly before building out more complex post-render logic:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\nfrom datetime import datetime\n\n@bpy.app.handlers.persistent\ndef on_render_complete(scene, depsgraph):\n    timestamp = datetime.now().strftime(\"%Y%m%d_%H%M%S\")\n    open(\"test.txt\", \"w\").write(f\"Completed: {timestamp}\\n\")\n\nbpy.app.handlers.render_complete.append(on_render_complete)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>The \u003Ccode>@bpy.app.handlers.persistent\u003C/code> decorator keeps the handler registered across file loads, so it survives scene changes during a session.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On render complete, \u003Ccode>datetime.now()\u003C/code> captures the finish time and formats it as a compact timestamp string. That string is written directly to a hardcoded path, overwriting the file on each render.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, \u003Ccode>bpy.app.handlers.render_complete.append\u003C/code> registers the function so Blender calls it automatically when a render finishes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To test this without waiting for a full render, use Render Single Frame and then check that \u003Ccode>test.txt\u003C/code> exists at the target path and contains the expected timestamp.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can then extend the handler to copy output files, record scene metadata, or trigger downstream workflows.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The pattern is always the same as in the example: define a function, optionally decorate it with \u003Ccode>@bpy.app.handlers.persistent\u003C/code>, then append it to the relevant list.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-modal-operators\">2. Modal Operators\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ccode>app.handlers\u003C/code> cannot help you when the task involves responding to what an artist is actively doing in the viewport. You need a modal operator instead.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The use case here is a one-click camera framer: an artist clicks an object and the active camera repositions and reframes to a studio-standard composition. No manual camera adjustment and no guessing at focal length, so no inconsistency between artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A modal operator is a class with two key methods:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>invoke()\u003C/code> starts the operator and registers it with the window manager.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>modal()\u003C/code> receives every event that occurs after that and decides what to do with it. The operator stays active and keeps receiving events until it returns \u003Ccode>FINISHED\u003C/code> or \u003Ccode>CANCELLED\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\nclass AutoFrameOperator(bpy.types.Operator):\n    bl_idname = \"studio.auto_frame\"\n    bl_label = \"Auto Frame Selected\"\n\n    def invoke(self, context, event):\n        context.window_manager.modal_handler_add(self)\n        return {'RUNNING_MODAL'}\n\n    def modal(self, context, event):\n        if event.type == 'LEFTMOUSE' and event.value == 'PRESS':\n            target = context.active_object\n            if target:\n                self.frame_camera_to(context, target)\n            return {'FINISHED'}\n\n        if event.type in {'RIGHTMOUSE', 'ESC'}:\n            return {'CANCELLED'}\n\n        return {'RUNNING_MODAL'}\n\n    def frame_camera_to(self, context, target):\n        camera = context.scene.camera\n        if not camera:\n            return\n        focal_length = 85\n        camera.data.lens = focal_length\n        \n        print(f\"Framed camera on: {target.name}\")\n\ndef register():\n    bpy.utils.register_class(AutoFrameOperator)\n\ndef unregister():\n    bpy.utils.unregister_class(AutoFrameOperator)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We define a Blender operator called \u003Ccode>AutoFrameOperator\u003C/code>, a reusable action that Blender exposes under the ID \u003Ccode>studio.auto_frame\u003C/code>. When triggered, \u003Ccode>invoke\u003C/code> registers it as a modal handler, meaning it stays active and listens for user input rather than executing immediately.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Ccode>modal\u003C/code> method is the event loop that runs on every interaction. A left click grabs the currently active object and passes it to \u003Ccode>frame_camera_to\u003C/code>, then exits. Right-click or Escape cancels cleanly, and anything else keeps the operator waiting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Ccode>RUNNING_MODAL\u003C/code> return value is what keeps the operator alive and listening. Any event that does not match a condition you handle should return \u003Ccode>RUNNING_MODAL\u003C/code> so the operator stays active. Returning \u003Ccode>PASS_THROUGH\u003C/code> instead tells Blender to process the event normally in addition to passing it to your operator, which is useful when you want the artist to still be able to navigate the viewport while the operator is running.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ccode>frame_camera_to\u003C/code> is the core logic. It retrieves the scene's active camera and sets its focal length to 85mm, though the actual math to reposition the camera and properly frame the target object isn't implemented as it's out of the scope of this article.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ccode>register\u003C/code> and \u003Ccode>unregister\u003C/code> are standard Blender add-on boilerplate that make the operator available when the script loads and remove it cleanly when it unloads.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To invoke the operator after installing the script as an addon, we open the search menu with F3 and type \"Auto Frame Selected\". To bind it to a shortcut, we can simply add the following snippet inside the \u003Ccode>register()\u003C/code> function:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">wm = bpy.context.window_manager\nkc = wm.keyconfigs.addon\nif kc:\n    km = kc.keymaps.new(name='3D View', space_type='VIEW_3D')\n    kmi = km.keymap_items.new(\"studio.auto_frame\", type='F', value='PRESS', ctrl=True)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>It's important to namespace your shortcuts carefully. \u003Ccode>Ctrl+F\u003C/code> in the 3D viewport has no default binding in Blender, but check against your studio's existing configuration before deploying. A shortcut conflict that silently overrides a default Blender action is hard to debug and will frustrate your artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One more rule to follow: keep the \u003Ccode>modal()\u003C/code> method lean. Heavy computation inside \u003Ccode>modal()\u003C/code> runs on every single event, which means every mouse movement. If your framing logic is expensive, offload it to a separate method and only call it when the relevant event fires, as shown above with \u003Ccode>frame_camera_to\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>You now have two examples of tools that address real studio problems without adding steps to your artists' workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The render handler can remove a manual, error-prone handoff from your pipeline entirely. And the modal operator gives artists a consistent, one-click way to frame a camera to your studio standard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The same patterns extend further. A \u003Ccode>load_post\u003C/code> handler could enforce naming conventions the moment a file opens. A \u003Ccode>depsgraph_update_post\u003C/code> handler might flag objects that violate your scene budget. A render complete handler can fire an HTTP request to a webhook and post a Slack notification to your production channel when a shot is done.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The event system is already there: you just have to start listening!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":128,"comment_id":129,"feature_image":130,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":131,"updated_at":132,"custom_excerpt":133,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":134,"primary_tag":135,"url":137,"excerpt":133,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":139},"3d817b37-7ce7-4d96-b479-e6915371fade","69d4d1fdc037da0001fce81f","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1686157251060-3ea1f90857aa?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDExfHwzZCUyMGFuaW1hdGlvbiUyMGF1dG9tYXRpb258ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc1NTU1Mzc0fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-04-07T11:44:29.000+02:00","2026-04-07T11:54:18.000+02:00","Learn how to use Blender’s Python API to listen to events and automate workflows. This guide covers handlers and modal operators with practical examples for production pipelines.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"5fff0e54653a0c003924f7f2","https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-python-event-automation/",5,"\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@hiestudio?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">HI! ESTUDIO\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-python-event-automation",{"title":123},"blender-python-event-automation","posts/blender-python-event-automation",[145],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"9JCrUEGsAvw10rXO5Icp6lhnx5Mume3AbiZ5__SpE9U",{"id":148,"title":149,"authors":150,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":162,"meta":163,"navigation":15,"path":175,"published_at":176,"seo":177,"slug":178,"stem":179,"tags":180,"__hash__":182,"uuid":164,"comment_id":165,"feature_image":166,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":167,"updated_at":168,"custom_excerpt":169,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":170,"primary_tag":171,"url":173,"excerpt":169,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-march-2026.json","Build in Public: March 2026 Update",[151],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"68d2f1e036b5be000835a0db","Frank Rousseau","frankrousseau","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/photo_identite.png","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/05/Annecy-Booth_Linework_004-2-1.jpg","CEO &Founder of CGWire","https://addictedtointer.net","Paris, France","@gelnior","https://blog.cg-wire.com/author/frankrousseau/","\u003Cp>Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in! 🚀\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"kitsu-updates-%F0%9F%A6%8A\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Updates 🦊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’ve continued building on top of the \u003Cstrong>v1.0.0 foundations\u003C/strong>, with a focus on flexibility, security, and deeper customization:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>1. More Entities in the Production Schedule 📊\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>You can now schedule \u003Cstrong>sequences and edits\u003C/strong> alongside shots and assets. It’s a more complete way to plan your production and align timelines across different levels.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>2. Stronger Two-Factor Authentication 🛡️\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>Studios now have better visibility and control over security, with a 2FA indicator on the People page and the ability to enforce 2FA across the entire organization.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>3. Plugins in Project Menus 🧩\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>Plugins can now be added directly to \u003Cstrong>project menus\u003C/strong>, making it easier to integrate custom tools into everyday workflows and access them without leaving Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://dev.kitsu.cloud/kitsu-plugins/development.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#kitsu-plugins-development\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Kitsu Plugins Development | Kitsu Developer\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">Kitsu provides a public API that gives developers programmatic access to our core features to build integrations, custom tools, or extend the UI with Kitsu plugins.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/kitsu.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Kitsu Developer\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/thumbnail/kitsu.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Learn more about Kitsu plugin development here\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"infrastructure-updates-%F0%9F%92%BD\">\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure Updates 💽\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>This quarter focused on improving reliability and performance across the platform. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We made \u003Cstrong>video normalization more robust\u003C/strong>, ensuring smoother, more consistent playback, while a series of code optimisations and infrastructure tweaks delivered overall performance gains across Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"events-%F0%9F%8E%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Events 🎫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The highlight of this quarter was definitely the very first \u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit, \u003C/strong>and what a day it was! 🎉\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-13.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1750\" height=\"1318\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-13.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-13.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/03/image-13.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-13.png 1750w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Held in \u003Cstrong>Paris\u003C/strong>, we brought together production professionals, technical directors, and studio teams for a full day of talks, discussions, and real-world insights on using Kitsu across animation, VFX, and games.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A huge thank you to all the \u003Cstrong>speakers, attendees, and partners\u003C/strong> who made this event possible. It was amazing to see the community come together, and we’re already thinking about what comes next. 👀\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Missed it or want to revisit the talks? You can watch all the sessions here:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLp_1gB5ZBHXpMe4lb2X6nDHmapNM7C2bP\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C/iframe>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Want to dive deeper? Check out our full recap:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-summit-2026/\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Kitsu Summit 2026 - Where Pipelines Meet People\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">The first Kitsu Summit gathered animation, VFX, and game production professionals in Paris for 15 talks on production pipelines, studio workflows, AI in animation, and the 2026 Kitsu roadmap.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/raster.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">CGWire Blog\u003C/span>\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Gwénaëlle Dupré\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/thumbnail/4080-3072-max.jpg\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Beyond the Kitsu Summit, we also had the chance to attend \u003Cstrong>Tokyo ACTF\u003C/strong> in March, another great opportunity to connect with teams and share what we’re building.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Next stops: \u003Cstrong>FMX\u003C/strong> in May and \u003Cstrong>Annecy MIFA\u003C/strong> in June. If you’re attending, come say hi! 👋\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"finance-%F0%9F%92%B0\">\u003Cstrong>Finance 💰\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Things remain \u003Cstrong>stable on the financial side\u003C/strong>, which is reassuring in the current climate. We’ve continued to maintain steady operations while preparing for the next phase of growth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To support this, we’ve taken out a \u003Cstrong>loan to invest in our sales efforts\u003C/strong>, helping us reach more studios, strengthen our presence in key markets, and continue building momentum around Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">CGWire - Metrics\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">This\n webpage shows the KPI of the company. We made them public because we \nare part of the Open Company movement. Transparency is important to \nbuild trust. Let us know if you want to see additional information.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://cg-wire.com/favicon.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Metrics\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/_nuxt/logo.4d5a2d7e.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">📊 \u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Check out our public KPIs and see how we’re doing behind the scenes\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"communication-%F0%9F%97%A3%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Communication 🗣️\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Following the Kitsu Summit, we’ve been sharing the talks with the community so more teams can benefit from the insights discussed during the event.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the content side, we’re improving the blog with \u003Cstrong>translations in three languages\u003C/strong>, making it more accessible to our growing international audience and easier to explore Kitsu in your native language.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"studios-productions-%F0%9F%8F%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Studios & Productions 🏫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Over the past three months, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming several top-tier organizations to the Kitsu family. These studios span games, film, and animation—and each one brings new energy, feedback, and creativity into the ecosystem.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here’s the full list of recent additions: 🎬\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>dayda.studio\u003C/li>\u003Cli>20STM\u003C/li>\u003Cli>lamola.studio\u003C/li>\u003Cli>snowcloud\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Érase una vez films\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Camello Audiovisual\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Station cachée\u003C/li>\u003Cli>xishan.studio\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We’re thrilled to support these teams as they scale their pipelines, streamline their reviews, and bring incredible stories to life. Welcome aboard! 👋✨\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"closing-notes-%E2%9C%8D%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Closing Notes \u003C/strong> ✍️\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Thanks for reading and being part of the journey! 🙌\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This quarter was a special one for us, with the first \u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit\u003C/strong> bringing the community together in a way we’ve never done before. Seeing teams share, connect, and learn from each other was a real highlight.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We’re heading into the next quarter with plenty of energy, and we’re excited for what’s coming next.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>See you in \u003Cstrong>June\u003C/strong>! 👋\u003C/p>",{"uuid":164,"comment_id":165,"feature_image":166,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":167,"updated_at":168,"custom_excerpt":169,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":170,"primary_tag":171,"url":173,"excerpt":169,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"6ac3f1c2-8536-4b1d-9d82-695e64d3d3be","69c0d3dacb09d8000107cfac","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/buildinpublic_march_2026.png","2026-03-23T06:47:06.000+01:00","2026-03-31T10:00:43.000+02:00","Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in!",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"5fff0e3c653a0c003924f7ee","https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-march-2026/",4,"/posts/build-in-public-march-2026","2026-03-31T10:00:44.000+02:00",{"title":149},"build-in-public-march-2026","posts/build-in-public-march-2026",[181],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"YQ7Ie68jBzPz8Ib94gGHAVPlgEM2HXMwJYiA0OdJpJg",{"id":184,"title":185,"authors":186,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":188,"meta":189,"navigation":15,"path":201,"published_at":194,"seo":202,"slug":203,"stem":204,"tags":205,"__hash__":207,"uuid":190,"comment_id":191,"feature_image":192,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":193,"updated_at":194,"custom_excerpt":195,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":196,"primary_tag":197,"url":198,"excerpt":195,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":200},"ghost/posts:kitsu-telegram-bot-integration.json","Integrating Messaging Platforms with Kitsu Production Data",[187],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💬\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Turn production events into instant chat notifications and commands with a Kitsu messaging bot.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Chat interfaces dominate the modern workplace: production teams coordinate in threads, approvals happen in emails, and LLM-powered assistants are becoming part of daily operations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The real problem is proper integration. A message that says \"Shot ready for review\" should let a supervisor approve that shot and update the status in Kitsu under the correct user in an ideal world, but this would require a small backend service, a secure API connection to Kitsu, and a reliable mapping between chat users and Kitsu users. The good news is, you can already do so with Kitsu!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A simple starting point is a Telegram bot with one command like /hello. The bot links the chat user to their Kitsu account once, then replies through the API and displays them in chat. Whenever an event happens in Kitsu, the bot notified you. That small integration proves the concept, and that's exactly what we're going to build in this article.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-custom-messaging-integrations\">Why Custom Messaging Integrations\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Custom messaging integrations centralize communication around a single source of truth. Instead of supervisors forwarding emails about a task status change, the update can be pushed automatically to the relevant team channel. For example, when a lighting task switches to \"retake\" in Kitsu, the lighting Telegram group instantly receives a structured message with the shot name, assignee, and deadline. The production tracker becomes proactive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>User experience improves when raw database events are reshaped into readable summaries. Artists should not need to dig through activity logs to understand what changed. A daily digest sent to a Telegram channel can summarize approvals, new assignments, and upcoming deadlines in plain language. That digest can be generated directly from the Kitsu API and delivered automatically every evening to turn production data into something people actually consume.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Automation is where this approach truly pays off, however. Messaging platforms can act as lightweight command interfaces. A coordinator typing \"/late_shots\" in Telegram can trigger a query against Kitsu and receive an instant report of overdue tasks. A lead typing \"/assign SH010 alice\" can trigger a backend call that updates the assignment in Kitsu. Chat becomes an operational surface for the production database.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But as we said, let's start simple with a Telegram bot that interacts with Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-create-a-new-telegram-bot\">1. Create a New Telegram Bot\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Start by creating a dedicated bot in Telegram. Separation keeps credentials clean and avoids future security headaches when the integration is handed over to production IT.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Open Telegram and search for BotFather, which is the official bot for managing other bots.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Initiate a chat and send \u003Ccode>/newbot\u003C/code>. The flow is straightforward: provide a human-readable name like “Kitsu Notifications” and then a unique username such as \u003Ccode>kitsu_pipeline_bot\u003C/code>. The username must end with “bot,” and it has to be globally unique, so expect to try a few variations in a studio environment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>BotFather returns an API token. Treat this token as a production secret, not as a convenience string to paste into Slack or commit to Git. Store it in your environment configuration system. If this token leaks, anyone can send messages as your production bot, which quickly turns from amusing to catastrophic when producers start receiving spam.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-10.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"976\" height=\"925\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-10.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-10.png 976w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Before wiring this into Kitsu’s event system, let's validate the token manually.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Search for your newly created bot by its username inside Telegram and start a conversation with it. Send a simple \"/start\" so Telegram registers your chat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To retrieve your client (chat) ID, call the \u003Ccode>getUpdates\u003C/code> endpoint with curl using the token. For example:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">curl https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/getUpdates\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>The response will contain a JSON payload with a \u003Ccode>chat\u003C/code> object and an \u003Ccode>id\u003C/code> field. That numeric ID is what your integration will target. In a real pipeline scenario, this might be the chat ID of a supervisors group rather than an individual user.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now test outbound messaging directly. Use curl to send a message to yourself:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">curl -X POST https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/sendMessage -d chat_id=<CHAT_ID> -d text=\"Kitsu integration test\"\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>If the message appears in Telegram, the token and chat ID are valid. This manual verification step saves hours of debugging later when you plug the same call into a Kitsu event hook and something silently fails.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-11.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"976\" height=\"925\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-11.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-11.png 976w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>With the bot validated, the next step is to connect it to Kitsu’s event system so that, for example, when a new asset is created, a message is pushed automatically to the supervisors’ Telegram group.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The exact same \u003Ccode>sendMessage\u003C/code> endpoint you tested with curl becomes part of a small service or serverless function triggered by Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-set-a-kitsu-event-listener\">2. Set a Kitsu Event Listener\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Next, we need to subscribe to real-time events from Kitsu. The objective is simple: react the moment production data changes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can use Kitsu's \u003Ccode>zou\u003C/code> Python SDK to open a websocket connection and listen for task update events.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, connect to the Kitsu event stream and filter for asset creation events:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import gazu \n\ngazu.set_host(\"http://localhost:80/api\")\ngazu.set_event_host(\"http://localhost:80/api\")\ngazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\n\ndef my_callback(data):\n    print(\"Asset created %s\" % data[\"asset_id\"])\n\nevent_client = gazu.events.init()\ngazu.events.add_listener(event_client, \"asset:new\", my_callback)\ngazu.events.run_client(event_client)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We use the \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code> library to connect to a locally hosted Kitsu API server at \u003Ccode>http://localhost:80/api\u003C/code>, authenticate with the provided admin credentials, and then listen for real-time events.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The snippet defines a callback function \u003Ccode>my_callback\u003C/code> that prints the ID of a newly created asset whenever it is triggered.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After initializing an event client with \u003Ccode>gazu.events.init()\u003C/code>, the script registers the callback to listen for the \u003Ccode>\"asset:new\"\u003C/code> event (which fires whenever a new asset is created in the system).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ccode>gazu.events.run_client(event_client)\u003C/code> starts the event loop that keeps the script running so that each time a new asset is added to Kitsu, the callback executes and prints its \u003Ccode>asset_id\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-use-the-telegram-api-to-send-a-message\">3. Use the Telegram API to Send a Message\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With events flowing in, push messages out using Telegram’s \u003Ccode>sendMessage\u003C/code> endpoint like we did earlier for testing. The API is just an HTTP POST that includes the bot token, chat ID, and text payload.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Encapsulate that in a small utility function:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import requests\nimport os\n\nTELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN = os.getenv('TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN')\nTELEGRAM_CHAT_ID = os.getenv('TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID')\n\ndef send_telegram_message(text):\n    url = f\"https://api.telegram.org/bot{TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage\"\n    payload = {\n        \"chat_id\": TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID,\n        \"text\": text,\n        \"parse_mode\": \"Markdown\"\n    }\n\n    response = requests.post(url, json=payload, timeout=5)\n\n    if not response.ok:\n        raise RuntimeError(\n            f\"Telegram API error {response.status_code}: {response.text}\"\n        )\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Note that we defined secret environment variables to prevent persisting them in a Git repository.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then call it from the event callback:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">from your_telegram_module import send_telegram_message\n\ndef my_callback(data):\n    send_telegram_message(\"Asset created %s\" % data[\"asset_id\"])\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>To test our event listener:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=<TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN> TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=<CHAT_ID> python server.py\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-receiving-messages-with-a-custom-kitsu-api-endpoint\">4. Receiving Messages with a Custom Kitsu API Endpoint\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Notifications are useful, but bidirectional communication is where the integration becomes truly useful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To do so, we need to extend the Kitsu backend with a custom plugin that registers a new route like \u003Ccode>/plugins/telegram/webhook\u003C/code>. Please refer to our official guide on Developing Kitsu Plugins for in-depth steps.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The manifesto will look like this:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-toml\">id = \"telegram\"\nname = \"Telegram Bot\"\ndescription = \"Telegram Bot\"\nversion = \"0.1.0\"\nmaintainer = \"Frank Rousseau <frank@cg-wire.com>\"\nwebsite = \"kitsu.cloud\"\nlicense = \"AGPL-3.0-only\"\nmaintainer_name = \"Frank Rousseau\"\nmaintainer_email = \"frank@cg-wire.com\"\nfrontend_project_enabled = true\nfrontend_studio_enabled = true\nicon = \"telegram\"\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>And our custom route will parse incoming commands and map them to explicit backend actions:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">from flask_restful import Resource\n\nclass WebhookResource(Resource):\n    def post(self):\n        args = self.get_args([\n            (\"message\", {}, True),\n            (\"chat\", {}, True),\n        ])\n        \n        message = args['message']\n        chat_id = args['chat'].get(\"id\")\n        text = message.get(\"text\", \"\")\n    \n        if text == \"/hello\":    \n            send_telegram_message(\"it works\")\n    \n        return jsonify({\"status\": \"ok\"})\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>For the sake of simplicity we define a single command \u003Ccode>/hello\u003C/code>, but you can create many more and use Kitsu services to query production data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Deterministic commands are easier to test, log, and secure. You can go a step further and call a LLM to map a natural language request into a command.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We just need to register the route in the main entrypoint \u003Ccode>__init__.py\u003C/code>:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">from . import resources\n\n\nroutes = [(f\"/telegram/webhook\", resources.WebhookResource)]\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>After packaging and installing your plugin on your Kitsu server instance, it's time to tell your Telegram bot how to reach it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you use a local development environment, you can expose the server via tunnel. With ngrok for example, if your server runs on port 5000:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ngrok http 5000\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>You then need to configure your Telegram bot webhook to point to that URL:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">curl -X POST \"https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_BOT_TOKEN>/setWebhook\" \\\n     -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" \\\n     -d '{\"url\": \"https://<random>.ngrok-free.app/plugin/telegram/webhook\"}'\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Now send \u003Ccode>/hello\u003C/code> to your bot in your Telegram chat and see the result:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-12.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"525\" height=\"560\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A custom messaging integration with Kitsu always follows a similar pattern: create a bot on a messaging platform, subscribe to Kitsu events, send structured notifications, and expose backend routes to handle incoming messages.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But that's not all: consider extending your Kitsu plugin with views!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, to display bot activity or recent interactions directly in the dashboard. Supervisors working inside Kitsu will be able to see which alerts were sent and which commands were triggered. The possibilities are limitless!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":190,"comment_id":191,"feature_image":192,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":193,"updated_at":194,"custom_excerpt":195,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":196,"primary_tag":197,"url":198,"excerpt":195,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":200},"16ecaf7a-bc5a-4d86-b08b-bf62ac7701e4","69ae62c591be760001bf7d81","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1577563908411-5077b6dc7624?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fG1lc3NhZ2V8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzczMDM5MzU5fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-03-09T07:03:49.000+01:00","2026-03-09T08:00:23.000+01:00","Learn how to integrate Kitsu with Telegram by building a bot that listens to production events and sends notifications. This guide explains how to connect Kitsu events, trigger messages, and create simple chat commands for production workflows.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-telegram-bot-integration/",7,"\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@lunarts?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Volodymyr Hryshchenko\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/kitsu-telegram-bot-integration",{"title":185},"kitsu-telegram-bot-integration","posts/kitsu-telegram-bot-integration",[206],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"CSt4jGbywZgG5gwq1J_TVNugmU5Ed34skMslwCBWcmM",{"id":209,"title":210,"authors":211,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":213,"meta":214,"navigation":15,"path":226,"published_at":219,"seo":227,"slug":228,"stem":229,"tags":230,"__hash__":232,"uuid":215,"comment_id":216,"feature_image":217,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":218,"updated_at":219,"custom_excerpt":220,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":221,"primary_tag":222,"url":224,"excerpt":220,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":225},"ghost/posts:estimating-render-costs-animation.json","How Animation Studios Estimate Render Farm Capacity",[212],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">😀\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Rendering costs are not guesswork. With the right framework they become predictable.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Everyone has watched a render farm crawl at 4 p.m., staring at a progress bar that hasn't moved in ten minutes, wondering whether the shot will finish before the end of the day. That moment when the queue is full, artists are blocked, and supervisors are asking for an ETA is an estimation problem.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Rendering often feels impossible to predict. One lighting tweak doubles the frame time. A setting that worked yesterday explodes memory today. Without a cost-estimation framework, you're left with saturated farms, missed deadlines, and eroded trust in the pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The good news: render costs are not magic. They are measurable, decomposable, and predictable if you approach estimations with a framework instead of intuition.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>This guide lays out a clear, practical estimation model you can apply immediately.\u003C/strong> It's designed for pipeline developers who need numbers they can defend in a production meeting.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-estimating-rendering-costs\">Why Estimating Rendering Costs\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/render-cost-estimation/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#why-estimating-rendering-costs\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Accurate render cost estimation protects the schedule\u003C/strong> before it's at risk. When a sequence estimated at 2 hours per frame quietly renders at 6, farm occupancy triples and downstream departments are left hanging.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Cost visibility also directly \u003Cstrong>influences creative decisions\u003C/strong>. When artists see that enabling high-quality volumetrics adds 35% render time, they're more likely to explore alternatives. Without that feedback, choices default to visual preference and the farm absorbs the impact later.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Reliable estimates are \u003Cstrong>essential for infrastructure and budget control\u003C/strong>. Farm capacity, cloud bursting, and delivery planning all depend on predictable numbers. A 120-frame sequence at 3 hours per frame behaves very differently from one at 9, especially across multiple concurrent shows. When estimates consistently land within range, production trusts the pipeline, and that trust buys room for smarter technical decisions.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-what-actually-affects-rendering-costs\">1. What Actually Affects Rendering Costs?\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/render-cost-estimation/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#1-what-actually-affects-rendering-costs\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Rendering cost is never about a single push of a button. It's the result of multipliers stacking on top of each other.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If a frame costs too much, everything downstream becomes painful, so the conversation should always start with what affects cost per frame:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Resolution\u003C/strong> - Moving from 1080p to 4K is not a mild increase. It's four times the pixels. If a frame renders in five minutes at 1080p, it's completely reasonable to see twenty minutes at 4K with identical settings.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Frame rate\u003C/strong> - Ten seconds at 24fps is 240 frames. The same ten seconds at 60fps is 600 frames. If each frame costs eight minutes, you've just turned 32 render hours into 80 without touching a single shader or light.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Render engine choice\u003C/strong> - CPU versus GPU rendering is less about speed and more about memory ceilings. GPUs can be dramatically faster per frame, but they are constrained by VRAM. A scene with 12GB of textures and heavy geometry might fit comfortably in system RAM yet exceed a 24GB GPU once acceleration structures and overhead are included.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sampling\u003C/strong> - Doubling samples almost doubles render time. If noise clears acceptably at 192 samples but artists push to 512 just to be safe, render time can nearly triple for negligible visual improvement.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scene complexity\u003C/strong> - Modern renderers handle millions of polygons, but acceleration structure build times and memory usage still scale. A five-million-poly hero asset is fine in isolation. Fifty duplicates that are not properly instanced can double scene memory and increase render prep time significantly. The same applies to textures, volumetric fog, procedural systems like hair, fur, crowds, and simulations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation length\u003C/strong> - Total frames equal duration multiplied by frame rate. A 30-second piece at 24fps is 720 frames. If each frame takes twelve minutes, that's 144 render hours.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The parameters to take into account can feel overwhelming, which is why per-frame cost is the only metric that matters. If the target is eight minutes per frame and early lighting tests show fourteen, the project is already heading toward a significant overrun even if only a handful of frames have been rendered.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-understanding-the-core-formula\">2. Understanding the Core Formula\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/render-cost-estimation/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#2-understanding-the-core-formula\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Every serious conversation about rendering cost needs to start with the core formula:\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cstrong>Total Render Cost = ((average render time per frame * total frames) / render speed) * hourly compute cost\u003C/strong>\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>If a sequence has 1,200 frames, each averaging 18 minutes on a single GPU, and the farm processes 40 frames in parallel at $2.50 per GPU hour, the math immediately reveals whether the lighting tweak just added thousands to the budget. It puts numbers on every decision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Estimating render time per frame must be grounded in production reality, not optimism.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-local-rendering-vs-cloud\">3. Local Rendering vs Cloud\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/render-cost-estimation/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#3-local-rendering-vs-cloud\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>It can be hard to evaluate total cost of ownership versus total cost of execution\u003C/strong> when choosing between building your own render farm or going for cloud rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Local workstation rendering looks cheap because the hardware is already sitting there. But that GPU or CPU wasn't free. A $6,000 workstation amortized over three years is roughly $166 per month before a single frame is rendered. Add electricity, say, a 700W machine running 10 hours a day at $0.20 per kWh, and that's roughly $42 per month just to keep it on. Now factor maintenance: failed SSDs, driver conflicts, OS updates breaking plugins. Even a conservative estimate of four hours of IT time per month at $75/hour adds $300. That \"free\" rendering node is suddenly costing over $500 per month before considering production impact. Opportunity cost is another silent budget killer. On a 10-person team billing $600 per artist per day, a single blocked workstation can easily represent thousands in indirect delay over a week of crunch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Cloud rendering flips the model from capital expenditure to operational expense. Instead of buying a machine, you rent compute by the GPU-hour. For example, if a frame takes 2 GPU-hours and the provider charges $1.20 per GPU-hour, that's $2.40 per frame. Multiply by 500 frames and the job costs $1,200 in raw compute. That number is transparent and scales linearly with workload, which makes estimates more predictable. Scalability is where cloud becomes strategically powerful. If 500 frames must be delivered in 24 hours and each frame takes 2 hours, locally that's 1,000 GPU-hours. On a single workstation, that's over 40 days of render time. Even with five machines, that's still more than a week. In the cloud, spinning up 100 GPUs finishes the job in roughly 10 hours. That difference can mean landing a client or missing the deadline entirely. But hidden costs in the cloud are where many estimates fall apart.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The practical approach is hybrid thinking.\u003C/strong> For example, keep a small local farm to render dailies overnight and use cloud rendering for finals, spikes, and simulations that exceed internal capacity. Switch as needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Estimating render cost means modeling behavior, not just machines.\u003C/strong> Once again, it's important to know your average render time per frame and plug it into both local and cloud cost estimators.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-hidden-costs-animators-forget\">4. Hidden Costs Animators Forget\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/render-cost-estimation/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#4-hidden-costs-animators-forget\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Everyone budgets for render time but hidden costs compound across shots. If the goal is predictable delivery, those costs need to be visible and actively managed.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Revisions\u003C/strong> are the obvious one, but the real expense isn't just the extra CPU hours. It's the cascade. A late animation tweak on a hero shot forces lighting to re-queue, comp to invalidate caches, and modeling to re-export textures. On a 300-frame 4K shot with heavy volumes, a \"small\" timing change can mean tens of thousands of core-hours plus artist wait time. Clear version approvals can save a lot of money.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storage\u003C/strong> is another silent budget killer, especially with EXR sequences. A single 4K 16-bit multi-layer EXR can easily hit 80-150 MB per frame. At 1000 frames, that's 80-150 GB for one version of one shot.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Bandwidth\u003C/strong> becomes visible the moment artists work remote or across sites. Syncing a 120 GB publish over a 1 Gbps line theoretically takes around 15 minutes, but in practice with contention and overhead, it can take much longer. Now multiply that by ten artists pulling the same plates Monday morning. Suddenly the farm is idle because comp is waiting on transfers. The practical approach is caching and locality, with a NAS and local granular syncs for example.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Backup and archival policies\u003C/strong> also carry real cost for the same reasons. \u003Cstrong>Software licenses\u003C/strong> are often treated as fixed overhead, but they can also scale unpredictably in the case of render only licenses. \u003Cstrong>IT time and pipeline setup\u003C/strong> rarely make it into show budgets, but they absolutely should. Every new show configuration, custom USD schema, or farm integration is engineering time that competes with support and R&D. Last but not least: when delivery compresses, everything becomes more expensive. Cloud burst rendering costs more per core-hour, vendors charge \u003Cstrong>expedite fees\u003C/strong>, and overtime increases payroll burn.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>None of these costs are mysterious. They're just easy to ignore when the focus is on creative output. \u003Cstrong>The role of a strong pipeline is to make these invisible multipliers measurable and manageable.\u003C/strong> When teams see the real cost of a \"small change,\" they make better decisions, and the entire production runs with fewer surprises.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-a-simple-estimation-framework\">5. A Simple Estimation Framework\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/render-cost-estimation/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#5-a-simple-estimation-framework\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Estimating render costs needs to be grounded in reality. Now that you have all the elements, here are a few simple steps you can follow to create your estimate, but don't be simplistic and adapt them to your studio workflow:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>The most reliable starting point is \u003Cstrong>the heaviest scene in the current production\u003C/strong>. Pull the most complex shot you can find: highest character count, full FX, volumetrics, motion blur, the works.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Render 5-10 final-quality frames under real production settings.\u003C/strong> For example, if the hero battle shot has six characters, rain FX, and 4K output, render frames 101-110 exactly as they would ship. Anything less is lying to yourself.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Once those frames are done, \u003Cstrong>calculate the average render time per frame across the batch.\u003C/strong> If the ten frames range from 18 to 26 minutes and average out at 22 minutes per frame, that 22 minutes is your baseline.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>With that baseline in hand, \u003Cstrong>add a buffer\u003C/strong> before anyone else asks for it. Production reality guarantees noise. A 15-30% buffer is healthy depending on show volatility. If that 22-minute average becomes 28 minutes after a 25% buffer, you've built in space for inevitable look-dev drift. On a stylized commercial with locked lighting, 15% might be enough. On a feature sequence still evolving, 30% is safer and still defensible.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Now scale it to the show. \u003Cstrong>Multiply the buffered per-frame time by total frame count.\u003C/strong> A 90-second sequence at 24 fps is 2,160 frames. At 28 minutes per frame, that's 60,480 render minutes, or just over 1,008 render hours. On a 200-node farm where each node runs one frame at a time, that's roughly five hours of wall-clock time, assuming perfect distribution and zero contention. That assumption will never be true, but it gives production something concrete to reason about.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Next comes \u003Cstrong>the revision margin.\u003C/strong> Expect 10-25% additional frames to be re-rendered over the life of the sequence. If history shows that client notes typically trigger two re-renders, lean toward 20-25%. A 20% revision margin adds 432 frames. At 28 minutes per frame, that's another 201 render hours that must be budgeted.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>And as we mentionned earlier, \u003Cstrong>don't forget hidden costs like storage and bandwidth costs!\u003C/strong> Calculate them up front and make sure the network and disks can actually handle that sustained throughput.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When all these pieces are combined, you get a number that can survive scrutiny. \u003Cstrong>That number is both a cost estimate and a production constraint\u003C/strong>: it tells you whether to optimize shaders, reduce volumetrics, increase farm capacity, or renegotiate scope.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/render-cost-estimation/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#conclusion\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Rendering cost estimation is ultimately about managing uncertainty.\u003C/strong> No estimate survives contact with late creative changes or unexpected technical constraints. The practical approach is simple: test early with representative frames, base projections on measured data instead of intuition, add realistic buffers for revisions, and continuously recalibrate once real shots hit the farm. Every project will drift: the goal is to detect that drift early and absorb it with planning rather than panic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If tighter control over that uncertainty sounds appealing, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/flamenco-without-nas-kitsu/\" rel=\"nofollow\">consider trying self-hosting a render farm\u003C/a>. Running your own infrastructure gives direct access to performance metrics, failure rates, queue behavior, and real per-shot render costs instead of relying on opaque cloud billing summaries. Even a small pilot setup with a few nodes rendering a short internal project can expose bottlenecks, validate benchmarks, and build the historical data needed for future estimates. Owning the feedback loop between scene complexity, hardware performance, and scheduling pressure is often the fastest way to turn render cost estimation from guesswork into an operational advantage.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":215,"comment_id":216,"feature_image":217,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":218,"updated_at":219,"custom_excerpt":220,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":221,"primary_tag":222,"url":224,"excerpt":220,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":225},"33472886-015c-40af-bab2-a0b2dc33109b","69ae62c891be760001bf7d87","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1719014745427-663137ae50f6?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGFuaW1hdGlvbiUyMHJlbmRlcmluZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzMwMzg3NTR8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-03-09T07:03:52.000+01:00","2026-03-09T07:51:00.000+01:00","Learn how animation studios estimate rendering costs and predict farm capacity. This guide explains the factors that affect render time, the core cost formula, and a practical framework for reliable render estimations.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"5fff0e4b653a0c003924f7f0","https://blog.cg-wire.com/estimating-render-costs-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@buddhaelemental3d?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Buddha Elemental 3D\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/estimating-render-costs-animation",{"title":210},"estimating-render-costs-animation","posts/estimating-render-costs-animation",[231],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"AfO5bQ4BoUaQdumnEGFpE6vmeVhLOofanyDkTeqmITY",{"id":234,"title":235,"authors":236,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":238,"meta":239,"navigation":15,"path":251,"published_at":244,"seo":252,"slug":253,"stem":254,"tags":255,"__hash__":257,"uuid":240,"comment_id":241,"feature_image":242,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":243,"updated_at":244,"custom_excerpt":245,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":246,"primary_tag":247,"url":248,"excerpt":245,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":250},"ghost/posts:retopology-animation-blender-guide.json","Why Retopology Matters for Animation Pipelines",[237],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🧩\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\"> Retopology turns messy 3D meshes into animation-ready assets.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>AI tools can now generate 3D models in minutes, but they usually produce messy topology, meaning the way polygons are arranged across the surface is uneven and poorly structured. It might look fine on the surface, but it'll break the moment you start trying to animate it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you're doing any kind of animation or rendering, assume \u003Cstrong>you will need retopology\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you don't know where to start, we've got you covered. In this article, we'll go through the process step-by-step and explain different tools you can use to make it easier.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-retopology\">What's Retopology\u003C/h2>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Retopology is the process of rebuilding the surface topology of a 3D model to create a cleaner arrangement of polygons over an existing sculpt\u003C/strong>\u003C/b> so it deforms correctly in animation.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/retopology/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#whats-retopology\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-5.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"220\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Manual\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>For example, we don't usually animate the dense sculpt that comes out of ZBrush directly. Instead, we build a lighter, structured mesh on top of it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A mesh is a 3D object made of vertices (points), edges (lines between points), and faces (surfaces).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before we even think about rigging, we inspect the mesh in wireframe mode and identify dense clusters, stretched polygons, and chaotic edge flow (the direction edges follow across the surface).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For a character, for example, we could rebuild the shoulder using evenly spaced quads (four-sided polygons) instead of triangles so that the arm could rotate without pinching. This is retopology.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-retopology-is-key\">Why Retopology Is Key\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/retopology/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#why-retopology-is-key\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Retopology rebuilds a model's surface with clean geometry, and you need it if you want \u003Cstrong>assets that are maintainable and reusable\u003C/strong> across productions. Animators don't ship dense sculpt topology downstream. Instead, they rebuild it with clean edge loops so that the next animator or rigger can understand and modify it quickly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Good retopology also makes animation easier because deformation becomes predictable.\u003C/strong> Deformation is how a mesh changes shape when a joint rotates, and support it with evenly spaced quads around elbows, knees, and mouths. If you place five to seven radial edge loops around a joint, you give the skin enough geometry to bend without collapsing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, \u003Cstrong>controlling polygon density reduces rendering cost.\u003C/strong> A polygon is a single face of geometry, and more polygons means more data to process, so we usually concentrate on details where silhouettes change and keep flat areas lightweight to cut costs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Retopology always comes in handy at some point\u003C/strong>, whether it's to fix a 3D model or create different levels of detail (LOD), so roll up your sleeves and let's dive in.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-back-up-your-3d-model\">1. Back Up Your 3D Model\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/retopology/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#1-back-up-your-3d-model\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, \u003Cstrong>it's important you back up your model before you touch retopology\u003C/strong>, every single time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Automated retopology tools rebuild topology from scratch, which means they overwrite or delete the original mesh data. It happens artists run an auto-retopo pass at the end of a long day, only to realize the new edge flow breaks deformation around the shoulders and the original sculpt is gone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don't rely on undo. Save a clean duplicate of the file and archive the current mesh in your scene before running anything destructive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In production, also create a new version in Kitsu to keep changes traceable and recoverable. That way, if the new topology fails in rigging tests, you can roll back in minutes instead of asking IT for a file restore.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-6.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Treat backups as part of the retopology process itself! A two-minute version bump and duplicate save can protect days of sculpting and keep the pipeline moving when supervisors ask to compare \"before\" and \"after\" meshes.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-general-process\">2. General Process\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/retopology/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#2-general-process\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The general workflow is simple: clean the sculpt, voxel remesh for stability, quad remesh for structure, then manually refine deformation areas like shoulders and hips.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Always test with quick skin weights and extreme poses early.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-automated-retopology-with-remeshing\">3. Automated Retopology With Remeshing\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/retopology/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#3-automated-retopology-with-remeshing\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If a creature comes in with 8 million polygons and chaotic triangles, \u003Cstrong>we don't start hand-retopo immediately\u003C/strong>. Instead, we run an automated remesh pass to establish structure first.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To do so, Blender proposes two remeshing algorithms: Voxel and quad.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-7.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-7.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-7.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-7.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Sofia Pahaoja on Medium\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Voxel remeshing\u003C/strong> (VDB Remesh) works by converting the mesh into a 3D grid of tiny cubes (voxels), rebuilding the surface based on volume rather than original edge flow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The produced evenly distributed geometry is why it's great for fixing holes, non-manifold geometry (a structure that cannot be unfolded into a 2D plane with consistent surface normals), and intersecting parts. You use voxel when you need a fresh base mesh and don't care much about preserving existing topology, so the result can be messy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the other hand, you can use \u003Cstrong>quad remeshing\u003C/strong> when you want animation-friendly edge loops. Quad remeshing analyzes surface curvature and generates quads which deform predictably under skinning. QuadriFlow follows the shape of your model.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Naturally, you can combine the two. On a facial rig for example, you could ran quad remesh after voxel cleanup, then adjust guides to force loops around the eyes and mouth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to keep in mind that \u003Cstrong>automated retopology is most often than not a starting point, not a final deliverable.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-manual-retopology-with-poly-build\">4. Manual Retopology With Poly Build\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/retopology/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#4-manual-retopology-with-poly-build\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Manual retopology with the Poly Build tool\u003C/strong> is what you reach for when deformation quality is key, especially on hero characters that will carry close-ups.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Blender, the Poly Build tool lets you draw new polygons directly on the surface of a dense mesh, snapping every vertex to the sculpt.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-8.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1078\" height=\"516\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-8.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-8.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-8.png 1078w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Nation\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>To keep the example of the facial rig, an artist could rebuild the mouth area by placing quads (four-sided polygons) around the lips first to make sure edge loops follow the smile lines. It would give the rigger predictable loops for blendshapes and avoid collapsing geometry during extreme phonemes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>You can also use other modifiers like the Subdivision Surface Modifier or the Multiresolution Modifier\u003C/strong> to perform specific jobs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this step, experience matters a lot. Most animators learn by studying the topology of high-quality models and re-applying the same principles to their own models. It's tacit knowledge, so practice is key!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-measuring-retopology-performance\">5. Measuring Retopology Performance\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/retopology/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#5-measuring-retopology-performance\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Retopology is all about aesthetics, but \u003Cstrong>it's good practice to measure retopology performance with numbers\u003C/strong> by counting meshes in your scene. This way you can assess the amount of work a retopology requires and track your progress.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Blender, open the Outliner and check how many mesh objects are present, then enable Statistics in the viewport overlays to see vertex and face counts in real time.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-9.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"317\" height=\"159\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>A character model can look light, but the stats could show 120k faces across separate clothing meshes and simply merging static accessories and removing hidden interior faces could drop the count substantially before starting more complex retopology operations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's also important to consider separate mesh counts depending on LOD strategies.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>LOD, or Level of Detail, means creating multiple versions of the same asset at different resolutions so the engine swaps them based on camera distance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Reducing mesh count is also about optimizing LOD is about performance at runtime, so we can retopologize key deformation areas like shoulders and hips so the lower LOD still bends correctly during animation without spending too much time on details. Context is important.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/retopology/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#conclusion\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>AI-generated 3D models have made it incredibly fast to go from idea to mesh. But speed without structure comes at a cost. Clean topology is what transforms a raw, messy asset into something production-ready.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this guide, we covered what retopology is, why it matters for maintainability, animation, and rendering performance, and how to approach it step by step inside Blender.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You've seen why backing up your original mesh is critical. From there, we explored automated retopology using remeshing tools like Voxel and Quad methods for fast results, as well as manual retopology with modifiers when precision matters most. Finally, we looked at how to measure performance by analyzing mesh counts and understanding the trade-offs between LODs and topology.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Retopology isn't just a cleanup step. And while we demonstrated the process in Blender, the same principles apply across all major DCC tools: whether you're working in Blender, Maya, Houdini, or any other 3D software, the fundamentals remain the same.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":240,"comment_id":241,"feature_image":242,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":243,"updated_at":244,"custom_excerpt":245,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":246,"primary_tag":247,"url":248,"excerpt":245,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":250},"05e17976-e873-4ea1-b896-fef84f99fcd7","69ae62ca91be760001bf7d8d","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1590285359328-dce54ee24c1c?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDQwfHxhbmltYXRpb24lMjBtb2RlbHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzMwMzgxMDN8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-03-09T07:03:54.000+01:00","2026-03-09T07:41:49.000+01:00","Learn what retopology is and why it’s essential for animation. This guide walks through the retopology workflow in Blender, from automated remeshing to manual topology cleanup for production-ready 3D models.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/retopology-animation-blender-guide/",6,"\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@jhc?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">James Coleman\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/retopology-animation-blender-guide",{"title":235},"retopology-animation-blender-guide","posts/retopology-animation-blender-guide",[256],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"1nVpTXkQokkNvujUo-ojOWyHqGGI1Qw-Q6oHLAzOgBg",{"id":259,"title":260,"authors":261,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":263,"meta":264,"navigation":15,"path":275,"published_at":269,"seo":276,"slug":277,"stem":278,"tags":279,"__hash__":281,"uuid":265,"comment_id":266,"feature_image":267,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":268,"updated_at":269,"custom_excerpt":270,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":271,"primary_tag":272,"url":273,"excerpt":270,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":274},"ghost/posts:scaling-animation-studio-systems.json","Scaling an Animation Studio from 5 to 50 Artists",[262],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📈\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Scaling an animation studio is less about hiring more artists and more about building the right systems.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>In a small team, everyone talks to everyone and problems get solved by turning around in a chair. At fifty people, that same habit creates noise and delays.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>System thinking (designing repeatable processes instead of relying on individual heroics) is hard to learn without having seen it inside a larger studio. Many artists only realize this when a project slips because no one has defined who approves shots, where files live, or how feedback is tracked. Multiply that by ten new hires and a deadline, and chaos follows.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The challenge is building structures that make good work predictable. And the solution is to deliberately design how information, assets, and decisions flow before growth forces painful lessons.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we define best practices to help you plan ahead.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-layered-team-structure\">1. Layered Team Structure\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/scaling-pipeline-from-5-to-50-artists/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#1-layered-team-structure\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When a studio has five artists, everyone touches everything and decisions happen in the same room. At fifty, that model only leads to confusion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to \u003Cstrong>put a layered team structure in place early\u003C/strong> by defining departments like animation, rigging, lighting, or compositing, supervisors who own creative and technical direction, and artists who execute within that scope. The supervisor is the person accountable for final quality and approvals, not just the most senior animator. Once each department has a clear supervisor and a single approval path, feedback flows through one channel and shot turnaround time drops.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Departments should be divided to \u003Cstrong>reduce cross-department dependencies\u003C/strong>, to design pipelines that allow teams to work in parallel instead of waiting on each other. A dependency is any task that blocks another task from starting. You can also standardize rigs, naming conventions, and publish processes so animation does not wait on last-minute rig tweaks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A clear team structure also makes it easy to \u003Cstrong>keep your budget under control\u003C/strong> as you scale and track your burn rate (how fast cash is spent each month) to guide staffing decisions. When production sees that adding two mid-level animators keeps the burn rate aligned with delivery milestones, hiring is no longer a gamble.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-centralized-asset-management\">2. Centralized Asset Management\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/scaling-pipeline-from-5-to-50-artists/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#2-centralized-asset-management\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You need to centralize asset management early, because five artists can shout across the room for the latest rig, but fifty cannot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Asset management originates from a simple need: \u003Cstrong>everyone must always work on the most up-to-date asset.\u003C/strong> There is nothing more frustrating than seeing a lighting artist spend half a day polishing a shot, only to discover the character rig is two versions behind. It's important to quickly replace scattered folders and casual file sharing with a single source of truth where approved files live.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Spreadsheets may seem enough to track shots and versions, but they collapse the moment three supervisors update them at once or someone forgets to log a change. Google Drive is attractive because you are already familiar with it, but you can't easily version assets and preview renders will eat up your storage quota fast.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The fix is simple: \u003Cstrong>store all production assets on a secure server with controlled access\u003C/strong>, so files are not passed around manually and permissions prevent accidental overwrites. Lock down DCC tool choices, sharing file formats, and introduce versioning strategies.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-1.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-1.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Versioning means saving incremental, clearly numbered iterations of a file so changes can be tracked and rolled back. Instead of letting artists rename files \"final_v7_reallyFinal,\" you can \u003Cstrong>enforce automatic version publishing through your DCC pipeline\u003C/strong>. A practical example: when a rigger publishes a new character to Kitsu, the system increments the version. Animators open shots and automatically reference the latest approved rig.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-2.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-tracking-documentation\">3. Tracking & Documentation\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/scaling-pipeline-from-5-to-50-artists/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#3-tracking--documentation\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a large studio, accountability no longer lives in casual conversations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>You need a production tracker as a shared system to assign tasks, deadlines, and owners in one visible place.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Kitsu for example, you can set up every concept, asset, shot, and scene as a trackable task, and assign one clear owner.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"833\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-3.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-3.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>In a small team, everyone remembers who is polishing the walk cycle. In a larger team, two animators may assume the other is handling it. A simple tracker prevents that confusion by making responsibility explicit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Pair this with defined milestones so progress is measured against concrete checkpoints rather than gut feeling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Documentation must also scale with headcount.\u003C/strong> You need a knowledge base to centralize tools, processes, and conventions to make them by everyone. For example, create a studio wiki in tools like Notion or Confluence and require artists to document new tools and fixes as part of their task completion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, \u003Cstrong>make use of forecasting tools\u003C/strong> to spot delays early. If layout consistently overruns by two days per sequence, adjust bids and staffing before deadlines slip, not after clients complain.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-structure-review-loops-team-communication\">4. Structure Review Loops & Team Communication\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/scaling-pipeline-from-5-to-50-artists/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#4-structure-review-loops--team-communication\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Feedback cycles also require structure.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A review loop should be a scheduled, repeatable process where work is submitted, reviewed, revised, and approved in clear stages.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Written communication is also critical because it creates a record and removes ambiguity. Make submissions happen at fixed times each week and require artists to attach a short written intent note explaining what changed and what feedback is requested, or use asynchronous comments that don't require everyone to be present at the same time to reduce meeting overload.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A review engine\u003C/strong> like Kitsu's centralizes versions, notes, and approvals, to prevent feedback from getting lost in chat threads:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1122\" height=\"549\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-4.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-4.png 1122w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You can \u003Cstrong>combine it with a messaging platform\u003C/strong> for quick clarifications while keeping final notes inside the review system. Many teams discover that when supervisors stop giving major notes in private messages and instead post them publicly in the review tool, alignment improves and duplicate work drops significantly.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-infrastructure-pipeline-management\">5. Infrastructure & Pipeline Management\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/scaling-pipeline-from-5-to-50-artists/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#5-infrastructure--pipeline-management\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Infrastructure stops being a background concern when a studio grows. At fifty artists, fifteen minutes of daily friction per person waiting for files to sync, relinking textures, and re-rendering broken shots, adds up to more than twelve hours of lost production time every day.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A dedicated pipeline team is important.\u003C/strong> Instead of having everyone patch problems as they appear, you can have one pipeline team owning standards, versioning, and automation so artists can stay focused on shots. Technical artists handle multiple key components of an animation studio:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>A NAS (Network Attached Storage) ensures everyone works from the same source of truth. Instead of copying files over chat, assets are published to a single location.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Backup and redundancy protect against disaster. One corrupted drive should not freeze a 50-person studio. Automated nightly backups and mirrored servers prevent panic.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A scalable render farm keeps lighting from blocking animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Custom automations quickly add up when you're handling hundreds of thousands of frames throughout a production.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog/blob/main/drafts/scaling-pipeline-from-5-to-50-artists/index.md?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#conclusion\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Scaling an animation studio isn't just about hiring more artists: \u003Cstrong>you need to design a system that lets more artists succeed\u003C/strong> without stepping on each other.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Decision-making needs layers. Assets need structure. Tasks need visibility. Feedback needs process. Infrastructure needs ownership. What once lived in conversations and shared intuition must evolve into documented systems and clearly defined responsibilities. Each of these systems reinforces the others, and together they support your studio's growth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you want to scale smoothly without sacrificing quality or culture, you need tools that support this structure. That's where Kitsu comes in. Built specifically for animation and VFX studios, Kitsu helps you centralize tracking, manage assets, structure reviews, and maintain visibility across departments in one place. Scale with confidence with the right systems!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":265,"comment_id":266,"feature_image":267,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":268,"updated_at":269,"custom_excerpt":270,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":271,"primary_tag":272,"url":273,"excerpt":270,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":274},"2dbfc58b-e1fe-4254-9c2f-5d09210ca6dc","69ae62cc91be760001bf7d93","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1648014613911-e355dc51e2e3?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fGFuaW1hdGlvbiUyMHN0dWRpbyUyMHRlYW18ZW58MHx8fHwxNzczMDM2OTgyfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-03-09T07:03:56.000+01:00","2026-03-09T07:18:45.000+01:00","Learn how to scale an animation studio from a small team to a full production environment. Discover best practices for team structure, asset management, production tracking, review workflows, and pipeline infrastructure.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/scaling-animation-studio-systems/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@ooneiroslyl?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">ooneiroslyl\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/scaling-animation-studio-systems",{"title":260},"scaling-animation-studio-systems","posts/scaling-animation-studio-systems",[280],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"o41IfFxYbK3eKApyX1aZhkYy2fbfTNBeyfC0vXH1V7s",{"id":283,"title":284,"authors":285,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":293,"meta":294,"navigation":15,"path":304,"published_at":305,"seo":306,"slug":307,"stem":308,"tags":309,"__hash__":311,"uuid":295,"comment_id":296,"feature_image":297,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":298,"updated_at":299,"custom_excerpt":300,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":301,"primary_tag":302,"url":303,"excerpt":300,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:kitsu-summit-2026.json","Kitsu Summit 2026 - Where Pipelines Meet People",[286],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"5fe9b27094f20f00398a1673","Gwénaëlle Dupré","gwen","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2020/12/profile_pics.png","Product Manager at CGWire","https://blog.cg-wire.com/author/gwen/","\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎉\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">70+ attendees. 15 talks. 2 rooms. One community.\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>On February 12th in Paris, the very first Kitsu Summit brought production professionals together for a full day of learning, sharing, and connection.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>On February 12th, 2026, in the heart of Paris, the very first \u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit\u003C/strong> became a reality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>What began as an idea to bring the Kitsu community together turned into a full day of talks, roadmap reveals, pipeline debates, shared meals, and real human connection.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From the moment people walked through the doors, you could feel it 🧡\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-20-at-9---.09.34.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"535\" height=\"566\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"%F0%9F%91%95-swag-smiles-and-a-familiar-mascot\">👕 Swag, Smiles, and a Familiar Mascot\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before the first keynote even began, something special was waiting in the lobby.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Our exclusive \u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit swag\u003C/strong> was on display, embroidered white Kitsu T-shirts, tote bags, and stickers. And of course, the Kitsu mascot was there to greet everyone.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/Finder-2026-02-24-2.31.46---pm.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"974\" height=\"1162\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/Finder-2026-02-24-2.31.46---pm.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/Finder-2026-02-24-2.31.46---pm.png 974w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Our friendly Kitsu mascot, ready to welcome everyone 🧡🦊\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>It was a simple way to mark the occasion and bring everyone together.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"%F0%9F%8F%9B-a-venue-worthy-of-the-occasion\">🏛 A Venue Worthy of the Occasion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The summit took place at Cap Digital, a beautiful venue near Gare du Nord.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/4080-3072-max1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1506\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/4080-3072-max1.jpg 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/4080-3072-max1.jpg 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/02/4080-3072-max1.jpg 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2026/02/4080-3072-max1.jpg 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>We ran two conference rooms simultaneously, with talks happening in both \u003Cstrong>English 🇬🇧 and French 🇫🇷\u003C/strong>, making the event accessible to a broader community.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-gallery-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-gallery-container\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-gallery-row\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-gallery-image\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/image-4.png\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/image-4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/image-4.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/02/image-4.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2026/02/image-4.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-gallery-image\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/image-2.png\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1506\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/image-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/02/image-2.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2026/02/image-2.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Both rooms were full throughout the day. At times, people were standing at the back. \u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cblockquote>💬 There is real appetite for open conversations about production workflows.\u003C/blockquote>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"%F0%9F%8E%A4-15-talks-real-production-stories\">🎤 15 Talks, Real Production Stories\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Across animation, VFX, and hybrid studios, speakers shared how they:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>• Produced award-winning feature films\u003Cbr>• Managed hundreds of projects at scale\u003Cbr>• Built fully open source TV pipelines\u003Cbr>• Redfined 3D asset management\u003Cbr>• Mixed 2D and 3D in hybrid workflows\u003Cbr>• Applied 3D techniques to 2D pipelines\u003Cbr>• Integrated AI thoughtfully into production 🤖\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Check out some of the talks on our YouTube playlist linked below\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp_1gB5ZBHXpMe4lb2X6nDHmapNM7C2bP&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> Kitsu Summit 2026 Talks\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>The diversity of approaches was striking. There is no single way to use Kitsu and that flexibility is one of its strengths.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/image-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1506\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/image-3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/image-3.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/02/image-3.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2026/02/image-3.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Speaker \u003C/span>\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Mario Hawat \u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">from \u003C/span>\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Autour De Minuit \u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">sharing how Blender and Kitsu work together across diverse animation styles.\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"%F0%9F%9A%80-major-announcements\">🚀 Major Announcements\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The summit was also where we unveiled:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>• Our new plugin system\u003Cbr>• Revamped developer documentation\u003Cbr>• The 2026 Kitsu roadmap\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The new developer documentation is already live:\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://dev.kitsu.cloud/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://dev.kitsu.cloud/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>Shout out to CGWire CEO Frank Rousseau for hosting and MC’ing the entire day, guiding the sessions, keeping everything on track, and quite literally staying on his feet from start to finish.\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/image-6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1506\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/image-6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/image-6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/02/image-6.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2026/02/image-6.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">CGWire’s Product Manager, Gwenaelle Dupré, showcases the latest and greatest features of Kitsu\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> 🦊 \u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"%F0%9F%8D%BD-production-meets-gastronomy\">🍽 Production Meets Gastronomy\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Let’s talk about the food.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Marie Julien Cuisine delivered a beautiful breakfast, lunch, and cocktail, with vegetarian options and dishes prepared with care and intention.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And yes, the wine selection deserved its own mention 🍷\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We enjoyed \u003Cstrong>Pierres Blanches by Domaine de Brin\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>Groseille from Domaine de Montaillant\u003C/strong>, bringing a distinctly French touch to the summit lunch.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.07.30@2x.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1794\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.07.30@2x.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.07.30@2x.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.07.30@2x.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.07.30@2x.png 1794w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Great food. Great wine. Great conversations.\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Some of the most valuable discussions happened over plates and glasses, meeting studio teams we had only spoken to remotely before.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>🤝 For many of us, Kitsu now truly has a face to the name.\u003C/blockquote>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"%F0%9F%8C%8D-from-slack-messages-to-real-conversations\">🌍 From Slack Messages to Real Conversations\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One of the most rewarding aspects of the day was finally meeting in person the people we have collaborated with for years through tickets, calls, and review notes.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Production managers.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Technical directors.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Studio founders.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>There is something powerful about moving from remote conversations to face-to-face exchanges.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>New projects were discussed.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Ideas were challenged.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Connections were strengthened.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"%F0%9F%A5%82-and-we-didn%E2%80%99t-want-it-to-end\">🥂 And We Didn’t Want It to End\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The closing cocktail turned into long conversations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Long enough, in fact, that we were eventually (politely) asked to leave the venue.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Which naturally led to the speaker dinner, a relaxed evening to thank the people who made the summit possible.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A huge shout-out to all our speakers who travelled to Paris to share their expertise. Some came from as far as \u003Cstrong>Hyderabad and New York\u003C/strong> to be there with us 🌎\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That level of commitment means a lot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your generosity in sharing your pipelines, your challenges, and your lessons learned is what made this summit meaningful.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"%F0%9F%92%9B-a-milestone-for-the-community\">💛 A Milestone for the Community\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The first Kitsu Summit proved something important.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Studios want to share what they are building.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>They want to see how others solve similar challenges.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>They want honest conversations about workflows, tools, and production realities.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>And most of all, they want to meet the people behind the projects. Seeing so many familiar names become real faces was one of the most rewarding parts of the day.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you to everyone who attended, spoke, supported, and stayed until the lights went out. This was not just a conference. It was the beginning of something bigger 🦊\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A big thank you to our sponsors \u003Cstrong>Ranch Computing, TVPaint\u003C/strong> & \u003Cstrong>Lenovo\u003C/strong> for supporting the Kitsu Summit and helping make the event possible, including generously sponsoring the lunch buffet.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lenovo’s high-performance workstations power demanding productions across animation and VFX, and we were proud to have them alongside us in Paris.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>🔗 Lenovo: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.lenovo.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">https://www.lenovo.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>🔗 TVPaint: \u003Ca href=\"https://tvpaint.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://tvpaint.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>🔗 Ranch Computer: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ranchcomputing.com/en/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.ranchcomputing.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.10.39@2x.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1490\" height=\"1214\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.10.39@2x.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.10.39@2x.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-02-24-at-3---.10.39@2x.png 1490w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">A big thank you to our sponsors \u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">🙌\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"see-you-next-year-%F0%9F%91%8B\">See You Next Year 👋\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If this first edition proved anything, it is that production professionals want spaces like this.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>More transparency.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>More shared pipelines.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>More honest conversations.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We cannot wait to build the next one with you.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":295,"comment_id":296,"feature_image":297,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":298,"updated_at":299,"custom_excerpt":300,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":301,"primary_tag":302,"url":303,"excerpt":300,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"789fdd0a-2cb3-476b-bfe0-fb9a62fb9881","699822dc5f0dd400018b08a1","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/4080-3072-max.jpg","2026-02-20T10:01:16.000+01:00","2026-03-04T12:37:27.000+01:00","The first Kitsu Summit gathered animation, VFX, and game production professionals in Paris for 15 talks on production pipelines, studio workflows, AI in animation, and the 2026 Kitsu roadmap.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-summit-2026/","/posts/kitsu-summit-2026","2026-03-01T15:40:29.000+01:00",{"title":284},"kitsu-summit-2026","posts/kitsu-summit-2026",[310],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"P2z88v0_-MnzJ98RMzz9m8Ol9m-DBcSAg5mgZm9uUnk",{"id":313,"title":314,"authors":315,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":317,"meta":318,"navigation":15,"path":329,"published_at":323,"seo":330,"slug":331,"stem":332,"tags":333,"__hash__":335,"uuid":319,"comment_id":320,"feature_image":321,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":322,"updated_at":323,"custom_excerpt":324,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":325,"primary_tag":326,"url":327,"excerpt":324,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":328},"ghost/posts:kitsu-webhooks-pipeline-automation.json","Using Kitsu Webhooks to Trigger Pipeline Actions",[316],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">⚡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Turn production events into instant pipeline actions with Kitsu webhooks.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>As a studio grows, the cracks in a manual pipeline get louder: an artist publishes an asset, a supervisor approves a shot, a task flips to \u003Cem>Done\u003C/em>, but somewhere down the line, another tool is still waiting to be told. Those delays add up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu's Event API changes the game by broadcasting what's happening in production the moment it happens. No polling, no guesswork. Just real-time signals you can act upon.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With webhooks, you can trigger automated actions the instant production data changes, like \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-programmatic-rendering/\">launching renders\u003C/a>, syncing tracking tools, notifying teams, or updating downstream systems without human hand-offs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we'll break down how to set them up and put them to work, with a practical, studio-tested example you can drop into a real pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/kitsu-webhooks%20?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/kitsu-webhooks%20\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-webhooks\">Why Webhooks\u003C/h2>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-9c7a79f2-b129-45df-bea5-52e3d0e07988.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/data-src-image-9c7a79f2-b129-45df-bea5-52e3d0e07988.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/data-src-image-9c7a79f2-b129-45df-bea5-52e3d0e07988.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-9c7a79f2-b129-45df-bea5-52e3d0e07988.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Polling the API every few minutes is like asking production for updates by shouting across the floor: it's slow, noisy, and easy to miss at the exact moment something matters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Webhooks flip that model: instead of checking whether Kitsu changed, Kitsu tells your pipeline immediately when it does.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This brings several production benefits in practice: a modeler creates a new prop in Kitsu, and within seconds, your asset build system spins up the correct directory structure on the server, registers the asset in your DCC tools, and makes it visible to layout. No artist has to copy a name or click a button.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Later in the schedule, a lighting task moves to Done. That single status change can trigger your render management system to submit the shot automatically, using the latest approved files and the correct render settings for the show. By the time anyone notices the task is finished, frames are already rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When an artist publishes a file, the webhook can push that version straight into your review stack. The media is transcoded, uploaded, and attached to the correct shot before the supervisor opens their inbox. Reviews happen sooner, notes come back faster, and work keeps flowing instead of waiting for someone to remember the next step.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is what webhooks buy you: production data turning directly into action. Fewer hand-offs, tighter feedback loops, and a pipeline that reacts at the same speed your artists work.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"available-events\">Available events\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Kitsu emits events for all production actions covered by \u003Ca href=\"https://gazu.cg-wire.com/data?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">available data models\u003C/a>:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Asset creation and updates\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Shot creation and updates\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Task status changes\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Preview file creation and publication\u003C/li>\u003Cli>People management\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Organization changes\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Shot and sequence updates\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Each event carries structured data (IDs, timestamps, user information) so you can precisely identify what changed and react accordingly: a real-time production log you can subscribe to!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-create-an-event-listener\">1. Create an event listener\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The first step is to register an event listener using the Kitsu Python client (\u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code>). This listener acts like a webhook endpoint: it waits for events and calls your callback function when they occur.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">import gazu\n\ngazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\ngazu.set_event_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\ndef my_callback(data):\n    print(\"Asset created %s\" % data[\"asset_id\"])\n\nevent_client = gazu.events.init()\ngazu.events.add_listener(event_client, \"asset:new\", my_callback)\ngazu.events.run_client(event_client)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>First, we import Gazu, the official Python client for Kitsu, and configure it to talk to a Kitsu server running locally. Both \u003Ccode>set_host\u003C/code> and \u003Ccode>set_event_host\u003C/code> point to the same API URL: the first is used for standard REST calls, while the second is specifically for the event (websocket) endpoint. In production, it's recommended to set up the two in different threads because listening to events is blocking. But for the sake of simplicity, we do it all in one endpoint in this tutorial.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Next, we authenticate as a user. Calling \u003Ccode>gazu.log_in\u003C/code> logs in with the provided credentials and establishes a session so the client is authorized to receive events from Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Ccode>my_callback\u003C/code> function defines how your pipeline reacts when an event is received. It takes the event payload as input and, in this case, simply prints the ID of the newly created asset. In a mid-size animation studio, this callback could, for example, trigger a script that creates a standardized directory structure on the file server whenever a new asset is added in Kitsu. Artists no longer need to set this up manually, and naming conventions stay consistent.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After that, the script initializes an event client with \u003Ccode>gazu.events.init()\u003C/code>. This client maintains a persistent connection to Kitsu's event system.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The call to \u003Ccode>gazu.events.add_listener\u003C/code> registers the callback function for a specific event type: \u003Ccode>\"asset:new\"\u003C/code>. This tells Gazu, \"Whenever Kitsu emits an event indicating that a new asset was created, call \u003Ccode>my_callback\u003C/code> with the event data.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, \u003Ccode>gazu.events.run_client(event_client)\u003C/code> starts the event loop. From this point on, the script blocks and listens continuously via a WebSocket connection. As soon as someone creates an asset in Kitsu, Kitsu emits an \u003Ccode>asset:new\u003C/code> event, Gazu receives it, and \u003Ccode>my_callback\u003C/code> is executed immediately.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-send-test-events\">2. Send test events\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>To validate your setup, you need to generate real events. The easiest way is to perform standard API actions that you already use in production. For example, by creating an asset programmatically:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">import gazu\n\ngazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\nprojects = gazu.project.all_projects()\nproject = projects[0]\n\nasset_types = gazu.asset.all_asset_types()\nasset_type = asset_types[0]\n\nasset = gazu.asset.new_asset(\n    project,\n    asset_type,\n    \"My new asset\",\n    \"My asset description\"\n)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>After authentication, we retrieve the list of all projects visible to the logged-in user by calling \u003Ccode>gazu.project.all_projects()\u003C/code>. From that list, we select the first project. In a real production tool, you'd usually look up a specific project by name or ID, but this keeps the example simple.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The same pattern is used for asset types. The script queries all available asset types, then picks the first one. Asset types define what kind of asset is being created (character, prop, environment, and so on), and Kitsu requires one to be specified when creating a new asset.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With a project and an asset type in hand, we create a new asset by calling \u003Ccode>gazu.asset.new_asset\u003C/code>. The function takes the target project, the asset type, a name, and a description. When this call succeeds, Kitsu immediately creates the asset in its database and returns the newly created asset object.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At this point, the asset exists in Kitsu exactly as if it had been created through the web interface. This action also emits an \u003Ccode>asset:new\u003C/code> event, allowing the rest of your pipeline to react automatically.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before rolling this out studio-wide, a pipeline TD can create assets in a staging project to confirm that the event triggers downstream automation without touching real production data.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-react-to-events-with-callbacks\">3. React to events with callbacks\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Callbacks are the point where Kitsu events turn into concrete pipeline actions. When a callback is executed, it receives a payload describing exactly what changed: an asset was created, a task moved to a new status, or a file was published. That payload becomes your entry point for driving automation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A common first step inside a callback is to use the IDs in the event data to pull full context from Kitsu. For example, when you receive a task update event, you can fetch the complete task, the linked shot, and the associated project to understand where in the show this change happened and what rules should apply.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From there, callbacks typically perform side effects that would otherwise require manual intervention. An asset creation event could, for example, result in a standardized folder tree being created on disk. A file publish event can push media into your review system, attach metadata, and make it visible to supervisors immediately.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The key idea is that callbacks let production state drive behavior. Instead of people reacting to updates, your pipeline does, consistently and instantly, using the same rules every time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/kitsu-webhooks%20?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Fork our example Github repository\u003C/a> to try it out for yourself.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-search-events\">4. Search events\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Live events are only half the story. Kitsu also keeps a record of past events, which gives you a reliable paper trail of what actually happened in production. When something goes wrong or when you need to prove that something worked, this event history is an essential debugging tool.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Through the API, you can query recent events and filter them by time range or event type. Pulling the last hundred events is often enough to get immediate context after a failure. Narrowing the query to a specific date range lets you inspect what happened during a particular shift or overnight run. Filtering to file-related events is especially useful when tracking publishes and media ingestion issues.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">events = gazu.client.get(\"data/events/last?page_size=100\")\nevents = gazu.client.get(\"data/events/last?page_size=100&before=2019-02-01\")\nevents = gazu.client.get(\"data/events/last?page_size=100&before=2019-02-01&after=2019-01-01\")\nevents = gazu.client.get(\"data/events/last?page_size=100&only_files=true\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>In practice, this is how you reconstruct a broken automation. Imagine a publishing script fails sometime during the night, and the morning team finds missing media in the review system. Instead of asking artists when they published or digging through logs across multiple machines, you can query Kitsu for all file events from the previous day. That gives you an exact sequence of publishes, timestamps, users, and linked entities.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also keep track of specific events in your pipeline for productivity reports. For example, you could compile the activity log of your animation team to know who did what.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Kitsu API events give you a clean, reliable way to build reactive pipelines. By listening to production changes instead of polling for them, you reduce latency, eliminate manual steps, and make your studio more resilient as it scales.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Of course, webhooks only go as far as your knowledge of Kitsu scripting, so make sure to have a look at more technical tutorials from our blog to get a better idea of what you can build!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":319,"comment_id":320,"feature_image":321,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":322,"updated_at":323,"custom_excerpt":324,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":325,"primary_tag":326,"url":327,"excerpt":324,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":328},"0ba0384a-27a2-4189-ac13-8aca0933041c","6980b67a4304f600017051ef","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1644088379091-d574269d422f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGNvbm5lY3Rpb25zfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3MDA0NTM2OXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-02-02T15:36:42.000+01:00","2026-02-23T10:00:39.000+01:00","Learn how to use the Kitsu Event API and webhooks to build reactive animation pipelines. Trigger automation instantly on asset creation, task updates, and publishes without polling or manual hand-offs.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-webhooks-pipeline-automation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@choys_?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Conny Schneider\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/kitsu-webhooks-pipeline-automation",{"title":314},"kitsu-webhooks-pipeline-automation","posts/kitsu-webhooks-pipeline-automation",[334],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"_WyfIj_ToGV8wcQxWVnE_qvsU0aULS6YDQRThnH1vO0",{"id":337,"title":338,"authors":339,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":341,"meta":342,"navigation":15,"path":353,"published_at":354,"seo":355,"slug":356,"stem":357,"tags":358,"__hash__":360,"uuid":343,"comment_id":344,"feature_image":345,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":346,"updated_at":347,"custom_excerpt":348,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":349,"primary_tag":350,"url":351,"excerpt":348,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":352},"ghost/posts:automating-kitsu-production-onboarding.json","Scaling Production Setup in Kitsu with CSV Imports (2026)",[340],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🚀\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Spin up new Kitsu productions in minutes by importing clean studio data automatically.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>If spinning up a new show or scene in Kitsu means clicking through forms, recreating asset lists, and assigning artists one at a time, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/client-communication-animation/\">your onboarding is lacking\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That manual overhead compounds fast. Every new production repeats the same setup ritual, every crew onboarding becomes a copy-paste marathon, and every step adds another chance for something to break. At studio scale, that friction costs real time, real money, and real sanity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The fastest studios don't just use Kitsu: they wire it in their pipeline. They treat it like a production database, feeding it clean, structured studio data so new shows, shots, or departments come online in minutes, not days. Pipelines are cloned, teams are attached automatically, and Kitsu becomes an engine instead of a bottleneck.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we'll break down a practical, production-tested workflow for doing exactly that, using CSV files and the Kitsu Python API (Gazu) to automate production onboarding and make setup work disappear.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/import-spreadsheet-to-kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/import-spreadsheet-to-kitsu\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-you-can-import\">What You Can Import\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In a real production, almost all of the data falls into a few repeatable buckets that are perfect for automation:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Artists\u003C/strong> - Your crew already exists somewhere else: an HR sheet, a payroll export, a Notion table. That data usually includes names, emails, and roles like \u003Cem>Animator\u003C/em>, \u003Cem>TD\u003C/em>, or \u003Cem>Supervisor\u003C/em>. Instead of recreating users by hand in Kitsu, you can import that list in one pass and have your team ready to go before day one.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Assets\u003C/strong> - Characters, props, environments ... anything that follows a naming convention is easy to automate. A CSV with entries like \u003Ccode>CHAR_RobotA\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>PROP_Sword_01\u003C/code>, or \u003Ccode>ENV_CityBlock\u003C/code> can become a fully populated asset list in Kitsu in seconds, organized exactly the way your pipeline expects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Tasks\u003C/strong> - Tasks are also where manual setup really hurts. Modeling, Rigging, Surfacing, Animation... these task types rarely change from show to show. By importing tasks in bulk, you can automatically attach the right task stack to every asset and even pre-assign artists or departments, instead of clicking through hundreds of rows in the UI.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Beyond the basics, you can import \u003Ca href=\"https://gazu.cg-wire.com/data?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">any production-shaped data Kitsu understands: sequences, shots, episodes, or even entire productions\u003C/a>. This makes it trivial to duplicate a previous show's structure or spin up a new season with the same layout and naming rules.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Most studios already store all of this in spreadsheets. Treat those spreadsheets as data sources, feed them directly into Kitsu, and let automation do the setup work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While Kitsu's UI supports basic spreadsheet imports, scripting takes it much further: with the Kitsu Python API (Gazu), you can chain automations like syncing tasks from Notion, mirror your asset tracker, or regenerate task lists whenever the schedule changes.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-82a7e584-d2c0-4457-9ea4-4e97c794b6ff.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"611\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-82a7e584-d2c0-4457-9ea4-4e97c794b6ff.png 600w\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-csv-parser\">1. CSV Parser\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The first step is to standardize how you read studio data. CSV is ideal: it is easy for production to edit and easy for scripts to parse.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this tutorial, we'll focus on the artist data model for the sake of simplicity, but we could do something similar with assets stored in Google Drive or tasks in Trello.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">def load_csv(file_path: Path) -> pd.DataFrame:\n    \"\"\"Load a CSV file into a pandas DataFrame.\"\"\"\n    return pd.read_csv(file_path)\n\n\ndef parse_artists(df: pd.DataFrame) -> List[Dict]:\n    \"\"\"\n    Expected columns:\n        - email\n        - first_name\n        - last_name\n        - role\n    \"\"\"\n    return df.to_dict(orient=\"records\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Ccode>load_csv\u003C/code> is the entry point that turns a raw CSV file into something Python can work with. It reads the file from disk using pandas and returns a DataFrame, giving you a structured, table-like representation of the spreadsheet that can be filtered, validated, or transformed before anything is sent to Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ccode>parse_artists\u003C/code> takes a DataFrame that represents artist data and converts each row into a dictionary containing an artist's email, name, and role. By returning a list of these dictionaries, it produces API-ready data that can be passed directly to Kitsu or Gazu to create users in bulk instead of adding artists one by one.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A TV animation studio exporting crew lists from Google Sheets can simply save them as CSV, for example. Production keeps ownership of the data, while TDs automate ingestion without asking for format changes every show.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-kitsu-auth\">2. Kitsu Auth\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before uploading anything, you need to authenticate against your Kitsu instance:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">gazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>In practice, studios often use a dedicated \u003Cstrong>pipeline or admin account\u003C/strong> for automation. This avoids permission issues and keeps audit logs clean when scripts create or modify data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For local testing, it's advised to \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/dcc-integration-blender-kitsu/\">use the \u003Ccode>kitsu-docker\u003C/code> install\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-loading-data\">3. Loading Data\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Artists are usually the first bottleneck during onboarding. You need to gather emails, send invites, assign them to tasks... automating their creation removes hours of manual work for production coordinators.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">def upload_artists(artists: List[Dict]):\n    \"\"\"\n    Create artists if they do not already exist.\n    \"\"\"\n    existing_users = {\n        user[\"email\"]: user\n        for user in gazu.person.all_persons()\n    }\n\n    for artist in artists:\n        if artist[\"email\"] in existing_users:\n            print(f\"Artist exists: {artist['email']}\")\n            continue\n\n        gazu.person.new_person(\n            artist[\"first_name\"],\n            artist[\"last_name\"],\n            artist[\"email\"],\n        )\n        print(f\"Created artist: {artist['email']}\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This function takes a list of artist dictionaries and syncs them into Kitsu while avoiding duplicates.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It starts by querying Kitsu for all existing users and building a lookup table keyed by email, which makes it fast to check whether an artist already exists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It then iterates over the incoming artist data and, for each entry, compares the email against that lookup: if a match is found, the script skips creation and logs that the artist already exists. If no match is found, it creates a new user in Kitsu using the artist's name and email via the Gazu API, then prints a confirmation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The result is an idempotent import step you can safely re-run—new artists are added, existing ones are left untouched.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On a feature film ramp-up, a studio could import hundreds of artists from HR data in under a minute. Late hires could be added by simply updating the CSV and rerunning the script without duplicating users or manual checks.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-tying-it-all-together\">4. Tying It All Together\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The main entry point ties everything together:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">if __name__ == \"__main__\":\n    gazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\n    user = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\n    artists_df = load_csv(Path(\"artists.csv\"))\n\n    artists = parse_artists(artists_df)\n\n    upload_artists(artists)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This block only runs when the file is executed directly, not when it's imported by another module.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After authentication, it loads the \u003Ccode>artists.csv\u003C/code> file into a pandas DataFrame, converts those rows into a list of artist dictionaries using parse_artists, and retrieves an existing production in Kitsu by name.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, it calls upload_artists, which is responsible for iterating over that prepared data and creating the artist accounts in Kitsu, completing the automated onboarding step without any manual UI work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In practice, studios version these scripts alongside their pipeline tools. A new show becomes a repeatable command, not a checklist.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, you can log back into your Kitsu dashboard and see the final result:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-9f641c9c-07b5-4154-9c42-45279f6a9d20.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/data-src-image-9f641c9c-07b5-4154-9c42-45279f6a9d20.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/data-src-image-9f641c9c-07b5-4154-9c42-45279f6a9d20.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-9f641c9c-07b5-4154-9c42-45279f6a9d20.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/import-spreadsheet-to-kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Have a look at our corresponding Github repository\u003C/a> for a working example you can easily fork to fit your needs!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>At its best, Kitsu automation allows technical directors to reclaim control over how productions are born. When your pipeline can create itself from clean data, onboarding stops being a chore. By importing artists, assets, and tasks directly into Kitsu, you eliminate redundant work, reduce human error, and make production onboarding predictable. This approach scales from small teams to multi-show studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here are some additional features you could add to make your import pipeline more interesting:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>automatically assign tasks to artists based on their role\u003C/li>\u003Cli>populate departments for production tracking\u003C/li>\u003Cli>generate starting estimates and individual department calendars based on budget constraints\u003C/li>\u003Cli>turn a script into a breakdown list for each shot and use it to pre-generate assets\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The list can go on, but you just have to start small!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":343,"comment_id":344,"feature_image":345,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":346,"updated_at":347,"custom_excerpt":348,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":349,"primary_tag":350,"url":351,"excerpt":348,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":352},"89dfbefe-bab7-4dbd-a317-2b4f62de9543","6980b6784304f600017051e9","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1504868584819-f8e8b4b6d7e3?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fHNwcmVhZHNoZWV0fGVufDB8fHx8MTc3MDA0NDU0MXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-02-02T15:36:40.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:03:58.000+01:00","Learn how to automate Kitsu production onboarding using CSV files and the Gazu Python API. Import artists, assets, and tasks in bulk to eliminate manual setup and create repeatable, scalable studio pipelines.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/automating-kitsu-production-onboarding/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@goumbik?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Lukas Blazek\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/automating-kitsu-production-onboarding","2026-02-16T10:00:37.000+01:00",{"title":338},"automating-kitsu-production-onboarding","posts/automating-kitsu-production-onboarding",[359],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"mlgaejAh-K47aV92LIYK0qZr62tuRXQbi8CwKSXhGTg",{"id":362,"title":363,"authors":364,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":366,"meta":367,"navigation":15,"path":379,"published_at":380,"seo":381,"slug":382,"stem":383,"tags":384,"__hash__":386,"uuid":368,"comment_id":369,"feature_image":370,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":371,"updated_at":372,"custom_excerpt":373,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":374,"primary_tag":375,"url":376,"excerpt":373,"reading_time":377,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":378},"ghost/posts:flamenco-without-nas-kitsu.json","NAS-Free Flamenco Rendering with Kitsu Integration (2026)",[365],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🧠\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Run Flamenco without shared storage by letting Kitsu drive render context and files.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>You want to use Flamenco, but you don't want to buy a NAS.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you're a solo artist or a micro animation studio, that's a completely rational decision: shared storage can be expensive, adds maintenance overhead, and solves problems you may not actually have until you try to run a render farm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/self-hosted-blender-render-farm\">Flamenco assumes a traditional studio setup\u003C/a>: shared files, shared paths, instant access. Without a NAS, that assumption is hard to circumvent. Flamenco has no concept of production context, so it doesn't know which shot you want rendered, which version is approved, or where the job files live. And without that knowledge, it can't safely operate in a NAS-less environment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's where Kitsu comes in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu already knows what Flamenco doesn't: tasks, shots, versions, approvals. By treating Kitsu as asynchronous network storage, you can move data to a Flamenco manager when it's needed, render, and avoid hard shared storage entirely.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Flamenco doesn't support this workflow out of the box. To make it work, you need to build a custom Flamenco job type that pulls context and files from Kitsu, stages them locally, and controls when and how renders run. This article shows you how to build exactly that.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/flamenco-kitsu-render-farm?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/flamenco-kitsu-render-farm\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"high-level-architecture\">High-level architecture\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Our setup is built around a simple idea: Flamenco does the rendering, Kitsu provides the truth.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>Kitsu\n  ↑↓ (REST API)\nCustom Flamenco Job Type\n  ├── Pre-task Python (fetch task data & files)\n  ├── Blender render tasks (Flamenco-managed)\n  └── Post-task Python (upload renders back to Kitsu)\nFlamenco Manager\n  ↓\nFlamenco Worker(s)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Flamenco runs exactly as intended, with a Manager scheduling work and Workers executing Blender tasks. What changes is how jobs are defined. Instead of pointing Flamenco at a shared folder and hoping every machine sees the same files, we introduce a custom Flamenco job type that understands production data and knows how to talk to Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu sits outside the farm and exposes everything through its REST API: shots, tasks, versions, and file locations. When a render job is started—either manually or through automation—the custom job type queries Kitsu to figure out exactly what should be rendered. For example, it might ask: \"Give me the latest approved lighting version for shot 020.\" Kitsu answers, and that answer becomes the render job.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the Flamenco side, the Manager doesn't poll Kitsu or track production state. It simply runs the job definition it's given. The custom job type uses a small Python pre-task to fetch metadata and files from Kitsu, stage them locally in a job folder, and then hand them off to standard Blender render tasks that Flamenco already knows how to manage efficiently.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When rendering is done, a post-task Python step pushes the results back to Kitsu to upload rendered frames, create a new version, or update task status. At no point do workers need shared storage or permanent access to the same filesystem. Each worker pulls what it needs, renders locally, and pushes results back asynchronously.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-creating-a-new-job-type\">1. Creating a new job type\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A Flamenco job type defines how a job turns into actual work. It's the translation layer between \"I want to render this\" and the concrete tasks that Flamenco schedules across the farm. Conceptually, a job type declares what information it needs and how to compile that information into tasks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At its simplest, a job type describes a label and a set of settings, then provides a function that receives those settings and builds the job. In code, it looks something like this:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-js\">const JOB_TYPE = {\n  label: \"Kitsu Render\",\n  settings: [\n    // { key: \"message\", type: \"string\", required: true },\n    // { key: \"sleep_duration_seconds\", type: \"int32\", default: 1 },\n  ],\n};\n\nfunction compileJob(job) {\n  const settings = job.settings;\n}\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This code defines the skeleton of a custom Flamenco job type. The \u003Ccode>JOB_TYPE\u003C/code> object declares how the job appears in Flamenco: its human-readable label and the settings it expects when a job is created.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Those settings act as typed inputs, with validation handled by Flamenco: in this example, a required string and an optional integer with a default value.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Ccode>compileJob\u003C/code> function is where the job is turned into executable tasks; it receives the submitted job, reads the resolved settings, and would normally use them to generate render, pre-task, and post-task steps. As written, the function doesn't do any work yet, but it establishes the entry point where production logic will live.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a real production setup, instead of a generic message, you pass in a Kitsu task ID, a shot name, the desired output location, or even the Blender version that should be used.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Where this logic lives matters. Custom Flamenco job types run on the \u003Cstrong>Flamenco Manager\u003C/strong>, not on the workers. On disk, they sit alongside the manager program, for example:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">$ flamenco\n└── flamenco-manager\n└── scripts/\n    └── kitsu-render.js\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>In practice, studios treat these job type scripts as part of their pipeline codebase. They live in version control, evolve over time, and get deployed together with Flamenco updates. That way, you can change how jobs are built and how Kitsu is queried without redeploying or reconfiguring every worker machine on the farm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For worker scripts called by custom job types as commands, we put them next to our flamenco-worker program:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">$ flamenco\n└── flamenco-worker\n└── kitsu-render.py\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-adding-tasks\">2. Adding tasks\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Inside \u003Ccode>compileJob\u003C/code>, you explicitly define the tasks that make up the job. This is where a high-level \"render this shot\" request turns into concrete, schedulable work that Flamenco can hand off to workers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The example below shows the simplest possible task. An \u003Ccode>echo\u003C/code> task is created using Flamenco's task authoring API, given a category, and then assigned a single command. That command passes the resolved job setting into the task, which will simply print the message when it runs. Finally, the task is added to the job so the Manager can schedule it.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-js\">const echoTask = author.Task(\"echo\", \"misc\");\nechoTask.addCommand(\n  author.Command(\"echo\", {\n    message: settings.message,\n  }),\n);\njob.addTask(echoTask);\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>While this task doesn't do anything useful by itself, the pattern is the important part. The same mechanism is used to run Python scripts, launch Blender in background mode for rendering, or perform validation checks before a task is marked complete. Each task is designed to be atomic and restartable, which means if a worker crashes or a render fails at 3 a.m., Flamenco can retry just that task without derailing the entire job. That reliability is what makes this approach scale when you're running hundreds of shots overnight.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, let's get into the meaty part of the tutorial and code a task to download assets from Kitsu, render with Blender, and re-upload the result to Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-subcommand-1-downloading-assets-from-kitsu\">3. Subcommand 1: Downloading assets from Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The first real task in our Kitsu-driven job is to pull the exact data we need from Kitsu and set up a clean local workspace on the worker. Before Blender ever starts, the worker needs to know which task it's rendering and where the job files live.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of writing the logic in Javascript, we use the much simpler gazu Python SDK to create a \u003Ccode>kitsu-render\u003C/code> script, then call it in Javascript. If you don't have Python installed in your worker environment, consider \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-cli-single-binary/\">creating a binary executable from the Python script\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-js\">function compileJob(job) {\n  const settings = job.settings;\n\n  const task = author.Task(\"kitsu-render\", \"misc\");\n\n  task.addCommand(\n    author.Command(\"exec\", { exe: \"python3\", args: [\"kitsu-render.py\"] }),\n  );\n\n  job.addTask(task);\n}\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>The Python script authenticates against the Kitsu API, looks for TODO rendering tasks, and downloads the associated preview file containing a .blend project to render.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import os\nimport gazu\n\ngazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\nprojects = gazu.project.all_projects()\nproject = projects[0]\n\ntasks = gazu.task.all_tasks_for_project(project)\n\nrendering = gazu.task.get_task_type_by_name(\"Rendering\")\ntodo = gazu.task.get_task_status_by_name(\"todo\")\n\nrender_tasks = [\n    t\n    for t in tasks\n    if t[\"task_type_id\"] == rendering[\"id\"] and t[\"task_status_id\"] == todo[\"id\"]\n]\n\nfor task in render_tasks:\n    files = gazu.files.get_all_preview_files_for_task(task)\n    if not files:\n        continue\n\n    latest = files[-1]\n    if latest[\"extension\"] == \"blend\":\n        task_to_render = task\n        latest_blend = latest\n        break\n\nif task_to_render is None:\n    raise RuntimeError(\"No render task with a .blend preview found\")\n\ntarget_path = os.path.join(\n    \"/tmp\", latest_blend[\"original_name\"] + \".\" + latest_blend[\"extension\"]\n)\n\ngazu.files.download_preview_file(latest_blend, target_path)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This step is what makes a NAS-less workflow viable. Each worker pulls only the files it needs for the specific task it's running, instead of mounting or syncing an entire production tree. If the download fails, Flamenco can retry the task automatically without human intervention.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-subcommand-2-blender-render\">4. Subcommand 2: Blender render\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once the blend file to render is staged locally on the worker, we can \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-programmatic-rendering/\">render it programmatically\u003C/a> with the \u003Ccode>bpy\u003C/code> library:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">bpy.ops.wm.open_mainfile(filepath=target_path)\n\noutput_path = os.path.join(\n    \"/tmp\", latest_blend[\"name\"] + \".mp4\"\n)\n\nbpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.file_format = \"FFMPEG\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.format = \"MPEG4\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.codec = \"H264\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.constant_rate_factor = \"HIGH\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.gopsize = 12\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.audio_codec = \"AAC\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.filepath = output_path\n\nbpy.ops.render.render(animation=True)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>A more advanced pipeline would leverage Flamenco's native 'blender-render' command to automatically split the frame range into smaller units of work and distribute them across available workers. If a machine drops out or a frame fails, only those frames are retried, so there's no need to restart the entire shot or build custom queue logic to handle parallelism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But to keep our example simple, we just render the whole video in one worker.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-subcommand-3-uploading-results-back-to-kitsu\">5. Subcommand 3: Uploading results back to Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The final step in the job is \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-kitsu-low-res-preview/\">a post-render subcommand that pushes the render results back to Kitsu\u003C/a>. At this point, the worker has finished its frame range locally, and the farm's responsibility shifts from computation to publishing. This is where rendered output becomes visible to the rest of the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The example below shows a minimal Python instruction that uploads the resulting video file to Kitsu as an attachment on the original task.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">result = gazu.task.publish_preview(\n    task_to_render,\n    todo,\n    comment=\"rendered\",\n    preview_file_path=output_path,\n)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>In a real production pipeline, this step usually does more than just upload files. We can create a new version in Kitsu, update the task status to something like Done, and trigger review or notification workflows so supervisors know new output is ready. Because this logic is just Python running inside a Flamenco task, it's easy to evolve as production needs change without touching the render farm itself.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-triggering-the-workflow\">6. Triggering the workflow\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once the custom job type is in place, the workflow is triggered by submitting a job request to the Flamenco Manager. During development, this is often done manually by calling the Manager's REST API directly. It's a fast way to validate that job compilation works, settings are wired correctly, and tasks behave as expected before any automation is layered on top.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The example below submits a job of type \u003Ccode>kitsu-render\u003C/code> to the Manager. Along with basic metadata for tracking and attribution, the request includes a priority value and an empty \u003Ccode>settings\u003C/code> object, which would normally carry production-specific inputs like a Kitsu production ID. When the job is accepted, the Manager invokes the custom job type, compiles tasks, and schedules them across available workers.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-sh\">curl -X 'POST' \\\n  'http://172.17.0.1:8080/api/v3/jobs' \\\n  -H 'accept: application/json' \\\n  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \\\n  -d '{\n  \"metadata\": {\n    \"project\": \"kitsu\",\n    \"user.email\": \"basunako@gmail.com\",\n    \"user.name\": \"kitsu\"\n  },\n  \"name\": \"Kitsu Render\",\n  \"priority\": 50,\n  \"settings\": {},\n  \"submitter_platform\": \"linux\",\n  \"type\": \"kitsu-render\"\n}'\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We can see the manager received the job request and assigned it to a worker:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-8815284e-9d0e-49a0-bdd8-ff4ada8a8961.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/data-src-image-8815284e-9d0e-49a0-bdd8-ff4ada8a8961.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/data-src-image-8815284e-9d0e-49a0-bdd8-ff4ada8a8961.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-8815284e-9d0e-49a0-bdd8-ff4ada8a8961.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>This manual trigger is primarily a development tool. It lets you iterate on job logic, test edge cases, and rerun jobs without involving artists or production tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In production, studios always automate this step. A small service (often a cron job or lightweight webhook listener) periodically queries Kitsu for tasks that are ready to render, like shots that were just approved or published. When it finds one, it submits a corresponding job to the Flamenco Manager using the same API call.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With this in place, Flamenco becomes a production-aware render backend instead of waiting for humans to push buttons, reacting automatically to changes in Kitsu and keeping the farm in sync with the state of the production.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>What you've built in this article is a fundamentally different way to think about rendering in small studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By using a custom Flamenco job type to pull context and data from Kitsu, stage work locally, render through Flamenco's native scheduler, and push results back asynchronously, you've removed the need for shared storage without sacrificing reliability or scale.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each piece has a clear responsibility: Kitsu defines what is true in production, Flamenco decides how work runs, and your custom job type is the glue that keeps them in sync. That separation is what makes the system resilient, debuggable, and adaptable as your pipeline grows.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Understanding this pattern is important because it lets you build render infrastructure that matches the reality of solo artists and micro-studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But don't just leave here, \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/flamenco-kitsu-render-farm?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">clone our example Github repository\u003C/a> for this article and start rendering today!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":368,"comment_id":369,"feature_image":370,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":371,"updated_at":372,"custom_excerpt":373,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":374,"primary_tag":375,"url":376,"excerpt":373,"reading_time":377,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":378},"e864ab4c-75a4-40e8-b787-3d0f5937eac3","6980b6744304f600017051e3","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1666858452715-1399b952befb?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fHJlbmRlcmluZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzAwNDMxNzB8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-02-02T15:36:36.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:25.000+01:00","Learn how to run Blender Flamenco without a NAS by using Kitsu as asynchronous storage. This guide explains custom Flamenco job types that fetch assets from Kitsu, render locally, and upload results back automatically.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/flamenco-without-nas-kitsu/",9,"\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@fachrizalm?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Fachrizal Maulana\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/flamenco-without-nas-kitsu","2026-02-09T10:00:32.000+01:00",{"title":363},"flamenco-without-nas-kitsu","posts/flamenco-without-nas-kitsu",[385],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"jc6jt91jTF5PCUsPSQcrVR_U5Arx-eKplKRNnp9hexM",{"id":388,"title":389,"authors":390,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":392,"meta":393,"navigation":15,"path":404,"published_at":405,"seo":406,"slug":407,"stem":408,"tags":409,"__hash__":411,"uuid":394,"comment_id":395,"feature_image":396,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":397,"updated_at":398,"custom_excerpt":399,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":400,"primary_tag":401,"url":402,"excerpt":399,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":403},"ghost/posts:automated-kitsu-pdf-reports.json","Automating Kitsu Reports with Python and Gazu (2026)",[391],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📊\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Turn hours of manual status reporting into a fully automated Kitsu PDF in seconds.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>How many hours do you spend each week pulling data and generating reports?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animator studios use Kitsu to track progress, yet we still see supervisors spend hours manually compiling that data into PDFs just to keep producers and directors in the loop. It's a massive drain on creative energy and a manual point of failure that a senior team shouldn't have to deal with. If the data already exists in our tracking software, sharing it shouldn't be a struggle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As a technical lead, your job is to automate mundane tasks so the artists can focus on the art. And by using the Gazu Python client, we can bridge the gap between Kitsu's database and the final stakeholder report.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Today, we're going to build a script that programmatically pulls project metrics and generates a custom PDF, turning a 2-hour manual chore into a five-second automated task.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-custom-reports\">Why Custom Reports?\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Kitsu is a lifesaver for keeping the chaos of a production organized. The built-in dashboard covers all use cases, even multi-production analysis. But sometimes, \"standard\" doesn't cut it.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-4807effb-72e4-4fe8-9684-7f8a44579c42.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/data-src-image-4807effb-72e4-4fe8-9684-7f8a44579c42.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/data-src-image-4807effb-72e4-4fe8-9684-7f8a44579c42.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-4807effb-72e4-4fe8-9684-7f8a44579c42.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>For example, clients might want to feel like they're paying for a premium service. Sending them a raw software screenshot or a generic link feels a bit amateur. By using custom reports, you can deliver progress updates wrapped in your studio's branding, ensuring the presentation looks as polished as the frames you're delivering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then there is the struggle of finding a producer-friendly format. A producer asks for a very specific Excel pivot table or a legacy PDF for the archives that follows a bizarre internal logic only they understand. If you need to export a filtered list of every shot in Sequence 02 that's currently \"In Progress\" but stuck with \"Overdue\" retakes, a custom report gets you that data instantly. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/reduce-rework-animation/\">It saves you from the manual copy-pasting nightmare\u003C/a> and lets you get back to animating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Some studios also need custom views for advanced tracking. Custom data can help you spot department bottlenecks, like when the lighting team is consistently stalled because the FX cache is lagging, allowing you to solve the friction before it turns into a Friday night crunch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Fortunately, Kitsu is extremely easy to build upon.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/custom-kitsu-reports?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/custom-kitsu-reports\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-kitsu-setup-authentication\">1. Kitsu Setup & Authentication\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>First, you need to talk to your Kitsu instance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you don't have a studio URL yet and want to run Kitsu on your own machine, Docker is the fastest way to get a production-ready environment up and running:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">docker run --init -ti --rm -p 80:80 -p 1080:1080 --name cgwire cgwire/cgwire\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>For scripting, we will use the official Kitsu Python SDK, \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can authenticate using your user credentials, which is fine for local testing:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import gazu\n\ngazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-fetch-production-data\">2. Fetch Production Data\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before we write a single line of code, we need to talk about the data Kitsu exposes. If it exists in the UI, you can probably grab it via Gazu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The API is surprisingly deep. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-track-properly-the-cg-artist-progress/\">For a solid production report\u003C/a>, you could typically be pulling:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Progress Metrics:\u003C/strong> Status changes (e.g., moving from \"WIP\" to \"Internal Review\" using events).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Time Tracking:\u003C/strong> How long a shot has been \"In Progress\" versus the original estimate.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cast Lists:\u003C/strong> Every Character, Environment, and Prop associated with a specific Episode or Sequence.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Workload:\u003C/strong> The exact number of frames or assets currently assigned to a specific artist.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Budget:\u003C/strong> How the team quota evolves over time.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>And many more resources you can read about in \u003Ca href=\"https://gazu.cg-wire.com/data?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">our detailed developer documentation\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Let's look at a common scenario: you need a quick rundown of every task currently assigned to your team members for a specific project. This is the foundation of any \"Who is doing what?\" report.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">projects = gazu.project.all_projects()\nproject = projects[0]\n\ntasks = gazu.task.all_tasks_for_project(project)\n\nreport = []\n\nfor task in tasks:\n    assignees = [gazu.person.get_person(p_id)[\"full_name\"] for p_id in task[\"assignees\"]]\n\n    task_info = {\n        \"date\": task[\"updated_at\"],\n        \"entity\": gazu.entity.get_entity(task[\"entity_id\"])[\"name\"],\n        \"type\": gazu.task.get_task_type(task[\"task_type_id\"])[\"name\"],\n        \"status\": gazu.task.get_task_status(task[\"task_status_id\"])[\"name\"]\n    }\n\n    for artist in assignees:\n        report.append({**task_info, \"artist\": artist})\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Gazu returns dictionaries. When you're fetching \u003Ccode>all_tasks_for_project\u003C/code>, keep in mind that on a feature-length production, this can be a massive amount of data. Always try to filter your data. For example, by \u003Ccode>task_status\u003C/code> or \u003Ccode>entity_type\u003C/code>, if you only need to see, say, active Animation shots.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-creating-a-reusable-template\">3. Creating a Reusable Template\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now you need to decide how to render the PDF. There are two main options here.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can use ReportLab. This is the barebones method. It is fast and requires no external non-Python dependencies. Best for internal tech reports, simple line-item tables, and high-speed batch automation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Or you can create an HTML to PDF rendering pipeline using Jinja2 (templating) and WeasyPrint. This is often the preferred method because you can use CSS to style the report. If you can make a webpage, you can make a report. It's best for client-facing deliverables, heavy branding, and complex layouts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's define your configuration and template:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">STUDIO_NAME = \"My Animation Studio\"\nSTUDIO_LOGO = \"studio_logo.png\"  # local file path\nPROJECT_NAME = \"My Project\"\nOUTPUT_PDF = \"activity_report.pdf\"\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>You use Jinja2 syntax (\u003Ccode>{{ variable }}\u003C/code>) to inject your Python data into standard HTML.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-html\"><!doctype html>\n<html>\n    <head>\n        <meta charset=\"utf-8\" />\n        <style>\n            body {\n                font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\n                margin: 40px;\n            }\n            header {\n                display: flex;\n                align-items: center;\n                margin-bottom: 30px;\n            }\n            header img {\n                height: 50px;\n                margin-right: 20px;\n            }\n            h1 {\n                color: #2a2a2a;\n            }\n            table {\n                width: 100%;\n                border-collapse: collapse;\n                margin-top: 20px;\n            }\n            th {\n                background: #222;\n                color: white;\n                padding: 8px;\n                text-align: left;\n            }\n            td {\n                padding: 8px;\n                border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc;\n            }\n            .footer {\n                margin-top: 40px;\n                font-size: 10px;\n                color: #777;\n                text-align: center;\n            }\n        </style>\n    </head>\n\n    <body>\n        <header>\n            <img src=\"{{ studio_logo }}\" />\n            <h1>{{ studio_name }} – Activity Report</h1>\n        </header>\n\n        <p>\n            <strong>Project:</strong> {{ project_name }}<br />\n            <strong>Report Date:</strong> {{ report_date }}\n        </p>\n\n        <table>\n            <tr>\n                <th>Date</th>\n                <th>Artist</th>\n                <th>Task</th>\n                <th>Entity</th>\n                <th>Status</th>\n            </tr>\n            {% for row in rows %}\n            <tr>\n                <td>{{ row.date }}</td>\n                <td>{{ row.artist }}</td>\n                <td>{{ row.entity }}</td>\n                <td>{{ row.type }}</td>\n                <td>{{ row.status }}</td>\n            </tr>\n            {% endfor %}\n        </table>\n\n        <div class=\"footer\">Generated automatically by {{ studio_name }}</div>\n    </body>\n</html>\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This HTML file acts as a Jinja2 template that defines the visual structure and styling of the report, including page layout, fonts, colors, and a table for displaying activity data. The \u003Ccode>{{ ... }}\u003C/code> expressions mark placeholders for values such as the studio name, logo URL, project name, and report date, while the embedded CSS ensures the document looks polished and print-ready when rendered or converted to PDF.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When the Python code renders this template, Jinja2 replaces all placeholders with the actual values passed in from the script and executes the \u003Ccode>{% for row in rows %}\u003C/code> loop to generate one table row per activity record. Each \u003Ccode>row\u003C/code> dictionary supplies the date, artist, task, entity, status, and hours values, with the hours field explicitly formatted to two decimal places, producing a complete HTML document with a fully populated table.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The rendered HTML is given to WeasyPrint, which interprets both the HTML structure and the inline CSS to lay out the content as a printable document. The studio logo is loaded via its URL or relative path, the table and text are styled exactly as defined in the template, and everything is rendered into a PDF file that visually matches the HTML design, ending with the footer that confirms the report was generated automatically.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-rendering\">4. Rendering\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Finally, you glue it all together. You use \u003Ccode>jinja2\u003C/code> to fill in the placeholders in the HTML with your data, and then \u003Ccode>WeasyPrint\u003C/code> converts that HTML string into a PDF file:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">from jinja2 import Environment, FileSystemLoader\nfrom weasyprint import HTML\nfrom datetime import date\n\nenv = Environment(loader=FileSystemLoader(\".\"))\ntemplate = env.get_template(\"report.html\")\n\nhtml = template.render(\n    studio_name=STUDIO_NAME,\n    studio_logo=STUDIO_LOGO,\n    project_name=PROJECT_NAME,\n    report_date=date.today().isoformat(),\n    rows=report,\n)\n\nHTML(string=html, base_url=\".\").write_pdf(OUTPUT_PDF)\n\nprint(f\"PDF generated: {OUTPUT_PDF}\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>The first part of the code sets up Jinja2 to load an HTML template from the current directory and then retrieves the aforementioned \u003Ccode>report.html\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Next, the template is rendered into a complete HTML document by injecting runtime data into those placeholders. Studio and project metadata are passed in, and the current date is generated in ISO format. The result of this step is a plain HTML string with all dynamic values resolved.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, the rendered HTML is handed to WeasyPrint, which parses the HTML and any associated CSS and assets, then converts it into a PDF file. The \u003Ccode>base_url\u003C/code> parameter ensures relative paths to images or stylesheets work correctly, and the finished PDF is written to the output path before printing a confirmation message.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We obtain this final result:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-13e6f8e7-6700-4219-a7ed-6bbdb4850aab.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/02/data-src-image-13e6f8e7-6700-4219-a7ed-6bbdb4850aab.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/02/data-src-image-13e6f8e7-6700-4219-a7ed-6bbdb4850aab.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/02/data-src-image-13e6f8e7-6700-4219-a7ed-6bbdb4850aab.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You can try running the script yourself in a minute by \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/custom-kitsu-reports?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">cloning our corresponding Github repository\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-automation-tips\">5. Automation Tips\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Automation is where this workflow actually pays off the biggest dividends: once your report script works locally, the next step is making sure it runs reliably without human intervention, and that the output ends up where people already look.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of manually running the script, set up a cron job on your server to execute it at a predictable time. For example, running the script every weekday at 6:00 PM ensures the PDF is generated overnight and ready when producers start their day. This is especially useful for daily burn-downs or shot status summaries.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the PDF is generated, use \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code> to attach it directly to a relevant entity in Kitsu, like a Production, Episode, or a recurring Task. This turns your report into a first-class production artifact with a permanent history. For example, uploading each day's report to a \"Daily Production Report\" task makes it easy to audit changes over time or reference past decisions. A practical tip: include the date in both the filename and the attachment comment so reports are easy to scan in the Kitsu UI without downloading each one.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To push the report directly to stakeholders, use Python's built-in \u003Ccode>smtplib\u003C/code> (or a transactional email service) to send the PDF as an attachment. This is ideal for \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/collaborative-animation-production/\">producers or clients who don't live in Kitsu\u003C/a> all day. A concrete pattern is to email a short summary in the body—\"Shots blocked: 12, shots finaled: 3\"—and attach the full PDF for details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of hardcoding a single HTML layout, store multiple Jinja2 templates like \u003Ccode>client_report.html\u003C/code> and \u003Ccode>internal_audit.html\u003C/code> to generate different report styles from the same Kitsu data. For example, clean, high-level summaries for clients and more detailed tables for internal tracking. A useful approach is to share base templates and macros (headers, tables, status badges) so changes to branding or layout propagate across all report types. Version these templates alongside your code so you can reproduce older reports exactly if needed.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The bigger idea here isn't just about PDFs: it's about reclaiming time and attention for the work that actually moves a production forward!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By pulling structured data out of Kitsu with Gazu, shaping it with Python, and rendering it into polished, automated reports, you replace a fragile, manual ritual with a repeatable system that runs quietly in the background. What used to be hours of copy-pasting, formatting, and double-checking becomes a dependable pipeline: accurate data, delivered on time, in a format producers and clients actually want to read. Custom reports let you communicate progress with confidence, surface problems before they become crunch, and present your studio as both creatively sharp and technically disciplined.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The more complex your pipeline is, the more important it becomes to create custom reports, so make sure to read more of our scripting guides for inspiration!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":394,"comment_id":395,"feature_image":396,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":397,"updated_at":398,"custom_excerpt":399,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":400,"primary_tag":401,"url":402,"excerpt":399,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":403},"d3e7cb7f-7151-4881-acef-25bc18bf3edc","69805d244304f600017051c5","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1666875753105-c63a6f3bdc86?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fGRhc2hib2FyZHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NzAwMjAyODZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-02-02T09:15:32.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:03:57.000+01:00","Learn how to use the Gazu Python SDK to extract production data from Kitsu and generate custom, branded PDF reports. Automate progress tracking, task summaries, and stakeholder updates without manual copy-paste work.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/automated-kitsu-pdf-reports/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@dengxiangs?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Deng Xiang\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/automated-kitsu-pdf-reports","2026-02-02T10:00:12.000+01:00",{"title":389},"automated-kitsu-pdf-reports","posts/automated-kitsu-pdf-reports",[410],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"YJ-_wQpipngnWEzDu9U0RCIsq_Blt5_8TSOGLX9c1zw",{"id":413,"title":414,"authors":415,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":417,"meta":418,"navigation":15,"path":429,"published_at":430,"seo":431,"slug":432,"stem":433,"tags":434,"__hash__":436,"uuid":419,"comment_id":420,"feature_image":421,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":422,"updated_at":423,"custom_excerpt":424,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":425,"primary_tag":426,"url":427,"excerpt":424,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":428},"ghost/posts:share-kitsu-playlists.json","(2026) How to Export and Share Kitsu Playlists with Python",[416],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📥\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Share Kitsu playlists clearly, even when clients can’t access Kitsu directly.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Early in your career as an animator, you'll likely learn a hard truth—sometimes the painful way: \u003Cstrong>doing great work is only half the job, sharing it clearly is the other half\u003C/strong>. You might remember a short film project where the animation itself was solid, but the review process was pure chaos. QuickTimes flying back and forth over email, files named things like \u003Ccode>shot_final_v3_really_final.mov\u003C/code>, and no one is quite sure which notes apply to which version. Clients were confused, supervisors were frustrated, and you were spending more time managing files than animating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Fast forward a few years, and tools like \u003Cstrong>Kitsu playlists\u003C/strong> completely change how studios review animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They give you structure, traceability, and a clean way to present work. You can group shots, track versions, and centralize feedback. For most teams, that alone is a huge win.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But here's the thing you learn after years in production: \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\">no two studios or clients share the exact same review workflow\u003C/a>. Sometimes you need to send assets offline. Sometimes a client wants everything neatly packaged by sequence. Sometimes legal or security constraints mean you can't give direct Kitsu access. In those cases, you still want to leverage Kitsu's strengths without being locked into a single way of sharing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's exactly what this article is about.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By the end, you'll know how to \u003Cstrong>create a Kitsu playlist, extract its data with Python, download all related assets in a clean folder structure, and compress everything for easy sharing\u003C/strong>. This approach can save you hours on real productions and make reviews smoother for both artists and clients.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's break it down step by step.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/share-kitsu-playlist?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/share-kitsu-playlist\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-create-a-kitsu-playlist\">1. Create a Kitsu Playlist\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Every solid review workflow starts with a clear intention\u003C/strong>: what exactly do you want feedback on? Kitsu playlists are built for that purpose.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Creating a playlist from the Kitsu dashboard is straightforward. Navigate to your project, head into the Shots or Assets section, and start selecting the items you want reviewed. It helps to think of playlists as review narratives. Instead of dumping everything in, ask yourself:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Is this a blocking review?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Is this a polishing pass?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Is this focused on animation, lighting, or comp?\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>For example, on a short cinematic project, you might create separate playlists for:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\"Animation Blocking – Act 1\"\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\"Facial Polish – Key Shots\"\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\"Final Lighting Review\"\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>That small bit of organization can make client reviews dramatically more focused.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Kitsu, once your shots are selected, you can create a new playlist, name it clearly, and order the shots in a way that tells a story. Order matters more than people think. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/client-communication-animation/\">When a client presses play, they can judge the art, timing, and revisions in one place.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-712558f4-4b58-4b1e-8bb1-7bfa2fee1c74.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1319\" height=\"821\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-712558f4-4b58-4b1e-8bb1-7bfa2fee1c74.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-712558f4-4b58-4b1e-8bb1-7bfa2fee1c74.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-712558f4-4b58-4b1e-8bb1-7bfa2fee1c74.png 1319w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-get-the-playlist-data\">2. Get the Playlist Data\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now that we have a playlist ready, it's time to code.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We start by \u003Cstrong>authenticating with Kitsu\u003C/strong> using the Gazu API client:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">import gazu\n\ngazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\ngazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We can then \u003Cstrong>query Kitsu for available projects\u003C/strong> and present them in the terminal. The user selects a project, and that choice defines the scope of everything that follows. Because projects are fetched dynamically, the script works across productions without modification:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">productions = gazu.project.all_projects()\n\nfor i, p in enumerate(productions):\n    print(f\"[{i}] {p['name']}\")\n\nproduction = productions[int(input(\"Select project: \"))]\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>From there, \u003Cstrong>playlists are queried from the selected project\u003C/strong> and shown the same way. When a playlist is chosen, the script retrieves the full playlist object from the API.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">playlists = gazu.playlist.all_playlists_for_project(production)\n\nfor i, pl in enumerate(playlists):\n    print(f\"[{i}] {pl['name']}\")\n\nplaylist = gazu.playlist.get_playlist(playlists[int(input(\"Select playlist: \"))])\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Ccode>playlist\u003C/code> contains the full editorial selection reference: shots, versions, ordering, and linked files are all accessible through this object.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-download-related-assets\">3. Download Related Assets\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The next step is turning the playlist data into something reviewable on disk.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The output is a folder hierarchy that mirrors production reality\u003C/strong>: playlist at the top, sequences underneath, shots inside those, and the actual media sitting where anyone expects to find it.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>Playlist_Name/\n└── Seq_010/\n    ├── Shot_010_001/\n    │   ├── anim_v003.mov\n    │   └── anim_v003.png\n    └── Shot_010_002/\n└── Seq_020/\n    └── Shot_020_005/\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>That structure is the point. It removes ambiguity, avoids flat dumps of files, and lets supervisors and clients navigate by context instead of filenames.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The playlist name is used as the root folder, so every export stays self-contained and re-runnable.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">playlist_name = playlist[\"name\"]\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We then iterate over each playlist entry and fetch the full shot record because the playlist itself does not include sequence data.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">for shot in playlist[\"shots\"]:\n    shot_data = gazu.shot.get_shot(shot[\"entity_id\"])\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We use the sequence name and shot name to build a deterministic directory path. This enforces a consistent \u003Ccode>playlist/sequence/shot\u003C/code> layout on disk.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">shot_name = shot_data[\"name\"]\nsequence_name = shot_data[\"sequence_name\"]\n\nshot_dir = os.path.join(\n    playlist_name,\n    sequence_name,\n    shot_name,\n)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>If the directory doesn't exist, we create it. This lets the script run multiple times without failing or overwriting partial downloads.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">os.makedirs(shot_dir, exist_ok=True)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We can then fetch the preview file information corresponding to each shot. Typically, a picture or video:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">preview = gazu.files.get_preview_file(shot[\"preview_file_id\"])\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We preserve the original filename and extension so the output matches what artists and supervisors expect to see.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">preview_filename = f\"{preview['original_name']}.{preview['extension']}\"\npreview_path = os.path.join(shot_dir, preview_filename)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We download the preview media directly into the shot folder. At this point, the playlist exists on disk as a clean, review-ready directory tree.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">gazu.files.download_preview_file(preview, preview_path)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>The result is a local mirror of the playlist that can be zipped, sent, archived, or reviewed without explanation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-compress-the-folder\">4. Compress the Folder\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once everything is downloaded, the final step is making it easy to share. \u003Cstrong>Your script should automatically compress the root playlist folder into a single archive\u003C/strong>:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">import shutil\n\nshutil.make_archive(\n    base_name=playlist_name,\n    format=\"zip\",\n    root_dir=os.path.dirname(playlist_name),\n    base_dir=os.path.basename(playlist_name),\n)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This archive becomes your handoff artifact. You can upload it to cloud storage, send it through a secure client portal, or archive it internally as a backup folder.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Clients don't worry about missing files or broken structures. They download once, unzip once, and everything just works.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Include the playlist name and date in the archive filename. Six months later, when someone asks, \"Which version did we send?\", you'll be glad you did.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"onboard-clients-in-kitsu\">Onboard Clients In Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>At some point, exporting Kitsu playlists just starts getting in the way. It’s fine when you’re sending a quick snapshot or getting a one-off note pass, but once the project goes into real iteration, things get messy fast. You’re re-exporting for every tweak, clients are commenting on outdated cuts, and feedback ends up split between emails, PDFs, and chat threads. \u003Cstrong>A lot of energy goes into figuring out what the note is referring to instead of actually fixing the shot.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>That’s usually when it makes sense to bring clients directly into Kitsu.\u003C/strong> They’re always looking at the current version, they can draw or comment right on the frame, and everyone sees the notes in context. Version history stays intact, so when a client asks about something “from two versions ago,” you can actually see it. For the team, it means fewer guesswork moments and less time copying notes from one place to another.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-1b596b1f-9757-47e5-a893-2c41164a1eab.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-1b596b1f-9757-47e5-a893-2c41164a1eab.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-1b596b1f-9757-47e5-a893-2c41164a1eab.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-1b596b1f-9757-47e5-a893-2c41164a1eab.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Exports are good for quick check-ins, but they don’t scale with real production. \u003Cstrong>Having clients in Kitsu keeps everyone grounded in the same reality.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>After years in animation, one lesson keeps repeating itself: the smoother your review workflow, the better your creative output. Kitsu already gives you a powerful foundation with playlists, versioning, and centralized feedback. \u003Cstrong>By tapping into its data and building small automation tools, you can adapt it to almost any review scenario.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But you can also extract playlist data from Kitsu and reshape it to fit your custom review workflows. Whether you're sending offline packages, organizing assets for external partners, or just trying to make life easier for your clients, this approach puts you in control.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca>Check out the public Github repository\u003C/a> to clone and modify our code to match your workflow!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-5c610ee3-e726-4198-8b9b-480d3546530c.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1319\" height=\"821\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-5c610ee3-e726-4198-8b9b-480d3546530c.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-5c610ee3-e726-4198-8b9b-480d3546530c.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-5c610ee3-e726-4198-8b9b-480d3546530c.png 1319w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>And if there's one final piece of advice worth following: \u003Cstrong>onboard your clients directly onto Kitsu whenever possible!\u003C/strong> Once they \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/review-engine?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">experience real-time review rooms\u003C/a>, annotated notes, and version history, most never want to go back to messy email threads again.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":419,"comment_id":420,"feature_image":421,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":422,"updated_at":423,"custom_excerpt":424,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":425,"primary_tag":426,"url":427,"excerpt":424,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":428},"503be05a-cfc1-4b66-8010-a46dab1bd231","695bb6ffc665470001df4dc7","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1727142073871-d40f5a7c76d8?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fHZpZGVvJTIwZWRpdCUyMHN1aXRlfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2NzYyMDEwNnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-01-05T14:05:03.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:53.000+01:00","Learn how to create, export, and share Kitsu playlists using Python. This guide shows how to extract playlist data, download previews into a clean folder structure, and package everything for offline or client-friendly reviews.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/share-kitsu-playlists/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@mdesign85?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">MD Duran\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/share-kitsu-playlists","2026-01-26T10:00:19.000+01:00",{"title":414},"share-kitsu-playlists","posts/share-kitsu-playlists",[435],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"-jbM2U_O1PNcpV8f4TxvrmeMLejonGVTVrjVX5RZW_E",{"id":438,"title":439,"authors":440,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":442,"meta":443,"navigation":15,"path":454,"published_at":455,"seo":456,"slug":457,"stem":458,"tags":459,"__hash__":463,"uuid":444,"comment_id":445,"feature_image":446,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":447,"updated_at":448,"custom_excerpt":449,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":450,"primary_tag":451,"url":452,"excerpt":449,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":453},"ghost/posts:self-hosted-blender-render-farm.json","Self-Hosting a Blender Render Farm Using Flamenco In 2026",[441],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🖥️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Turn idle machines into a powerful Blender render farm without touching the cloud.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>When was the last time you almost missed a deadline because of rendering?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Every time you open Blender, your workstation sounds like a jet engine preparing for takeoff, and your entire film worth months of work is held hostage by a single progress bar.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Meanwhile, your old college laptop sits in a box gathering dust. It's not a powerhouse, but it has a GPU. It has RAM. It's a perfectly functional computer doing absolutely nothing while you panic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The concept of a \"render farm\" can sound intimidating to one-person studios. You might imagine server racks in a chilled room, expensive licenses, and IT professionals shouting about IP addresses.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But in the modern Blender ecosystem, that's no longer the reality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, \u003Cstrong>I'm going to walk you through how to turn old devices into a unified rendering system using \u003Cem>Flamenco\u003C/em>.\u003C/strong> We will demystify the network setup and get you rendering on multiple machines in a few hours.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-self-host-a-render-farm\">Why Self-Host a Render Farm?\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before we start plugging in Ethernet cables, let's talk about why you should bother. You might think, \"Why not just send everything to a cloud farm?\" Cloud farms are amazing, but having a local, self-hosted render farm changes your workflow in three fundamental ways.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you pay for a cloud farm, you are paying for the final output. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-kitsu-low-res-preview/\">This psychologically discourages you from test rendering\u003C/a>. \u003Cstrong>You become afraid to hit \"Render\" until you are 100% sure everything is perfect.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you own the farm, the cost of a render is electricity. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\">You can render a rough animation\u003C/a> at 50% resolution just to check the timing or lighting. \u003Cstrong>This freedom allows you to iterate faster.\u003C/strong> You stop guessing and start testing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, working on a commercial project for a tech client with an NDA is so strict you aren't allowed to even whisper the product name. \u003Cstrong>Uploading those assets to a third-party cloud server - even a secure one - can sometimes violate strict NDA contracts.\u003C/strong> Keeping your data on your local network (LAN) ensures that no pixels leave your studio until you say so.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There is a specific kind of agony in uploading a 2GB project file to the cloud, waiting for it to render, downloading the frames, and realizing you left a physics cache unbaked. \u003Cstrong>With a local farm like Flamenco, if you spot a mistake, you just hit \"Cancel,\" fix it, and hit \"Render\" again. No upload times, no download times.\u003C/strong> It feels like an extension of your workstation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-blender-flamenco\">What is Blender Flamenco?\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Setting up a render farm from scratch \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-programmatic-rendering/\">used to involve complex scripting\u003C/a> or expensive third-party software. Now, we have Blender Flamenco.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Flamenco is Blender's open-source render farm.\u003C/strong> It's extremely easy to setup: the manager is the brain holding the list of tasks (frames to render) and tells the other computers what to do. The workers are your extra laptops or desktops. They listen to the Manager, ask for a frame, render it, save it, and ask for another.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Flamenco is designed to be zero-config. It practically discovers itself on your network. If you can install Blender, you can set up Flamenco.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-the-setup\">1. The Setup\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>For this tutorial, we start with the simplest configuration possible with our desktop computer acting both as manager and worker. We'll later see how to add our laptop.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Install Blender\u003C/strong> - Ensure your computer has Blender installed.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Download Flamenco\u003C/strong> - Go to the Flamenco website and download the package for your OS. Extract it to a folder.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-cec7140f-c6aa-4e18-83fb-be86e5a39ac7.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1064\" height=\"721\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-cec7140f-c6aa-4e18-83fb-be86e5a39ac7.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-cec7140f-c6aa-4e18-83fb-be86e5a39ac7.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-cec7140f-c6aa-4e18-83fb-be86e5a39ac7.png 1064w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-run-flamenco-manager\">2. Run Flamenco Manager\u003C/h2>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Open the Flamenco folder you extracted.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Double-click \u003Ccode>flamenco-manager\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A terminal window will pop up with some text logs.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Go through the configuration wizard to set up the job folder where you'll upload your blend files to render.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Shortly after, your web browser should open automatically to \u003Ccode>http://localhost:8080\u003C/code>. This is the Flamenco web interface.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>If you see a friendly, dark-themed dashboard, congratulations. You are half a server admin already. The Manager is alive.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-ac803a05-e189-4c17-9fe9-d5749f916aa0.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1319\" height=\"821\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-ac803a05-e189-4c17-9fe9-d5749f916aa0.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-ac803a05-e189-4c17-9fe9-d5749f916aa0.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-ac803a05-e189-4c17-9fe9-d5749f916aa0.png 1319w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The manager will tell you to download the addon. Do it now as we'll need it for step 4.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-ccd6a3fb-4abd-469e-a566-5adfddf76196.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1064\" height=\"721\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-ccd6a3fb-4abd-469e-a566-5adfddf76196.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-ccd6a3fb-4abd-469e-a566-5adfddf76196.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-ccd6a3fb-4abd-469e-a566-5adfddf76196.png 1064w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-the-worker\">3. The Worker\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now, leave the manager running and double-click \u003Ccode>flamenco-worker\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Worker will scan your local network, find the Manager running on the same computer, and introduce itself. If you look back at your Desktop's web browser (the Manager interface), you should see it appear in the \"Workers\" tab, listed as \"Idle\" and ready for duty.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-6bad58f1-615a-4a7b-8aff-38f07279ebe0.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1319\" height=\"821\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-6bad58f1-615a-4a7b-8aff-38f07279ebe0.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-6bad58f1-615a-4a7b-8aff-38f07279ebe0.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-6bad58f1-615a-4a7b-8aff-38f07279ebe0.png 1319w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You should also run \u003Ccode>flamenco-worker\u003C/code> on your Desktop! Your main computer can render and manage at the same time.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-add-the-blend-file-and-render\">4. Add the Blend File and Render\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The stage is set. Now, we can get to work!\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Open Blender\u003C/strong> on your Desktop.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Enable the Addon\u003C/strong> - Go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install from Disk. Search for the flamenco zip file you downloaded during the manager setup.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Link the Manager\u003C/strong> - In the Flamenco add-on preferences, copy/paste the manager's URL address.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Save Your File\u003C/strong> - Save your \u003Ccode>.blend\u003C/code> file in the configured job folder.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-88504c81-44cf-4d32-a374-0b2dc6746b56.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"724\" height=\"732\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-88504c81-44cf-4d32-a374-0b2dc6746b56.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-88504c81-44cf-4d32-a374-0b2dc6746b56.png 724w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>In the Render Properties tab in Blender, scroll down to the \u003Cstrong>Flamenco\u003C/strong> panel.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Click \u003Cstrong>\"Fetch Job Types\"\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Select \u003Cstrong>\"Simple Render\"\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Hit \u003Cstrong>\"Submit to Flamenco\"\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Now, tab over to your web browser. You will see the job pop up. The status bars on your \"Workers\" list will turn green. Your Desktop will grab one frame to render at a time.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-6e7fa2fb-b997-4f6f-ba60-bcc3c70d5bb0.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1319\" height=\"918\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-6e7fa2fb-b997-4f6f-ba60-bcc3c70d5bb0.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-6e7fa2fb-b997-4f6f-ba60-bcc3c70d5bb0.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-6e7fa2fb-b997-4f6f-ba60-bcc3c70d5bb0.png 1319w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-bringing-in-the-laptop\">5. Bringing in the Laptop\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now, to add your dusty laptop to the farm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here is the single most actionable piece of advice I can give you, and it is where 90% of beginners fail: \u003Cstrong>All computers must see the files in the exact same place.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If your texture is located at \u003Ccode>C:\\Users\\Dave\\Texture.png\u003C/code> on your desktop, your laptop \u003Cem>cannot\u003C/em> access that path. The laptop doesn't have a user named Dave, and it doesn't have the file on its C drive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You need a shared network folder, typically through a NAS. Depending on your operating system, the steps are similar but will slightly differ:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Connect your desktop and laptop via Ethernet cable\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Create a NAS folder on your Desktop called \u003Ccode>RenderFarm\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Right-click it > \u003Cstrong>Properties\u003C/strong> > \u003Cstrong>Sharing\u003C/strong> > \u003Cstrong>Share\u003C/strong>. Give read/write permission to your user.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Map the Network Drive:\u003C/strong> On your Desktop, map this folder to a drive letter, say \u003Ccode>Z:\u003C/code>. On your Laptop, navigate to the Desktop's network share and map it to **the same letter \u003Ccode>Z:**\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Now, when you save your Blender file to \u003Ccode>Z:\\RenderFarm\\MyProject.blend\u003C/code>, both computers see it at \u003Ccode>Z:\\RenderFarm\\MyProject.blend\u003C/code>. The path is absolute and identical.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, leave the Desktop running and move over to \u003Cstrong>Computer B (Laptop)\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Make sure your \u003Ccode>Z:\u003C/code> drive (or whatever shared storage you set up) is accessible. Open a file inside it just to be sure.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Install and open the Flamenco folder on the laptop.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Make sure you have the same Blender version installed as the one on your desktop.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Double-click \u003Ccode>flamenco-worker\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>That's it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Worker will scan your local network and find the Manager running on the Desktop.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-90501d50-29c3-4d8f-9b54-511e6c674739.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1504\" height=\"932\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-90501d50-29c3-4d8f-9b54-511e6c674739.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-90501d50-29c3-4d8f-9b54-511e6c674739.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-90501d50-29c3-4d8f-9b54-511e6c674739.png 1504w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Flamenco will now automatically orchestrate jobs between your computers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you do not have access to a NAS or do not wish to purchase one, you can have a look at installing a free Samba server on a Linux workstation. Using cloud storage isn't possible because Flamenco doesn't handle asynchronous services, unless you create your own custom job type. We'll see how to do that \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/\">in a future article\u003C/a>, using Kitsu as an asynchronous \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-storage/\">asset storage server\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion-knowing-when-to-scale\">Conclusion: Knowing When to Scale\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We have covered the hardware setup, the crucial shared storage logic, and the software installation. If you have followed along, \u003Cstrong>you have a functioning render farm in your house and your dusty laptop is now a productive member of your team.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Flamenco makes the barrier to entry for self-hosted rendering incredibly low. It respects your privacy, costs nothing but electricity, and allows you to squeeze every ounce of performance out of the hardware you already own.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But there is a limit on what you can achieve by yourself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Eventually, you will hit a deadline where even your Desktop + Laptop combo isn't enough. Maybe you need to render a 4K sequence with heavy volumetrics in 24 hours and your home farm estimates a completion time of 3 weeks. This is the ceiling of self-hosting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you hit this wall, you don't need to buy five more computers. \u003Cstrong>That's when you transition to a service like Ranch Computing\u003C/strong> that allows you to access hundreds of CPU/GPU nodes instantly. Your home farm is a great daily driver that's perfect for tests, previews, and lighter projects, while a cloud render farm is invaluable for quickly rendering high-quality deliverables to your clients.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":444,"comment_id":445,"feature_image":446,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":447,"updated_at":448,"custom_excerpt":449,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":450,"primary_tag":451,"url":452,"excerpt":449,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":453},"80ad6c13-1312-46ac-a74b-94e022668680","695bb702c665470001df4dcd","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1683322499436-f4383dd59f5a?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fGRhdGElMjBjZW50ZXJ8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzY3NjE4NDAxfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-01-05T14:05:06.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:52.000+01:00","Learn how to build a self-hosted Blender render farm using Flamenco. This guide walks through setup, shared storage, workers, and scaling strategies to help artists render faster using the hardware they already own.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/self-hosted-blender-render-farm/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@scottrodgerson?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Scott Rodgerson\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/self-hosted-blender-render-farm","2026-01-19T10:00:41.000+01:00",{"title":439},"self-hosted-blender-render-farm","posts/self-hosted-blender-render-farm",[460,461],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"69c20ddbcb09d8000107cfe5","DCPLn1PWShGHKlv5NXuil2qtBDL7tnabWDmi33KjLoc",{"id":465,"title":466,"authors":467,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":469,"meta":470,"navigation":15,"path":481,"published_at":482,"seo":483,"slug":484,"stem":485,"tags":486,"__hash__":488,"uuid":471,"comment_id":472,"feature_image":473,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":474,"updated_at":475,"custom_excerpt":476,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":477,"primary_tag":478,"url":479,"excerpt":476,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":480},"ghost/posts:kitsu-cli-single-binary.json","Building a Portable Kitsu CLI with Python and Gazu (2026)",[468],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🧰\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Turn fragile Python scripts into a single reliable tool that just runs.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>It's late in production, the schedule is tight, and you need to roll out a critical pipeline tool on a new machine—something to sync shot statuses, publish playblasts, or \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/dcc-integration-blender-kitsu/\">automate a Kitsu workflow\u003C/a>. The tool itself isn't complicated. It's just Python. You already wrote it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The problem is everything around it.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The machine you're deploying to doesn't have Python installed. Or it has the wrong version. The studio's Linux server is locked down. A freelancer's Windows box can't compile dependencies. Someone asks whether they need \u003Ccode>pip\u003C/code>, a virtual environment, or the Gazu SDK. Suddenly, a \"simple script\" turns into documentation, troubleshooting, and lost time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of building pipeline tools, you're managing environments.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is the part no one enjoys: installing Python, pinning versions, chasing missing libraries, and hoping nothing breaks when the OS updates. And when your tool needs to run on artist workstations, render nodes, or CI servers, that fragility becomes a real production risk.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>What you actually want is simple: one tool, one command, that just runs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>In this article, you'll learn how to package your Kitsu workflows by wrapping the Kitsu Python SDK (Gazu) into a Command Line Interface (CLI) and compiling it into a single binary executable.\u003C/strong> No Python installs. No dependency management. Just a reliable executable you can drop onto any machine and use immediately.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-need-a-cli\">Why You Need a CLI\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>GUIs are great for creative work, but \u003Cstrong>once you're dealing with pipeline management, a web UI can quickly become a burden\u003C/strong>. When you move the right Kitsu tasks into a CLI, you unlock a faster, more scalable, and more automation-friendly way of working.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You finish animating five shots and need to update their status and upload previews. In a browser, that means context-switching: Alt-Tab, open Chrome, navigate to Kitsu, drill into the project, find the episode, click the shot, change the status, upload the movie. Then repeat the whole process for every shot. With a CLI, you stay exactly where you are. You type \u003Ccode>kitsu publish --status Review\u003C/code>, hit Enter, and move on. \u003Cstrong>You never leave the keyboard, you never break focus, and you don't pay the cognitive tax of clicking through menus.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A CLI naturally pushes you toward thinking in arguments, lists, and automation, and that's where it starts to compound. \u003Cstrong>If you can update one shot, you can update ten or a hundred using the exact same command.\u003C/strong> You can loop over a sequence, pipe in shot names, or drive the operation directly from a DCC or render output. What would be an hour of repetitive clicking in a web UI becomes a few seconds of scripted work. And it's consistent, repeatable, and easy to version-control.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, \u003Cstrong>not everything in a pipeline runs on a workstation with a monitor.\u003C/strong> Sometimes tasks need to happen on a render farm node, a build server, or a background process reacting to files on disk. In those environments, there is no browser and no user to click buttons. A CLI works anywhere you have a shell. You can automate publishes, status changes, validations, and sync operations, and Kitsu gets integrated deeper into the pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/kitsu-cli?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/kitsu-cli\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-designing-the-cli-interface\">1. Designing the CLI Interface\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before we touch the Kitsu API, we need the skeleton of our tool. In Python, there are several ways to parse command-line arguments, but for a professional pipeline tool, I highly recommend using libraries like \u003Ccode>Click\u003C/code> or \u003Ccode>Typer\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For this walkthrough, let's conceptualize a tool called \u003Ccode>kitsu-cli\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Think of your tool like a tree.\u003C/strong> The trunk is the main executable, and the branches are your commands and subcommands:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-text\">kitsu-cli (root)\n└── production (commands related to productions)\n    └── list (list all productions)\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Here is how you structure this logic in Python using \u003Ccode>Click\u003C/code>. This structure is crucial because it allows your tool to be extendable. Today you are managing productions; tomorrow you might be managing assets or playlists.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import click\n\n@click.group()\ndef cli():\n    \"\"\"My Studio Kitsu Tool\"\"\"\n    pass\n\n@cli.group()\ndef production():\n    \"\"\"Commands for managing productions\"\"\"\n    pass\n\n@production.command()\n@click.option('--name', help='Filter by name')\ndef list(name):\n    \"\"\"List productions\"\"\"\n    click.echo(f\"Listing productions: {name}\")\n\nif __name__ == '__main__':\n    cli()\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This snippet alone gives you a help menu for free. If the user types \u003Ccode>kit-cli --help\u003C/code>, they see the documentation. This is developer empathy, building tools that teach the user how to use them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To run the CLI\u003C/strong>, you just use the same command as a regular Python program:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-py\">python3 cli.py production list\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-adding-gazu-features\">2. Adding Gazu Features\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now that we have the skeleton, we need the muscle. Kitsu provides a fantastic Python client called \u003Cstrong>Gazu\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you haven't used Gazu before, it is the bridge between your script and your Kitsu server.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first hurdle in any pipeline tool is \u003Cstrong>authentication\u003C/strong>. You do not want your artists hard-coding their passwords into scripts. A robust CLI checks if a session already exists. If not, it prompts the user to log in once and saves the token locally. For the sake of simplicity, we'll just hardcode our authentication logic:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import gazu\n\ngazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Once authenticated, we can flesh out that \u003Ccode>list\u003C/code> command we wrote earlier. To list productions:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">@production.command()\n@click.option('--name', help='Filter by name')\ndef list(name):\n    \"\"\"List productions\"\"\"\n    click.echo(f\"Listing productions: {name}\")\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>No need to open a browser, wait for the Vue app to load, and filter the view. \u003Cstrong>This script returns raw data instantly.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-interactive-interface\">3. Interactive Interface\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While command flags (like \u003Ccode>--name test\u003C/code>) are great, \u003Cstrong>it would be a much better experience to pick productions from an interactive list\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of forcing the user to type the exact name of a sequence (which they will inevitably misspell), we can make our CLI smarter by adding prompts. If the user forgets to supply an argument, you just ask them for it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A library like \u003Ccode>questionary\u003C/code> is great for this because it adds self-documented, interactive selection lists to the terminal.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import questionary\n\n@production.command()\ndef select():\n    \"\"\"List available productions\"\"\"\n    productions = gazu.project.all_projects()\n\n    selected_project = questionary.select(\n        \"Which project are you working on?\", choices=productions\n    ).ask()\n\n    click.echo(f\"You selected {selected_project}. Loading assets...\")\n\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This tiny addition changes the user experience from \"scary hacker tool\" to \"helpful assistant.\" It reduces error rates to near zero because the user can only select valid options retrieved directly from Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-the-single-executable-binary\">4. The Single Executable Binary\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Last but not least, \u003Cstrong>we need to solve the \"It doesn't work on my laptop\" problem\u003C/strong>. We have a Python script with dependencies:\u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>click\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>questionary\u003C/code>, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To run this on a freelancer's machine, they would normally need to install Python, or maybe create a virtual environment, and \u003Ccode>pip install\u003C/code> the requirements. To eliminate all those steps, we can use \u003Ccode>PyInstaller\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-sh\">python3 -m pip install pyinstaller\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>PyInstaller analyzes your Python script, finds every library you imported, bundles the Python interpreter itself, and wraps it all into a single \u003Ccode>.exe\u003C/code> file (on Windows) or target binary (on Linux/Mac).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Navigate to your script's folder in your terminal and run:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">python3 -m PyInstaller --onefile --name kitsu-cli cli.py\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>--onefile\u003C/code>: This flag tells PyInstaller to bundle everything into a single file, rather than a folder of loose dependencies.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>--name\u003C/code>: The name of your final binary file.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>After the process finishes, check the \u003Ccode>dist/\u003C/code> folder. You will find a file named \u003Ccode>kitsu-cli\u003C/code> (or \u003Ccode>kitsu-cli.exe\u003C/code>).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can now take this file, put it on a USB drive, email it, or put it on a network drive. An artist can drag it to their desktop and run it as long as it's compiled on the same OS architecture (macOS, Windows, etc.). They do not need Python installed. They do not need to install Gazu manually. It just works:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-sh\">./kitsu-cli production list\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>But don't take my word for it, try it out yourself by \u003Ca>cloning our Github repository\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-f4c09502-e96e-4692-8fc7-d4dd59d6482c.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1319\" height=\"913\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-f4c09502-e96e-4692-8fc7-d4dd59d6482c.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-f4c09502-e96e-4692-8fc7-d4dd59d6482c.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-f4c09502-e96e-4692-8fc7-d4dd59d6482c.png 1319w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>If you need to cross-compile your CLI to different OS targets, you can use Github Actions.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"cli-example-the-render-fetcher\">CLI Example: The \"Render Fetcher\"\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Let's switch to a more pipeline-centric scenario.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Picture a workflow where you're \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\">managing distributed rendering\u003C/a> across multiple machines. Each render node needs to regularly pull new work from Kitsu: shots marked \u003Cem>TODO\u003C/em> for rendering, along with their corresponding preview \u003Ccode>.blend\u003C/code> files. These machines are headless, locked down, and deliberately minimal—no Python installs, no virtual environments, no dependency juggling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>What you want is a single executable you can drop onto any server and run as a cron job or service:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">./kitsu-cli pull MechaFight /home/user/flamenco/jobs\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>The corresponding code would look like this:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import os\n\nimport click\nimport gazu\nimport questionary\n\ngazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\n\n@click.group()\ndef cli():\n    \"\"\"My Studio Kitsu Tool\"\"\"\n    pass\n\n\n@cli.command()\n@click.argument(\"project_name\", required=True)\n@click.argument(\"output_path\", required=True)\ndef pull(project_name, output_path):\n    click.echo(f\"Fetching TODO render tasks for project: {project_name}\")\n\n    project = gazu.project.get_project_by_name(project_name)\n\n    tasks = gazu.task.all_tasks_for_project(project)\n\n    rendering = gazu.task.get_task_type_by_name(\"Rendering\")\n    todo = gazu.task.get_task_status_by_name(\"todo\")\n\n    render_tasks = [\n        t\n        for t in tasks\n        if t[\"task_type_id\"] == rendering[\"id\"] and t[\"task_status_id\"] == todo[\"id\"]\n    ]\n\n    for task in render_tasks:\n        files = gazu.files.get_all_preview_files_for_task(task)\n        size = len(files)\n\n        if size > 0:\n            latest = files[size - 1]\n            if latest[\"extension\"] == \"blend\":\n                target_path = os.path.join(\n                    output_path, latest[\"name\"] + \".\" + latest[\"extension\"]\n                )\n                gazu.files.download_preview_file(latest, target_path)\n\n\nif __name__ == \"__main__\":\n    cli()\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Query Kitsu\u003C/strong> - The CLI connects to Kitsu (via Gazu) and retrieves all rendering tasks with a \u003Cem>TODO\u003C/em> status for a given project.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Filter tasks\u003C/strong> - It filters tasks that are marked \u003Ccode>todo\u003C/code> and have an associated preview file (in this case, a \u003Ccode>.blend\u003C/code> file).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Download assets\u003C/strong> - For each task, the CLI downloads the corresponding preview \u003Ccode>.blend\u003C/code> file to the specified output path on disk.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Render\u003C/strong> - Once downloaded, the files are ready for Blender to pick up, manually or via an automated render orchestrator like Flamenco.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>When this CLI is compiled into a single binary, it becomes trivial to deploy. You can drop it onto Linux render nodes and run it from cron or systemd without installing Python or dependencies. Every server pulls work the same way. Folder structures are consistent. Task state comes straight from Kitsu. And your render farm stays focused on rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Again, check it out in \u003Ca>the corresponding Github repository\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Creating your own Kitsu CLI doesn't have to be complex.\u003C/strong> By wrapping the Gazu library in a user-friendly CLI and freezing it with PyInstaller, you scale your pipeline. You remove the technical friction of environment management and let your artists focus on what they do best: creating beautiful animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Learn more about combining Kitsu and Blender scripting by \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/\">subscribing to our blog\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":471,"comment_id":472,"feature_image":473,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":474,"updated_at":475,"custom_excerpt":476,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":477,"primary_tag":478,"url":479,"excerpt":476,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":480},"8ece75b9-d27d-4edb-b152-e03c93326889","695b8678c665470001df4da3","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1484417894907-623942c8ee29?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDIxfHxzb2Z0d2FyZSUyMGRldmVsb3BtZW50fGVufDB8fHx8MTc2NzYwNzcwNHww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-01-05T10:38:00.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:43.000+01:00","Learn how to package Kitsu workflows into a standalone command-line tool using Python, Gazu, and PyInstaller. This guide covers CLI design, interactive prompts, and compiling a single executable for reliable deployment across studios and render farms.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-cli-single-binary/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@emilep?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Emile Perron\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/kitsu-cli-single-binary","2026-01-12T10:00:37.000+01:00",{"title":466},"kitsu-cli-single-binary","posts/kitsu-cli-single-binary",[487],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"tzpUcwj2c_RrpCjFHR0EJ7oQimUwcACObhVr3BaAavI",{"id":490,"title":491,"authors":492,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":494,"meta":495,"navigation":15,"path":506,"published_at":507,"seo":508,"slug":509,"stem":510,"tags":511,"__hash__":514,"uuid":496,"comment_id":497,"feature_image":498,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":499,"updated_at":500,"custom_excerpt":501,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":502,"primary_tag":503,"url":504,"excerpt":501,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":505},"ghost/posts:blender-shaders-explained.json","Working with Blender Shaders (2026): Nodes & Scripting",[493],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎨\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Shaders are not magic, they’re visual recipes you can control and automate.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>It's easy to panic the first time you hear the word \u003Cem>shader\u003C/em>. Someone mentions GLSL, GPUs start sweating, and suddenly you're imagining walls of unreadable code and your computer fan screaming for mercy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>oHere's the part no one tells you early enough: you don't need to be a mathematician or a graphics programmer to work with shaders. You're not required to write low-level GPU code or understand every equation behind light physics. Blender doesn't expect that from you. Instead, it gives you nodes: visual building blocks that behave more like Lego than code. You plug things together, see the result instantly, and adjust until it feels right.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Think of shaders less as code and more as recipes. You're mixing values, textures, and logic to describe how a surface should react to light. Sometimes you'll follow a known recipe, sometimes you'll improvise, and sometimes you'll break things just to see what happens. It's how you'll learn.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>In this article, we're going to demystify what shading actually is, strip away the fear around it, and explore how to manipulate shaders procedurally using Blender's node system or a bit of scripting for an animation pipeline.\u003C/strong> By the end, shading won't feel like a forbidden room anymore.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-a-shader\">\u003Cstrong>What's a Shader?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>To understand shaders, we have to stop thinking about \"colors\" and start thinking about \"physics.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/hard-surface-modeling/\">\u003Cu>If you paint a wooden chair red in the real world\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, you aren't just changing its color. You are adding a layer of material that interacts with light. That red paint has a specific roughness (how much it scatters light), a specific specularity (how shiny it is), and a specific refractive index.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A shader is a set of instructions that tells the computer how to simulate that light interaction.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-296bf085-924e-40f9-92fc-346c5dc31de0.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-296bf085-924e-40f9-92fc-346c5dc31de0.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-296bf085-924e-40f9-92fc-346c5dc31de0.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-296bf085-924e-40f9-92fc-346c5dc31de0.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: TurboSquid\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>When a ray of light from your digital sun hits the surface of your object, the shader steps in and asks:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\"Are you bouncing off?\" (Reflection)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\"Are you going through?\" (Transmission/Glass)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\"Are you getting trapped inside?\" (Absorption)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\"Are you scattering under the skin?\" (Subsurface Scattering)\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>If you're modeling a wet cobblestone street, a simple image texture makes it look like a flat photo of a street. A shader tells the renderer that the water in the cracks is perfectly reflective and smooth, while the stone is rough and dull. It tells the light to bounce differently off the wet parts than the dry parts.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation/\"> \u003Cu>Light shapes reality.\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-must-master-shader-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>Why You Must Master Shader Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>You might ask, \"Why not just download textures?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Photo-scanning is great, but procedural shading gives you three superpowers that static images cannot match.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you use an image texture (a JPG or PNG), you are limited by pixels. Zoom in too close to a wall, and it becomes blurry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Shaders use math. \u003Cstrong>Math has no resolution limit.\u003C/strong> You can zoom into a procedural scratch on metal until you see the microscopic grooves, and it will remain crisp. Even if you have a model you're proud of, with clean topology and nice proportions, it'll still look flat without shaders.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender's shader nodes make it \u003Cstrong>easy to tweak your textures in a consistent way\u003C/strong>. Let's say you are texturing a spaceship: you paint rust onto the hull using a texture map. Your Art Director walks in and says, \"Great, but the ship looks too old. Reduce the rust by 50%.\" If you hand-painted that, you have to start over or spend hours erasing. With shader nodes, you simply locate the \"Rust Amount\" value you created and slide it from \u003Ccode>1.0\u003C/code> to \u003Ccode>0.5\u003C/code>. Done.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Static textures look frozen, but \u003Cstrong>shaders can also be animated\u003C/strong>. You can build a shader setup where moss grows on a rock over time based on the frame number, or where a shield glows brighter as it gets hit. Shaders allow your materials to react to the environment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For all these reasons, learning to master shader nodes is an incredible unlock for professional artists working with tight deadlines.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-different-types-of-shader-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>The Different Types of Shader Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender's node system works like a flow chart. You click \u003Ccode>Add\u003C/code> to add nodes and connect them together. Data flows from left to right. To understand how to leverage each feature, you need to understand the different node types available.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-2573386d-adc9-4979-a848-89d1cae3645e.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-2573386d-adc9-4979-a848-89d1cae3645e.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-2573386d-adc9-4979-a848-89d1cae3645e.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-2573386d-adc9-4979-a848-89d1cae3645e.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-input-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>1. Input Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Input nodes provide data from the scene, object, geometry, or user-defined values into the shader network.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texture Coordinate\u003C/strong> - Provides UV, object, generated, and camera coordinates + use UV output to correctly map an image texture onto a UV-unwrapped model\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Geometry\u003C/strong> - Outputs geometric information such as normals and pointiness + use Pointiness to create dirt accumulation in crevices\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Fresnel\u003C/strong> - Calculates view-angle-based reflectivity + use it to create stronger reflections on the edges of glass\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Object Info\u003C/strong> - Supplies per-object data like random values or object color + use Random output to give each object a slightly different color\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Value\u003C/strong> - Outputs a constant numerical value + use it to control roughness with a single slider\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color\u003C/strong> - Outputs a constant color value + use it as a base color for a stylized material\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-output-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>2. Output Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Output nodes define the final result of a shader and connect the node network to Blender’s rendering system.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Material Output\u003C/strong> - Outputs the final surface, volume, and displacement data + connect a Principled BSDF to the Surface input\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-shader-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>3. Shader Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Shader nodes define how light interacts with a surface, including reflection, refraction, and emission.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Principled BSDF\u003C/strong> - Physically based all-in-one surface shader + create realistic metal, plastic, or skin materials\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Diffuse BSDF\u003C/strong> - Produces matte, non-reflective surfaces + use for chalk, clay, or unpolished stone\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Glossy BSDF\u003C/strong> - Produces mirror-like reflections + use for polished metal or mirrors\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Glass BSDF\u003C/strong> - Combines refraction and reflection + use for windows or glass bottles\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Emission\u003C/strong> - Emits light from a surface + use for screens, LEDs, or neon signs\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Mix Shader\u003C/strong> - Blends two shader outputs + mix diffuse and glossy shaders for worn metal\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-displacement-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>4. Displacement Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Displacement nodes alter surface detail by modifying geometry or shading normals.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Displacement\u003C/strong> - Performs true geometric displacement + create real depth in a brick wall using a height map (Cycles)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Bump\u003C/strong> - Simulates surface detail using normal perturbation + add fine scratches without increasing geometry\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Normal Map\u003C/strong> - Converts normal textures into usable normal data + apply a baked normal map from a game asset\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"5-color-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>5. Color Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Color nodes adjust, blend, and transform color information within the shader network.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Mix Color\u003C/strong> - Blends two colors or textures + mix a dirt texture over a clean base color\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>RGB Curves\u003C/strong> - Adjusts contrast and color balance + increase texture contrast without re-editing the image\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Hue/Saturation\u003C/strong> - Modifies hue, saturation, and value + tint a material blue without repainting textures\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Invert\u003C/strong> - Reverses color values + invert a roughness map to create a glossiness map\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"6-texture-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>6. Texture Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Texture nodes generate or load image and procedural textures for materials.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Image Texture\u003C/strong> - Loads external image files + use an albedo map for a PBR material\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Noise Texture\u003C/strong> - Generates smooth procedural noise + add subtle roughness variation to plastic\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Voronoi Texture\u003C/strong> - Produces cell-based patterns + create cracks, scales, or stone tiles\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Gradient Texture\u003C/strong> - Outputs smooth gradients + use as a mask for blending materials\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"7-utility-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>7. Utility Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Utility nodes perform mathematical operations and data conversions.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Mapping\u003C/strong> - Transforms texture coordinates + scale and rotate a texture pattern\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Math\u003C/strong> - Performs numerical operations + clamp roughness values to prevent extremes\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Vector Math\u003C/strong> - Performs vector-based calculations + modify normal or direction vectors\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Clamp\u003C/strong> - Limits values to a specified range + prevent over-bright emission values\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"8-group-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>8. Group Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Group nodes package multiple nodes into reusable, organized components.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Node Group\u003C/strong> - Encapsulates complex node setups + create a reusable “Rust Shader” used across multiple assets\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"9-layout-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>9. Layout Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Layout nodes organize the node graph visually and do not affect rendering output.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Frame\u003C/strong> - Visually groups related nodes + frame all texture-related nodes together\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Reroute\u003C/strong> - Redirects node connections for clarity + clean up overlapping noodle connections\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-next-level-scripting-your-shaders\">\u003Cstrong>The Next Level: Scripting Your Shaders\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When you get comfortable connecting nodes manually, you can make wood, plastic, gold, or any kind of material. But \u003Cstrong>what if you have a scene with 500 unique objects, and you need to generate a random variation\u003C/strong> of a worn metal material for each one with some tweaks?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is where Python scripting becomes key. You can use it to ensure every material in your project follows the same node structure. You can write a script that says, \"Make this material red, but vary the hue slightly by a random number for every object.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's get our hands dirty. We are going to write a Python script that creates a new material, adds a Principled BSDF, generates a noise texture to control the color, and links it all up.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/blender-shaders?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/blender-shaders\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Open the \u003Cem>Scripting\u003C/em> tab in Blender, create a new text block, and follow along.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, we need to import the library and tell Blender we want to create a new material.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import random\n\nimport bpy\n\ndef create_procedural_material(mat_name):\n    mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name=mat_name)\n\n    mat.use_nodes = True\n    nodes = mat.node_tree.nodes\n    links = mat.node_tree.links\n\n    nodes.clear()\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, let's add the nodes. Think of this as pulling items out of the \"Add\" menu programmatically:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">    node_output = nodes.new(type='ShaderNodeOutputMaterial')\n    node_output.location = (400, 0)\n\n    node_principled = nodes.new(type='ShaderNodeBsdfPrincipled')\n    node_principled.location = (0, 0)\n\n    node_principled.inputs['Roughness'].default_value = 0.2\n    node_principled.inputs['Metallic'].default_value = 1.0\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, let's make it interesting. We will add a Noise Texture and a ColorRamp to generate a random color pattern.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">node_noise = nodes.new(type='ShaderNodeTexNoise')\n    node_noise.location = (-600, 0)\n    node_noise.inputs['Scale'].default_value = 15.0\n    node_noise.inputs['Detail'].default_value = 10.0\n\n    node_ramp = nodes.new(type='ShaderNodeValToRGB')\n    node_ramp.location = (-300, 0)\n\n    node_ramp.color_ramp.elements[0].color = (0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 1)\n\n    rand_r = random.random()\n    rand_g = random.random()\n    rand_b = random.random()\n    node_ramp.color_ramp.elements[1].color = (rand_r, rand_g, rand_b, 1)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, we have to wire them together and apply this new shader to the current context (the default cube):\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">    links.new(node_noise.outputs['Fac'], node_ramp.inputs['Fac'])\n\n    links.new(node_ramp.outputs['Color'], node_principled.inputs['Base Color'])\n\n    links.new(node_principled.outputs['BSDF'], node_output.inputs['Surface'])\n\n    return mat\n\nmy_new_mat = create_procedural_material(\"SciFi_Metal_Random\")\n\nbpy.context.object.data.materials.append(my_new_mat)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Copy that code into your text editor and press \"Run Script\" (the Play button). Look at your active object. It is now a metallic surface with a noise pattern of a random color. Run it again (change the name in the function call), and you get a different color.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-99dc12fe-068b-40f7-9f10-ef0c5e000ba0.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1268\" height=\"827\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/01/data-src-image-99dc12fe-068b-40f7-9f10-ef0c5e000ba0.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/01/data-src-image-99dc12fe-068b-40f7-9f10-ef0c5e000ba0.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/01/data-src-image-99dc12fe-068b-40f7-9f10-ef0c5e000ba0.png 1268w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Congratulations, \u003Cstrong>you just created a procedural material generator!\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Have a look at\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blog-tutorials/tree/main/blender-shaders?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> \u003Cu>our corresponding Github repository\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to play with the code!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Shaders are more than just coloring within the lines. They are the skin of your digital world. \u003Cstrong>They tell the story of the object\u003C/strong>: how old it is, where it has been, and what it is made of.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By understanding the logic of shader nodes, \u003Cstrong>you can create anything from photorealistic skin to stylized cartoon fire\u003C/strong>. And by taking that leap into Python scripting, you unlock the ability to \u003Cstrong>work faster and smarter\u003C/strong>, automating the tedious parts of the job so you can focus on the art.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But this is just one piece of the puzzle. You can change the surface, but what about the shape? The next logical step in your journey is \u003Cem>Geometry Nodes\u003C/em>. Just as Shader Nodes control the color and light procedurally, Geometry Nodes control the mesh and structure programmatically.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes-2/\"> \u003Cu>Have a look at our dedicated article\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to create entire scenes from code!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":496,"comment_id":497,"feature_image":498,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":499,"updated_at":500,"custom_excerpt":501,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":502,"primary_tag":503,"url":504,"excerpt":501,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":505},"67a0028f-66b2-4116-ac34-040c8a14d052","695b7d1dc665470001df4d80","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1664526936810-ec0856d31b92?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fHNoYWRlciUyMG5vZGVzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2NzYwMzU4M3ww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2026-01-05T09:58:05.000+01:00","2026-03-26T09:56:11.000+01:00","Learn how Blender shaders really work, from node-based materials to procedural shading and Python-driven automation. This guide breaks down shader concepts, node types, and scripting techniques to help artists build flexible, production-ready materials.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-shaders-explained/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@guerrillabuzz?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">GuerrillaBuzz\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-shaders-explained","2026-01-05T10:35:18.000+01:00",{"title":491},"blender-shaders-explained","posts/blender-shaders-explained",[512,513],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"L9nHGKFoNkSSxbDZv_Z2mmZLxxHmhill232zPkpfpCE",{"id":516,"title":517,"authors":518,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":520,"meta":521,"navigation":15,"path":530,"published_at":531,"seo":532,"slug":533,"stem":534,"tags":535,"__hash__":537,"uuid":522,"comment_id":523,"feature_image":524,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":525,"updated_at":526,"custom_excerpt":169,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":527,"primary_tag":528,"url":529,"excerpt":169,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-december-2025-update.json","Build in Public: December 2025 Update",[519],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in! 🚀\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"kitsu-updates-%F0%9F%A6%8A\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Updates 🦊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’ve hit a major milestone—\u003Cstrong>Kitsu is now officially in version 1.0.0\u003C/strong>! 🎉\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This marks a new chapter for the platform, with more flexibility, performance, and polish across the board. From the brand-new plugin system to smarter scheduling and review tools, here’s a look at what’s new:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>1. 🧩 Plugin System\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>Kitsu’s new plugin system lets teams extend the API—and soon, even the UI—with custom features. Tailor Kitsu to your studio’s exact needs with just a bit of code.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://zou.cg-wire.com/plugins/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Learn more about plugins\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>2. 🗓️ Schedule View & Timesheet Overlay for Task Types\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>You can now toggle a schedule view from any task type page and overlay timesheet data to compare time spent vs estimates—perfect for tracking real progress at a glance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>3. 📝 Clients Can Now Attach Frames to Comments\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>Clients can now pin an exact frame when leaving feedback in shared playlists. It’s clearer, more contextual, and avoids the usual back-and-forth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>4. 🧠 Add Multiple Versions of the Same Entity to a Playlist\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>Need to review animation, comp, and FX for the same shot? You can now add different task types from the same entity to a single playlist—great for cross-department reviews.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>5. ✉️ Playlist Notifications for Clients\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>Skip the manual email. When you share a playlist, you can now notify clients directly via Kitsu—they’ll receive a clean email with the link and instructions.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"infrastructure-updates-%F0%9F%92%BD\">\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure Updates 💽\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>This quarter, our infrastructure efforts were all about \u003Cstrong>optimisation\u003C/strong>. One major milestone: we upgraded our \u003Cstrong>PostgreSQL database\u003C/strong>, resulting in a noticeable performance boost across the platform.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We also added a small but meaningful feature for our sustainability-minded users, as you can now \u003Cstrong>access your carbon invoices directly\u003C/strong> from the subscription management UI. Everything you need to report your carbon consumption tied to Kitsu is just a click away.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"events-%F0%9F%8E%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Events 🎫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We had a fantastic showing at \u003Cstrong>RADI in Angoulême\u003C/strong>, where we officially announced \u003Cstrong>Kitsu v1.0.0\u003C/strong> in front of an audience of over 400 animation professionals—a big moment for the team and the product!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Meanwhile, we’re deep in preparation for the upcoming \u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit\u003C/strong>. With the foundations in place, our focus now is making sure everything runs smoothly. We’ll be sharing more as we count down to February.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu-summit?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Kitsu Summit 2026\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">February 12, 2026 - Paris, France - Join the Future of Production Collaboration\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/favicon-2.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Kitsu Summit 2026\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/thumbnail/meetup.af7c0c6c.jpg\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">👆 Get all the details and grab your tickets!\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"finance-%F0%9F%92%B0\">\u003Cstrong>Finance 💰\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Q4 closed on a strong note, with a \u003Cstrong>slight but steady income increase\u003C/strong> over 2024, something we’re proud of given the current market conditions. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We also applied for a \u003Cstrong>new loan from the French BPI\u003C/strong> to support our continued investment in product development and community growth.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">CGWire - Metrics\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">This\n webpage shows the KPI of the company. We made them public because we \nare part of the Open Company movement. Transparency is important to \nbuild trust. Let us know if you want to see additional information.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://cg-wire.com/favicon.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Metrics\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/_nuxt/logo.4d5a2d7e.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">📊 \u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Check out our public KPIs and see how we’re doing behind the scenes\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"communication-%F0%9F%97%A3%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Communication 🗣️\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’ve been spreading the word! With the \u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit\u003C/strong> on the horizon and \u003Cstrong>v1.0.0 officially released\u003C/strong>, we kicked off a French PR campaign to mark the milestone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu was recently featured in both \u003Cstrong>Écran Total\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>3DVF\u003C/strong>, highlighting our mission to support creative industries with powerful, user-friendly tools:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://3dvf.com/collaboration-et-gestion-de-production-kitsu-passe-en-version-1/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Collaboration et gestion de production : Kitsu passe en version 1\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">Découvrez les avancées de Kitsu V1 pour l’animation et VFX. Optimisez production avec outils de planification, budget et plugins.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/favicon-3.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">3DVF\u003C/span>\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Benoît Rogez\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/thumbnail/kitsu-3.webp\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">📚 Kitsu 1.0 coverage on 3DVF\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/xPwCcV0X3Xw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Kitsu by CGWire : V1, finances, bilan carbone, Autodesk... Kitsu nous dit tout !\">\u003C/iframe>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">🎥 Video interview on Écran Total\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://ecran-total.fr/2025/11/18/interview-de-franck-rousseau-fondateur-et-directeur-general-de-cgwire-il-faut-des-outils-capables-de-faire-cohabiter-industrie-et-creation-artistique/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Frank Rousseau, fondateur et directeur général de CGWire : “Il faut des outils capables de faire cohabiter industrie et création artistique”\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">CGWire est né du constat que les studios d’animation manquaient d’outils efficaces pour structurer leur production et coordonner leurs équipes. De cette nécessité est née Kitsu, une plateforme open source qui accompagne aujourd’hui la transformation numérique des studios en simplifiant le suivi des tâches et la collaboration à distance. Entretien avec Frank Rousseau, son créateur.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/et-favicon-1.svg\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Ecran Total\u003C/span>\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Joseph Le Fer\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/thumbnail/frank_rousseau_cgwire-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">📰 Interview with Franck Rousseau (Écran Total)\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>More to come as we continue sharing what makes Kitsu special with teams across the globe.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"studios-productions-%F0%9F%8F%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Studios & Productions 🏫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Over the past three months, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming several top-tier organizations to the Kitsu family. These studios span games, film, and animation—and each one brings new energy, feedback, and creativity into the ecosystem.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here’s the full list of recent additions: 🎬\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://pianosanofilms.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Piano Sano\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Clown 13\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.k3dvfx.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Kiddigraph\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Soup Kitchen\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.offensivegroup.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Offensive Marketing Group\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://studio.grange-animation.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">La Grange Animation\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://scrawlanimation.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Scrawl animation\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We’re thrilled to support these teams as they scale their pipelines, streamline their reviews, and bring incredible stories to life. Welcome aboard! 👋✨\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"closing-notes-%E2%9C%8D%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Closing Notes \u003C/strong> ✍️\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Thanks for reading and following along with our journey! 🙌\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether you’re a long-time user or just discovering Kitsu, we’re always excited to connect. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas to share, don’t hesitate to reach out. We love hearing from the community. 💬\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As we wrap up the year, we want to say a big \u003Cstrong>thank you\u003C/strong> for your continued support, and we wish you a joyful start to \u003Cstrong>2026\u003C/strong> filled with creativity, collaboration, and success. ✨\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We’ll be back in \u003Cstrong>March\u003C/strong> with more updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes news. Until then, take care and see you soon! 👋 🎉\u003C/p>",{"uuid":522,"comment_id":523,"feature_image":524,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":525,"updated_at":526,"custom_excerpt":169,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":527,"primary_tag":528,"url":529,"excerpt":169,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"6978bb0f-3180-44a6-8628-f1b466e74f04","6948df400bfbc7000190a8f5","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/buildinpublic_december_2025.png","2025-12-22T07:03:44.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:56:37.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-december-2025-update/","/posts/build-in-public-december-2025-update","2025-12-31T13:00:26.000+01:00",{"title":517},"build-in-public-december-2025-update","posts/build-in-public-december-2025-update",[536],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"yMYtnuX3VF_UaRyJJa9UrMjF-6NRLWK6qobtvzIiAx0",{"id":539,"title":540,"authors":541,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":543,"meta":544,"navigation":15,"path":555,"published_at":556,"seo":557,"slug":558,"stem":559,"tags":560,"__hash__":563,"uuid":545,"comment_id":546,"feature_image":547,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":548,"updated_at":549,"custom_excerpt":550,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":551,"primary_tag":552,"url":553,"excerpt":550,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":554},"ghost/posts:blender-programmatic-rendering.json","Programmatic Video Rendering in Blender Using Python (2026)",[542],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🧠\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Turn Blender into a programmable rendering engine with just a few lines of Python.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Learning Blender as a 3D artist usually means learning about its addon ecosystem. Tasks that would take hours like rigging a character can be turned into seconds with addons like Rigify. The same goes for most workflows, and we often end up asking ourselves the same recurring question: \"Can Blender do this automatically?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The answer is yes. The key is the programming language Python.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender includes a powerful built-in scripting engine, and with just a few lines of code, you can create objects, position cameras, and even trigger full renders.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You won't need to pay for an addon if you know how to build one yourself. And at its core, an addon is just a script wrapped in a custom Blender user interface.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you've never scripted in Blender before, discovering the \u003Ccode>bpy\u003C/code> module feels like opening a secret door inside a tool you thought you already knew: suddenly, every part of the interface becomes programmable. You're not just clicking buttons anymore but giving instructions to build repeatable systems.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One of the most important workflows you can automate is rendering. Not only to make your pipeline faster but also to help keep rendering settings consistent and predictable. In this tutorial, we'll implement a basic programmatic rendering system to automatically animate a 3D text and turn it into a full HD video. We'll start from zero, exploring how to run Python for Blender and how to use it to control the scene. By the end, you'll have a good overview of how to automate common animation tasks.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"use-cases\">\u003Cstrong>Use Cases\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Programmatic rendering unlocks a wide range of powerful workflows that go far beyond traditional manual scene building:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Data-driven motion graphics\u003C/strong> — Animated charts, realtime API-driven broadcast graphics, or automatically generated social videos.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Generative art\u003C/strong> — Procedural patterns, noise fields, particle experiments, and algorithmic illustrations that evolve from code.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Batch-rendered variants\u003C/strong> — Personalized ads, product color variations, automated aspect-ratio crops, and bulk social asset generation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Procedural 3D content\u003C/strong> — Terrain builders, parametric modeling, foliage/world population, and automated 3D asset variations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Generative UI & design systems\u003C/strong> — Dynamic SVGs, templated banners, and brand-consistent graphics rendered on demand.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>VFX and animation scripting\u003C/strong> — Automated rig controls, crowd systems, particle population, and repeatable simulation setups.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Simulation visualizations\u003C/strong> — Fluid and smoke simulations, traffic and crowd dynamics, and scientific or physics-based renders.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Many 3D modeling tasks are repetitive and time-consuming. By integrating them into an automated, script-driven pipeline, artists can focus more on creative worldbuilding while Python handles the tedious parts in the background.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In any case, the development workflow is pretty much the same:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Setup\u003C/strong> - define needed input data and scene cleanup\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Geometry generation\u003C/strong> - modeling the actual assets needed for the task\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation\u003C/strong> - defining the transforms and their associated keyframes\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Output\u003C/strong> - the desired assets (3D models, video, image sequence, etc.)\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>This is exactly the path we're going to take for our 3D text video rendering example.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-programmatic-rendering?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blender-programmatic-rendering\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-scene-setup\">\u003Cstrong>1. Scene Setup\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before we dive into generating scenes, we first need a clean starting point. When you open Blender, it loads a default scene usually containing a cube, a camera, and a light. For this tutorial, we'll only need the latter two.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first step in using Blender programmatically is importing the \u003Ccode>bpy\u003C/code> module. This gives you full access to Blender's data, tools, and rendering pipeline directly from Python:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\nbpy.data.objects.remove(bpy.data.objects.get(\"Cube\"), do_unlink=True)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here, we remove the default \u003Cstrong>Cube\u003C/strong> object. The \u003Ccode>do_unlink=True\u003C/code> parameter makes sure Blender not only deletes the object but also unlinks it from any scene that might reference it.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-manipulating-3d-text\">\u003Cstrong>2. Manipulating 3D Text\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Next, we add a 3D text object to the scene to serve as the core element we'll manipulate and eventually render programmatically.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.ops.object.text_add(location=(0, 0, 0))\ntext_obj = bpy.context.object\ntext_obj.name = \"CaptionText\"\ntext_obj.data.body = \"Hello world!\"\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This code snippet creates a new text object at the world origin, assigns it a readable name, and sets its displayed text to \u003Ccode>\"Hello world!\"\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To give the text more presence in the scene, we can adjust its geometry. Increasing the size and adding extrusion make the text fully 3D, and centering it on both axes simplifies future transformations and animations:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">text_obj.data.size = 0.6\ntext_obj.data.extrude = 0.05\ntext_obj.data.align_x = \"CENTER\"\ntext_obj.data.align_y = \"CENTER\"\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With these adjustments, the text is cleanly centered, properly scaled, and ready for further processing.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-8cb519b5-e128-4bdd-9348-9aa0dfe2c36c.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-8cb519b5-e128-4bdd-9348-9aa0dfe2c36c.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-8cb519b5-e128-4bdd-9348-9aa0dfe2c36c.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-8cb519b5-e128-4bdd-9348-9aa0dfe2c36c.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-adding-keyframes\">\u003Cstrong>3. Adding Keyframes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stepped-animation/\"> \u003Cu>create a simple animation by inserting keyframes\u003C/u>\u003C/a> for the text position over time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, we move our timeline cursor to frame 1, position the text at the starting location, and record that position with a keyframe:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.context.scene.frame_set(1)\ntext_obj.location = (-4.0, 0.0, 1.0)\ntext_obj.keyframe_insert(data_path=\"location\", frame=1)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Next, we advance to frame 40, shift the text along the X axis, and insert another keyframe to mark its new position:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.context.scene.frame_set(40)\ntext_obj.location = (0.0, 0.0, 1.0)\ntext_obj.keyframe_insert(data_path=\"location\", frame=40)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With these two keyframes in place, Blender automatically interpolates the movement between them, creating a smooth animation as the text glides into the center of the frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-c33d7b37-264c-4c9f-a1ea-e8f2e2a39ff2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-c33d7b37-264c-4c9f-a1ea-e8f2e2a39ff2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-c33d7b37-264c-4c9f-a1ea-e8f2e2a39ff2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-c33d7b37-264c-4c9f-a1ea-e8f2e2a39ff2.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-video-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>4. Video Rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>All we have left to do is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\"> \u003Cu>configure Blender's rendering settings\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and output the final video.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first choice is which rendering engine to use: \u003Cstrong>Eevee\u003C/strong> or \u003Cstrong>Cycles\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Eevee is a real-time rasterization engine, making it extremely fast and ideal for previews or stylized animation. Cycles, on the other hand, is a physically based path tracer that produces more realistic lighting but requires much longer render times. For quick iteration and most automated workflows, Eevee is generally the better option:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.context.scene.render.engine = \"BLENDER_EEVEE\"\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Next, we specify the output resolution:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.context.scene.render.resolution_x = 1920\nbpy.context.scene.render.resolution_y = 1080\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then we set the frame rate and define the animation range. Here, a 60-frame shot at 24 fps:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.context.scene.render.fps = 24\nbpy.context.scene.frame_start = 1\nbpy.context.scene.frame_end = 60\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender also needs to know how to encode the final video. We'll export it as an MP4 using H.264 video encoding for rendering speed:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.file_format = \"FFMPEG\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.format = \"MPEG4\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.codec = \"H264\"\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, we choose where the output file will be written using the current folder for convenience:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.context.scene.render.filepath = \"//render.mp4\"\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With everything configured, we can start the render process with a single command:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.ops.render.render(animation=True)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-putting-it-all-together\">\u003Cstrong>5. Putting it all together\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Our code is complete and we just need to put it into a Python file \u003Ccode>render.py\u003C/code>:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\nbpy.data.objects.remove(bpy.data.objects.get(\"Cube\"), do_unlink=True)\n\nbpy.ops.object.text_add(location=(0, 0, 0))\ntext_obj = bpy.context.object\ntext_obj.name = \"CaptionText\"\ntext_obj.data.body = \"Hello world!\"\n\ntext_obj.data.size = 0.6\ntext_obj.data.extrude = 0.05\ntext_obj.data.align_x = \"CENTER\"\ntext_obj.data.align_y = \"CENTER\"\n\nbpy.context.scene.frame_set(1)\ntext_obj.location = (-4.0, 0.0, 1.0)\ntext_obj.keyframe_insert(data_path=\"location\", frame=1)\n\nbpy.context.scene.frame_set(40)\ntext_obj.location = (0.0, 0.0, 1.0)\ntext_obj.keyframe_insert(data_path=\"location\", frame=40)\n\nbpy.context.scene.render.engine = \"BLENDER_EEVEE\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.resolution_x = 1920\nbpy.context.scene.render.resolution_y = 1080\nbpy.context.scene.render.resolution_percentage = 100\nbpy.context.scene.render.fps = 24\nbpy.context.scene.frame_start = 1\nbpy.context.scene.frame_end = 60\n\nbpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.file_format = \"FFMPEG\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.format = \"MPEG4\"  # container\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.codec = \"H264\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.constant_rate_factor = \"HIGH\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.gopsize = 12\nbpy.context.scene.render.ffmpeg.audio_codec = \"AAC\"\nbpy.context.scene.render.filepath = \"//render.mp4\"\n\nbpy.ops.render.render(animation=True)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, run the script to start rendering:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">python3 render.py\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the render finishes, check your working directory and your fully programmatically generated animation should now be ready to view.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-2b287259-a96b-456b-b95e-375bf116e3a1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1088\" height=\"722\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-2b287259-a96b-456b-b95e-375bf116e3a1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-2b287259-a96b-456b-b95e-375bf116e3a1.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-2b287259-a96b-456b-b95e-375bf116e3a1.png 1088w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🔗\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">You can find our code in a Github repository for easy reproducibility:\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-programmatic-rendering?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>github.com/cgwire/blender-programmatic-rendering\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In this walkthrough, you built a complete automated pipeline inside Blender: setting up a clean scene, creating and modifying 3D text, animating it with keyframes, and rendering the sequence with smooth interpolation. All of it handled through Python with no manual adjustments needed!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now that you've seen how much control the Blender API provides, you can take these ideas much further: automate your workflows, generate graphics from data, build internal tools that assemble scenes, render variations, or create entire animations with a single command... the list to help your animation studio become more productive never ends.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":545,"comment_id":546,"feature_image":547,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":548,"updated_at":549,"custom_excerpt":550,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":551,"primary_tag":552,"url":553,"excerpt":550,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":554},"4457d779-ae8e-4ed7-9398-91772c0996c0","6948dba20bfbc7000190a8bf","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1622547748225-3fc4abd2cca0?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fHJlbmRlcnN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzY2MzgyNjA1fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-12-22T06:48:18.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:02.000+01:00","Learn how to automate animation and video rendering in Blender using Python. This tutorial covers scene setup, 3D text generation, keyframe animation, and programmatic rendering to build repeatable, script-driven workflows.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-programmatic-rendering/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@sebastiansvenson?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Sebastian Svenson\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-programmatic-rendering","2025-12-29T10:00:10.000+01:00",{"title":540},"blender-programmatic-rendering","posts/blender-programmatic-rendering",[561,562],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"vOpwec7s0eruEbUu1OcdDfl9ESqnn1LglPRNKNn4kgw",{"id":565,"title":566,"authors":567,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":569,"meta":570,"navigation":15,"path":582,"published_at":583,"seo":584,"slug":585,"stem":586,"tags":587,"__hash__":590,"uuid":571,"comment_id":572,"feature_image":573,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":574,"updated_at":575,"custom_excerpt":576,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":577,"primary_tag":578,"url":579,"excerpt":576,"reading_time":580,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":581},"ghost/posts:blender-kitsu-versioning-addon.json","Managing Blender File Revisions with a Kitsu Versioning Addon (2026)",[568],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🧱\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Replace chaotic file naming with a single source of truth for Blender revisions.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Every project begins with good intentions. You start with a clean \u003Ccode>model.blend\u003C/code>, organized folders, and the promise that this time you’ll keep things tidy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But as deadlines tighten, the quiet entropy of production sets in. Before long, your project directory starts to resemble an archaeological dig site of panicked last-minute edits:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>model.blend\nmodel_v2.blend\nmodel_v2b.blend\nmodel_final.blend\nmodel_final_really_final.blend\nmodel_FINAL_v3.blend\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>You know how it happens: someone needs a quick change, another artist branches off a version \"just in case,\" and soon no one is entirely certain which file is \"the real one.\" Comments in chat threads contradict filenames, shots render from outdated versions, and the supervisor sighs deeply.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In an animation studio, these micro-chaos moments add up. That’s where a proper source of truth needs to enter the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For many teams, that source is Kitsu. And for Blender artists, the missing piece is an automated bridge that keeps files versioned, traceable, and aligned with the project’s production data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So you decide to take control: you’re going to make Blender talk to Kitsu and build a versioning system that makes your pipeline feel like it finally has your back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this tutorial, we’ll create an addon that manages file revisions directly from Blender. You’ll be able to connect Blender to a Kitsu project, create and upload revisions of your 3D models, view all existing revisions, and pull older revisions back into Blender.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"workflow-overview\">\u003Cstrong>Workflow Overview\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In a typical Kitsu-driven workflow, an artist opens a Blender scene, does their work, hits a milestone, and uploads a revision. Artists review, iterate, revise, and upload again. Kitsu keeps every step neatly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But it wouldn't hurt if you could just upload or pull revisions with a click, right?\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Start in Blender\u003C/strong> - We open our working scene—modeling, shading, rigging, whatever the task at hand demands.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Checkpoint the work\u003C/strong> - When we hit a milestone (\"blocking complete,\" \"ready for review\"), we create a new revision in Kitsu.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Review the history\u003C/strong> - Kitsu stores all revisions, giving supervisors a clear timeline and letting you compare versions without digging through files.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pull new changes\u003C/strong> - When we need a different version, we can just click to pull in an asset in our current workspace.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>This is a very basic workflow, so we are bound to run into problems like how to handle conflict resolution (what if two artists work on the same shot and create a new revision each, how do we handle this?), but it's good enough to give us a functional addon we can improve later on to fit our animation pipeline needs.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-versioning-addon?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-versioning-addon\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-populating-the-kitsu-dashboard\">\u003Cstrong>1. Populating The Kitsu Dashboard\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Kitsu’s web interface is designed so producers, coordinators, or leads can quickly set up the structure of a project. Before Blender artists can publish revisions, we need to populate our production with work-in-progress assets. In\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/dcc-integration-blender-kitsu/\"> \u003Cu>the Kitsu Docker instance for local development\u003C/u>\u003C/a>:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Log into the \u003Cstrong>Kitsu dashboard\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>In the main navigation bar, go to \u003Cstrong>Productions\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Click \u003Cstrong>\"Create production\"\u003C/strong> (usually top-right corner).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Fill in the production details\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-58cb0571-2b74-4110-9b07-9e15030bbd05.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"985\" height=\"694\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-58cb0571-2b74-4110-9b07-9e15030bbd05.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-58cb0571-2b74-4110-9b07-9e15030bbd05.png 985w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The new production will appear in the list, and you can open it to begin adding assets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Assets are the building blocks of your project: characters, props, environments, vehicles... anything that needs production tracking.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Go to \u003Cstrong>Productions → Your Production Name\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Switch to the \u003Cstrong>Assets\u003C/strong> tab within the production.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Click \u003Cstrong>\"Create Asset\"\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Enter an \u003Cstrong>Asset Name\u003C/strong> (e.g., \"RobotHead\") and \u003Cstrong>Asset Type\u003C/strong> (Character, Prop, Set, etc.)\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-f4336c33-57ef-4baa-9715-e0c749f7d9b4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1270\" height=\"870\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-f4336c33-57ef-4baa-9715-e0c749f7d9b4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-f4336c33-57ef-4baa-9715-e0c749f7d9b4.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-f4336c33-57ef-4baa-9715-e0c749f7d9b4.png 1270w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Your asset now exists and has 3 tasks assigned to it. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Tasks define the workflow steps (Modeling, Shading, Rigging, etc.) that artists will perform on each asset.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We now have everything we need to test our addon.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-linking-the-current-blender-project-to-a-kitsu-task\">\u003Cstrong>2. Linking the Current Blender Project to a Kitsu Task\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We start with a minimal addon declaration that defines the UI location, loads \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code>, and prepares the data we’ll expose in dropdown menus:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bl_info = {\n    \"name\": \"Model Versioning (Production/Task/Asset/Revisions)\",\n    \"author\": \"cgwire\",\n    \"version\": (1, 0, 0),\n    \"blender\": (2, 80, 0),\n    \"location\": \"View3D > Sidebar > ModelVersioning\",\n    \"description\": \"Browse productions, tasks, assets, and manage revisions (list/create/load)\",\n    \"category\": \"3D View\",\n}\n\nimport sys\n\nsys.path.append(\"~/.local/lib/python3.11/site-packages\")\n\nimport os\nimport tempfile\n\nimport bpy\nimport gazu\nfrom bpy.props import EnumProperty, PointerProperty\nfrom bpy.types import Operator, Panel, PropertyGroup\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Note that \u003Ccode>sys.path.append(\"~/.local/lib/python3.11/site-packages\")\u003C/code> allows us to use our local Python installation to access external packages like \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code>. By default, Blender runs its own Python environment, so installing packages can be cumbersome. To solve this, we just tell Blender to have a look at our local modules. Update this path accordingly to match your system configuration.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before we can automate versioning, Blender needs to know \u003Cem>where\u003C/em> in Kitsu the current model belongs. That means identifying the project, the asset, the task, and eventually the revisions associated with it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first step is simple: authenticate with Kitsu, retrieve available productions, and let the artist pick the context directly from the Sidebar UI.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the addon loads, we authenticate and point the addon at the Kitsu API host:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">gazu.set_host(\"<http://localhost/api>\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\ntemp_dir_path = tempfile.gettempdir()\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This establishes the session we’ll use to browse productions, find tasks, and eventually create revisions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From here, we can begin exposing the production structure. With helper functions for project, asset, task, and revision lookup, we populate each dropdown dynamically:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">def find_project(name):\n    return gazu.project.get_project_by_name(name)\n\ndef find_asset(project, name):\n    return gazu.asset.get_asset_by_name(project, name)\n\ndef find_task(asset, type_id):\n    return gazu.task.get_task_by_name(asset, type_id, \"main\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each \u003Ccode>EnumProperty\u003C/code> callback pulls fresh data from Kitsu:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">def enum_projects(self, context):\n    items = []\n    projects = gazu.project.all_projects()\n    for p in projects:\n        items.append((p[\"name\"], p[\"name\"], \"\"))\n    if not items:\n        items.append((\"NONE\", \"--- no productions ---\", \"\"))\n    return items\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Assets, tasks, and revisions follow the same pattern:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">def enum_assets(self, context):\n    project = find_project(context.scene.mv_state.project)\n    items = []\n    if project:\n        assets = gazu.asset.all_assets_for_project(project)\n        for t in assets:\n            items.append((t[\"name\"], t[\"name\"], \"\"))\n    if not items:\n        items.append((\"NONE\", \"--- no tasks ---\", \"\"))\n    return items\n\ndef enum_tasks(self, context):\n    project = find_project(context.scene.mv_state.project)\n    asset = find_asset(project, context.scene.mv_state.asset)\n    items = []\n    if asset:\n        tasks = gazu.task.all_tasks_for_asset(asset)\n        for t in tasks:\n            items.append((t[\"task_type_id\"], t[\"task_type_name\"], \"\"))\n    if not items:\n        items.append((\"NONE\", \"--- no tasks ---\", \"\"))\n    return items\n\ndef enum_revisions(self, context):\n    project = find_project(context.scene.mv_state.project)\n    asset = find_asset(project, context.scene.mv_state.asset)\n    task = find_task(asset, context.scene.mv_state.task)\n    items = []\n    if task:\n        revisions = gazu.files.get_all_preview_files_for_task(task)\n        for r in revisions:\n            items.append((str(r[\"revision\"]), str(r[\"revision\"]), \"\"))\n    if not items:\n        items.append((\"NONE\", \"--- no revisions ---\", \"\"))\n    return items\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, we store all UI selections in a single state object:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">class MV_State(PropertyGroup):\n    project: EnumProperty(\n        name=\"Project\", description=\"Select project\", items=enum_projects\n    )\n    asset: EnumProperty(name=\"Asset\", description=\"Select asset\", items=enum_assets)\n    task: EnumProperty(name=\"Task\", description=\"Select task\", items=enum_tasks)\n    revision: EnumProperty(\n        name=\"Revision\", description=\"Select revision\", items=enum_revisions\n    )\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is the foundation of our pipeline integration: Blender now knows how to browse Kitsu and bind itself to the exact task the artist is working on. From here, we can start working on the revision lifecycle.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-creating-a-new-revision-button\">\u003Cstrong>3. Creating a \"New Revision\" Button\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We can start automating the part artists interact with most: creating new revisions. In a typical manual workflow, you’d export your file and upload it in Kitsu to the correct task. Our addon will streamline this into a single button press inside Blender.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu handles new revisions through \u003Ccode>publish_preview()\u003C/code>. This call sends both the file and metadata:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">temp_file_path = os.path.join(temp_dir_path, \"new_version.glb\")\n\nbpy.ops.export_scene.gltf(filepath=temp_file_path, export_format=\"GLB\")\n\n(comment, preview_file) = gazu.task.publish_preview(\n    task,\n    task_status,\n    revision=new_revision,\n    comment=\"increment revision\",\n    preview_file_path=temp_file_path,\n)\n\nos.remove(temp_file_path)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In our addon, we’ll trigger this from a button in the Sidebar.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The operator performs three main steps: grab the user’s selections from the addon's state, compute the next revision number, and upload the exported file as the new revision:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">class MV_OT_create_revision(Operator):\n    bl_idname = \"mv.create_revision\"\n    bl_label = \"Create Revision\"\n\n    def invoke(self, context, event):\n        wm = context.window_manager\n        return wm.invoke_props_dialog(self, width=400)\n\n    def execute(self, context):\n        project = find_project(context.scene.mv_state.project)\n        asset = find_asset(project, context.scene.mv_state.asset)\n        task = find_task(asset, context.scene.mv_state.task)\n        revision = context.scene.mv_state.revision\n        new_revision = int(revision) + 1\n\n        task_status = gazu.task.get_task_status_by_name(\"todo\")\n\n        temp_file_path = os.path.join(temp_dir_path, \"new_version.glb\")\n\n        bpy.ops.export_scene.gltf(filepath=temp_file_path, export_format=\"GLB\")\n\n        (comment, preview_file) = gazu.task.publish_preview(\n            task,\n            task_status,\n            revision=new_revision,\n            comment=\"increment revision\",\n            preview_file_path=temp_file_path,\n        )\n\n        os.remove(temp_file_path)\n\n        self.report({\"INFO\"}, \"Revision created\")\n        return {\"FINISHED\"}\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-pulling-a-revision-into-blender\">\u003Cstrong>4. Pulling a Revision into Blender\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Versioning isn’t just about publishing your work, it's also about being able to \u003Cem>go back\u003C/em>. Whether you’re reviewing earlier stages, comparing topology, or recovering a detail from a previous iteration, you need a quick, reliable way to load new and older revisions into Blender.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once a task is selected, pulling a revision from Kitsu becomes a simple two-step operation: download the preview file associated with the selected revision, and import it into Blender.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After fetching all preview files for the current task, we can target the revision by index and bring the asset directly into Blender:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">temp_file_path = os.path.join(temp_dir_path, \"new_version.glb\")\n\npreview_file = preview_files[int(revision) - 1]\ngazu.files.download_preview_file(preview_file, temp_file_path)\nbpy.ops.import_scene.gltf(filepath=temp_file_path)\n\nos.remove(temp_file_path)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This gives us a consistent way to retrieve assets exactly as they were at that point in production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We encapsulate this workflow inside an operator that mirrors the structure of the Create Revision button:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">class MV_OT_load_revision(Operator):\n    bl_idname = \"mv.load_revision\"\n    bl_label = \"Load Revision\"\n\n    def execute(self, context):\n        project = find_project(context.scene.mv_state.project)\n        asset = find_asset(project, context.scene.mv_state.asset)\n        task = find_task(asset, context.scene.mv_state.task)\n        revision = context.scene.mv_state.revision\n        preview_files = gazu.files.get_all_preview_files_for_task(task)\n\n        temp_file_path = os.path.join(temp_dir_path, \"new_version.glb\")\n\n        preview_file = preview_files[int(revision) - 1]\n        gazu.files.download_preview_file(preview_file, temp_file_path)\n        bpy.ops.import_scene.gltf(filepath=temp_file_path)\n\n        os.remove(temp_file_path)\n\n        self.report({\"INFO\"}, \"Opened Revision\")\n        return {\"FINISHED\"}\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This operator makes it trivial for artists to browse and load any version stored in Kitsu without leaving Blender.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-registering-the-addon\">\u003Cstrong>5. Registering The Addon\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide/\">\u003Cu>The panel now ties the whole revision workflow together\u003C/u>\u003C/a>:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Select the project\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Choose the asset\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Pick the task\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Browse revisions\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Create or load versions with a single click\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">class MV_PT_panel(Panel):\n    bl_label = \"Model Versioning\"\n    bl_idname = \"MV_PT_panel\"\n    bl_space_type = \"VIEW_3D\"\n    bl_region_type = \"UI\"\n    bl_category = \"ModelVersion\"\n\n    def draw(self, context):\n        layout = self.layout\n        scene = context.scene\n        mv = scene.mv_state\n\n        layout.label(text=\"Project\")\n        layout.prop(mv, \"project\", text=\"\")\n        layout.separator()\n\n        layout.label(text=\"Asset\")\n        layout.prop(mv, \"asset\", text=\"\")\n        layout.separator()\n\n        layout.label(text=\"Task\")\n        layout.prop(mv, \"task\", text=\"\")\n        layout.separator()\n\n        layout.label(text=\"Revision\")\n        layout.prop(mv, \"revision\", text=\"\")\n        layout.separator()\n\n        row = layout.row(align=True)\n        row.operator(\"mv.create_revision\", text=\"Create Revision\", icon=\"ADD\")\n\n        layout.operator(\n            \"mv.load_revision\", text=\"Load Selected Revision\", icon=\"IMPORT\"\n        )\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, we register the operators, panel, and state so Blender knows how to construct the UI:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">classes = (\n    MV_State,\n    MV_OT_create_revision,\n    MV_OT_load_revision,\n    MV_PT_panel,\n)\n\ndef register():\n    for c in classes:\n        bpy.utils.register_class(c)\n    bpy.types.Scene.mv_state = PointerProperty(type=MV_State)\n\ndef unregister():\n    for c in reversed(classes):\n        bpy.utils.unregister_class(c)\n    if hasattr(bpy.types.Scene, \"mv_state\"):\n        del bpy.types.Scene.mv_state\n\nif __name__ == \"__main__\":\n    register()\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>At this point, the model versioning workflow is fully bidirectional: you can publish new revisions from Blender and retrieve earlier ones instantly.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-00e861e7-3b2e-4bdc-80b8-1af740cab480.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"759\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-00e861e7-3b2e-4bdc-80b8-1af740cab480.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-00e861e7-3b2e-4bdc-80b8-1af740cab480.png 759w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With just a handful of Blender API operators and the convenience of the Gazu SDK, we’ve built a practical (yet basic) versioning workflow that lives directly inside Blender and stays in sync with Kitsu. Artists can link their Blender scene to a Kitsu project, asset, and task, create new revisions with a single button press, browse the full revision history for any task, and pull older versions straight into Blender whenever they need to compare or recover work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This workflow is only the beginning. From here, you could expand the addon with automated exports, thumbnail or turntable renders, support for multiple output formats, supervisor review tools, or even hooks into a render farm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To get you started, make sure to clone\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-versioning-addon?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>our Github repository\u003C/u>\u003C/a> for this versioning addon and try it out yourself!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":571,"comment_id":572,"feature_image":573,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":574,"updated_at":575,"custom_excerpt":576,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":577,"primary_tag":578,"url":579,"excerpt":576,"reading_time":580,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":581},"4ee5e3ab-dd50-4121-99cb-c59d96c2eb7d","6948ca070bfbc7000190a884","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1617746533234-288e5cf484e2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMwfHxhbmltYXRpb24lMjBwaXBlbGluZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NjYzODE5ODZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-12-22T05:33:11.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:01.000+01:00","Learn how to build a Blender addon that connects to Kitsu to manage asset revisions. This tutorial covers creating, browsing, and loading file versions directly from Blender, keeping production files traceable and in sync with studio workflows.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-kitsu-versioning-addon/",12,"\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@jaspergarrattphotography?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Jasper Garratt\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-kitsu-versioning-addon","2025-12-22T10:00:20.000+01:00",{"title":566},"blender-kitsu-versioning-addon","posts/blender-kitsu-versioning-addon",[588,589],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"RvLHyMPCRMLBkkSF0lzBXOx7AHvfvlghiFKTD38-uwg",{"id":592,"title":593,"authors":594,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":596,"meta":597,"navigation":15,"path":607,"published_at":608,"seo":609,"slug":610,"stem":611,"tags":612,"__hash__":615,"uuid":598,"comment_id":599,"feature_image":600,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":601,"updated_at":575,"custom_excerpt":602,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":603,"primary_tag":604,"url":605,"excerpt":602,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":606},"ghost/posts:blender-kitsu-low-res-preview.json","Automating Low-Res Animation Previews in Blender with Kitsu (2026)",[595],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">⚡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Speed up animation reviews with lightweight previews that render in seconds, not hours.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Waiting for full-resolution renders just to review a shot slows down the entire production. Artists spend time waiting and supervisors get delayed feedback. The iteration loop is inefficient.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To address this, we can create low-resolution animation previews directly in Blender and auto-upload them to Kitsu using Python as a part of our animation pipeline. These previews are fast to render, easy to review, and can be quickly used in Kitsu for approval.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is a big deal because full-resolution renders can take hours, and the cloud storage and network bandwidth costs are no joke when you're dealing with thousands of shots. Going from 1080p to 480p can divide the size by up to 5x!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this tutorial, we’ll cover how to:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Adjust Blender render settings for low-resolution previews\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Automate the render process using Python\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Use \u003Ccode>ffmpeg\u003C/code> to watermark and timestamp the video for fast contextualization\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Export videos and upload them to Kitsu\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>By the end, you’ll have a script that saves time on shot reviews without sacrificing feedback quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-low-res-preview?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-low-res-preview\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-simple-blender-scene-setup\">\u003Cstrong>1. Simple Blender Scene Setup\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before we can create an animated preview, we need a starting object in the scene. For this tutorial, we’ll use Blender’s default cube.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, we create a reference of the scene and the cube:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\ncube = bpy.data.objects[\"Cube\"]\nscene = bpy.context.scene\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-bf950a7a-c387-4b8d-9318-49e5bd3251bd.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-bf950a7a-c387-4b8d-9318-49e5bd3251bd.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-bf950a7a-c387-4b8d-9318-49e5bd3251bd.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-bf950a7a-c387-4b8d-9318-49e5bd3251bd.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-adding-keyframes-for-animation\">\u003Cstrong>2. Adding Keyframes for Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The next step is animating our cube. For quick modeling previews, short sequences are ideal. Here, we’ll create a \u003Cstrong>360° rotation\u003C/strong> over 48 frames (2 seconds at 24 FPS):\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">for frame, angle in [(1, 0), (12, 1.57), (24, 3.14), (36, 4.71), (48, 6.28)]:\n    scene.frame_set(frame)\n    cube.rotation_euler[2] = angle\n    cube.keyframe_insert(data_path=\"rotation_euler\", index=2)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This loop sets keyframes at regular intervals, rotating the cube smoothly around its Z-axis by increments of pi/2. Using a small number of frames keeps rendering fast and makes it perfect for preview purposes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At this point, you could scrub the timeline in Blender to verify the cube rotates as expected.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-low-resolution-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>3. Low-Resolution Rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With animation in place, we can configure Blender to render a \u003Cstrong>fast, low-resolution preview\u003C/strong>. The goal is speed over quality: we want something clear enough for review but quick to produce.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here, we use\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\"> \u003Cu>the Eevee rendering engine for speed and to reduce unnecessary rendering overhead\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. It's much faster than Cycles because it's a simple rasterisation engine, and we don't need a hyper-realistic output in 90% of cases.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">scene.render.engine = \"BLENDER_EEVEE\"\n\nscene.render.resolution_x = 1920\nscene.render.resolution_y = 1080\nscene.render.resolution_percentage = 50\n\nscene.render.fps = 24\nscene.frame_start = 1\nscene.frame_end = 48  # match your animation length\n\nscene.render.image_settings.file_format = \"FFMPEG\"\nscene.render.ffmpeg.format = \"MPEG4\"\nscene.render.ffmpeg.codec = \"H264\"\n\nscene.render.filepath = \"//preview.mp4\"\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Although we go for a classic landscape resolution, reducing \u003Ccode>resolution_percentage\u003C/code> or turning off high-quality sampling in Eevee can drastically reduce render times for previews.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The rest of the settings are pretty standard: 24 frames per second, 48 frames total, and a mp4 output video with H264 encoding (for faster compression) written in the script's current folder.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Depending on your use case, you can reduce the resolution, decrease the frame rate, and lower the bitrate to lower the size of your previews. You still need enough quality for the review process, though, so tweak the settings for an optimal balance with performance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, we can trigger the render in one line:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.ops.render.render(animation=True)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-27b0c802-b589-4306-b52b-5f910b58320b.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1088\" height=\"722\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-27b0c802-b589-4306-b52b-5f910b58320b.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-27b0c802-b589-4306-b52b-5f910b58320b.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-27b0c802-b589-4306-b52b-5f910b58320b.png 1088w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The preview video can be immediately used for review or further processed with tools like FFmpeg for timestamps, watermarks, or custom naming conventions before uploading to Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-ffmpeg-processing-timestamp-naming-watermark\">\u003Cstrong>4. FFmpeg Processing: Timestamp, Naming, Watermark\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once Blender has rendered your animation to a video file, you can further process it using \u003Cstrong>FFmpeg\u003C/strong>. This is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/ffmpeg-commands-for-animators/\"> \u003Cu>a common step in production pipelines\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to add timestamps, watermarks, or custom naming-making the previews ready for review.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Run the following command in a terminal after rendering your preview:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -framerate 24 \\\\\\\\\n  -i preview.mp4 \\\\\\\\\n  -i watermark.png \\\\\\\\\n  -filter_complex \"\\\\\\\\\n    [0:v]drawtext=text='%{pts\\\\\\\\:hms}':x=10:y=10:fontsize=24:fontcolor=white:bordercolor=black:borderw=2[v1]; \\\\\\\\\n    [v1][1:v]overlay=W-w-20:H-h-20\" \\\\\\\\\n  -c:v libx264 -crf 22 -pix_fmt yuv420p \\\\\\\\\n  preview_with_stamp.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>drawtext\u003C/code>\u003C/strong> overlays a running timestamp in the top-left corner.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>\u003Cstrong>overlay\u003C/strong>\u003C/code> places a watermark image (\u003Ccode>watermark.png\u003C/code>) in the bottom-right corner.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>c:v libx264 -crf 22 -pix_fmt yuv420p\u003C/code>\u003C/strong> ensures good quality and broad compatibility for video playback.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The output file, \u003Ccode>preview_with_stamp.mp4\u003C/code>, is your finalised preview ready for review.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Of course, you can adjust the font size, position, or watermark placement as needed to standardise previews for your team or client reviews.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-aaed9f6c-1b29-4592-b629-1830a6f2aa79.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1088\" height=\"722\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-aaed9f6c-1b29-4592-b629-1830a6f2aa79.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-aaed9f6c-1b29-4592-b629-1830a6f2aa79.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-aaed9f6c-1b29-4592-b629-1830a6f2aa79.png 1088w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>This step completes the preparation of a production-ready, low-resolution animation preview. The file is now ready to be uploaded to \u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong> for quick feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-uploading-to-kitsu-via-gazu\">\u003Cstrong>5. Uploading to Kitsu via Gazu\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once your low-resolution preview is ready, you can upload it directly to \u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong> via the dashboard or use the \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code> Python SDK. Kitsu is a collaborative pipeline tracker allowing artists and supervisors to access the preview immediately for review.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The following Python script provides a simple interactive CLI that lets you choose the project and task to upload your preview to:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import gazu\n\ndef pickProject(label, list_of_items):\n    \"\"\"Helper UI to pick one item from a list.\"\"\"\n    for i, item in enumerate(list_of_items):\n        print(f\"{i + 1}. {item['name']}\")\n    idx = int(input(f\"Choose {label} number: \")) - 1\n    return list_of_items[idx]\n\ndef pickTask(label, list_of_items):\n    \"\"\"Helper UI to pick one item from a list.\"\"\"\n    for i, item in enumerate(list_of_items):\n        asset = gazu.entity.get_entity(item[\"entity_id\"])\n        status = gazu.task.get_task_status(item[\"task_status_id\"])\n        type = gazu.task.get_task_type(item[\"task_type_id\"])\n\n        print(f\"{i + 1}. {asset['name']} {type['name']} {status['name']}\")\n    idx = int(input(f\"Choose {label} number: \")) - 1\n    return list_of_items[idx]\n\ngazu.set_host(\"<http://localhost/api>\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\nprojects = gazu.project.all_projects()\nproject = pickProject(\"project\", projects)\n\ntasks = gazu.task.all_tasks_for_project(project)\ntask = pickTask(\"task\", tasks)\n\nprint(\"Uploading preview...\")\ntask_status = gazu.task.get_task_status_by_name(\"todo\")\nresult = gazu.task.publish_preview(\n    task,\n    task_status,\n    comment=\"Auto-generated preview\",\n    preview_file_path=\"./preview.mp4\",\n)\n\nprint(\"Done:\", result)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>First, we log in to Kitsu via \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code> with your credentials. We use the\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/dcc-integration-blender-kitsu/\"> \u003Cu>local development environment installation via Kitsu Docker\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. The program lets you select the \u003Cstrong>project\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>task\u003C/strong> from available options using different Kitsu API endpoints to get all your production data:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-21091709-64dd-41c6-875e-2cdce8b5b178.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1343\" height=\"816\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-21091709-64dd-41c6-875e-2cdce8b5b178.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-21091709-64dd-41c6-875e-2cdce8b5b178.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-21091709-64dd-41c6-875e-2cdce8b5b178.png 1343w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>We then upload the generated preview video from the previous steps to the selected task.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once complete, the preview is available in Kitsu’s review interface, making it easy for team members and supervisors to give feedback without waiting for high-resolution renders.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-78d2cd48-21e9-4599-9b2b-a5e5bef63f76.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"985\" height=\"948\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-78d2cd48-21e9-4599-9b2b-a5e5bef63f76.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-78d2cd48-21e9-4599-9b2b-a5e5bef63f76.png 985w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The review engine is perfect to quickly annotate frames and add comments on precise shots:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-6ae9b3dd-18e9-4d85-9fa6-e5106babc87e.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-6ae9b3dd-18e9-4d85-9fa6-e5106babc87e.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-6ae9b3dd-18e9-4d85-9fa6-e5106babc87e.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-6ae9b3dd-18e9-4d85-9fa6-e5106babc87e.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-putting-it-all-together\">\u003Cstrong>6. Putting it all together\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>To automate the task end-to-end, let's write a quick bash command:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cu>preview.sh\u003C/u>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">python3 render.py && ./watermark.sh && python3 upload.py\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>We can then run the script every time we need to share a preview:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">./preview.sh\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Check out our\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-low-res-preview?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>Github repository blender-kitsu-low-res-preview\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to try out the final result yourself.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-artist-friendly-addon-overview\">\u003Cstrong>7. Artist-Friendly Addon Overview\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Though this is out of the scope of this article, it could be easy to wrap up our code in a Blender addon for artists to easily use.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You would need a main panel to hold dropdown menus to pick a production, asset, and task to upload to. And a button to click to upload. The uploading logic would take care of rendering, calling ffmpeg as a subprocess for watermarking, and actually sending the temporary files to Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Have a look at our article on\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide/\"> \u003Cu>Blender Add-on UI Development\u003C/u>\u003C/a> for more information.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>By now, you’ve set up a full pipeline: creating a simple 3D object in Blender, animating it, generating a low-resolution preview, adding timestamps and watermarks, and uploading it to Kitsu. The benefits are immediately clear:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Faster reviews\u003C/strong> - Supervisors and team members can watch previews immediately without waiting for full-resolution renders.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Quicker iterations\u003C/strong> - Artists get feedback faster, which shortens the iteration loop and reduces bottlenecks.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Fewer blockers\u003C/strong> - Automated previews and uploads eliminate repetitive manual steps in the pipeline to keep deliverables consistent.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>What used to take an hour of manual work can now be handled with a few scripts, giving the team more time to focus on the creative side of production instead of repetitive tasks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can take this workflow even further depending on your animation studio's needs: add buttons or panels in Blender to run the entire pipeline with one click, automatically batch-generate previews for multiple shots or scenes in a single script, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":598,"comment_id":599,"feature_image":600,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":601,"updated_at":575,"custom_excerpt":602,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":603,"primary_tag":604,"url":605,"excerpt":602,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":606},"d4c6e01e-3b37-4c90-b42c-cbfeecc518c2","693549d4ee42880001e4b1dc","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1653200256306-6dc84510dfb6?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fGFuaW1hdGlvbiUyMHBpcGVsaW5lfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2NTA5ODQ2Mnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-12-07T10:33:08.000+01:00","Learn how to generate low-resolution animation previews in Blender and automatically upload them to Kitsu. This tutorial covers Blender render settings, Python automation, FFmpeg processing, and preview publishing to streamline animation reviews.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-kitsu-low-res-preview/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@allisonsaeng?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Allison Saeng\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-kitsu-low-res-preview","2025-12-15T10:00:23.000+01:00",{"title":593},"blender-kitsu-low-res-preview","posts/blender-kitsu-low-res-preview",[613,614],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"slGFk0J3LjB1nVzZocG4Vk6gTdZMox1-G7CWEnotp_I",{"id":617,"title":618,"authors":619,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":621,"meta":622,"navigation":15,"path":634,"published_at":635,"seo":636,"slug":637,"stem":638,"tags":639,"__hash__":642,"uuid":623,"comment_id":624,"feature_image":625,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":626,"updated_at":627,"custom_excerpt":628,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":629,"primary_tag":630,"url":631,"excerpt":628,"reading_time":632,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":633},"ghost/posts:blender-kitsu-breakdown-automation.json","How to Build Blender Shots Automatically Using Python and Kitsu (2026)",[620],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🧩\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Automate your shot setup and eliminate hours of manual asset placement.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Animation studios rely on \u003Cstrong>breakdown lists\u003C/strong> to track which assets must appear in each shot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Picture this. You’re a VFX artist staring at a blank Blender viewport for your latest production. Your manager hands you the detailed list of assets, shots, and timing cues and says, \u003Cem>\"Turn this into a Blender scene.\"\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your first thought could be to log in to your asset manager and place every object manually. But what about complex scenes with hundreds of assets?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is the moment where a simple automation can save the day. With Python Blender scripting, you can read Kitsu breakdown data and generate an initial scene automatically in a few minutes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we walk through a full example: fetching breakdowns via the \u003Cstrong>Gazu\u003C/strong> Python API, creating a fresh Blender scene, downloading the assets, and importing them into Blender. By the end, you’ll have a minimal pipeline that builds scenes automatically, ready for layout or animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-automated-scene-composition?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-automated-scene-composition\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-getting-the-breakdown\">\u003Cstrong>1. Getting the Breakdown\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Every 3D shot begins as a blank canvas, but the instructions for filling that canvas already exist in Kitsu:\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-animation-process/\"> \u003Cu>the \u003Cstrong>breakdown\u003C/strong> dictates exactly what needs to be on stage\u003C/u>\u003C/a> before the animator begins working.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A typical breakdown provides the essential narrative context your script needs to assemble the scene: the stage (start and end frames, duration, and other annotations stored in the sequence information), and the cast (the actual breakdown of character models, props, and environment assets).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before writing code, you need to define the breakdown in the Kitsu dashboard. This is where you manually link your library of 3D assets to the specific shots where they are required. You aren't creating new models here, just casting existing \"actors\" (assets) to a specific shot:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Enter your production\u003C/strong> - Navigate to your project in Kitsu and open the \u003Cstrong>Shots\u003C/strong> tab.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Locate the casting sheet\u003C/strong> - Look for the \u003Cstrong>Breakdown\u003C/strong> tab (usually found on the right-hand panel or a dedicated tab depending on your version).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Select the shot\u003C/strong> - Click on the specific shot you want to populate (e.g., \u003Ccode>SH01\u003C/code>) to open the detailed casting view.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Assign the assets\u003C/strong> - In the right side panel, click the \u003Cstrong>+ (Plus)\u003C/strong> button or \"Add Asset.\" You can also specify the quantity of each asset you need here.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-ef6fba58-9c73-4a38-b466-0b9d92e4efc0.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1466\" height=\"804\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-ef6fba58-9c73-4a38-b466-0b9d92e4efc0.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-ef6fba58-9c73-4a38-b466-0b9d92e4efc0.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-ef6fba58-9c73-4a38-b466-0b9d92e4efc0.png 1466w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Make sure your \u003Cstrong>Assets\u003C/strong> page is already populated with the models (Characters, Props, etc.) you intend to use.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you hit save, the link is established. Now, when your Python script asks Gazu, \"Who is in this shot?\", Kitsu will reply with the list of assets you just assigned. Your Python script acts as the bridge, parsing this casting to automatically populate the Blender viewport.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you need a local development environment, have a look at\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/dcc-integration-blender-kitsu/\"> \u003Cu>how to install Kitsu from Docker in how Custom DCC Bridge guide\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While Kitsu holds the data, we need a way to fetch it. Enter \u003Cstrong>Gazu\u003C/strong>, the Python SDK for Kitsu’s REST API:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import gazu\n\ngazu.set_host(\"<http://localhost/api>\")\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\nprojects = gazu.project.all_projects()\nproject = projects[0]\n\nsequence = gazu.shot.get_sequence_by_name(project, \"SQ01\")\nshot = gazu.shot.get_shot_by_name(sequence, \"SH01\")\n\nassets = gazu.casting.get_shot_casting(shot)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>We connect to our local Kitsu instance, and then we pick our first production (you can also retrieve a production by name) and the shot we need the casting for.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can use this shot ID to retrieve the corresponding casting of assets, the breakdown list.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-getting-assets-from-a-breakdown\">\u003Cstrong>2. Getting Assets From a Breakdown\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now that we know \u003Cem>who\u003C/em> is in the shot, we need to find out \u003Cem>what\u003C/em> they look like.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Kitsu, an asset can have many preview files we can use depending on revisions. Our script needs to be able to navigate this data to get the last revision of each asset:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">local_paths = []\nfor asset in assets:\n    tasks = gazu.task.all_tasks_for_asset(asset[\"asset_id\"])\n    last_task = max(tasks, key=lambda x: x[\"updated_at\"])\n\n    preview_files = gazu.files.get_all_preview_files_for_task(last_task)\n    last_preview_file = max(preview_files, key=lambda x: x[\"updated_at\"])\n\n    download_dir = \"./previews\"\n    os.makedirs(download_dir, exist_ok=True)\n\n    save_path = os.path.join(\n        download_dir,\n        last_preview_file[\"original_name\"] + \".\" + last_preview_file[\"extension\"],\n    )\n    gazu.files.download_preview_file(last_preview_file, save_path)\n\n    local_paths.append(save_path)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>For each asset, we retrieve a list of all corresponding tasks of any type ('Modeling', 'Animation', etc.) or status ('done', 'todo'...). We filter this list to retrieve the last updated task.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can use this task ID to get the last corresponding preview file revision and download it to a local folder \u003Ccode>previews\u003C/code>. We keep these download paths in memory for the importing step.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At the end of this loop, you have successfully turned database entries into tangible model files on your hard drive, ready for Blender to ingest.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-creating-a-new-blender-scene\">\u003Cstrong>3. Creating a New Blender Scene\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With the asset files safely downloaded, the next task is preparing the Blender environment to receive its new cast member.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Ccode>bpy\u003C/code> module, Blender's native Python API, acts as your command console allowing you to manipulate every element of the application.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before we import our Kitsu assets, we must eliminate any default objects that come with a new Blender scene. For this simple tutorial, we're targeting the default \u003Cstrong>Cube\u003C/strong>, which is often the only object present besides the default Camera and Light:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.data.objects.remove(bpy.data.objects.get(\"Cube\"), do_unlink=True)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>The \u003Ccode>do_unlink=True\u003C/code> flag tells Blender to fully delete the object's data block (like its mesh data) if it’s no longer used by any other object to leave no clutter behind.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We are now ready for the imported assets to take their places.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-importing-asset-files\">\u003Cstrong>4. Importing Asset Files\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now for the payoff! Since the file we downloaded from Kitsu is a standardised interchange \u003Ccode>.glb\u003C/code> format, which handles both geometry and basic materials, we use Blender’s dedicated \u003Ccode>gltf\u003C/code> import operator.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The crucial part is providing the correct \u003Cstrong>absolute file path\u003C/strong> (\u003Ccode>glb_path\u003C/code>) to the downloaded asset. Fortunately, we stored those in the previous code snippet:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">for path in local_paths:\n    if path.lower().endswith((\".glb\")):\n        print(f\"Importing: {path}\")\n        bpy.ops.import_scene.gltf(filepath=path)\n\nprint(\"All preview GLB files imported successfully!\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>Once \u003Ccode>bpy.ops.import_scene.gltf()\u003C/code> executes, Blender reads the file and automatically creates the corresponding \u003Cstrong>objects\u003C/strong>, \u003Cstrong>meshes\u003C/strong>, and \u003Cstrong>materials\u003C/strong> in the current scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The imported asset is now a full-fledged Blender object, placed at the world origin (0, 0, 0), ready for subsequent pipeline steps.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-saving-the-scene\">\u003Cstrong>5. Saving the Scene\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The final step in this pipeline segment is to save the assembled layout into a permanent, versionable file. If you close Blender without this step, all the automated work is lost, so we use the \u003Ccode>bpy.ops.wm.save_as_mainfile\u003C/code> operator. This is the programmatic equivalent of clicking \u003Cstrong>File \\> Save As\u003C/strong> in the Blender interface:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">scene_save_dir = \"./\"\nos.makedirs(scene_save_dir, exist_ok=True)\n\nblend_filename = \"SH01.blend\"\nblend_path = os.path.join(scene_save_dir, blend_filename)\n\nbpy.ops.wm.save_as_mainfile(filepath=blend_path)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>The result is a new Blender file, \u003Ccode>SH01.blend\u003C/code>, that perfectly reflects the \u003Cstrong>breakdown requirements\u003C/strong> from Kitsu, ready for the next department to pick up.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-91e5cf8e-acb1-4ac0-b5ec-d2c37a6a1ed6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1460\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/12/data-src-image-91e5cf8e-acb1-4ac0-b5ec-d2c37a6a1ed6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/12/data-src-image-91e5cf8e-acb1-4ac0-b5ec-d2c37a6a1ed6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-91e5cf8e-acb1-4ac0-b5ec-d2c37a6a1ed6.png 1460w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-user-friendly-addon\">\u003Cstrong>6. User-Friendly Addon\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The script works as expected, but what about artists? Not everyone knows how to run a script.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's slightly modify our code to\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide/\"> \u003Cu>turn it into a Blender addon\u003C/u>\u003C/a>:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bl_info = {\n    \"name\": \"Kitsu Shot Auto-Importer\",\n    \"description\": \"Pick a project and shot and auto-import the latest preview assets\",\n    \"author\": \"cgwire\",\n    \"version\": (1, 0, 0),\n    \"blender\": (3, 0, 0),\n    \"location\": \"Viewport > N-Panel > Kitsu\",\n    \"category\": \"Import-Export\",\n}\n\nimport os\nimport sys\n\nsys.path.append(\"~/.local/lib/python3.11/site-packages\")\n\nimport bpy\nimport gazu\nfrom bpy.props import EnumProperty, StringProperty\n\ndef get_projects():\n    try:\n        projects = gazu.project.all_projects()\n        return [(p[\"id\"], p[\"name\"], \"\") for p in projects]\n    except:\n        return []\n\ndef get_sequences(project_id):\n    if not project_id:\n        return []\n    try:\n        seqs = gazu.shot.all_sequences_for_project(project_id)\n        return [(s[\"id\"], s[\"name\"], \"\") for s in seqs]\n    except:\n        return []\n\ndef get_shots(sequence_id):\n    if not sequence_id:\n        return []\n    try:\n        shots = gazu.shot.all_shots_for_sequence(sequence_id)\n        return [(s[\"id\"], s[\"name\"], \"\") for s in shots]\n    except:\n        return []\n\nclass KITSU_Props(bpy.types.PropertyGroup):\n    project: EnumProperty(name=\"Project\", items=lambda self, context: get_projects())\n\n    sequence: EnumProperty(\n        name=\"Sequence\", items=lambda self, context: get_sequences(self.project)\n    )\n\n    shot: EnumProperty(\n        name=\"Shot\", items=lambda self, context: get_shots(self.sequence)\n    )\n\nclass KITSU_OT_import_shot(bpy.types.Operator):\n    bl_idname = \"kitsu.import_shot_assets\"\n    bl_label = \"Import Shot Assets\"\n    bl_description = (\n        \"Download and import latest preview GLB/GLTF files for selected shot\"\n    )\n\n    def execute(self, context):\n        props = context.scene.kitsu_props\n\n        # Fetch shot data\n        shot = gazu.shot.get_shot(props.shot)\n        assets = gazu.casting.get_shot_casting(shot)\n\n        download_dir = os.path.join(bpy.app.tempdir, \"kitsu_previews\")\n        os.makedirs(download_dir, exist_ok=True)\n\n        local_paths = []\n\n        for asset in assets:\n            tasks = gazu.task.all_tasks_for_asset(asset[\"asset_id\"])\n            if not tasks:\n                continue\n\n            last_task = max(tasks, key=lambda x: x[\"updated_at\"])\n            preview_files = gazu.files.get_all_preview_files_for_task(last_task)\n            if not preview_files:\n                continue\n\n            last_preview = max(preview_files, key=lambda x: x[\"updated_at\"])\n\n            save_path = os.path.join(\n                download_dir,\n                last_preview[\"original_name\"] + \".\" + last_preview[\"extension\"],\n            )\n\n            gazu.files.download_preview_file(last_preview, save_path)\n            local_paths.append(save_path)\n\n        # Clean default cube\n        obj = bpy.data.objects.get(\"Cube\")\n        if obj:\n            bpy.data.objects.remove(obj, do_unlink=True)\n\n        # Import GLB/GLTF assets\n        for path in local_paths:\n            if path.lower().endswith((\".glb\", \".gltf\")):\n                bpy.ops.import_scene.gltf(filepath=path)\n\n        # Auto-save blend file\n        save_dir = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser(\"~\"), \"kitsu_scenes\")\n        os.makedirs(save_dir, exist_ok=True)\n\n        blend_path = os.path.join(save_dir, f\"{shot['name']}.blend\")\n        bpy.ops.wm.save_as_mainfile(filepath=blend_path)\n\n        self.report({\"INFO\"}, f\"Imported assets and saved: {blend_path}\")\n        return {\"FINISHED\"}\n\nclass KITSU_PT_panel(bpy.types.Panel):\n    bl_label = \"Kitsu Auto-Importer\"\n    bl_idname = \"KITSU_PT_auto_importer\"\n    bl_space_type = \"VIEW_3D\"\n    bl_region_type = \"UI\"\n    bl_category = \"Kitsu\"\n\n    def draw(self, context):\n        props = context.scene.kitsu_props\n        layout = self.layout\n\n        layout.separator()\n        layout.prop(props, \"project\")\n        layout.prop(props, \"sequence\")\n        layout.prop(props, \"shot\")\n\n        layout.separator()\n        layout.operator(\"kitsu.import_shot_assets\", icon=\"IMPORT\")\n\nclasses = (\n    KITSU_Props,\n    KITSU_OT_import_shot,\n    KITSU_PT_panel,\n)\n\ndef register():\n    for c in classes:\n        bpy.utils.register_class(c)\n    bpy.types.Scene.kitsu_props = bpy.props.PointerProperty(type=KITSU_Props)\n\ndef unregister():\n    for c in classes:\n        bpy.utils.unregister_class(c)\n    del bpy.types.Scene.kitsu_props\n\nif __name__ == \"__main__\":\n    register()\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>We can now manually pick a production, sequence, and shot to get breakdown data from, and import the corresponding casting in the current Blender viewport:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/12/data-src-image-bf3ea18d-fd62-4db5-9977-6374b3ee1aef.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The logic is simple: we use the same \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code> code to populate dropdown menus, and we encapsulate them all in a panel in the viewport. An \u003Ccode>import\u003C/code> button downloads all the corresponding breakdown assets and imports them into the current workspace.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Keep in mind that adding \u003Ccode>sys.path.append(\"~/.local/lib/python3.11/site-packages\")\u003C/code> lets Blender use your system’s Python installation to load external libraries like \u003Ccode>gazu\u003C/code>. Since Blender ships with its own isolated Python environment, managing package installations can be inconvenient. By extending the path, you simply instruct Blender to check your local modules as well. Make sure to adjust this path to match your own setup.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>By pulling breakdown lists directly from Kitsu and scripting Blender to assemble scenes, you eliminate repetitive manual steps and ensure asset consistency across all shots. This approach doesn't just save time but also reduces human error and ensures every artist starts with the correct asset version and scene setup required by the producer. This way, you can easily handle ten shots or ten thousand with equal reliability.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But don't take our word for it,\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-automated-scene-composition?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>clone the Github repository\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to try out the result!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can extend this workflow by generating automated previews, reports, or even updating asset information from the new revisions created during the shot animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":623,"comment_id":624,"feature_image":625,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":626,"updated_at":627,"custom_excerpt":628,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":629,"primary_tag":630,"url":631,"excerpt":628,"reading_time":632,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":633},"d090d72e-fa3b-4af9-806a-a44f7732a7c4","6909b6d2df0ae600014fbb54","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1725888358557-9f70661012c4?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGFuaW1hdGlvbiUyMHBpcGVsaW5lfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2NTA5ODQ2Mnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-11-04T09:18:26.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:00.000+01:00","Learn how to automate Blender scene creation using Kitsu breakdown data and Python scripting. This guide walks through retrieving breakdowns via Gazu, downloading assets, importing GLB files, and generating a complete Blender scene ready for layout or animation.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-kitsu-breakdown-automation/",11,"\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@steve_j?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Steve Johnson\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-kitsu-breakdown-automation","2025-12-07T18:11:31.000+01:00",{"title":618},"blender-kitsu-breakdown-automation","posts/blender-kitsu-breakdown-automation",[640,641],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"i5Pduvllq_hTDBHuCFEVMzMxTyU5evzIUkMxND7t3YY",{"id":644,"title":645,"authors":646,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":648,"meta":649,"navigation":15,"path":659,"published_at":660,"seo":661,"slug":662,"stem":663,"tags":664,"__hash__":666,"uuid":650,"comment_id":651,"feature_image":652,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":653,"updated_at":654,"custom_excerpt":655,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":656,"primary_tag":657,"url":658,"excerpt":655,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:kitsu-v1-0-0-is-out.json","Kitsu v1.0.0 is out!",[647],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>From TV Series to famous feature films, Kitsu was involved in a wide range of production styles, including 2D, 3D, 2D/3D, VFX, Stop-Motion, immersive experiences, and monumental projections.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Better, over the past few years, Kitsu has accompanied the animation and VFX industries through all its major changes: pipeline and workflow maturity, lockdown, platform booming, and the recent crisis. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu enabled studios to adopt distributed setups based on remote work and co-productions. During the good days, it made it easy to onboard many artists quickly, and then it facilitated organizing teams in a lean way.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Today, over 10,000 professionals in the animation and VFX industries use Kitsu daily. Thousands of hours of movies were reviewed and delivered through our system. Kitsu was battle-hardened on many productions and proved its excellence. Movies that used Kistu won all the main awards (Cristal, Oscar, Palme d'Or, etc.) and met success by reaching a large audience. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The game industry also benefited from Kitsu's power. Creative teams from prominent licensing companies adopted it to manage their assets and communicate with artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Students enjoyed Kitsu too, by acquiring a professional frame during their studies. Many young professionals were ready to work in a team environment when they started with their first studio. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Most of all, our community helped to refine, improve, and debug the solution throughout the process. We received countless feedback and contributions. It allowed us to build the most accurate software on the market.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's why, today, we are proud to announce that Kitsu is now available as version 1.0.0! It felt natural to mark the fact that Kitsu is now a robust software that can be used entirely in production. He has successfully proved that it is a fully functional part of a production pipeline. You can now feel confident using it for your productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/website_illustrations_illustration_awards_coloring_v6-2-3-.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1481\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/website_illustrations_illustration_awards_coloring_v6-2-3-.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/website_illustrations_illustration_awards_coloring_v6-2-3-.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/11/website_illustrations_illustration_awards_coloring_v6-2-3-.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/website_illustrations_illustration_awards_coloring_v6-2-3-.png 2000w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"main-recent-new-features\">Main Recent New Features\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>All versions come with new features. Below are the main additions we made to version 1.0.0.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Contact Sheets\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Every view can be seen as a contact sheet to get a more visual overview of the production!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-vue-principale.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1048\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-vue-principale.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-vue-principale.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-vue-principale.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-vue-principale.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Versioned Schedule\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can forecast your schedule and try different scenarios. It's possible to display this same schedule based on the actual dates of tasks.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/kitsu-plannin.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"991\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/kitsu-plannin.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/kitsu-plannin.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/11/kitsu-plannin.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2025/11/kitsu-plannin.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Task Schedule Split View\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To make progress more visual, you can display your schedule as a split view.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/Capture-d-----cran-du-2025-11-14-13-52-57.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1044\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/Capture-d-----cran-du-2025-11-14-13-52-57.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/Capture-d-----cran-du-2025-11-14-13-52-57.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/11/Capture-d-----cran-du-2025-11-14-13-52-57.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2025/11/Capture-d-----cran-du-2025-11-14-13-52-57.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Task Schedule Comparison\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Still in the task schedule, you can display the previous steps and the day when time sheets were filled. This way, you can set dates with context.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-planning.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"991\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-planning.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-planning.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-planning.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-planning.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Budget\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With Kitsu, you can now forecast your budget and try different scenarios. It includes software and hardware costs. It also allows for comparison with real expenses.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-budget.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"989\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-budget.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-budget.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-budget.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2025/11/screenshot-kitsu-budget.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Plugins\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, you can now tweak Kitsu for any of your use cases. For that, you can set up a new plugin in Kitsu to extend its capabilities. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/image-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"950\" height=\"1142\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/image-1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/image-1.png 950w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"upcoming-breaking-changes\">Upcoming Breaking Changes\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>This new version is a prelude to the 1.1.0 version that will include some breaking changes. There won't be any backward compatibility. These changes are tied to the execution environment and are listed below:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Kitsu REST API (Zou): Drop Support for:\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Postgres < 14\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Python < 3.10\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Python API (Gazu) - Drop Support for: Python 2.7 and Python 3.6\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Kitsu UI: Only the following web browsers will be supported\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Chrome >=107\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Edge >=107\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Firefox >=104\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Safari >=16\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>If you can't do without these tools, v1.0.0 will always be a robust software for you. If you self-host Kitsu and want to stick with the latest versions, you will have to update the dependencies. Cloud and On-Premise users are not affected by the Kitsu REST API changes.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"whats-next\">What's next\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Since the beginning of Kitsu, we have operated two main developments. The first one was dedicated to Artists, Supervisors, and Directors. It included the basic features necessary for collaboration and review of the work done, such as task dispatching, commenting, status updates, and the review engine.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, we ran a new phase dedicated to Producers with scheduling, budget, and cross-project features (and soon-to-come, carbon consumption tracking). We also added the capability to compare forecasting with real data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Following these two significant additions, we have entered a consolidation phase, during which we will refine all existing features and optimize performance. Once this operation is complete, we will proceed to the third phase, dedicated to Technical Directors. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We will focus on integrations and extension capabilities of Kisu. In other words, we will make the use of Kitsu with DCCs seamless and ensure that our plugin system covers all your use cases. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Overall, version 1.0.0 is a significant milestone for Kitsu. It wraps a long and committed work and opens the door to a new era for the software. We will keep pushing it forward to allow you to\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"906\" height=\"965\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/image-2.png 906w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"celebrate-it\">Celebrate it!\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We will celebrate this release with a full day of conference dedicated to Kitsu on February 12, 2026 in the heart of Paris, France! We will deliver more details about the future roadmap. Now that Kitsu impacts so many creative professionals, this event will have a significant impact on the industry. Let's come together to design the future of production collaboration. Join us for this unique event!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu-summit?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Kitsu Summit 2026\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">February 12, 2026 - Paris, France - Join the Future of Production Collaboration\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/favicon-4.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Kitsu Summit 2026\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/thumbnail/meetup.af7c0c6c-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/11/image.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/image.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>",{"uuid":650,"comment_id":651,"feature_image":652,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":653,"updated_at":654,"custom_excerpt":655,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":656,"primary_tag":657,"url":658,"excerpt":655,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"faf7a825-8874-461f-bb36-889ea35a9748","691f8ab22d9da500010f93c1","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/Kitsu-V1_Final.png","2025-11-20T22:40:02.000+01:00","2025-11-26T12:52:20.000+01:00","From TV Series to famous feature films, Kitsu was involved in a wide range of productions, including 2D, 3D, 2D/3D, VFX, Stop-Motion, immersive experiences, and monumental projections. Better, over the past few years...",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-v1-0-0-is-out/","/posts/kitsu-v1-0-0-is-out","2025-11-26T12:50:07.000+01:00",{"title":645},"kitsu-v1-0-0-is-out","posts/kitsu-v1-0-0-is-out",[665],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"LP0fd_mJA6HdOktLmDnsoL5pwSwjC-9qMNis2FUw9II",{"id":668,"title":669,"authors":670,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":672,"meta":673,"navigation":15,"path":684,"published_at":685,"seo":686,"slug":687,"stem":688,"tags":689,"__hash__":692,"uuid":674,"comment_id":675,"feature_image":676,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":677,"updated_at":678,"custom_excerpt":679,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":680,"primary_tag":681,"url":682,"excerpt":679,"reading_time":377,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":683},"ghost/posts:blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide.json","A 2026 Guide to Blender Add-on UI Development",[671],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📄\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Turn your Blender scripts into real tools artists love using—here’s how to build clean, intuitive UI panels for your add-ons.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>If you’ve ever \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-scripting-animation/\">written a Blender script\u003C/a>, you’ve probably realized that getting the feature right is only half the battle: the other half is getting someone else to use it! A clean user interface is a must to share and sell Blender add-ons.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this guide, you’ll learn how to build user interfaces for your Blender add-ons using the built-in layout system. We’ll cover the most common types of UI components, where panels can appear, and walk through a minimal working example. By the end, you’ll know how to give your add-on a Blender-native graphical interface.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-ui-addon-script?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blender-ui-addon-script\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-common-ui-components\">\u003Cstrong>1. Common UI Components\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In Blender, every element of the user interface has its equivalent in the Python library. You build UI by creating classes that inherit from one of the following types:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.types.Panel\u003C/code> - for custom panels (the most common)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.types.Menu\u003C/code> - for menus and submenus\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.types.Operator\u003C/code> - for actions or tools that can be run from buttons\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-daa22afa-ac20-4e3e-8543-c694588146bf.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"334\" height=\"542\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Each of these classes can implement a \u003Ccode>draw(self, context)\u003C/code> method where you describe what the interface should look like using layout commands. Blender’s layout system handles the spacing, alignment, and positioning automatically: it's a declarative UI system where you just describe what should appear and in what order.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here are the most common layout elements you’ll use:\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"basic-display-elements\">\u003Cstrong>Basic Display Elements\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Label\u003C/strong> - Displays plain, non-interactive text. Format: \u003Ccode>layout.label(text=\"Hello!\")\u003C/code>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Separator\u003C/strong> - Adds vertical space between items for readability. Format: \u003Ccode>layout.separator()\u003C/code>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"buttons-inputs-props-and-operators\">\u003Cstrong>Buttons, Inputs, Props, and Operators\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Operator Button\u003C/strong> - Creates a clickable button that triggers an operator (a function registered as a Blender command). You can use this for actions like exporting, duplicating, or running a custom script. Syntax: \u003Ccode>layout.operator(\"myaddon.some_action\", text=\"Run Action\")\u003C/code>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The \u003Ccode>layout.prop()\u003C/code> method is used to display editable Blender properties which are either built-in data (like \u003Ccode>context.object\u003C/code>) or your own custom properties. For example, \u003Ccode>layout.prop(context.object, \"name\")\u003C/code> shows an editable text field for the object’s name. Blender automatically chooses the right widget (text box, slider, checkbox, etc.) based on the property’s type:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Checkbox (Boolean property)\u003C/strong> - Displays a toggle checkbox. Example: \u003Ccode>layout.prop(context.object, \"hide_viewport\")\u003C/code>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Number Field / Slider (Float or Int)\u003C/strong> - Displays a numeric input, often with a slider. Example: \u003Ccode>layout.prop(context.object, \"location\", index=0, text=\"X Location\")\u003C/code>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Dropdown Menu (Enum property)\u003C/strong> - Displays a dropdown list when the property is an EnumProperty. Example: \u003Ccode>layout.prop(context.object, \"type\")\u003C/code>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Text Input \u003C/strong>- Displays a text box for string properties. Example: \u003Ccode>layout.prop(my_settings, \"username\")\u003C/code>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"organizing-the-layout\">\u003Cstrong>Organizing the Layout\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>To keep your UI structured and easy to understand, Blender provides layout containers like rows, columns, and boxes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A panel contains rows and columns. Rows and columns contain properties, operators, and labels. Blender automatically handles padding, alignment, and scaling to match the theme and layout rules.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>A row (horizontal grouping) puts elements next to each other horizontally:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">row = layout.row()\nrow.prop(obj, \"location\")\nrow.prop(obj, \"rotation_euler\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>A column (vertical grouping) stacks elements vertically:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">col = layout.column()\ncol.prop(obj, \"scale\")\ncol.prop(obj, \"dimensions\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>box (Visual grouping) draws a bordered box that visually groups related controls, like sections:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">box = layout.box()\nbox.label(text=\"Transform Settings\")\nbox.prop(obj, \"location\")\nbox.prop(obj, \"rotation_euler\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>For the full list of UI components, have a look at \u003Ca href=\"https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/interface/index.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">the User Interface page of the official Blender documentation\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-where-you-can-put-ui-panels\">\u003Cstrong>2. Where You Can Put UI Panels\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When you create a custom panel in Blender, you can decide where in the interface it appears and what region it occupies with two key class attributes:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_space_type\u003C/code> - which editor or workspace your panel belongs to (for example, the 3D View, the Properties Editor, or the Node Editor).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_region_type\u003C/code> - which part of that editor the panel appears in (for example, the sidebar, toolbar, or main window).\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Here is a list of the most typical areas where you might place a custom panel:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-070d3dfe-eb98-42a2-90a2-d2eabc4fc2d4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1125\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-070d3dfe-eb98-42a2-90a2-d2eabc4fc2d4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-070d3dfe-eb98-42a2-90a2-d2eabc4fc2d4.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-070d3dfe-eb98-42a2-90a2-d2eabc4fc2d4.png 1125w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The 3D view sidebar appears in the right-hand N-panel sidebar of the 3D Viewport. This is the most common location for modeling, rigging, or scene tools:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bl_space_type = 'VIEW_3D'\nbl_region_type = 'UI'\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>You can add panels inside the Properties Editor, among the Object, Material, or Scene tabs. Use this when your add-on deals with materials, objects, render settings, or scene properties:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bl_space_type = 'PROPERTIES'\nbl_region_type = 'WINDOW'\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>In the UV/Image Editor sidebar (useful for texture tools or image utilities):\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bl_space_type = 'IMAGE_EDITOR'\nbl_region_type = 'UI'\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>In the sidebar of the Shader, Geometry Node, or Compositor editors for tools that work with nodes, shaders, or procedural systems:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bl_space_type = 'NODE_EDITOR'\nbl_region_type = 'UI'\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The best panel location depends on your tool’s purpose:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Modeling / Object tools → 3D View sidebar (\u003Ccode>VIEW_3D\u003C/code> + \u003Ccode>UI\u003C/code>)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Material or render settings → Properties editor (\u003Ccode>PROPERTIES\u003C/code> + \u003Ccode>WINDOW\u003C/code>)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Texture utilities → Image editor sidebar (\u003Ccode>IMAGE_EDITOR\u003C/code> + \u003Ccode>UI\u003C/code>)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Shader / Geometry tools → Node editor sidebar (\u003Ccode>NODE_EDITOR\u003C/code> + \u003Ccode>UI\u003C/code>)\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Picking the right space helps users find your add-on where they naturally expect to, keeping your UI consistent with Blender’s.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-minimal-example-custom-panel-in-the-3d-view-sidebar\">\u003Cstrong>3. Minimal Example: Custom Panel in the 3D View Sidebar\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Let's experiment with a simple plugin: a custom panel in the 3D view sidebar that displays a \"hello world\" text alert when clicking on a button.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-blinfoaddon-metadata\">\u003Cstrong>1) \u003Ccode>bl_info\u003C/code> - addon metadata\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We start by specifying the add-on metadata to tell Blender how to present our add-on to a potential user:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bl_info = {\n    \"name\": \"Simple Addon Example\",\n    \"author\": \"Your Name\",\n    \"version\": (1, 0),\n    \"blender\": (4, 0, 0),\n    \"location\": \"View3D > Sidebar > Simple Tab\",\n    \"description\": \"A simple example addon that prints a message\",\n    \"category\": \"3D View\",\n}\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_info\u003C/code> is a module-level dictionary Blender uses to show addon info in Preferences → Add-ons\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>name:\u003C/code> human-readable name shown in the list\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>author:\u003C/code> author string\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>version:\u003C/code> tuple representing addon version\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>blender:\u003C/code> minimum Blender version this addon targets (tuple)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>location:\u003C/code> where the addon UI appears (helpful for users)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>description:\u003C/code> short description used in the UI\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>category:\u003C/code> category grouping in the Add-ons list\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>It's essential to keep your \u003Ccode>bl_info\u003C/code> accurate, as Blender reads it when scanning installed add-ons.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-define-an-operator-class\">\u003Cstrong>2) Define an operator class\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We then define an Operator subclass. Operators are the official way to perform actions in Blender: they can be invoked from UI, shortcuts, search menu, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">class SIMPLEADDON_OT_hello(bpy.types.Operator):\n    bl_idname = \"simple_addon.say_hello\"\n    bl_label = \"Say Hello\"\n    bl_description = \"Prints a message to the console\"\n\n    def execute(self, context):\n        self.report({'INFO'}, \"Hello from Blender Addon!\")\n        print(\"Hello from Blender Addon!\")\n        return {'FINISHED'}\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_idname\u003C/code> - A unique identifier string in the form \u003Ccode>\"module_name.operator_name\"\u003C/code>, all lowercase and with a dot. This is how you call the operator from code or UI (\u003Ccode>bpy.ops.simple_addon.say_hello()\u003C/code>).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_label\u003C/code> - User-facing label that appears on buttons/menus.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_description\u003C/code> - Tooltip/description shown in the UI.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>execute(self, context)\u003C/code> - Core method called when the operator runs (synchronous execution). \u003Ccode>context\u003C/code> gives access to Blender's current state (active object, scene, area, etc.). \u003Ccode>self.report({'INFO'}, \"…\")\u003C/code> shows a small message in Blender's info bar / status (good for user feedback). \u003Ccode>print(\"…\")\u003C/code> prints to the system/Blender console (useful for debugging). Returns a set like \u003Ccode>{'FINISHED'}\u003C/code> or \u003Ccode>{'CANCELLED'}\u003C/code>. Blender uses this result to know whether the operator completed successfully.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-panel-classui-placement\">\u003Cstrong>3) Panel class - UI placement\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We can then get to the Panel subclass to add UI in Blender:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">class SIMPLEADDON_PT_panel(bpy.types.Panel):\n    bl_label = \"Simple Addon Panel\"\n    bl_idname = \"SIMPLEADDON_PT_panel\"\n    bl_space_type = 'VIEW_3D'\n    bl_region_type = 'UI'\n    bl_category = 'Simple'\n\n    def draw(self, context):\n        layout = self.layout\n        layout.operator(\"simple_addon.say_hello\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_label\u003C/code> - panel title shown in the UI.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_idname\u003C/code> - unique panel identifier.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_space_type = 'VIEW_3D'\u003C/code> tells Blender this panel belongs in the 3D Viewport area.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_region_type = 'UI'\u003C/code> places it in the right-side region (the N-panel). Other regions exist (e.g., \u003Ccode>'TOOLS', 'WINDOW'\u003C/code>).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bl_category = 'Simple'\u003C/code> - The tab name in the sidebar. The panel will appear under a tab labeled “Simple”.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>draw(self, context)\u003C/code> is called to draw UI layout.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>self.layout\u003C/code> is a \u003Ccode>UILayout\u003C/code> object used to place buttons, labels, properties, etc.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>layout.operator(\"simple_addon.say_hello\")\u003C/code> creates a button that, when clicked, calls the operator with bl_idname \u003Ccode>\"simple_addon.say_hello\"\u003C/code>. The button text is taken from the operator's \u003Ccode>bl_label\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-register-unregister-functions\">\u003Cstrong>4) Register / unregister functions\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Blender requires classes that define UI, operators, panels, properties, etc., to be registered so Blender knows about them:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">def register():\n    bpy.utils.register_class(SIMPLEADDON_OT_hello)\n    bpy.utils.register_class(SIMPLEADDON_PT_panel)\n\ndef unregister():\n    bpy.utils.unregister_class(SIMPLEADDON_PT_panel)\n    bpy.utils.unregister_class(SIMPLEADDON_OT_hello)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.utils.register_class(Class)\u003C/code> registers a class; \u003Ccode>unregister_class\u003C/code> removes it.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>It's important to unregister classes in the reverse order of registration, especially when classes reference each other. This is why the panel is unregistered before the operator.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>When the addon is enabled in Preferences, Blender calls \u003Ccode>register()\u003C/code>. When disabled, it calls \u003Ccode>unregister()\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We put the full code in a Python file \u003Ccode>addon.py\u003C/code>:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bl_info = {\n    \"name\": \"Simple Addon Example\",\n    \"author\": \"Your Name\",\n    \"version\": (1, 0),\n    \"blender\": (4, 0, 0),\n    \"location\": \"View3D > Sidebar > Simple Tab\",\n    \"description\": \"A simple example addon that prints a message\",\n    \"category\": \"3D View\",\n}\n\nimport bpy\n\nclass SIMPLEADDON_OT_hello(bpy.types.Operator):\n    bl_idname = \"simple_addon.say_hello\"\n    bl_label = \"Say Hello\"\n    bl_description = \"Prints a message to the console\"\n\n    def execute(self, context):\n        self.report({'INFO'}, \"Hello from Blender Addon!\")\n        print(\"Hello from Blender Addon!\")\n        return {'FINISHED'}\n\nclass SIMPLEADDON_PT_panel(bpy.types.Panel):\n    bl_label = \"Simple Addon Panel\"\n    bl_idname = \"SIMPLEADDON_PT_panel\"\n    bl_space_type = 'VIEW_3D'\n    bl_region_type = 'UI'\n    bl_category = 'Simple'\n\n    def draw(self, context):\n        layout = self.layout\n        layout.operator(\"simple_addon.say_hello\")\n\ndef register():\n    bpy.utils.register_class(SIMPLEADDON_OT_hello)\n    bpy.utils.register_class(SIMPLEADDON_PT_panel)\n\ndef unregister():\n    bpy.utils.unregister_class(SIMPLEADDON_PT_panel)\n    bpy.utils.unregister_class(SIMPLEADDON_OT_hello)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-running-and-packaging-your-add-on\">\u003Cstrong>4. Running and Packaging Your Add-on\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once you’ve written your add-on script, you can load it into Blender and test it right away. No tools required.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Save your script - Save your Python file with a clear name like \u003Ccode>my_addon.py\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Open Blender’s Add-ons Preferences - Go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons. This is where Blender manages all installed extensions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Install the add-on - Click the Install… button at the top of the preferences window. \u003Ccode>Select your my_addon.py\u003C/code> file and click Install Add-on.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Enable it - After installing, your add-on should appear in the list. Find it (you can search for “My Add-on”) and check the box to enable it if it's not already.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-27ff3592-fed1-4347-8930-9dd62b2d950b.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1227\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-27ff3592-fed1-4347-8930-9dd62b2d950b.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-27ff3592-fed1-4347-8930-9dd62b2d950b.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-27ff3592-fed1-4347-8930-9dd62b2d950b.png 1227w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"5\">\u003Cli>Check it in the interface - Open the 3D Viewport, open the sidebar, and look for the tab named Simple. Your custom panel should be there, ready to use!\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-2a90e13f-b338-4235-a830-f9c8d8060562.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1227\" height=\"741\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-2a90e13f-b338-4235-a830-f9c8d8060562.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-2a90e13f-b338-4235-a830-f9c8d8060562.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-2a90e13f-b338-4235-a830-f9c8d8060562.png 1227w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>When you want to share your add-on with others, you can upload it to GitHub, Blender Artists, or Gumroad for distribution. Add a short README.md explaining what the add-on does and how to install it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For add-ons with multiple files (e.g. separate modules, icons, or resources), create a folder then zip the entire folder (\u003Ccode>my_addon.zip\u003C/code>) and share that. Blender can install \u003Ccode>.zip\u003C/code> archives directly via the same Install… button so no need to extract it beforehand. The main entry point must be named \u003Ccode>__init__.py\u003C/code>, since Blender treats it as a Python package.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Creating UI for Blender add-ons is intimidating at first, but it’s one of the easiest ways to share a tool you created. Once you understand how panels and layouts work, you can quickly add buttons, properties, and organized sections that users will find intuitive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-ui-addon-script?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Have a look at the code repository on Github\u003C/a> to try the example yourself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Start small by adding a simple panel, a label, and a button to create an action, and build from there!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":674,"comment_id":675,"feature_image":676,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":677,"updated_at":678,"custom_excerpt":679,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":680,"primary_tag":681,"url":682,"excerpt":679,"reading_time":377,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":683},"e18120b7-5615-497e-8db8-9f03ceee9526","6922df21009fc3000190e38e","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1760548425425-e42e77fa38f1?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGNvZGluZyUyMGludGVyZmFjZSUyMHRvb2xzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2Mzg5MzE4MXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-11-23T11:17:05.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:03:59.000+01:00","Turn your Blender scripts into real tools artists love using—here’s how to build clean, intuitive UI panels for your add-ons.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@jakubzerdzicki?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Jakub Żerdzicki\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide","2025-11-24T10:00:34.000+01:00",{"title":669},"blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide","posts/blender-addon-ui-scripting-guide",[690,691],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"3-HhmFMhJkG_7Y2WuAQl2Cmyemg5YE38Mtwl_osaN7w",{"id":694,"title":695,"authors":696,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":698,"meta":699,"navigation":15,"path":710,"published_at":711,"seo":712,"slug":713,"stem":714,"tags":715,"__hash__":718,"uuid":700,"comment_id":701,"feature_image":702,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":703,"updated_at":704,"custom_excerpt":705,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":706,"primary_tag":707,"url":708,"excerpt":705,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":709},"ghost/posts:blender-scripting-geometry-nodes-2.json","How to Script Geometry Nodes in Blender with Python (2026)",[697],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🐍\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Procedural modeling becomes far more powerful when you generate nodes with code instead of wiring them by hand.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Geometry nodes are an incredible Blender feature, but did you know Blender's Python API also lets you script geometry nodes just like any other data block?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can create nodes, set their parameters, and connect them programmatically, opening the door to automated scene generation, custom tools, and rapid model prototyping with just a few lines of code instead of manually wiring dozens of nodes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create geometry node setups entirely from a Python script. We'll cover the full process from building a new node tree to assigning it to an object with clear examples you can paste directly into Blender's scripting editor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In case you missed it, have a look at \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-scripting-animation/\">our introduction to Blender scripting\u003C/a> first.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-script-geometry-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>Why Script Geometry Nodes?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender's Geometry Nodes editor is an excellent visual system for building procedural tools: it's intuitive, flexible, and great for experimentation once you get the hang of it. But as projects grow in complexity, manually managing large node networks can become tedious and difficult to maintain, especially if you need to reuse them throughout many 3D modeling pipelines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Scripting allows you to generate, modify, and connect nodes automatically. Instead of manually recreating the same setups across multiple projects, you can write a script once and reuse it whenever you need it to save time or make your animations more consistent.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A scripted node setup isn't tied to a single .blend file: it can be stored, versioned, and shared just like any other piece of code. This makes it easy to build a library of procedural tools that can be reused across different projects or shared with other artists and developers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's see how scripting works in practice with a few code snippets.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-creating-a-new-node-tree\">\u003Cstrong>1. Creating a New Node Tree\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Every Geometry Nodes setup starts as a node tree, which stores nodes and their connections. You can create one from Python using Blender's data API:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\nnode_tree = bpy.data.node_groups.new(\"MyGeoNodesTree\", 'GeometryNodeTree')\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>You can think of this \u003Ccode>node_tree\u003C/code> as the digital canvas that will hold all your procedural logic. Once created, you can add nodes, connect them, and set their properties like in Blender's graphical user interface.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-add-nodes-and-connect-them\">\u003Cstrong>2. Add Nodes and Connect Them\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Next, let's add a few basic nodes. We'll create an Input Geometry node, a Subdivision Surface node, and a Group Output node, then connect them and apply the result to our cube.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\"># ADD NODES\ngeo_input = node_tree.interface.new_socket(\n    name=\"Geometry\",\n    in_out='INPUT',\n    socket_type='NodeSocketGeometry'\n)\ngeo_output = node_tree.interface.new_socket(\n    name=\"Geometry\",\n    in_out='OUTPUT',\n    socket_type='NodeSocketGeometry'\n)\n\ninput_node = node_tree.nodes.new(\"NodeGroupInput\")\nsubdivide_node = node_tree.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeSubdivideMesh\")\noutput_node = node_tree.nodes.new(\"NodeGroupOutput\")\n\ninput_node.location = (-300, 0)\nsubdivide_node.location = (0, 0)\noutput_node.location = (300, 0)\n\n# LINK NODES\nnode_tree.links.new(input_node.outputs['Geometry'], subdivide_node.inputs['Mesh'])\nnode_tree.links.new(subdivide_node.outputs['Mesh'], output_node.inputs['Geometry'])\n\n# APPLY TO CURRENT OBJECT\nobj = bpy.context.object\nmod = obj.modifiers.new(\"MyGeoNodesModifier\", \"NODES\")\nmod.node_group = node_tree\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>When you run this script, you'll have a functional (though simple) geometry node setup that subdivides any geometry it's applied to:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-de23dbc9-781f-4730-9a46-a6fec93c97a7.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1314\" height=\"889\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-de23dbc9-781f-4730-9a46-a6fec93c97a7.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-de23dbc9-781f-4730-9a46-a6fec93c97a7.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-de23dbc9-781f-4730-9a46-a6fec93c97a7.png 1314w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-set-parameters-and-link-geometry-to-objects\">\u003Cstrong>3. Set Parameters and Link Geometry to Objects\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>You can modify parameters directly via the node's properties. For example, let's increase the subdivision level and apply this node group to an object:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">subdivide_node.inputs['Level'].default_value = 3\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-18e48250-6a76-4eda-b14c-ce8065b78f9e.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1314\" height=\"889\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-18e48250-6a76-4eda-b14c-ce8065b78f9e.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-18e48250-6a76-4eda-b14c-ce8065b78f9e.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-18e48250-6a76-4eda-b14c-ce8065b78f9e.png 1314w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Adjusting \u003Ccode>default_value\u003C/code> for inputs is an easy way to parameterize your setup.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For a full breakdown of the available parameters and types, refer to \u003Ca href=\"https://docs.blender.org/api/current/bpy.types.Node.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">the official Blender Python API documentation\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-create-a-custom-%E2%80%9Ccube-crowd-generator%E2%80%9D-node-group-programmatically\">\u003Cstrong>4. Create a Custom “Cube Crowd Generator” Node Group Programmatically\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We now know how to define geometry nodes programmatically, but what about creating reusable custom nodes?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's work on a new example that builds a tiny procedural system that scatters many cubes on a surface. The script creates a Geometry Nodes group that takes a surface, scatters points across it, randomly offsets those points, places a cube on each point (instances), converts the instances to real geometry, and outputs the final mesh as \"Cubes\".\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-create-a-new-node-group\">\u003Cstrong>1) Create a new node group\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>First, we create a new Geometry Node group in Blender named \u003Ccode>\"CubeCrowdGenerator\"\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">crowd_group = bpy.data.node_groups.new(\"CubeCrowdGenerator\", \"GeometryNodeTree\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Like a function, we want to be able to attach this node to any object with a Geometry Nodes modifier later on.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-add-group-input-and-output-nodes-uientry-points\">\u003Cstrong>2) Add group input and output nodes (UI/entry points)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We place standard input and output groups on the canvas as usual:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">group_in = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"NodeGroupInput\")\ngroup_out = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"NodeGroupOutput\")\n\ngroup_in.location = (-600, 0)\ngroup_out.location = (600, 0)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>group_in\u003C/code> and \u003Ccode>group_out\u003C/code> are the visible sockets of the node group in the Geometry Nodes editor.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The script also positions them so the graph is readable.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-define-the-group-interface-what-the-group-acceptsreturns\">\u003Cstrong>3) Define the group interface (what the group accepts/returns)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We need to expose an \u003Cstrong>input socket named \u003Ccode>Surface\u003C/code>\u003C/strong> where we'll plug the mesh you want to populate (e.g., a plane) and an \u003Cstrong>output socket named \u003Ccode>Cubes\u003C/code>\u003C/strong>, the resulting geometry.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">interface = crowd_group.interface\ninterface.new_socket(name=\"Surface\", in_out=\"INPUT\", socket_type=\"NodeSocketGeometry\")\ninterface.new_socket(name=\"Cubes\", in_out=\"OUTPUT\", socket_type=\"NodeSocketGeometry\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>In practice, when you add this node group to an object, you will plug its surface (an object's original geometry) into \u003Ccode>Surface\u003C/code>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-create-the-internal-nodes-the-building-blocks\">\u003Cstrong>4) Create the internal nodes (the building blocks)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We can then work on the actual internal logic:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">distribute = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeDistributePointsOnFaces\")\nrand_vec = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"FunctionNodeRandomValue\")\nset_pos = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeSetPosition\")\ncube = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeMeshCube\")\ninstance = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeInstanceOnPoints\")\nrealize = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeRealizeInstances\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>GeometryNodeDistributePointsOnFaces\u003C/strong>: creates points across the input surface (controls how many points, distribution).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>FunctionNodeRandomValue (Float Vector)\u003C/strong>: produces a random 3D vector per point used as an offset.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>GeometryNodeSetPosition\u003C/strong>: moves each point by a vector (the random offset).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>GeometryNodeMeshCube\u003C/strong>: generates a cube mesh that will be used as the instance object.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>GeometryNodeInstanceOnPoints\u003C/strong>: places the cube on each point. It doesn't create real geometry, it's just a cheap instance of the original cube.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>GeometryNodeRealizeInstances\u003C/strong>: converts instances into actual mesh geometry so they can be output as a single mesh.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"5-configure-the-random-vector-node\">\u003Cstrong>5) Configure the random vector node\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We set the \u003Ccode>Random Value\u003C/code> node to return a \u003Cstrong>3-component vector \u003C/strong>we can use to offset the generated cubes in the 3D space:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">rand_vec.data_type = \"FLOAT_VECTOR\"\nrand_vec.inputs[\"Min\"].default_value = (-0.5, -0.5, 0.0)\nrand_vec.inputs[\"Max\"].default_value = (0.5, 0.5, 0.5)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>Min\u003C/code> and \u003Ccode>Max\u003C/code> define the range for each component. For example, X will be between \u003Ccode>-0.5\u003C/code> and \u003Ccode>0.5\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Result: each point gets a slightly different offset so cubes don't sit exactly on top of one another.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"6-node-layout-ui-only\">\u003Cstrong>6) Node layout (UI only)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We then position the internal nodes to make them easy to understand if we want to check our workflow in Blender:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">distribute.location = (-400, 0)\nrand_vec.location = (-200, -200)\nset_pos.location = (-100, 0)\ninstance.location = (100, 0)\ncube.location = (-400, -200)\nrealize.location = (300, 0)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>These \u003Ccode>location\u003C/code> assignments only affect how the nodes are visually arranged in the node editor. They don't affect what the graph does.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"7-wire-the-nodes-together\">\u003Cstrong>7) Wire the nodes together\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Finally, we define how the data flows:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">links.new(group_in.outputs[\"Surface\"], distribute.inputs[\"Mesh\"])\nlinks.new(distribute.outputs[\"Points\"], set_pos.inputs[\"Geometry\"])\nlinks.new(rand_vec.outputs[\"Value\"], set_pos.inputs[\"Offset\"])\nlinks.new(set_pos.outputs[\"Geometry\"], instance.inputs[\"Points\"])\nlinks.new(cube.outputs[\"Mesh\"], instance.inputs[\"Instance\"])\nlinks.new(instance.outputs[\"Instances\"], realize.inputs[\"Geometry\"])\nlinks.new(realize.outputs[\"Geometry\"], group_out.inputs[\"Cubes\"])\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Surface → DistributePointsOnFaces\u003C/strong>: the input surface (plane) is used to create scattered points.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Points → SetPosition (Geometry)\u003C/strong>: set position receives the points as geometry to be moved.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>RandomValue → SetPosition (Offset)\u003C/strong>: each point gets a random vector offset.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>SetPosition → InstanceOnPoints (Points)\u003C/strong>: the moved points become the anchor positions for instances.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cube Mesh → InstanceOnPoints (Instance)\u003C/strong>: each point receives a cube instance.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>InstanceOnPoints → RealizeInstances\u003C/strong>: instances are converted to mesh geometry.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>RealizeInstances → Group Output (\"Cubes\")\u003C/strong>: final result is made available as the group's output.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>This is the full code we obtained:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\n# Create a new Geometry Node group\ncrowd_group = bpy.data.node_groups.new(\"CubeCrowdGenerator\", \"GeometryNodeTree\")\n\n# Create input/output nodes\ngroup_in = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"NodeGroupInput\")\ngroup_out = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"NodeGroupOutput\")\n\ngroup_in.location = (-600, 0)\ngroup_out.location = (600, 0)\n\n# Define group interface sockets\ninterface = crowd_group.interface\ninterface.new_socket(name=\"Surface\", in_out=\"INPUT\", socket_type=\"NodeSocketGeometry\")\ninterface.new_socket(name=\"Cubes\", in_out=\"OUTPUT\", socket_type=\"NodeSocketGeometry\")\n\n# Create internal nodes\ndistribute = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeDistributePointsOnFaces\")\ninstance = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeInstanceOnPoints\")\ncube = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeMeshCube\")\nrealize = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeRealizeInstances\")\nset_pos = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"GeometryNodeSetPosition\")\nrand_vec = crowd_group.nodes.new(\"FunctionNodeRandomValue\")\n\n# Configure random vector node\nrand_vec.data_type = \"FLOAT_VECTOR\"\nrand_vec.inputs[\"Min\"].default_value = (-0.5, -0.5, 0.0)  # minimum offset\nrand_vec.inputs[\"Max\"].default_value = (0.5, 0.5, 0.5)  # maximum offset\n\n# Layout nodes\ndistribute.location = (-400, 0)\nrand_vec.location = (-200, -200)\nset_pos.location = (-100, 0)\ninstance.location = (100, 0)\ncube.location = (-400, -200)\nrealize.location = (300, 0)\n\n# Create links\nlinks = crowd_group.links\nlinks.new(group_in.outputs[\"Surface\"], distribute.inputs[\"Mesh\"])\nlinks.new(distribute.outputs[\"Points\"], set_pos.inputs[\"Geometry\"])\nlinks.new(rand_vec.outputs[\"Value\"], set_pos.inputs[\"Offset\"])\nlinks.new(set_pos.outputs[\"Geometry\"], instance.inputs[\"Points\"])\nlinks.new(cube.outputs[\"Mesh\"], instance.inputs[\"Instance\"])\nlinks.new(instance.outputs[\"Instances\"], realize.inputs[\"Geometry\"])\nlinks.new(realize.outputs[\"Geometry\"], group_out.inputs[\"Cubes\"])\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Now we just copy/paste this script into the scripting workspace, run it, and we can now add our custom node from the geometry node workspace:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-d4ff8437-efb6-43b0-b45d-a54fce0b74b6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1430\" height=\"920\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-d4ff8437-efb6-43b0-b45d-a54fce0b74b6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-d4ff8437-efb6-43b0-b45d-a54fce0b74b6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-d4ff8437-efb6-43b0-b45d-a54fce0b74b6.png 1430w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>We can open the node group to see what's inside by double-clicking on it:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-679df6c4-2877-4419-8b79-4758df98290a.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1430\" height=\"920\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-679df6c4-2877-4419-8b79-4758df98290a.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-679df6c4-2877-4419-8b79-4758df98290a.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-679df6c4-2877-4419-8b79-4758df98290a.png 1430w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With just a few dozen lines of code, you can script Geometry Nodes setups that would take much longer to assemble manually. You've learned in this article how to create Geometry Node trees, add and connect nodes programmatically, control parameters and assign node trees to objects, and build a full procedural system.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Have a look at \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">the code repository on Github\u003C/a> to try the example yourself!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-db488d5a-7ab5-4471-a904-0926b1fa7d11.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1314\" height=\"889\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-db488d5a-7ab5-4471-a904-0926b1fa7d11.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-db488d5a-7ab5-4471-a904-0926b1fa7d11.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-db488d5a-7ab5-4471-a904-0926b1fa7d11.png 1314w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>This approach unlocks endless automation potential, from tool development to generative art. \u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":700,"comment_id":701,"feature_image":702,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":703,"updated_at":704,"custom_excerpt":705,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":706,"primary_tag":707,"url":708,"excerpt":705,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":709},"93358eb1-5534-43ed-89a8-0b0de2f00072","691ae1dba0beff00013f02eb","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1675044794037-9262cedb6d5d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fGJsZW5kZXIlMjBnZW9tZXRyeSUyMG5vZGVzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2MzM2OTc0N3ww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-11-17T09:50:35.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:04.000+01:00","Learn how to script Blender Geometry Nodes using Python to automate procedural setups, generate node trees programmatically, and build reusable tools for your animation pipeline.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes-2/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@mirzaie?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Mehdi Mirzaie\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes-2","2025-11-17T10:13:21.000+01:00",{"title":695},"blender-scripting-geometry-nodes-2","posts/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes-2",[716,717],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"ABwCKyHYQd2e24_gRrEcz2gAc349u2DzqkOMZrfJtyU",{"id":720,"title":721,"authors":722,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":724,"meta":725,"navigation":15,"path":735,"published_at":736,"seo":737,"slug":738,"stem":739,"tags":740,"__hash__":742,"uuid":726,"comment_id":727,"feature_image":728,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":729,"updated_at":704,"custom_excerpt":730,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":731,"primary_tag":732,"url":733,"excerpt":730,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":734},"ghost/posts:blender-scripting-geometry-nodes.json","The Beginner’s Guide to Geometry Nodes in Blender 2026",[723],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🧩\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Rebuilding scenes by hand is so 2010. Geometry Nodes let you automate, randomize, and control Blender projects with precision — turning hours of manual modeling into minutes of procedural magic.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Spending hours manually duplicating geometry, reshaping, or animating repetitive movements in Blender isn't fun. Some workflows are like that: you need to do repetitive tasks over and over again, with only slight variations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But there is a smarter, faster way to create procedural effects called geometry nodes. They can seem intimidating and take time to master, but by the end of this article, you’ll know what geometry nodes are, why they matter, and how to start using them in your own Blender projects.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-are-geometry-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>What Are Geometry Nodes?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Geometry Nodes are Blender’s way of letting you create and manipulate models procedurally. Instead of editing mesh objects directly, you connect visual nodes that define operations like instancing, transforming, or scattering objects in a non-destructive, modular way.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-b4252feb-7713-4df1-98ca-cc453b53d4ee.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"830\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-b4252feb-7713-4df1-98ca-cc453b53d4ee.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-b4252feb-7713-4df1-98ca-cc453b53d4ee.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-b4252feb-7713-4df1-98ca-cc453b53d4ee.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Each node performs a small task, but when connected, they can create incredibly detailed results: from forests made of thousands of randomized trees to animated particle trails or architectural patterns. Geometry Nodes allow you to build once and control everything with adjustable parameters.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-geometry-nodes-are-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Geometry Nodes Are Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\">Traditional modeling and animation workflows\u003C/a> often depend on time-consuming manual adjustments where every change or variation requires direct edits to the model. Geometry Nodes revolutionize this process by introducing procedural control, a system that allows you to generate and modify models dynamically through input values, randomness, or mathematical relationships.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach offers several major advantages. It makes you more productive by letting you update or randomize complex scenes instantly without the need to rebuild them from scratch. It also brings flexibility to your pipeline because parameters can be adjusted at any stage of production. Geometry Nodes open the door to experimentation for producing intricate shapes, patterns, and effects that would be difficult or impossible to achieve by hand, like generating a large patch of grass. This feature is ideal for large-scale modeling like crowd simulations or realistic natural environments.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example Blender–Kitsu integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"adding-a-geometry-node\">\u003Cstrong>Adding a Geometry Node\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>I know the concept looks intimidating, but give me 5 minutes and we'll create your first geometry node setup.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Open a new Blender project with a default cube.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>In the Geometry Nodes tab, click New to create a new geometry node group.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-6cd7bfd9-e7fd-4220-834e-c6260fa00949.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1314\" height=\"889\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-6cd7bfd9-e7fd-4220-834e-c6260fa00949.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-6cd7bfd9-e7fd-4220-834e-c6260fa00949.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-6cd7bfd9-e7fd-4220-834e-c6260fa00949.png 1314w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You’ll now see a blank node tree in the Geometry Node Editor workspace, with two default nodes: Group Input and Group Output. These represent the start and end of your data flow: geometry comes in, gets modified, and goes out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To see your setup in action, just add your first node:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Click \u003Cstrong>Add\u003C/strong> → \u003Cstrong>Geometry\u003C/strong> → \u003Cstrong>Operations\u003C/strong> → \u003Cstrong>Transform Geometry\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Connect the \u003Cstrong>Group Input\u003C/strong> → \u003Cstrong>Transform Geometry\u003C/strong> → \u003Cstrong>Group Output\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Adjust the translation or scale values in the Transform node.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-ea4b9476-8d89-4d56-bd6a-62dd751ba84d.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1314\" height=\"889\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-ea4b9476-8d89-4d56-bd6a-62dd751ba84d.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-ea4b9476-8d89-4d56-bd6a-62dd751ba84d.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-ea4b9476-8d89-4d56-bd6a-62dd751ba84d.png 1314w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You’ll immediately see your object move or resize in the viewport. Congratulations, you’ve just built your first procedural modifier!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Geometry Nodes fall into several broad categories, each handling different aspects of your scene. Think of these categories as toolboxes: each one focuses on a different kind of task, from generating shapes to controlling data or math behind the scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here is a quick overview of the different node types to find the ones you need for a new workflow:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-input-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>1. Input Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Input nodes provide the starting information for your node tree. They bring in existing data from your object or scene, like position, normal, index, or object info that other nodes can use to calculate or transform geometry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, an Input → Scene → Object info node gives you all the information you need about an object instance to perform calculations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When creating a new node tree, Blender will always add a new Input Group node representing the group of models in the current scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-output-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>2. Output Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Output nodes define what leaves your node system: the final geometry that Blender renders or displays. The Group Output node is the most common one, connecting the result of your entire node network back to your object in the viewport.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Other specialized outputs (like Material Output in shader setups) pass data to different parts of Blender’s system. In Geometry Nodes, the Output stage determines what geometry, instances, or attributes are visible in the result.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-geometry-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>3. Geometry Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Geometry nodes directly modify, combine, or generate geometry, the actual shapes in your scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They’re the core of procedural modeling. Instead of sculpting by hand, you can create systems that generate geometry automatically, and you can tweak them later without destroying your base mesh.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-mesh-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>4. Mesh Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Mesh nodes focus on fine control over mesh structures: the vertices, edges, and faces that make up your geometry. They let you access and modify specific mesh components or convert geometry types.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you need precise topology control, go for mesh nodes. They’re perfect for procedural modeling tasks like creating grids, manipulating edge loops, or generating new topology from existing meshes.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-da4fe358-ac3b-482a-8641-6b0540c9d792.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"947\" height=\"897\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-da4fe358-ac3b-482a-8641-6b0540c9d792.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-da4fe358-ac3b-482a-8641-6b0540c9d792.png 947w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-instance-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>5. Instance Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Instance nodes create copies (instances) of objects, scattered across surfaces or points. Nodes like Instance on Points or Realize Instances handle this.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instancing is one of the most powerful features in Geometry Nodes because it lets you duplicate thousands of objects (like trees, rocks, or particles) without slowing down your scene by only rendering one real copy and referencing it multiple times.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-1049c5fc-a3de-480a-b494-ed49a488af0c.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1085\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-1049c5fc-a3de-480a-b494-ed49a488af0c.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-1049c5fc-a3de-480a-b494-ed49a488af0c.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-1049c5fc-a3de-480a-b494-ed49a488af0c.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-attribute-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>6. Attribute Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Attribute nodes control or pass around custom properties attached to geometry, like color, scale, or random values per point. These attributes can be used to drive transformations, materials, or effects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Attributes let you add variation and control to your procedural systems. You can randomize the size of scattered objects, color particles differently, or link material effects to geometry data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-utilities-and-fields\">\u003Cstrong>7. Utilities and Fields\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Utility nodes handle the logic and math behind your geometry network. They include operations like Math, Vector Math, Compare, or Map Range, and they’re often used to process or control other nodes’ inputs, like in a programming language.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They’re the brains of your setup, allowing you to build relationships, create gradients, randomize values, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-curve-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>8. Curve Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Curve nodes work with curve-based geometry like lines, splines, or paths. They’re useful for generating cables, vines, roads, or abstract motion trails. Nodes like Resample Curve, Curve to Mesh, and Set Curve Radius let you adjust the shape, resolution, or thickness of curves procedurally.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Curves can also drive instancing, letting you place objects along a path or animate their movement over time.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-6409cf07-26e7-4eb6-8e76-85e9a33a1581.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1142\" height=\"936\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-6409cf07-26e7-4eb6-8e76-85e9a33a1581.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-6409cf07-26e7-4eb6-8e76-85e9a33a1581.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-6409cf07-26e7-4eb6-8e76-85e9a33a1581.png 1142w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-grease-pencil-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>9. Grease Pencil Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Grease Pencil nodes integrate Blender’s 2D drawing system into the Geometry Nodes workflow. You can procedurally modify strokes, convert drawings into geometry, or apply effects like noise, extrusion, or deformation to 2D lines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These nodes bridge the gap between 2D animation and procedural design, giving artists new ways to stylize motion graphics or hybrid 2D/3D scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"10-point-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>10. Point Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Point nodes manipulate individual points in your geometry: the fundamental building blocks used for scattering, positioning, or transforming instances. You can add, move, or rotate points, or assign attributes like color or scale to each.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For instance, Distribute Points on Faces generates evenly or randomly placed points across a surface, which can then serve as placement positions for instances like grass or particles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"11-volume-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>11. Volume Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Volume nodes let you create and manipulate volumetric data like fog, smoke, or procedural density fields. You can use them to generate 3D textures, shape clouds, or fill geometry with density-based effects and open the door to atmospheric or organic effects that go far beyond surface modeling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"12-material-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>12. Material Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Material nodes assign or modify materials and shading data. The Set Material or Material Index nodes let you dynamically apply different materials based on attributes, random seeds, or regions of your model.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This makes it easy to, for example, color-code parts of a structure or assign materials procedurally to scattered objects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"13-texture-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>13. Texture Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Texture nodes sample or generate procedural textures that can drive geometry transformations or visual variation. They can provide grayscale masks, noise patterns, or gradients that influence scale, displacement, or color.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By combining texture data with math or attribute nodes, you can create natural randomness for uneven terrain, wavy surfaces, or patterned distribution.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"14-group-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>14. Group Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Group nodes bundle multiple nodes into a reusable unit. They’re crucial for organizing complex setups and keeping your node trees clean. You can expose parameters on the group’s input/output to make them adjustable, effectively turning your custom setup into a new super node.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you start building your own groups, you’re not just using Geometry Nodes: you’re creating your own procedural tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"15-hair-nodes\">\u003Cstrong>15. Hair Nodes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Hair nodes are designed to generate, style, and control procedural hair or fur systems. They provide access to strand length, density, and grooming attributes, allowing you to simulate everything from grass fields to character hair.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These nodes replace older particle-based workflows with a modern, procedural approach that integrates seamlessly with Blender’s new hair system.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-64d8cc68-468d-4294-8abb-2fafc2ac9d87.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"916\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-64d8cc68-468d-4294-8abb-2fafc2ac9d87.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-64d8cc68-468d-4294-8abb-2fafc2ac9d87.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-64d8cc68-468d-4294-8abb-2fafc2ac9d87.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Stack Exchange\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Geometry Nodes can seem abstract or intimidating at first, but they are some of the most exciting features in Blender. Once you understand how to combine nodes, you can generate entire animations, environments, or visual effects driven by procedural logic rather than manual edits.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don’t feel like you need to memorize them all, however. Most Geometry Nodes setups rely on a handful of key nodes that you’ll naturally get comfortable with as you experiment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/\">In our next article\u003C/a>, we’ll go a step further: you’ll learn how to \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-scripting-animation/\">create your own custom node groups using scripts\u003C/a> to automate effects while reducing the complexity of your workflows for unique animation pipelines.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":726,"comment_id":727,"feature_image":728,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":729,"updated_at":704,"custom_excerpt":730,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":731,"primary_tag":732,"url":733,"excerpt":730,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":734},"e65c213b-a70f-4f97-a5f0-3c56eb08a3d3","69118ad9e054fc00019520ad","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1639322537504-6427a16b0a28?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fGJsZW5kZXIlMjBnZW9tZXRyeSUyMG5vZGVzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2Mjc1NzU1NXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-11-10T07:48:57.000+01:00","Blender’s Geometry Nodes let you build 3D models procedurally. Learn how they work, why they’re essential for modern animation pipelines, and how to start using them to create smarter, faster, non-destructive workflows.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@theshubhamdhage?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Shubham Dhage\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes","2025-11-10T10:00:00.000+01:00",{"title":721},"blender-scripting-geometry-nodes","posts/blender-scripting-geometry-nodes",[741],{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"bz_ljpXg75yGUgqM5toWV-cRyrzGxhRi3KTeg1MFwrA",{"id":744,"title":745,"authors":746,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":748,"meta":749,"navigation":15,"path":758,"published_at":759,"seo":760,"slug":761,"stem":762,"tags":763,"__hash__":765,"uuid":750,"comment_id":751,"feature_image":752,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":753,"updated_at":372,"custom_excerpt":754,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":755,"primary_tag":756,"url":757,"excerpt":754,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":428},"ghost/posts:ffmpeg-commands-for-animators.json","10 FFmpeg Commands Every Animator Should Know In 2026",[747],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📼\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Think video conversion tools are just for editors? Think again. FFmpeg is the secret weapon hiding inside every animation pipeline — used by studios like YouTube, Blender, and DaVinci Resolve — and it can save you \u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">hours\u003C/em>\u003C/i> of manual work once you know how to use it.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>If you work in animation or video production, you have already met FFmpeg.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Despite being open-source and used by giants like YouTube, Blender, and DaVinci Resolve, FFmpeg often stays hidden in the background and few artists are aware of its worth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this guide, we’ll walk through 10 practical FFmpeg commands every animator or pipeline artist should know to save hours of manual work.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-ffmpeg\">\u003Cstrong>What's FFmpeg?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>FFmpeg is a powerful open-source command line toolkit for working with video, audio, and image data. It’s not a single program, rather a suite of tools that handle nearly every kind of media processing task imaginable:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Convert between almost any video, audio, or image format.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Assemble image sequences into movies (and vice versa).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Compress or transcode large files for reviews or uploads.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Filters: crop, scale, color adjust, overlay, blur, etc.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Sync or combine multiple audio/video sources.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Analyze media metadata (frame rate, codec, bit depth, etc.).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Automate batch processing in pipelines via scripts.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We can't list down all the nice features it offers, but let’s start with 10 practical FFmpeg commands with examples you can drop straight into your terminal.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-compile-an-image-sequence-into-a-video\">\u003Cstrong>1. Compile an Image Sequence into a Video\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\">Renderers like Blender's\u003C/a> allow outputting image sequences (e.g., thousands of EXRs or PNGs) rather than single movie files. This is safer because if a render crashes, you can resume from there. The problem is that those sequences aren’t playable or easy to review.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>FFmpeg can stitch all frames into a single video file in seconds to create a lightweight, shareable version of your shot:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -framerate 24 -i frame_%04d.png -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-framerate 24\u003C/code> - tells FFmpeg to read the sequence at 24 frames per second.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-i frame_%04d.png - %04d\u003C/code> means four digits padded with zeros (e.g. \u003Ccode>0001\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>0002\u003C/code> …). You'll need more digits if your sequence goes above 1000 frames.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-c:v libx264\u003C/code> - encodes the video using the H.264 codec, a good default for reviews.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-pix_fmt yuv420p\u003C/code> - ensures broad compatibility (especially with media players and browsers).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>output.mp4\u003C/code> - the name of the final video file.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-create-a-quick-low-res-review\">\u003Cstrong>2. Create a Quick Low-Res Review\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>High-res renders (4K, full-quality EXRs, or ProRes) of several Gbs are too heavy \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\">to send over Slack for feedback\u003C/a>: you need smaller, fast-loading versions for daily reviews.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Just scale and compress a master video automatically to get a playable version without re-rendering:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i output.mp4 -vf scale=960:-1 -b:v 1M review.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-i output.mp4\u003C/code> - input file (your high-quality render).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-vf scale=960:-1\u003C/code> - rescales video width to 960 pixels and automatically adjusts height (\u003Ccode>-1\u003C/code>) to keep aspect ratio.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-b:v 1M\u003C/code> - sets video bitrate to 1 megabit per second - a good low size/high speed compromise.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>review.mp4\u003C/code> - output file.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-overlay-a-logo-or-watermark\">\u003Cstrong>3. Overlay a Logo or Watermark\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Studios and freelancers often share work-in-progress files. But without a watermark, previews can be redistributed, leaked, or confused for final versions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With a single FFmpeg command, you can overlay a studio logo, username, or “Work In Progress” tag on every frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -i logo.png -filter_complex \"overlay=10:10\" branded.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-i input.mp4\u003C/code> - main video.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-i logo.png\u003C/code> - image to overlay (must have transparency or you’ll get a solid box).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-filter_complex \"overlay=10:10\"\u003C/code> - applies an overlay filter, positioning logo 10px from top-left corner.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>branded.mp4\u003C/code> - result with watermark applied.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-44bab5d8-5532-4d0b-9347-12812a0e1271.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"848\" height=\"527\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-44bab5d8-5532-4d0b-9347-12812a0e1271.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-44bab5d8-5532-4d0b-9347-12812a0e1271.png 848w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-burn-frame-numbers-or-timecode\">\u003Cstrong>4. Burn Frame Numbers or Timecode\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>During client or team reviews, everyone needs to reference exact frames for notes, so unlabelled footage makes it impossible to align feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>FFmpeg’s drawtext filter can burn frame numbers or running timecodes into your video to provide a precise reference system, helping supervisors and animators stay synchronized during reviews.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf \"drawtext=text='%{n}':x=10:y=H-th-10:fontsize=24:fontcolor=white\" numbered.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>drawtext\u003C/code> filter draws text on each frame.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>text='%{n}'\u003C/code> - inserts frame number.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>x=10:y=H-th-10\u003C/code> - places text 10px from bottom-left.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>fontsize\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>fontcolor\u003C/code> - control look.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-84b1c23e-6e65-493e-bf3c-96c254d28234.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"848\" height=\"527\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-84b1c23e-6e65-493e-bf3c-96c254d28234.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-84b1c23e-6e65-493e-bf3c-96c254d28234.png 848w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Or for timecode using the presentation timestamp (PTS) formatted as hours:minutes:seconds:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf \"drawtext=text='%{pts\\:hms}':x=10:y=H-th-10:fontsize=24:fontcolor=white\" timecode.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-create-looping-clips-turntables\">\u003Cstrong>5. Create Looping Clips (Turntables)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When presenting 3D models or shots, you often need looping turntables for portfolios, internal libraries, or demo reels. Manually duplicating clips in an editor is tedious.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>FFmpeg can loop any clip a chosen number of times with -stream_loop, creating continuous playbacks instantly without re-rendering:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -stream_loop 3 -i turntable.mp4 -c copy looped.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-stream_loop 3\u003C/code> - plays the input 3 extra times.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-i turntable.mp4\u003C/code> - your original animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-c copy\u003C/code> - copies audio/video streams without re-encoding (fast, lossless).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>looped.mp4\u003C/code> - final output.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-add-sound-to-a-silent-render\">\u003Cstrong>6. Add Sound to a Silent Render\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Renders from 3D software don’t include audio, even if your animation is synced to dialogue or music, and adding sound manually in Premiere or After Effects can be time-consuming for quick previews.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>FFmpeg can merge a silent render with an audio track instantly, syncing them without a timeline-based editor.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i render.mp4 -i music.wav -c:v copy -c:a aac -shortest final.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-i render.mp4\u003C/code> - video input.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-i music.wav\u003C/code> - audio input.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-c:v copy\u003C/code> - keeps the existing video stream (no re-rendering).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-c:a aac\u003C/code> - encodes audio to AAC (widely supported).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>-shortest\u003C/code> - stops encoding when the shorter of the two tracks ends.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-extract-every-nth-frame\">\u003Cstrong>7. Extract Every Nth Frame\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Reviewing every single frame from a long shot is slow, especially for motion analysis, flicker detection, or checking exposure shifts. Sometimes, you just want to sample frames like one every 10 or 20.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>FFmpeg’s \u003Ccode>select\u003C/code> filter allows you to extract every nth frame automatically. It’s perfect for quick motion diagnostics, creating contact sheets, or generating thumbnails:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf \"select='not(mod(n,10))',setpts=N/FRAME_RATE/TB\" frames_%04d.png\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>select='not(mod(n,10))'\u003C/code> - processes only frames where the frame number n is divisible by 10 (every 10th).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>setpts=N/FRAME_RATE/TB\u003C/code> - corrects timestamps so output doesn’t play back too fast.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>frames_%04d.png\u003C/code> - naming pattern for extracted images.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-compare-two-versions-ab-diff\">\u003Cstrong>8. Compare Two Versions (A/B Diff)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When testing lighting tweaks, color corrections, or denoising updates, it’s hard to see small visual differences between two versions by eye.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>FFmpeg’s \u003Ccode>blend=all_mode=difference\u003C/code> filter subtracts one version from the other and shows differences as bright pixels. It’s a fast way to QA version changes.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i old.mp4 -i new.mp4 -filter_complex \"blend=all_mode=difference\" diff.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Two input files: old and new render.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>blend=all_mode=difference\u003C/code> - subtracts pixel values of one from the other, showing where they differ.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>diff.mp4\u003C/code> - bright pixels = changes, dark = no difference.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-57adc37e-d8c2-407a-9057-1739a959c61f.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"848\" height=\"527\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-57adc37e-d8c2-407a-9057-1739a959c61f.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-57adc37e-d8c2-407a-9057-1739a959c61f.png 848w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-combine-render-passes-side-by-side\">\u003Cstrong>9. Combine Render Passes Side-by-Side\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Artists often need to compare two passes (e.g., old vs. new). Opening them in compositing software just to compare layout or lighting is overkill.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Ccode>hstack\u003C/code> (or \u003Ccode>vstack\u003C/code>) filter places videos side-by-side or vertically for easy comparison. It’s perfect for review exports or before/after videos showing changes to clients or supervisors.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i pass1.mp4 -i pass2.mp4 -filter_complex \"hstack\" side_by_side.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Two input videos.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>hstack\u003C/code> - stacks them horizontally. Use \u003Ccode>vstack\u003C/code> to stack vertically instead.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>side_by_side.mp4\u003C/code> - output file.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-77024499-0432-4930-97d8-c1aa0942c2e9.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1186\" height=\"748\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-77024499-0432-4930-97d8-c1aa0942c2e9.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-77024499-0432-4930-97d8-c1aa0942c2e9.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-77024499-0432-4930-97d8-c1aa0942c2e9.png 1186w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You can also include the resulting video from the previous \u003Ccode>blend=all_mode=difference\u003C/code> command to quickly see the differences between frames:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i pass1.mp4 -i diff.mp4 -i pass2.mp4 \\\n-filter_complex \"[0:v][1:v]hstack=inputs=2[top]; [top][2:v]hstack=inputs=2\" \\\nside_by_side2.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-3179b0a2-949d-468c-ba70-153ae97f0d0c.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1186\" height=\"748\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/11/data-src-image-3179b0a2-949d-468c-ba70-153ae97f0d0c.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/11/data-src-image-3179b0a2-949d-468c-ba70-153ae97f0d0c.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/11/data-src-image-3179b0a2-949d-468c-ba70-153ae97f0d0c.png 1186w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"10-re-time-animation-slow-mo-or-speed-up\">\u003Cstrong>10. Re-Time Animation (Slow-Mo or Speed-Up)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing tweaks like previewing a slower camera move or checking a fast motion test usually require re-rendering or editing in software. That’s inefficient just to try different pacing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>FFmpeg can alter playback speed on the fly by adjusting frame timestamps to let animators preview alternate speeds instantly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Slow down to half speed:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v \"setpts=2.0*PTS\" slowmo.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Speed up 2×:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -filter:v \"setpts=0.5*PTS\" fast.mp4\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The \u003Ccode>setpts\u003C/code> filter manipulates the presentation timestamps (PTS) of each frame.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Multiplying by 2.0 doubles playback time (slower).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Multiplying by 0.5 halves it (faster).\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>FFmpeg isn’t just a video converter. With a few lines of text, you can automate tasks that usually take minutes or hours in traditional software: batch rendering, version comparisons, review exports... You name it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you get comfortable with the syntax, FFmpeg is an extension of your creative workflow. Pick one command from this list, drop it into your next render pipeline, and watch how much smoother your daily production becomes!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But that's not all. Combine the power of ffmpeg with DCC scripts (like \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-scripting-animation/\">Blender scripting\u003C/a>) and you'll unlock superpowers beyond human comprehension (like automating entire scene creations). \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/\">Subscribe to our blog\u003C/a> for more!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":750,"comment_id":751,"feature_image":752,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":753,"updated_at":372,"custom_excerpt":754,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":755,"primary_tag":756,"url":757,"excerpt":754,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":428},"93788414-98a7-4015-8e42-e5214d9567d9","6909b6f1df0ae600014fbb5a","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1727142073871-d40f5a7c76d8?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMwfHx2aWRlbyUyMGVuY29kaW5nJTIwdGVybWluYWx8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzYyMjQ1NjQ3fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-11-04T09:18:57.000+01:00","FFmpeg is one of the most powerful media tools used in animation and video production — yet many artists barely scratch the surface of what it can do. Learn 10 essential FFmpeg commands for assembling renders, adding audio, overlaying logos, comparing versions, and optimizing review exports.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/ffmpeg-commands-for-animators/","/posts/ffmpeg-commands-for-animators","2025-11-04T10:09:54.000+01:00",{"title":745},"ffmpeg-commands-for-animators","posts/ffmpeg-commands-for-animators",[764],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"5xJDX4mIKsXbLF-f4fY8sM4QlPjb16pw8NEom2bEGLE",{"id":767,"title":768,"authors":769,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":771,"meta":772,"navigation":15,"path":782,"published_at":783,"seo":784,"slug":785,"stem":786,"tags":787,"__hash__":789,"uuid":773,"comment_id":774,"feature_image":775,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":776,"updated_at":777,"custom_excerpt":778,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":779,"primary_tag":780,"url":781,"excerpt":778,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":250},"ghost/posts:forward-vs-inverse-kinematics-blender.json","How To Use Forward and Inverse Kinematics In Blender (2026)",[770],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🤖\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">A 3D model is just a lifeless mannequin until you\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rigging-in-animation/\"> \u003Cu>start rigging it\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. The real magic happens when animators make it move, and that’s where kinematics comes in.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>The problem is, it’s not as simple as dragging a character’s arm or leg around. Push the limits too far, and suddenly your character’s elbow bends backwards, or their run looks like a broken wind-up toy. Play it too safe, and the movement feels stiff and robotic. Finding the balance between believable physics and expressiveness is hard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explore what kinematics are and how they work in Blender. By the end, you'll have created your first rig for animation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-are-kinematics\">\u003Cstrong>What Are Kinematics\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Kinematics is \u003Cstrong>the study of how things move in space\u003C/strong> without worrying about the forces that cause the motion. In animation, it means focusing on how a character or object’s joints, limbs, and body parts transform from one pose to the next, rather than worrying about muscles or gravity pulling them.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-1727ea30-70cc-42b6-a5e1-085ffa16eef4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"841\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-1727ea30-70cc-42b6-a5e1-085ffa16eef4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-1727ea30-70cc-42b6-a5e1-085ffa16eef4.png 841w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: MathWorks\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Kinematics gives animators the rules and tools to make 3D models move in a way that looks consistent and believable. It's important to make the distinction between forward and inverse kinematics:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Forward Kinematics\u003C/strong>: In FK, motion starts at the top of the hierarchy. If you want to move a hand, you rotate the shoulder, then the elbow, then the wrist. It’s intuitive for arcs and natural swinging motions (like waving or swinging a sword) because you control the chain link by link. But it can be tedious: if you animate a finger touching a point in space, you have to manually adjust every joint to line it up.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Inverse Kinematics\u003C/strong>: IK flips the problem. Instead of rotating each joint, you place the end of the chain where you want it (say, a character’s hand on a table), and the computer calculates how the shoulder and elbow must bend to reach that spot. IK is perfect for locked motions, like keeping feet planted on the floor while the body moves. The downside is that it can sometimes create unnatural bends if not carefully controlled, so you'll need to define complex constraints.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Animators don’t choose one or the other exclusively. They switch between FK and IK depending on the type of motion they need: FK for fluid arcs, IK for precise placement, and often blend the two to achieve the most natural end-to-end movement.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-kinematics-are-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Kinematics Are Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kinematics make sure a character’s movement respects anatomical logic\u003C/strong>: joints bend the right way, limbs maintain proper relationships, and actions flow naturally. Without it, even the best 3D model will look broken during animation. When a character reaches for a cup on a table, the elbow should bend correctly and the wrist rotate naturally. Without kinematics, the arm would hyperextend, or the hand could twist in an impossible way.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By using forward and inverse kinematics, \u003Cstrong>animators can control complex body parts with far fewer steps\u003C/strong>. Instead of tweaking every single joint frame by frame, they can pose entire chains at once while reducing posing errors. Instead of manually adjusting the ankle, knee, and hip on every frame, the animator just locks the foot in place with inverse kinematics, and the software handles the rest.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's try rigging a simple model in Blender to get a better feel of how it works.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-ik-fk?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/blender-ik-fk\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"forward-kinematics-fk-in-blender\">\u003Cstrong>Forward Kinematics (FK) in Blender\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>FK is like moving a marionette puppet: You control each string one by one, starting at the shoulder and working your way down to the fingertips. Every rotation builds on the previous one.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Add a cube (\u003Ccode>Add → Mesh → Cube\u003C/code>) and scale it into a rectangular prism. Normalize the scale to 1 for beveling (\u003Ccode>Object → Apply → Scale\u003C/code>).\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-bbbf0c86-c1bb-4b7b-afd1-18cf0971aeab.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"646\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-bbbf0c86-c1bb-4b7b-afd1-18cf0971aeab.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-bbbf0c86-c1bb-4b7b-afd1-18cf0971aeab.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-bbbf0c86-c1bb-4b7b-afd1-18cf0971aeab.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"2\">\u003Cli>In Edit mode, bevel the edges to round each side. Make sure to use \u003Ccode>Edge\u003C/code> mode and select the four edges we need. In the Bevel window that appears, increase the number of segments to create round edges.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-0c49b11d-3896-4035-a842-4eb98d661b33.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"816\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-0c49b11d-3896-4035-a842-4eb98d661b33.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-0c49b11d-3896-4035-a842-4eb98d661b33.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-0c49b11d-3896-4035-a842-4eb98d661b33.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"3\">\u003Cli>Make two more segments to create a mechanical arm. In \u003Ccode>Object\u003C/code> Mode, select the prism and duplicate. Repeat once more so you have three segments.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-318d3ca9-6f1f-4afe-b602-ccff95474782.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"315\" height=\"171\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"4\">\u003Cli>Place the segments along the X axis to create the chain. Try to position them so they can sit end-to-end with a clear joint position.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-82b2e2e0-c34c-46a2-9418-f313e5c0f788.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"847\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-82b2e2e0-c34c-46a2-9418-f313e5c0f788.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-82b2e2e0-c34c-46a2-9418-f313e5c0f788.png 847w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"5\">\u003Cli>Set up the parent hierarchy (FK chain). Build the chain from base to tip. Select the child object first, then put it in the intended parent (the one closer to the base). Repeat so each segment is parented to the previous segment.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-408d19e7-ccac-4706-90fa-1aa9ace327b7.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"319\" height=\"218\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"6\">\u003Cli>Put each object's origin at its joint. For correct rotation, the origin must be at the joint end of each segment. Use the cursor tool to position the origin. Then, in \u003Ccode>Object\u003C/code> Mode, \u003Ccode>Object → Set Origin → Origin to 3D Cursor\u003C/code>. Do this for every segment.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-7a11ca12-b043-4f94-b663-b87271e51597.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"817\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-7a11ca12-b043-4f94-b663-b87271e51597.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-7a11ca12-b043-4f94-b663-b87271e51597.png 817w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"7\">\u003Cli>Give each segment a small default rotation to observe how forward kinematics behave. When you rotate the base (parent) object, the children follow thanks to the parenting chain.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-50da86d0-88ec-4673-a55b-227f9df93c0b.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"817\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-50da86d0-88ec-4673-a55b-227f9df93c0b.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-50da86d0-88ec-4673-a55b-227f9df93c0b.png 817w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You can then just rotate the arm as you want, keyframe the position, and\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\"> \u003Cu>render the final result to get an animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you can notice, FK is great for smooth, arcing motions like waving, swinging a bat, or dancing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For more advanced rigs (IK, controls, constraints), Blender animators use an Armature instead of object parenting.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"inverse-kinematics-ik-in-blender\">\u003Cstrong>Inverse Kinematics (IK) in Blender\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>IK is more like controlling a puppet's hand, and the arm figures out how the elbow and shoulder should bend to follow along.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Duplicate the FK arm mesh.\u003C/strong> Select your three-segment FK arm, duplicate it with and move it aside so you keep the FK version for comparison.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-59cd3241-e8e1-4b3b-b60a-8457c017a553.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1349\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-59cd3241-e8e1-4b3b-b60a-8457c017a553.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-59cd3241-e8e1-4b3b-b60a-8457c017a553.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-59cd3241-e8e1-4b3b-b60a-8457c017a553.png 1349w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"2\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Merge the segments into one object.\u003C/strong> Select the new arm copy and join each segment into a single mesh (\u003Ccode>Select all → Object → Join\u003C/code>). Now you have one continuous object representing the whole arm.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-4f6843c9-ce25-4aa4-b391-3637d7543c4b.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1349\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-4f6843c9-ce25-4aa4-b391-3637d7543c4b.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-4f6843c9-ce25-4aa4-b391-3637d7543c4b.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-4f6843c9-ce25-4aa4-b391-3637d7543c4b.png 1349w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"3\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create an armature chain.\u003C/strong> Add an Armature in \u003Ccode>Add → Armature\u003C/code>. In the Armature’s \u003Cstrong>Edit Mode\u003C/strong>, extrude bones to match the segments. Select the tip of the first bone to extrude and place it at the elbow. Extrude again for the \"hand\".\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-f18a080f-af0d-44c9-a948-01b17e8d4ad7.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1349\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-f18a080f-af0d-44c9-a948-01b17e8d4ad7.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-f18a080f-af0d-44c9-a948-01b17e8d4ad7.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-f18a080f-af0d-44c9-a948-01b17e8d4ad7.png 1349w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"4\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Add the IK controller.\u003C/strong> Switch to \u003Cstrong>Pose Mode\u003C/strong> andI select the \u003Cem>hand\u003C/em> bone. Press \u003Ccode>Shift+I → \u003Cem>Add Inverse Kinematics\u003C/em> → Without Targets\u003C/code>. The IK chain will now drive the arm. In the Bone Constraints tab, set \u003Cem>Chain Length\u003C/em> = 3.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-9ffe89a0-6326-410d-9574-91798ce5dbc5.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1008\" height=\"423\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-9ffe89a0-6326-410d-9574-91798ce5dbc5.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-9ffe89a0-6326-410d-9574-91798ce5dbc5.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-9ffe89a0-6326-410d-9574-91798ce5dbc5.png 1008w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-069281f6-1b06-4992-8a73-63b76c27f9eb.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1008\" height=\"423\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-069281f6-1b06-4992-8a73-63b76c27f9eb.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-069281f6-1b06-4992-8a73-63b76c27f9eb.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-069281f6-1b06-4992-8a73-63b76c27f9eb.png 1008w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"5\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Bind the mesh to the armature (skinning).\u003C/strong> In \u003Ccode>Object\u003C/code> mode, select the mesh first, then Ctrl-select the armature. Right-click on the objects and select \u003Ccode>Parent → Armature Deform → With Automatic Weights\u003C/code>. Blender assigns vertex groups for each bone so the arm follows the rig.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-0c7343c3-1d1b-4ad3-b68a-804bdf1e1ba4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"992\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-0c7343c3-1d1b-4ad3-b68a-804bdf1e1ba4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-0c7343c3-1d1b-4ad3-b68a-804bdf1e1ba4.png 992w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"6\">\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animate with IK.\u003C/strong> Go to \u003Cstrong>Pose Mode\u003C/strong>, grab the IK controller bone and move it: the whole arm follows naturally!\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>You can still use FK by moving the bones in the parent chain.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Note that the mesh deforms this way by default. You’ll need to add Bone Constraints to match the desired movement like only allowing the arm to move along a single axis to match the behavior of a mechanical arm.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"fkik-switch\">\u003Cstrong>FK/IK Switch\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Most rigs in Blender use a \u003Cstrong>hybrid system\u003C/strong>: FK for flowing arcs and IK for fixed contact. Typically, an animator\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/staging-animation-principle/\"> \u003Cu>starts with FK for broad, gestural posing, then switches to IK for moments of contact or precise positioning\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In more advanced rigs, Blender animators create a custom property (usually a slider or toggle in the N-panel or on a controller bone) to switch between FK and IK.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is out of the scope of this article, but it is important to keep in mind.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Kinematics is the basis of rigging and skinning, and what separates a stiff 3D mannequin from a character that feels alive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Forward kinematics gives you smooth arcs and natural flow, while inverse kinematics locks your character to the world with believable contact.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But don’t just read about it, open Blender, grab a model, and start playing! A well-built rig doesn’t just connect bones: it defines how a character moves, poses, and interacts with the 3D world.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":773,"comment_id":774,"feature_image":775,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":776,"updated_at":777,"custom_excerpt":778,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":779,"primary_tag":780,"url":781,"excerpt":778,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":250},"d40e9baf-0811-422c-ac9b-e61be18477d6","68ec43d6ded61600017fff81","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1590285381943-9fbf39f4f75d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fDNEJTIwY2hhcmFjdGVyJTIwcmlnfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2MDkyMDExNnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-10-13T02:12:06.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:27.000+01:00","Discover the difference between Forward Kinematics (FK) and Inverse Kinematics (IK) in Blender. Learn how animators use these systems to bring 3D rigs to life with realistic motion, balance, and control. Includes hands-on rigging examples for beginners.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/forward-vs-inverse-kinematics-blender/","/posts/forward-vs-inverse-kinematics-blender","2025-10-28T10:00:04.000+01:00",{"title":768},"forward-vs-inverse-kinematics-blender","posts/forward-vs-inverse-kinematics-blender",[788],{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"-q57RfoOKdxB3NsG4Ft4R7s9R9Xeglq2q1yRmD78FkQ",{"id":791,"title":792,"authors":793,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":795,"meta":796,"navigation":15,"path":806,"published_at":807,"seo":808,"slug":809,"stem":810,"tags":811,"__hash__":814,"uuid":797,"comment_id":798,"feature_image":799,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":800,"updated_at":801,"custom_excerpt":802,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":803,"primary_tag":804,"url":805,"excerpt":802,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":683},"ghost/posts:blender-scripting-animation.json","Blender Scripting for Animation Pipelines: 2026 Introduction",[794],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">⚙️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">You can bend Blender to your will with just a few lines of code. Repetitive clicks? Gone. Complex scenes? Built in seconds. Custom tools? Yours to design. That’s the magic of scripting.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Blender’s graphical user interface is no doubt amazing, but there are always some tasks that feel like a grind: sharing previews with the team, tweaking endless settings in a new project, or doing the same steps over and over. Sometimes, you just wish there was a button that just did the thing, and scripting is how you unlock it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we’ll crack open Blender’s scripting feature using the Python programming language. You’ll learn how to write your first script, how to run it, and how Blender’s scripting modules are organized. By the end, you’ll have a good understanding of how to start optimizing your production pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-can-i-do-with-scripting\">\u003Cstrong>What Can I Do With Scripting?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender scripting isn’t just a neat trick for hobbyists: it’s a necessity for studios of every size.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In production, speed and consistency are everything. Studios constantly face tight deadlines, large asset libraries, and the need to keep dozens of shots and scenes perfectly in sync across workstations. Doing that by hand is slow, error-prone, and expensive: that’s why automation is such a big deal!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Scripting isn’t about writing code, it’s about giving yourself creative shortcuts and superpowers. With Python, you can automate the boring, repetitive tasks that eat up your time, or generate procedural geometry, materials, and even entire environments in just a few lines. You can \u003Cstrong>design your own tools and menus\u003C/strong> tailored to your workflow, and \u003Cstrong>take full control over scenes\u003C/strong>,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\"> \u003Cu>render settings\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, cameras, and lights. Scripting even lets you \u003Cstrong>connect Blender with external tools or APIs\u003C/strong>, making it a powerful part of larger pipelines.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"prerequisites\">\u003Cstrong>Prerequisites\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before diving in, make sure you have the following:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Blender\u003C/strong> - Download and install the latest version from\u003Ca href=\"https://www.blender.org/download/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>blender.org\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Python\u003C/strong> - You'll need the Python programming language to use Blender's native scripting modules and run programs from your operating system's terminal.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/intro-blender-scripting?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://github.com/cgwire/intro-blender-scripting\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-create-a-new-script\">\u003Cstrong>1. Create a New Script\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Inside Blender, open the \u003Cstrong>Scripting workspace\u003C/strong>. You’ll see a text editor panel where you can create a new script by clicking \u003Cstrong>New\u003C/strong>. This is where you can write your Python code, and it's particularly useful to see results in real-time:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-05bcd44b-e1a3-4f6a-a5c7-edb11e40b1fb.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"731\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-05bcd44b-e1a3-4f6a-a5c7-edb11e40b1fb.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-05bcd44b-e1a3-4f6a-a5c7-edb11e40b1fb.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-05bcd44b-e1a3-4f6a-a5c7-edb11e40b1fb.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>For a production pipeline, it's usually more useful to run a script from the command line interface. Fortunately, Python now ships Blender modules. In this tutorial, we'll run a Python program directly from the OS terminal to avoid the extra steps of navigating the graphical user interface, so the first step is to install the required Blender module:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">pip install bpy==3.6.0 --extra-index-url <https://download.blender.org/pypi/>\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As a test, let's create a new empty Blender file using Python:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\nbpy.ops.wm.save_as_mainfile(filepath=\"./new_empty_file.blend\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>First, we import Blender’s \u003Cstrong>Python API module\u003C/strong> \u003Ccode>bpy\u003C/code>, which lets us control almost everything in Blender (objects, materials, rendering, etc.). Then, we save the current workspace in a new file.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can run the program in the terminal like so:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">python3 script.py\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can also open the newly created file with the Blender CLI:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">blender new_empty_file.blend\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Congrats! You completed your first script. Now, let's get to a more useful example: generating 3D text.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-hello-world-text-example\">\u003Cstrong>2. Hello World Text Example\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Imagine you want to create a Star Wars intro animation. You know, the one with text slowly scrolling up at an angle:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-02ff3b4e-8e6f-4f1a-b6d0-e4fb9e0622eb.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-02ff3b4e-8e6f-4f1a-b6d0-e4fb9e0622eb.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-02ff3b4e-8e6f-4f1a-b6d0-e4fb9e0622eb.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-02ff3b4e-8e6f-4f1a-b6d0-e4fb9e0622eb.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>How would you do this efficiently to make it easy to edit? By using a script, of course! So let's try a simple example and generate some 3D text.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We create a new file and delete all objects in the scene to start clean:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\nbpy.ops.object.select_all(action='SELECT')\nbpy.ops.object.delete(use_global=False)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.ops.object.select_all(action='SELECT')\u003C/code>: Selects all objects currently in the scene.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.ops.object.delete(use_global=False)\u003C/code>: Deletes all selected objects.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Just two instructions are needed to add a new text object to the scene:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.ops.object.text_add(enter_editmode=False, location=(0, 0, 0))\ntext_obj = bpy.context.object\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.ops.object.text_add(...)\u003C/code>: Adds a new \u003Cstrong>Text object\u003C/strong> at the location \u003Ccode>(0, 0, 0)\u003C/code> in the 3D world (XYZ coordinates).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>text_obj = bpy.context.object\u003C/code>: Stores a reference to the newly created text object in the variable \u003Ccode>text_obj\u003C/code>. Whenever you add something new, Blender makes it the active object, which you can access via \u003Ccode>bpy.context.object\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's change the text string to \"Hello World\":\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">text_obj.data.body = \"Hello World\"\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>text_obj.data\u003C/code> refers to the \u003Cstrong>Text DataBlock\u003C/strong>, the actual content or settings of the text object.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>.body = \"Hello World\"\u003C/code> sets the displayed string to “Hello World”.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can then adjust some text settings to give the text a little thickness and center it on the x and y axes:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">text_obj.data.extrude = 0.05\ntext_obj.data.align_x = 'CENTER'\ntext_obj.data.align_y = 'CENTER'\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>extrude = 0.05\u003C/code>: Gives the text depth, turning it from flat 2D text into slightly extruded 3D text.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>align_x = 'CENTER'\u003C/code>: Horizontally centers the text.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>align_y = 'CENTER'\u003C/code>: Vertically centers the text.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You can find more options by reading\u003Ca href=\"https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/texts/properties.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>the documentation on Blender’s text object properties\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, we can rotate the text so it faces the camera instead of lying flat on the ground, since Blender text defaults to lying flat on the XY plane:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">text_obj.rotation_euler[0] = 1.5708   # 90 degrees in radians\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>rotation_euler[0]\u003C/code>: Refers to the \u003Cstrong>rotation around the X-axis\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>1.5708\u003C/code> radians ≈ \u003Cstrong>90 degrees\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can save the result using the previously mentioned instruction:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.ops.wm.save_as_mainfile(filepath=\"./text.blend\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To sum up, this is what our final code looks like:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\nbpy.ops.object.select_all(action='SELECT')\nbpy.ops.object.delete(use_global=False)\n\nbpy.ops.object.text_add(enter_editmode=False, location=(0, 0, 0))\ntext_obj = bpy.context.object\n\ntext_obj.data.body = \"Hello World\"\n\ntext_obj.data.extrude = 0.05\ntext_obj.data.align_x = 'CENTER'\ntext_obj.data.align_y = 'CENTER'\n\ntext_obj.rotation_euler[0] = 1.5708\n\nbpy.ops.wm.save_as_mainfile(filepath=\"./text.blend\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-how-to-run-a-script-script-loading\">\u003Cstrong>3. How to Run a Script (Script Loading)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, the syntax to run a script in headless mode is simply like any Python program:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">python3 text.py\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>And that's it! You’ve just run your first \u003Cem>useful\u003C/em> Blender script. It's super useful for automation, pipelines, or batch processing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Just open the \u003Ccode>text.blend\u003C/code> file and see the result:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-eab235c1-3513-4b9d-9f89-8a4d7c1cd122.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"731\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-eab235c1-3513-4b9d-9f89-8a4d7c1cd122.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-eab235c1-3513-4b9d-9f89-8a4d7c1cd122.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-eab235c1-3513-4b9d-9f89-8a4d7c1cd122.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You can also open a specific \u003Ccode>.blend\u003C/code> file and run the script inside that context:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">bpy.ops.wm.open_mainfile(filepath='my_scene.blend')\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This loads \u003Ccode>my_scene.blend\u003C/code> first, then runs the rest of the script on it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, you want to send custom arguments:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">python3 args.py – --text \"CLI Hello\"\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Inside \u003Ccode>args.py\u003C/code>, you can access these arguments like this:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import sys\n\nargv = sys.argv\nargv = argv[argv.index(\"--\") + 1:]  # get args after --\n\nprint(\"Custom args:\", argv)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>That's it for the basics, but you still have a lot to discover.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-scripting-modules-explained\">\u003Cstrong>4. Scripting Modules Explained\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender exposes its scripting features through different modules. Understanding what each module does helps you define what you can script and how to search the documentation to code it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, you have the core \u003Ccode>bpy\u003C/code> modules:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.context\u003C/code> (Context Access)\u003C/strong> - Provides information about Blender’s current state (active object, scene, mode, selected objects, etc.), e.g., \u003Ccode>bpy.context.object\u003C/code> gets the active object.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.data\u003C/code> (Data Access)\u003C/strong> - Gives direct access to Blender’s datablocks such as meshes, objects, materials, and cameras. Example: \u003Ccode>bpy.data.objects[\"Cube\"]\u003C/code> gets the Cube object.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.msgbus\u003C/code> (Message Bus)\u003C/strong> - A pub/sub system for listening to changes in Blender’s data and triggering callbacks like subscribing to frame-change events.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.ops\u003C/code> (Operators)\u003C/strong> - Exposes functions that mimic UI actions like adding objects, deleting, or rendering. Example: \u003Ccode>bpy.ops.mesh.primitive_cube_add()\u003C/code> adds a cube.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.types\u003C/code> (Types)\u003C/strong> - Defines the core classes of Blender’s data (e.g., \u003Ccode>Object\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>Mesh\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>Material\u003C/code>) for extension and customization, to create custom panels or operators.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.utils\u003C/code> (Utilities)\u003C/strong> - Provides helper functions for class registration, add-on handling, and system path access, e.g., \u003Ccode>bpy.utils.register_class(MyOperator)\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.path\u003C/code> (Path Utilities)\u003C/strong> - Tools for handling file paths, including resolving relative paths and creating absolute paths, e.g., \u003Ccode>bpy.path.abspath(\"//textures/wood.png\")\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.app\u003C/code> (Application Data)\u003C/strong> - Provides information about Blender itself like version, build details, and runtime mode. Example: \u003Ccode>bpy.app.version\u003C/code> returns \u003Ccode>(3, 6, 2)\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy.props\u003C/code> (Property Definitions)\u003C/strong> - Used to define custom properties like numbers, strings, and enums for operators, panels, or addons, e.g., \u003Ccode>my_prop: bpy.props.IntProperty(name=\"My Number\")\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Then, you can find more specialized libraries:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>aud\u003C/code> (Audio System)\u003C/strong> - Blender’s audio library for playing sounds, loading files, and mixing audio. Example: play a .wav file directly in Blender with Python.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bgl\u003C/code> (OpenGL Wrapper)\u003C/strong> - Low-level OpenGL wrapper for custom 3D viewport drawing (being replaced by \u003Ccode>gpu\u003C/code>). To draw custom overlays, for example.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bl_math\u003C/code> (Additional Math Functions)\u003C/strong> - Extra math helpers for interpolation, distance calculations, and geometry operations, like computing distances between points.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>blf\u003C/code> (Font Drawing)\u003C/strong> - Blender’s font drawing module for rendering text in viewport overlays or panels, e.g., \u003Ccode>blf.draw(font_id, \"Hello World\")\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bmesh\u003C/code> (BMesh Module)\u003C/strong> - Provides direct low-level access to Blender’s mesh editing system for procedural modeling and topology operations. Example: creating or modifying vertices and faces in edit mode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>bpy_extras\u003C/code> (Extra Utilities)\u003C/strong> - Contains helper functions like import/export support, math conversions, and view3d utilities, e.g., simplifying coordinate conversions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>freestyle\u003C/code> (Freestyle Module)\u003C/strong> - Controls Blender’s Freestyle line rendering for non-photorealistic edge rendering. Example: adjusting line styles or visibility rules.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>gpu\u003C/code> (GPU Module)\u003C/strong> - Modern GPU drawing API that allows custom shaders and viewport overlays (successor to \u003Ccode>bgl\u003C/code>). Example: rendering with custom GLSL shaders.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>gpu_extras\u003C/code> (GPU Utilities)\u003C/strong> - Helper functions for GPU drawing, simplifying shape rendering without full GLSL code, e.g., drawing a simple rectangle.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>idprop.types\u003C/code> (ID Property Access)\u003C/strong> - Provides structured access to Blender’s custom ID properties in dictionary/array form. For example, to manipulate custom metadata on objects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>imbuf\u003C/code> (Image Buffer)\u003C/strong> - Handles image buffers, enabling loading, saving, and pixel-level manipulation, e.g., procedural image generation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ccode>mathutils\u003C/code> (Math Types & Utilities)\u003C/strong> - Blender’s math library offering \u003Ccode>Vector\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>Matrix\u003C/code>, \u003Ccode>Quaternion\u003C/code>, and geometric utilities, e.g., \u003Ccode>Vector((1,0,0)).cross(Vector((0,1,0))) → (0,0,1)\u003C/code>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender scripting with Python is one of the most powerful ways to extend and personalize your workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explored how to create and run scripts, print your very first \"Hello World\" in the 3D world, and use the bpy module to make Blender do exactly what you want.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At first glance, scripting might feel intimidating, but as you’ve seen, even a handful of lines can open doors to entirely new possibilities!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, it’s your turn. Automate the boring stuff or craft tools from scratch for your studio pipeline. You can do it!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":797,"comment_id":798,"feature_image":799,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":800,"updated_at":801,"custom_excerpt":802,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":803,"primary_tag":804,"url":805,"excerpt":802,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":683},"a68ec682-3536-4c62-ab40-f59e63eae8b1","68ec43d4ded61600017fff7b","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1760548425425-e42e77fa38f1?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fCUyMHNjcmlwdGluZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NjA2MTMxODl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-10-13T02:12:04.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:03.000+01:00","Learn how to automate Blender with Python! Discover how scripting can speed up production, eliminate repetitive work, and let you build custom tools tailored to your animation pipeline.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-scripting-animation/","/posts/blender-scripting-animation","2025-10-21T10:00:42.000+02:00",{"title":792},"blender-scripting-animation","posts/blender-scripting-animation",[812,813],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"bdKf7MIhtakMGVSZgWhSLqHvKXdi7Me_aKU6pQKUlbI",{"id":816,"title":817,"authors":818,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":820,"meta":821,"navigation":15,"path":832,"published_at":833,"seo":834,"slug":835,"stem":836,"tags":837,"__hash__":840,"uuid":822,"comment_id":823,"feature_image":824,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":825,"updated_at":826,"custom_excerpt":827,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":828,"primary_tag":829,"url":830,"excerpt":827,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":831},"ghost/posts:dcc-integration-blender-kitsu.json","From Blender to Kitsu: How to Create a Custom DCC Bridge (2026)",[819],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">⚙️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Ever wished your creative tools could talk to your production tracker? With a custom DCC integration, they finally can — no more manual uploads, mismatched versions, or lost time between Blender and Kitsu.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Artists rely on Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools like \u003Cstrong>Blender\u003C/strong>, \u003Cstrong>Maya\u003C/strong>, or \u003Cstrong>Houdini\u003C/strong> to bring stories to life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But while the creative work happens inside these tools, production tracking happens elsewhere. This disconnect can lead to version mismatches, time lost in repetitive manual uploads, and eventually less time spent creating. Without a smooth connection between the DCC software and your production tracker, your pipeline suffers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s where custom integrations come in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we walk through the basics of creating a Blender integration in Kitsu similar to Kitsu Publisher to publish 3D model previews from Blender to Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-a-dcc-integration\">\u003Cstrong>What’s a DCC Integration?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A DCC integration is \u003Cstrong>a bridge between a creative software and another software tool\u003C/strong>, like a production tracker.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, instead of exporting files, navigating to a web browser, and manually uploading versions, an integration could\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/working-with-multiple-digital-content-creation-tools/\"> \u003Cu>allow artists to publish directly from their tool of choice\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Integrations can handle tasks like\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rendering-explained/\"> \u003Cu>managing complex rendering pipelines\u003C/u>\u003C/a>,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-storage/\"> \u003Cu>managing asset storage and versioning\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, or generating preview images: they automate the boring parts of production so artists can focus on telling stories.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-dcc-integration\">\u003Cstrong>Why DCC Integration?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Every studio eventually hits the same bottleneck: as projects grow, manual processes break down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Integrations save time\u003C/strong> because they remove context switching between software.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They also \u003Cstrong>reduce errors by standardizing repetitive tasks\u003C/strong> like delivering outputs by enforcing naming conventions, formats, and metadata consistency.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, they \u003Cstrong>improve project management and communication\u003C/strong> by giving supervisors and producers real-time updates.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All professional animation studios rely on a pipeline, and DCC integrations are essential.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To give you a concrete example, let's try building a script integration that uploads a preview from Blender to Kitsu to easily review work with your team.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-getting-started\">\u003Cstrong>1. Getting Started\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-green\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Looking for working examples?\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>You can find the complete source code for the example Blender–Kitsu integration showcased in this guide on our GitHub:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>🔗 \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-dcc-integration-example?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">github.com/cgwire/blender-kitsu-dcc-integration-example\u003C/a>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Before we dive into scripting, let’s set up a local Kitsu instance where we can safely test our integration.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The easiest way to run Kitsu locally is by using the kitsu-docker repository. Clone the repository to your machine and follow the instructions:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">git clone <https://github.com/cgwire/kitsu-docker.git>\ncd kitsu-docker\ndocker build -t cgwire/cgwire .\ndocker run --init -ti --rm -p 80:80 -p 1080:1080 --name cgwire cgwire/cgwire\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>This will start all necessary services: Kitsu, the postgres database, and supporting components.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the containers are running, open \u003Ccode>http://localhost:80\u003C/code> in your browser. Use the default credentials:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Email\u003C/strong>: admin@example.com\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Password:\u003C/strong> mysecretpassword\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You’ll be taken to the Kitsu dashboard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before we can upload previews, we need something to upload them to. In Kitsu:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Create a new production (e.g., Blender Test Project) by going to the \"\u003Cstrong>Productions\u003C/strong>\" page from the sidebar.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/CleanShot-2025-10-13-at-9---.26.46-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"206\" height=\"479\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-0e43401b-afb6-4345-b773-db3d9b03bed3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"946\" height=\"914\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-0e43401b-afb6-4345-b773-db3d9b03bed3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-0e43401b-afb6-4345-b773-db3d9b03bed3.png 946w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"2\">\u003Cli>Inside the production, create an asset.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-83cce3b0-70a0-486d-87e7-4914a5304262.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"946\" height=\"914\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-83cce3b0-70a0-486d-87e7-4914a5304262.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-83cce3b0-70a0-486d-87e7-4914a5304262.png 946w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Col start=\"3\">\u003Cli>Creating an asset automatically adds new tasks for all the selected task categories during the production creation. We can use those to upload previews.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>To interact with Kitsu programmatically,\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/gazu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>we use gazu, the official Python client for the Kitsu API\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. It allows us to authenticate, create entities, and upload previews directly from scripts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Install it with:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">pip install gazu\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Next, authenticate with your Kitsu instance using your username and password:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import gazu\n\ngazu.set_host(\"<http://localhost/api>\")\n\nuser = gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"mysecretpassword\")\n\nprint(\"Logged in as:\", user['user']['full_name'])\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>Once logged in, we can\u003Ca href=\"https://gazu.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>use gazu to fetch productions, assets, and tasks, then attach media files to them\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-creating-a-preview-from-blender\">\u003Cstrong>2. Creating a preview from Blender\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Producing a preview render is a common use case for animators. You need to get regular feedback throughout the production phase, and a preview is easier to reason with than importing an entire project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can automate this with Blender’s Python API by setting up a viewport capture to render a single frame, saving the output to a temporary folder, and applying studio-wide render settings (resolution, format, watermarking):\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">import bpy\n\nbpy.ops.wm.open_mainfile(filepath=\"./project.blend\")\n\nbpy.context.scene.render.resolution_x = 256\nbpy.context.scene.render.resolution_y = 256\nbpy.context.scene.render.resolution_percentage = 100\n\nbpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.file_format = 'PNG'\nbpy.context.scene.render.filepath = \"./preview.png\"\n\nbpy.ops.render.render(write_still=True)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>import bpy\u003C/code>: Import Blender’s Python API\u003C/li>\u003Cli>b\u003Ccode>py.ops.wm.open_mainfile(filepath=\"./project.blend\")\u003C/code>: Opens an existing Blender project file called \u003Ccode>project.blend\u003C/code>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.context.scene.render.resolution_x = 256 [...]\u003C/code>We configure the render resolution to 256 pixels by 256 pixels with no downscale.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ccode>bpy.context.scene.render.image_settings.file_format = 'PNG'\u003C/code>: Set the output format to PNG and define the output path to  \u003Ccode>preview.png\u003C/code> before executing a still render of the scene.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>This script gives you a lightweight preview file that’s easy to store in Kitsu and quick for supervisors to review.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-e936efc9-2c3b-43ea-86f7-8845bdc6c50f.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"946\" height=\"914\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-e936efc9-2c3b-43ea-86f7-8845bdc6c50f.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-e936efc9-2c3b-43ea-86f7-8845bdc6c50f.png 946w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>To run it, just install the bpy package and launch the program like you would for any other python script:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">python3 preview.py\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-8fc4a1a4-01c7-4fcb-a8a6-b5d50588d6b8.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"687\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-8fc4a1a4-01c7-4fcb-a8a6-b5d50588d6b8.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-8fc4a1a4-01c7-4fcb-a8a6-b5d50588d6b8.png 687w\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-uploading-a-preview-to-kitsu\">\u003Cstrong>3. Uploading a preview to Kitsu\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With the preview file ready, the final step is pushing the data into Kitsu with gazu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, we retrieve the task we previously created:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">projects = gazu.project.all_projects()\n\nassets = gazu.asset.all_assets_for_project(projects[0])\n\ntasks = gazu.task.all_tasks_for_asset(assets[0])\ntask_status = gazu.task.get_task_status_by_short_name(\"todo\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>To do so, we get a list of all available projects, then the assets of our newly created project, and finally the tasks assigned to this asset.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We publish a comment for the task while linking the preview file to it:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-python\">(comment, preview_file) = gazu.task.publish_preview(\n tasks[0],\n task_status,\n    comment=\"upload preview\",\n    preview_file_path=\"./preview.png\"\n)\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>And run the script:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">python3 upload.py\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Once uploaded, the file becomes instantly available in Kitsu’s web interface. Supervisors can review it, leave feedback, and mark statuses—all without any manual file juggling from the artist.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-e9710dd1-d727-4e9f-85f8-9db075a159f4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"955\" height=\"931\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-e9710dd1-d727-4e9f-85f8-9db075a159f4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-e9710dd1-d727-4e9f-85f8-9db075a159f4.png 955w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-distribution\">\u003Cstrong>4. Distribution\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once your script is working, you have a few options for how to use or share it:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Run it directly in Blender\u003C/strong> - Open the \u003Cem>Scripting\u003C/em> workspace and execute the script from there.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Run it from the command line\u003C/strong> - Just like we did earlier, you can run your script from the terminal like you would for any Python program.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Package it as an add-on\u003C/strong> - This allows you to enable it from Blender’s preferences and even design a custom user interface for easier access.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Creating a full add-on with its own UI is a must for sharing integrations with artists, but it's a much bigger topic we won’t cover here. If you’d like to dive deeper, check out the\u003Ca href=\"https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/advanced/scripting/addon_tutorial.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>official Blender add-on tutorial\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. And stay tuned, we’ll be covering this in more detail in a future post!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>DCC pipeline integrations are foundational for efficient animation studios: by connecting tools like Blender directly with Kitsu, you reduce friction, improve communication, and make life easier for both artists and production managers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You don’t need a massive pipeline team to see the benefits of integrations. Even a small studio can start simple, automate a few pain points, and scale up over time as needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/kitsu-publisher-next?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#readme\">\u003Cu>Check out the Kitsu Publisher documentation\u003C/u>\u003C/a> for a production-ready DCC integration solution for Blender, Toon Boom Harmony, and Unreal Engine!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":822,"comment_id":823,"feature_image":824,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":825,"updated_at":826,"custom_excerpt":827,"codeinjection_head":106,"codeinjection_foot":107,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":828,"primary_tag":829,"url":830,"excerpt":827,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":831},"1618a7a1-ff36-4259-910d-2902ca5adbbf","68ec43d0ded61600017fff75","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1580894894513-541e068a3e2b?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fFNvZnR3YXJlJTIwaW50ZWdyYXRpb258ZW58MHx8fHwxNzYwMzE0NjM1fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-10-13T02:12:00.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:22.000+01:00","Learn how to build a custom Blender integration for Kitsu using Python. This guide walks you through setting up a local environment, generating previews in Blender, and uploading them to Kitsu automatically—streamlining your DCC pipeline for faster, more reliable production.",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":8,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":96},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/dcc-integration-blender-kitsu/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@thisisengineering?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">ThisisEngineering\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/dcc-integration-blender-kitsu","2025-10-14T11:23:34.000+02:00",{"title":817},"dcc-integration-blender-kitsu","posts/dcc-integration-blender-kitsu",[838,839],{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"Y6D4qXodYv1lXvjekjP26GNUDi8I9hI336Agp1r2n8s",{"id":842,"title":843,"authors":844,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":846,"meta":847,"navigation":15,"path":858,"published_at":859,"seo":860,"slug":861,"stem":862,"tags":863,"__hash__":865,"uuid":848,"comment_id":849,"feature_image":850,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":851,"updated_at":852,"custom_excerpt":853,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":854,"primary_tag":855,"url":856,"excerpt":853,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":857},"ghost/posts:animation-file-formats-guide.json","Animation File Extensions: What Every Animator Should Know In 2026",[845],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📁\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">File formats are the backbone of every animation pipeline, and choosing the right one can save hours of rework. Here’s how to pick the perfect format for each stage of production.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\"What format should I export this in?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You’re suddenly staring at an alphabet soup of acronyms: GIF, MP4, MOV, WebM… and that’s just the start.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each format plays by its own rules: some are perfect for looping animated memes, others for high-resolution video, and others to share digital content creation projects quickly. But choosing the wrong one can wreck your hard work with bad topology, bloat, or platforms that refuse to cooperate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s why we wrote this article for you to learn what makes each animation file format unique, where they excel, and where they fall short. Let's get started right away!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-nativesoftware-specific-formats\">\u003Cstrong>1. Native/Software-Specific Formats\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Every major 3D/2D animation software has its own native file format designed to capture everything about a project: from geometry and textures to rigging, scene composition, animation, lighting, and even rendering settings. These formats are invaluable when you’re working within the same software ecosystem:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.BLEND\u003C/strong> – The BLEND format is Blender’s native project file working in an open-source ecosystem.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.MB / .MA\u003C/strong> – Maya Binary (.MB) and Maya ASCII (.MA) are the standard formats for Autodesk Maya. Both store full scene data, including models, rigs, and animations, but they serve slightly different purposes. Binary files are compact and efficient, while ASCII files are written in plain text, making them easier to debug or manage in version control systems. Maya’s formats have long been an industry standard in film, VFX, and AAA games, but they come with the downside of being proprietary and tied to costly software licenses.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.MAX\u003C/strong> – The .MAX format is native to Autodesk 3ds Max and is particularly strong in architectural visualization and motion graphics. While not as dominant as Maya in film or VFX, .MAX files remain a cornerstone in industries like architectural rendering and game asset creation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.C4D\u003C/strong> – For motion designers, the .C4D format is the backbone of Cinema 4D projects. It captures every detail of a scene, including advanced setups like MoGraph effects that make Cinema 4D especially powerful for motion graphics. The format’s strengths lie in its seamless integration with other Adobe tools like Adobe After Effects, which has made it a favorite in the advertising and design industries.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-775fa889-ad23-49d9-81a3-6e32161aa863.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1105\" height=\"674\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-775fa889-ad23-49d9-81a3-6e32161aa863.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-775fa889-ad23-49d9-81a3-6e32161aa863.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-775fa889-ad23-49d9-81a3-6e32161aa863.png 1105w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The downside of each file format is limited portability. Files created in one software are often difficult or impossible to open in another without conversion or data loss, making them less ideal for cross-platform collaboration. To solve this, animators use exchange formats.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-exchangeinterchange-formats\">\u003Cstrong>2. Exchange/Interchange Formats\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Exchange formats allow\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-export-in-blender/\"> \u003Cu>transferring models and animations across different 3D tools\u003C/u>\u003C/a>:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>For modern workflows, \u003Cstrong>.GLTF\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>.GLB\u003C/strong> have emerged as the “JPEG of 3D.” Developed by the Khronos Group, these formats were built with the web and real-time rendering in mind. They support geometry, PBR (physically based rendering) materials, animations, and even scene hierarchies. The .GLB binary variant keeps everything in a compact package, making it especially efficient for game engines and AR/VR applications.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>In contrast, the \u003Cstrong>.OBJ\u003C/strong> format is one of the simplest and oldest interchange standards. It focuses solely on geometry, storing vertices, edges, and faces, with optional support for textures and materials. While it does not support animation or rigging, its strength lies in reliability and universality: almost every 3D program can import and export OBJ files. This makes it a staple for static models and asset sharing.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Among the most widely recognized interchange formats is also \u003Cstrong>.FBX\u003C/strong> (Filmbox), which has become a backbone for transferring animation and rigged assets between software. Originally developed by Kaydara and later acquired by Autodesk, it supports meshes, bones, skinning, keyframes, cameras, and lights, making it highly versatile. Game engines like Unity and Unreal rely heavily on FBX, and it has become a standard for animation pipelines. It’s proprietary, which sometimes leads to version inconsistencies and conversion quirks across different tools.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The \u003Cstrong>.DAE\u003C/strong> (Collada) format was designed as an open standard to encourage interoperability. Short for “COLLAborative Design Activity,” it can store both geometry and animation data. While Collada saw significant adoption in its early years, its popularity has waned as other formats like FBX and glTF gained traction. Still, it remains useful in pipelines that prioritize open standards over proprietary solutions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Finally, \u003Cstrong>.USD\u003C/strong> (Universal Scene Description), along with its variants .USDA (ASCII) and .USDC (binary), is Pixar’s ambitious solution for modern pipelines. USD goes beyond storing animation or simulations: it’s a full framework for managing 3D scenes, assets, and workflows at scale. With features like non-destructive editing, layering, and support for complex hierarchies, it has quickly gained traction in studios and is increasingly integrated into tools like Maya, Houdini, and Blender. While still relatively new, USD is rapidly positioning itself as the future standard for large-scale production, particularly in VFX and collaborative pipelines.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-fef19519-ed43-4e90-99bd-7377f6866787.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1105\" height=\"674\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-fef19519-ed43-4e90-99bd-7377f6866787.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-fef19519-ed43-4e90-99bd-7377f6866787.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-fef19519-ed43-4e90-99bd-7377f6866787.png 1105w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-simulations-motion-capture\">\u003Cstrong>3. Simulations & Motion Capture\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>For procedural tools that generate a lot of data, like physics simulations, more efficient interchange file formats are used:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The \u003Cstrong>.BVH\u003C/strong> (Biovision Hierarchy) format has long been a staple in the motion capture world. It was developed to store skeleton-based animation data, including bone hierarchies and motion curves, making it an accessible way to transfer mocap files into 3D software. While BVH is somewhat dated and limited in terms of advanced features, it remains popular because of its simplicity and wide support across animation tools, particularly for character motion capture workflows.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-b81d8932-aa6e-4061-96b7-03a938ca1ba6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"709\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/10/data-src-image-b81d8932-aa6e-4061-96b7-03a938ca1ba6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/10/data-src-image-b81d8932-aa6e-4061-96b7-03a938ca1ba6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-b81d8932-aa6e-4061-96b7-03a938ca1ba6.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: 3DArt.it\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The \u003Cstrong>.MDD\u003C/strong> format, short for Mesh Deformation Data, serves a different purpose. Instead of focusing on skeletons or rigs, it records how a mesh’s vertices move over time and stores the baked deformations like morph targets or soft-body dynamics. However, MDD files can be quite large, and since they lock animations to specific meshes, they lack the flexibility of rigged animation formats. Despite these limitations, they remain useful for passing along baked simulations where precise deformation data needs to be preserved (for example, exporting cloth simulations from Houdini to be rendered in LightWave or Maya).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>For more complex needs, the \u003Cstrong>.ABC\u003C/strong> (Alembic) format is a powerhouse developed by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Lucasfilm to handle heavy production workflows. It excels at baking complex simulations like particles, cloth, fluids, and destructible environments into efficient cache files that can be read across multiple applications. While it does not support rigging or procedural animation in the same way as FBX or BVH, Alembic has become a trusted standard in VFX and film production because of its reliability with massive datasets.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-renderingoutput-formats\">\u003Cstrong>4. Rendering/Output Formats\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When it comes to\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\"> \u003Cu>rendering and delivering final animations\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, the choice of format depends heavily on how and where the content will be viewed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Standard video formats are the most common choices for playback:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.MP4\u003C/strong> — The most common option thanks to its balance of quality and compression. MP4 is widely compatible, making it ideal for everything from social media to professional presentations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.MOV\u003C/strong> — Closely associated with Apple’s QuickTime, MOV supports higher-quality codecs and is popular in professional production environments.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.AVI\u003C/strong> — An older Microsoft format that is less common today, but still used in some workflows.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Apple ProRes\u003C/strong> — A high-quality codec frequently used in editing and finishing. ProRes balances efficiency and image fidelity, making it a standard in post-production pipelines.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Avid DNxHR\u003C/strong> — Similar to ProRes, DNxHR is designed for high-quality, multigenerational editing and is widely used in broadcast and film.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Animators also need to consider the \u003Cstrong>individual codecs\u003C/strong> used inside these containers like H.264 or H.265 for video and AAC or PCM for audio, since they directly affect compatibility, compression quality, and playback performance depending on the rendering hardware used.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/10/data-src-image-87b55b08-c8f1-45ed-9774-852aed69006c.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"509\" height=\"512\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>These formats bundle frames into a compressed video file that can be easily shared, uploaded, or embedded across platforms. The trade-off is that they are final outputs: once rendered, they cannot be easily adjusted frame by frame without re-exporting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For professional pipelines that require more flexibility, studios often turn to image sequences. Instead of compressing everything into a single video file, each frame is rendered as an individual image. This approach has several advantages: it allows precise frame-level editing,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rendering-explained/\"> \u003Cu>makes recovery easier if a long render crashes\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, and provides higher-quality data for compositing and post-production.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.EXR (OpenEXR)\u003C/strong> — An industry standard in VFX for its support of high dynamic range (HDR) and multiple render passes within a single file.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.PNG\u003C/strong> — A popular choice for lossless compression and transparency, often used in projects requiring clean edges or alpha channels.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>.TIFF\u003C/strong> — Valued for robustness and color depth, making it a strong option for compositing workflows.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The main inconvenience is storage: image sequences can take up massive amounts of space compared to compressed video files.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is all about creativity and telling stories, but as we’ve seen in this article, the technical foundation of file formats is what ensures that creativity actually reaches an audience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From native project files that safeguard every detail of a scene to interchange formats that make collaboration possible and rendering formats that deliver results, each type of file plays a distinct role in the animation pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>No single format is \"the best.\" The right choice depends on your objectives: whether you’re preserving a work-in-progress, moving assets across platforms, baking a simulation, or exporting a final product for distribution. Understanding these differences saves time and helps design an efficient production pipeline to juggle all these file formats.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":848,"comment_id":849,"feature_image":850,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":851,"updated_at":852,"custom_excerpt":853,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":854,"primary_tag":855,"url":856,"excerpt":853,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":857},"84f2fcf0-13d3-4e64-9bad-4a714bed533e","68e3137bce96dd00012008a7","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1637423604589-3eab4f288ddc?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGFuaW1hdGlvbiUyMGZpbGUlMjBmb3JtYXRzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc1OTcxMjE4Nnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-10-06T02:55:23.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:03:48.000+01:00","From BLEND and FBX to MP4 and EXR, each animation file format serves a distinct role in production. This guide breaks down native, exchange, simulation, and rendering formats—helping you choose the right one for collaboration, rendering, and delivery.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-file-formats-guide/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@brett_jordan?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Brett Jordan\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-file-formats-guide","2025-10-06T10:00:13.000+02:00",{"title":843},"animation-file-formats-guide","posts/animation-file-formats-guide",[864],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"I8sTHk7Zgl2wlJN7dxIftAjyJAS_ZeY1wKXVAMwgLO0",{"id":867,"title":868,"authors":869,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":871,"meta":872,"navigation":15,"path":881,"published_at":882,"seo":883,"slug":884,"stem":885,"tags":886,"__hash__":888,"uuid":873,"comment_id":874,"feature_image":875,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":876,"updated_at":877,"custom_excerpt":169,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":878,"primary_tag":879,"url":880,"excerpt":169,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-september-2025-update.json","Build in Public: September 2025 Update",[870],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in! 🚀\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"kitsu-updates-%F0%9F%A6%8A\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Updates 🦊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’re continually adding new and exciting features to Kitsu. Here are some of the highlights from the past few months:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-schedule-versioning-%F0%9F%93%85\">\u003Cstrong>1. Schedule Versioning 📅\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You can now create and switch between different versions of your schedule—ideal for testing crew changes, alternate timelines, or forecasting delays without touching your main plan.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-full-budget-forecasting-%F0%9F%92%BB%F0%9F%93%8A\">\u003Cstrong>2. Full Budget Forecasting 💻📊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Budgeting now includes \u003Cstrong>hardware and software costs\u003C/strong>, pulled directly from your equipment and license lists. Just tick the box to get a more complete view of your production spend.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-faster-navigation-between-tasks-%E2%9A%A1%F0%9F%8E%AC\">\u003Cstrong>3. Faster Navigation Between Tasks ⚡🎬\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>New navigation buttons let you jump between tasks and entities without going back to the spreadsheet view—great for reviewing items quickly and staying in flow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-smarter-more-expressive-comments-%F0%9F%92%AC%E2%9C%A8\">\u003Cstrong>4. Smarter, More Expressive Comments 💬✨\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You can now cross-post comments to related tasks with #, attach files directly to replies, and add \u003Cstrong>emojis\u003C/strong> to keep feedback clear, organized, and full of personality. 🙌\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"5-enhanced-camera-controls-in-the-object-viewer-%F0%9F%96%B1%EF%B8%8F%F0%9F%93%90\">\u003Cstrong>5. Enhanced Camera Controls in the Object Viewer 🖱️📐\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You now have more control over HDR rotation and field-of-view settings when viewing assets. Shortcuts work with both mouse and touch, and they’ve been added to the Shortcut Modal for easy access.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"infrastructure-updates-%F0%9F%92%BD\">\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure Updates 💽\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>We’ve been working behind the scenes to improve \u003Cstrong>video processing performance\u003C/strong>, aiming to make previews faster and more reliable across all types of content. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>For those who need them, \u003Cstrong>monthly carbon invoices\u003C/strong> for subscriptions are coming soon, just a bit more paperwork to automate before they’re live!\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"events-%F0%9F%8E%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Events 🎫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>We’re excited to be attending \u003Cstrong>RADI\u003C/strong> this quarter—looking forward to meeting teams working at the intersection of real-time and animation!\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Even bigger news: the \u003Cstrong>first-ever Kitsu Summit\u003C/strong> is happening on \u003Cstrong>February 12, 2026\u003C/strong>, in \u003Cstrong>Paris\u003C/strong>. It’ll be a full day of conferences, keynotes, and community connection, featuring speakers from studios like \u003Cstrong>Blender Studio\u003C/strong>, \u003Cstrong>Remembers\u003C/strong>, and \u003Cstrong>Ryff\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu-summit?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Kitsu Summit 2026\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">February 12, 2026 - Paris, France - Join the Future of Production Collaboration\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/favicon-2.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Kitsu Summit 2026\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/thumbnail/meetup.af7c0c6c.jpg\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">👆 Get all the details and grab your tickets!\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"finance-%F0%9F%92%B0\">\u003Cstrong>Finance 💰\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Q3 brought in strong income compared to previous years, great to see continued momentum even as the market shifts. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>We also secured a couple of grants this quarter, including \u003Cstrong>CIR\u003C/strong> and a second round of \u003Cstrong>CNC support\u003C/strong>, which will help us continue investing in product improvements and community growth.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">CGWire - Metrics\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">This\n webpage shows the KPI of the company. We made them public because we \nare part of the Open Company movement. Transparency is important to \nbuild trust. Let us know if you want to see additional information.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://cg-wire.com/favicon.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Metrics\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/_nuxt/logo.4d5a2d7e.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"sustainability-%F0%9F%8C%B3\">\u003Cstrong>Sustainability \u003C/strong>🌳\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’ve just published our \u003Cstrong>2024 Carbon Report\u003C/strong>, offering a transparent look at CGWire’s environmental footprint. The biggest emissions came from long-haul travel and cloud infrastructure, and we’re already taking steps to reduce both through smarter hosting and internal practices.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/carbon-report?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Carbon Report\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">At CGWire, we measured the real impact of our activity on the environment. This 2024 report highlights our main emission posts, our progress margins, and the concrete actions we are committed to to reduce our footprint.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/favicon-3.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Carbon Report\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/_nuxt/carbon.107a8a01.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"communication-%F0%9F%97%A3%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Communication 🗣️\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu-summit?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit\u003C/strong> \u003C/a>is now officially announced—mark your calendars for \u003Cstrong>February 12, 2026\u003C/strong>! \u003C/li>\u003Cli>We’re also working on fresh \u003Cstrong>visuals for our Annecy MIFA booth\u003C/strong>, so keep an eye out for a new look at upcoming events.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"studios-productions-%F0%9F%8F%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Studios & Productions 🏫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Over the past three months, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming several top-tier organizations to the Kitsu family. These studios span games, film, and animation—and each one brings new energy, feedback, and creativity into the ecosystem.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here’s the full list of recent additions: 🎬\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://gaoshanpictures.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Gaoshan Pictures\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://vawworldstudios.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">VAW World Studios\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://monumental.art/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Monumental\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ecv.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">ECV School\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://datawithvision.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Data With Vision\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://k3dvfx.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">K3D VFX\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.les-monstres.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Les Monstres\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We’re thrilled to support these teams as they scale their pipelines, streamline their reviews, and bring incredible stories to life. Welcome aboard! 👋✨\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"closing-notes-%E2%9C%8D%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Closing Notes \u003C/strong> ✍️\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Thanks for reading and following along with our journey! 🙌\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether you’re a long-time user or just discovering Kitsu, we’re always happy to connect. If you have any questions, feedback, or ideas you’d like to share, don’t hesitate to reach out—we love hearing from the community. 💬\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We’ll be back in D\u003Cstrong>ecember\u003C/strong> with more updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes news. Until then, take care and keep creating! 👋\u003C/p>",{"uuid":873,"comment_id":874,"feature_image":875,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":876,"updated_at":877,"custom_excerpt":169,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":878,"primary_tag":879,"url":880,"excerpt":169,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"21730203-d4c4-416d-a267-b8c90316b392","68d3b109302e8e0001b2efc8","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/buildinpublic_september_2025.jpg","2025-09-24T10:51:21.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:51:14.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-september-2025-update/","/posts/build-in-public-september-2025-update","2025-09-30T10:00:52.000+02:00",{"title":868},"build-in-public-september-2025-update","posts/build-in-public-september-2025-update",[887],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"g46NEmseXIZgVhl0MpK1mH7ZsikTjOkmjj7EJ8e1pdw",{"id":890,"title":891,"authors":892,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":894,"meta":895,"navigation":15,"path":906,"published_at":907,"seo":908,"slug":909,"stem":910,"tags":911,"__hash__":913,"uuid":896,"comment_id":897,"feature_image":898,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":899,"updated_at":900,"custom_excerpt":901,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":902,"primary_tag":903,"url":904,"excerpt":901,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":905},"ghost/posts:western-vs-eastern-animation.json","(2026) Western & Eastern Animation: What Sets Them Apart",[893],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🌏\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Animation isn’t just style—it’s cultural DNA. Western and Eastern traditions reveal different ways of seeing the world.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Cartoon or anime? Ask ten people and you’ll get ten answers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But this isn’t just a style preference. Western and Eastern animation are built on entirely different cultural DNA, and those differences change how we laugh, cry, and even dream.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we try to peel back the layers: the mythologies that shaped each animation tradition, the visual languages that set their rules, and the storytelling that keeps us hooked. The journey starts in the next paragraph!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-eastern-animation\">\u003Cstrong>What Is Eastern Animation?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Eastern animation includes the distinctive styles and storytelling \u003Cstrong>traditions of countries like Japan, South Korea, and China\u003C/strong>. \u003Cstrong>Each nation contributes its own unique flavor\u003C/strong> shaped by cultural aesthetics and historical narratives:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>In Japan, \u003Ca href=\"about:blank\">anime is a globally recognized art form\u003C/a> ($21B in revenue in 2023 according to the Association of Japanese Animation), spanning a wide range of genres from heartfelt coming-of-age tales to futuristic sci-fi epics. Iconic series like Cowboy Bebop and One Piece, but also films like Spirited Away or Paprika showcase the depth and diversity of Japanese animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>South Korea emerges as another major player in the animation industry with $767 million in revenue in 2023. Korean animation is noted for its sleek visual style, strong emphasis on \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\">character design\u003C/a>, and high production quality. With a growing influence in international markets, South Korean studios have produced globally popular series like Lookism, Noblesse, and Tower of God, often combining fantasy, action, and intricate world-building.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>China, too, has a rich tradition of animation dating back decades, with early works like Havoc in Heaven showcasing hand-drawn craftsmanship and mythological storytelling. Today, Chinese animation is experiencing a renaissance with 41.8 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2023, driven by increased investment and a growing domestic audience. Modern Chinese animated series often draw from ancient folklore, historical epics, and contemporary social themes, blending traditional art forms with cutting-edge technology. A recent example is Lord of Mysteries.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-a34532d9-4c28-45a8-a09c-77ab49ad37df.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"549\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-a34532d9-4c28-45a8-a09c-77ab49ad37df.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-a34532d9-4c28-45a8-a09c-77ab49ad37df.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-a34532d9-4c28-45a8-a09c-77ab49ad37df.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Together, Eastern animation reflects a deep cultural heritage while embracing innovation, offering a vibrant alternative to the Western animation style. Though each country has its own take on animation, we use Japanese animation as a model in the rest of the article to make comprehension easier.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-western-animation\">\u003Cstrong>What Is Western Animation?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Western animation refers to animated productions originating \u003Cstrong>from Western countries, primarily in North America and Europe\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>In the United States, western animation is synonymous with mainstream pop culture, thanks to iconic studios like Walt Disney, Warner Bros, Pixar, and DreamWorks. American animation is known for its emphasis on character-driven narratives, emotional depth, musical elements, and highly polished, often computer-generated visuals. From classic hand-drawn masterpieces like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to hits like Frozen and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, US animation blends technical innovation with strong narrative structures.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>France is another key player in western animation: $16.3B in market value in 2021, according to Data Bridge Market Research. French studios such as Gaumont and StudioCanal have produced critically acclaimed works like The Triplets of Belleville, Arthur and the Minimoys, or more recently, Flow, often characterized by unique visual styles, unique storytelling, and a focus on experimental artistic expression.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Other European countries like Germany (USD 19.2 billion market size in 2024), Spain or Italy also have a sizeable influence in both 2D and 3D animation.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-4084c28c-81e5-4fa6-95d5-4932635176bf.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-4084c28c-81e5-4fa6-95d5-4932635176bf.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-4084c28c-81e5-4fa6-95d5-4932635176bf.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-4084c28c-81e5-4fa6-95d5-4932635176bf.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>This contrast sets the stage for a deeper exploration of how Eastern animation differs in style, philosophy, and cultural expression.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-studio-organization-two-systems\">\u003Cstrong>1. Studio Organization: Two Systems\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation doesn’t just look different in the East and West: it’s built differently from the ground up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The way studios are organized, how roles are divided, and even how animators are paid all shape the art that reaches the screen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A Japanese studio has its own traditional model:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Director as creative architect\u003C/strong> - The \u003Ca href=\"about:blank\">kantoku (director)\u003C/a> sometimes draws the full storyboard themselves to bring their vision into the very fabric of the production. Icons like Hayao Miyazaki and Satoshi Kon exemplify this hands-on leadership.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sequence ownership\u003C/strong> - Animators are assigned entire sequences, handling characters, props, effects, and backgrounds together to create a unified, holistic feel.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Genga vs douga\u003C/strong> - Genga (key frames) artists set the core motion and emotion, while douga artists (in-betweeners) provide fluidity. The sakkan (lead animator or supervisor) oversees both, sometimes wielding more decisional power than the director.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Compensation by output\u003C/strong> - Key animators are paid by the cut (scene), while inbetweeners are paid per sheet (frame count) to reward detail and precision over sheer volume.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Artistic unity\u003C/strong> - The result is a deeply integrated visual style where every frame feels intentional and connected to the director’s vision.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Western studios, on the other hand, adopt a more productivist approach:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Hyper-specialization\u003C/strong> - \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-production-pre-production-production-and-post-production/\">Production is broken into many micro-roles\u003C/a>: supervising animators, assistants, in-betweeners, effects specialists, clean-up artists, and more.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Fragmented collaboration\u003C/strong> - A single scene might have characters, effects, and backgrounds drawn by entirely different teams, even when they appear together.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Consistency through division\u003C/strong> - This system ensures quality control and scalability, but can lead to a disjointed feel if composition is lacking.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Efficiency & scale\u003C/strong> - Specialization allows Western studios to manage massive productions (like Disney features or DreamWorks films) with thousands of staff.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Modularity over unity\u003C/strong> - The emphasis is on consistency across characters and effects, rather than a single animator’s holistic vision.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>These differences in studio organization are not just logistical: they shape the very soul of the animation that emerges from each tradition. Understanding them is essential to appreciating why Western and Eastern animation feel so distinct, even when they tell similar stories.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-aesthetic-visual-language\">\u003Cstrong>2. Aesthetic & Visual Language\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In anime, the dominant aesthetic leans heavily toward \u003Cstrong>minimalist animation\u003C/strong>. This style prioritizes storytelling, emotional depth, and \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\">\u003Cu>eccentric character design\u003C/u>\u003C/a> over continuous, fluid motion. Minimalist animation achieves its effect through deliberate choices: fewer frames per second (lower FPS), strategic use of static shots, and repeated or simplified animation sequences. Like a moving manga.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach doesn’t imply low quality but rather a calculated artistic decision: by reducing motion, anime can focus on nuanced facial expressions, dramatic composition, and atmospheric background detail, allowing viewers to linger on emotional moments.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-1393b376-c50c-4a6a-a873-2cc883e48d25.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-1393b376-c50c-4a6a-a873-2cc883e48d25.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-1393b376-c50c-4a6a-a873-2cc883e48d25.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-1393b376-c50c-4a6a-a873-2cc883e48d25.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Samurai Champloo\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>In contrast, Western cartoons emphasize \u003Cstrong>character animation and high-energy movement\u003C/strong>. This style is built on exaggeration and pacing to create dynamic, sometimes comedic, visual experiences: \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/exaggeration-animation-principle/\">\u003Cu>characters leap, stretch, and react with exaggerated physicality\u003C/u>\u003C/a> (think of Bugs Bunny’s elastic limbs or SpongeBob SquarePants’ bouncy movements). These animations typically operate at higher frame rates (often 24 FPS or more), resulting in smoother, more fluid motion. Lip syncing is also more precise and consistent to maintain realism and clarity.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-e42c7fae-d6b8-4e0a-bbfb-3aa0e772925f.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1168\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-e42c7fae-d6b8-4e0a-bbfb-3aa0e772925f.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-e42c7fae-d6b8-4e0a-bbfb-3aa0e772925f.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-e42c7fae-d6b8-4e0a-bbfb-3aa0e772925f.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>As a result, anime often feels more introspective, while Western cartoons are more performance-driven. These differences aren’t just technical. They reflect broader cultural values in storytelling. Together, \u003Cstrong>these aesthetic choices define the unique visual identities\u003C/strong> of their respective traditions.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-storytelling-the-heart-of-animation\">\u003Cstrong>3. Storytelling: The Heart of Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Every animated story is shaped not only by plot and character but also by deeply rooted cultural values. Western and Eastern animation diverge significantly in their respective approaches, reflecting contrasting worldviews on individualism, community, and the nature of conflict:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cultural roots\u003C/strong> - Western animation draws on Enlightenment ideals and individualism, emphasizing self-determination and personal triumph. Eastern animation is shaped by Confucianism, Buddhism, Shintoism... highlighting harmony, collective responsibility, and life’s cyclical nature.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Narrative perspective (I vs we)\u003C/strong> - Western stories follow a central protagonist whose personal journey drives the plot. Eastern stories often take a collective lens, where the hero may appear later and growth is shared among the group (nakama).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Plot & emotional drive (change vs harmony)\u003C/strong> - Western animation thrives on conflict, disruption, and transformation, culminating in clear victories. Eastern storytelling favors emotional resonance and balance, often ending with acceptance, sacrifice, or quiet closure instead of triumph.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Characters (hero vs community)\u003C/strong> - Western heroes are individualistic symbols of justice, facing villains defined by power or greed. Eastern characters value group success over individual fame: leadership shifts, villains may be absent, and death reinforces impermanence.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Conflict (Good vs evil vs search for good)\u003C/strong> - Western animation pits heroes against foreign evil, with resolution through conquest. Eastern animation blurs this binary, focusing on empathy, coexistence, and internal struggles where everyone believes they act rightly.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Resolution (victory vs harmony)\u003C/strong> - Western stories end with decisive wins and happy closure. Eastern stories aim for balance, even bittersweet or tragic, finding beauty in harmony and connection rather than outright victory.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>While both Western and Eastern animation \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-scripts/\">\u003Cu>tell compelling stories\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, they do so through fundamentally different lenses: Western animation celebrates the individual’s journey toward change and triumph, while Eastern animation honours the collective’s path toward harmony and understanding.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Both traditions remind us that stories are not just entertainment: they are mirrors reflecting the values we hold dear.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The clash between Western and Eastern animation is not a battle of superiority. It’s a celebration of diversity in storytelling, artistry, and cultural expression, with both traditions offering unique windows into the human experience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The differences run deep: Western animation thrives on individualism, dynamic action, and clear-cut victories, while Eastern animation embraces collective harmony, subtle emotion, and the quiet beauty of impermanence. These distinctions are not just stylistic: they are rooted in centuries of philosophy, history, and creative philosophy, from Confucian values to Enlightenment ideals.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>What unites them, however, is their power to move us. Great animation transcends borders. It speaks to our shared longing for meaning, connection, and growth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Of course, \u003Cstrong>modern animation isn't as manichean, and you can find plenty of animation studios whose work perfectly blends different inspirations\u003C/strong>. Many successful Western cartoons have strong anime influence (the Avatar series, Samurai Jack, or more recently Invincible), just like Japanese animation draws ideas from the West (Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Baccano, etc.).\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":896,"comment_id":897,"feature_image":898,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":899,"updated_at":900,"custom_excerpt":901,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":902,"primary_tag":903,"url":904,"excerpt":901,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":905},"cbd53d84-225a-47c2-a763-5f885e2938c3","68d08eb1fb49c600015ee424","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1723618633842-8534abf34894?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMxfHxhbmltZSUyMHZzJTIwY2FydG9vbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NTg0OTkyNjV8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-09-22T01:48:01.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:05:05.000+01:00","Western and Eastern animation are shaped by cultural values, visual languages, and storytelling philosophies. This article explores how studio structures, aesthetics, and narratives differ between traditions—and how modern animation increasingly blends the two.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/western-vs-eastern-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@joebcn?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">JOE Planas\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/western-vs-eastern-animation","2025-09-29T10:30:57.000+02:00",{"title":891},"western-vs-eastern-animation","posts/western-vs-eastern-animation",[912],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"fFd7D9GUMO6UAcEAtko1Ug9aJ7bKW9wMp8ttBgPc7EM",{"id":915,"title":916,"authors":917,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":919,"meta":920,"navigation":15,"path":931,"published_at":932,"seo":933,"slug":934,"stem":935,"tags":936,"__hash__":938,"uuid":921,"comment_id":922,"feature_image":923,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":924,"updated_at":925,"custom_excerpt":926,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":927,"primary_tag":928,"url":929,"excerpt":926,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":930},"ghost/posts:animation-production-briefs.json","On Writing Better Animation Briefs (2026)",[918],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📝\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">A clear production brief isn’t just paperwork—it’s the blueprint that keeps animation projects aligned, on time, and on budget.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>All animation client work starts with one deliverable: a production brief. Without a clear roadmap, even the most talented animators are left guessing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And the good news is you don’t need 10 years of experience to write a great animation brief.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Keep reading, because in the next few minutes you’ll learn the exact blueprint to write a production brief that gets your client's vision right, every time.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-a-brief\">\u003Cstrong>What’s a Brief?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A production brief is \u003Cstrong>a document that serves as a roadmap for creating animation\u003C/strong>, outlining the objectives and key requirements for a project. This ensures that everyone involved, from animators and directors to clients and stakeholders, shares a clear understanding of the end goal and how to achieve it.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-a-brief-matters-in-animation-production\">\u003Cstrong>Why a Brief Matters in Animation Production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Without a clear brief, teams risk miscommunication, scope creep, wasted resources, and ultimately, a final product that falls short of expectations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Think of it as the blueprint \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>before pre-production begins\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s not just a list of instructions: it’s \u003Cstrong>a collaborative tool that aligns creative and business goals\u003C/strong>, sets expectations, and streamlines the production process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A strong brief also acts as a reference point throughout production. When creative decisions need to be made or changes are proposed, the team can refer back to the original objectives to assess whether the direction still aligns with the project’s core purpose. This consistency helps maintain quality, especially in larger or longer-term animation projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A production brief isn’t just a formality. It’s \u003Cstrong>a strategic tool that transforms ideas into executable plans\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And it doesn't have to be complex. In this article, we use the golden circle methodology to structure a brief.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Golden Circle is a framework developed by Simon Sinek that helps explain ideas and processes by starting with purpose before moving to execution. It’s built around three layers: \u003Cstrong>Why (the core motivation or purpose), How (the process or approach), and What (the tangible outcome or product)\u003C/strong>. By framing information in this order, the Golden Circle provides clarity and \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/client-communication-animation/\">\u003Cu>ensures that everyone involved understands not just what needs to be done, but also why it matters and how it will be achieved\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. For animation production briefs, this approach is especially useful because it connects the creative vision to the practical steps, helping clients and production teams stay aligned from concept to delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-dcb11ec0-54bf-40b4-be2e-63f293ed3458.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-dcb11ec0-54bf-40b4-be2e-63f293ed3458.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-dcb11ec0-54bf-40b4-be2e-63f293ed3458.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-dcb11ec0-54bf-40b4-be2e-63f293ed3458.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-why-laying-the-foundations\">\u003Cstrong>1. Why: Laying the Foundations\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before diving into the creative process, it’s essential to understand the \"why\" behind your animation project. A well-crafted production brief begins with clarity on purpose:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Context\u003C/strong> - Start by defining the broader context of the project. What is the project’s origin? Is it part of a marketing campaign, an educational initiative, a product launch, or a storytelling endeavor? Understanding the situation sets the tone and scope. This context informs the narrative, style, and overall approach of the animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Objectives & CTA (Call to Action)\u003C/strong> - Clearly state what you aim to achieve. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, explain a complex product feature, or inspire emotional engagement? Your objectives should be specific, measurable, and time-bound. Equally important is defining the desired call to action: what should viewers do after watching? Whether it’s visiting a website, signing up for a newsletter, or sharing the video, the CTA must be integrated into the brief to guide the animation’s structure and messaging.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Audience\u003C/strong> - Know who you’re speaking to. Define your target audience in detail: demographics, psychographics, online behaviors, and pain points. Is the animation aimed at teenagers, professionals, or parents? Understanding your audience ensures the tone, language, visuals, and pacing resonate with them. A brief that reflects audience insights leads to more relatable animations.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Example:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A tech startup is preparing to launch a new productivity app designed for remote teams. The animation is part of their product launch campaign.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Context\u003C/strong>: The company is entering a competitive market where existing tools already dominate. The animation will be used on the product’s landing page and social media ads to highlight the unique value proposition of the app.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Objectives & CTA\u003C/strong>: The goal is to drive sign-ups for the free trial within the first month of launch. The animation should encourage viewers to click a “Start Free Trial” button at the end.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Audience\u003C/strong>: The target audience consists of tech-savvy professionals aged 25 to 40 who work remotely, value efficiency, and actively seek tools that improve team collaboration. They’re familiar with existing solutions but are open to trying new ones that simplify workflows.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-how-tactics-tools\">\u003Cstrong>2. How: Tactics & Tools\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once the purpose is clear, you can move on to tactical planning: how things should be done.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Technical requirements\u003C/strong> - Include details like the desired duration of the animation (e.g., 30 seconds, 2 minutes), the required format (e.g., MP4, MOV, GIF), dimensions (e.g., 1920x1080, 1080x1350 for vertical content), and audio specifications (e.g., stereo, 48kHz, voiceover vs. music-only). Clear technical guidelines prevent rework.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Look and feel\u003C/strong> - Describe the overall aesthetic and emotional tone you want to achieve. Is the animation playful or serious? Retro or futuristic? This section sets the tone and helps artists understand the sensory experience you’re aiming for. Include references to similar works, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-moodboard/\">mood boards\u003C/a>, or style frames to illustrate your vision. Be clear about color palettes, lighting, and character design inspiration.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Theme\u003C/strong> - State the central idea or message of the animation. Whether it’s promoting a product, conveying a social message, or telling a personal story, the theme should be concise and compelling to help maintain narrative focus throughout production.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Story\u003C/strong> - Outline the narrative structure, even if it’s simple. Include, for example a beginning (setup), middle (conflict or action), and end (resolution). For non-narrative animations, describe the intended journey or progression of visuals.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Branding\u003C/strong> - If the animation is part of a larger brand campaign, include guidelines for brand consistency. Specify logo placement, approved colors, typography, tone of voice, and any brand-specific imagery or messaging.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Other Constraints\u003C/strong> - Clearly communicate any project limitations that impact production: deadline, budget, and any resource restrictions (e.g., limited animation frames, specific software requirements).\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Example:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Technical requirements\u003C/strong>: A 60-second explainer video optimized for both web (1920x1080 MP4) and social media (1080x1350 vertical format). Voiceover narration in English, supported by light background music, with subtitles for accessibility.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Look and feel\u003C/strong>: Clean, modern, and professional, with a sense of energy and optimism. The visual style should use flat design with smooth transitions, paired with a vibrant but minimal color palette (aligned with the brand’s teal, navy, and white). Motion should feel fluid and confident, evoking a sense of productivity and collaboration.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Theme\u003C/strong>: “Simplify teamwork, wherever you are.” The central message is that this app helps remote teams reduce friction and focus on what matters.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Story\u003C/strong>:\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Beginning\u003C/em>: Show the frustration of a remote team juggling multiple tools and miscommunications.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Middle\u003C/em>: Introduce the app as a seamless solution that brings tasks, chat, and files into one place. Show how it works with a clear visual metaphor (e.g., scattered puzzle pieces coming together).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>End\u003C/em>: Highlight the benefit—“More focus. Less hassle. Better teamwork.” Conclude with a strong CTA: “Start your free trial today.”\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Branding\u003C/strong>: Use the company logo in the intro and outro. Stick to brand typography and avoid overly playful fonts. Incorporate the brand’s primary color scheme throughout, ensuring high contrast for readability.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Other Constraints\u003C/strong>: Delivery deadline in 6 weeks to align with the app launch. Budget capped at $12,000, so animation complexity should stay within 2D motion graphics with minimal 3D elements.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-what-defining-deliverables\">\u003Cstrong>3. What: Defining Deliverables\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Lastly, you need to agree on what the project entails: the deliverables and milestones to get there.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Milestones\u003C/strong> - Break down the production timeline into well-defined stages. Typically\u003Cstrong>,\u003C/strong> you'll have script development, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\">storyboarding\u003C/a>, animatics, voiceovers, audio editing, final animation, and \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-post-production-definition-process-overview/\">post-production\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Communication & review\u003C/strong> - Define clear channels and expectations for feedback and collaboration. Define who the primary points of contact are on both client and production sides, how and when review cycles will occur (e.g., weekly check-ins, milestone-based reviews), the process for providing feedback (annotated files, shared platforms, or scheduled calls), and the number of revision rounds allowed at each stage to avoid scope creep.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Deliverables\u003C/strong> - Specify exactly what will be handed over at each phase and upon project completion: final animated video in specified formats, source files (if applicable), like layered project files, assets, and audio tracks, branding or compliance documentation (e.g., logo placement, accessibility features) and any supporting materials like promotional stills, social media cuts, or subtitles.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Example:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Milestones\u003C/strong>:\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Week 1: Script finalized and approved\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Week 2: Storyboard and initial style frames delivered for review\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Week 3: Animatic (rough timing of visuals + voiceover draft) shared\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Week 4: First animation draft delivered with voiceover and placeholder music\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Week 5: Second draft with refined animation, music, and sound design\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Week 6: Final animation delivered, including minor revisions and polish\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Communication & review\u003C/strong>:\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Weekly check-in calls every Friday with the startup’s marketing lead (client-side) and the animation producer (agency-side).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Feedback to be provided via a shared project management tool (e.g., Frame.io or Trello), with comments annotated directly on video drafts.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Two rounds of revisions are allowed per milestone (script, storyboard, and animation phases). Any additional revisions beyond this scope may incur extra costs or extend the timeline.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Deliverables\u003C/strong>:\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Final animation: 60-second video in MP4 (1920x1080) for web and MP4 (1080x1350) for social media.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Source files: After Effects project files, layered design assets, and audio tracks.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Supporting materials: Three promotional stills exported as PNGs, a 15-second social media cut-down, English subtitles in SRT format, and branding documentation confirming logo placement and accessibility compliance.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’ve explored in this article why a brief is a must-have for any production. From defining the \u003Cem>why\u003C/em> (your project’s purpose, audience, and call to action) to detailing the \u003Cem>how\u003C/em> (visual style, tone, technical specs, and creative constraints) and finally outlining the \u003Cem>what\u003C/em> (clear milestones, communication plans, and deliverables), you now have a complete blueprint to eliminate guesswork and prevent costly edits.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Great animation doesn’t happen by accident; it happens by design. And that design starts with a clear production brief. Don’t let your next project be another story of missed deadlines and misaligned expectations.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":921,"comment_id":922,"feature_image":923,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":924,"updated_at":925,"custom_excerpt":926,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":927,"primary_tag":928,"url":929,"excerpt":926,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":930},"85eaf93b-a93a-4942-b5a4-3493fe9015f8","68d08eb5fb49c600015ee42a","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1569154076682-4c0466623ec2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDh8fGFuaW1hdGlvbiUyMHBsYW5uaW5nfGVufDB8fHx8MTc1ODQ5ODY4N3ww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-09-22T01:48:05.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:03:54.000+01:00","A strong animation production brief prevents scope creep, wasted effort, and misaligned visions. This guide shows you how to write briefs using the Golden Circle method—covering purpose, tactics, and deliverables—to streamline communication and keep teams aligned from concept to final delivery.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-production-briefs/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@m0ther_0f_memes?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Mona Miller\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-production-briefs","2025-09-22T10:00:39.000+02:00",{"title":916},"animation-production-briefs","posts/animation-production-briefs",[937],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"4TEJ8gE_ACrg_ml7hlrr4UKxioEG11HX7dgxXHvzsQE",{"id":940,"title":941,"authors":942,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":944,"meta":945,"navigation":15,"path":955,"published_at":956,"seo":957,"slug":958,"stem":959,"tags":960,"__hash__":962,"uuid":946,"comment_id":947,"feature_image":948,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":949,"updated_at":678,"custom_excerpt":950,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":951,"primary_tag":952,"url":953,"excerpt":950,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":954},"ghost/posts:background-characters-animation.json","Why Background Characters Matter More Than You Think (2026)",[943],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">👥\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">A lively scene isn’t just about the main cast—background characters breathe life into worlds and make them feel real.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Ever notice how an animated world can look gorgeous… yet somehow feel empty? The protagonists might be front and center, but without the buzz of life around them, the scene falls flat. That’s where background characters step in to make the world believable.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-e015949a-4c62-4d1c-9dcd-828f8001a1c4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"512\" height=\"606\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: SpongeBob SquarePants\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Here’s the tricky part: animators can’t spend endless hours designing and animating every extra in a crowd. So, how do they manage to create a bustling street, a roaring stadium, or a festival brimming with energy without blowing the budget?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on to find out!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-background-characters-matter-in-animation\">\u003Cstrong>Why Background Characters Matter in Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The spotlight often shines on main protagonists who drive the story forward. Yet, some of the most powerful storytelling elements come not from the main characters, but from the ones quietly filling the margins: background characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, \u003Cstrong>they transform a setting from a static backdrop into a living environment\u003C/strong>. Whether it’s a bustling city street, a lively marketplace, or a quiet village, the presence of extras walking, chatting, or going about their daily routines adds authenticity. Their subtle actions give the illusion of a world that exists beyond the main narrative, making the story feel more expansive and believable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The mood of a scene is shaped by its context\u003C/strong>, including the collective energy of the surrounding crowd. Background characters can subtly convey emotions that complement or contrast the main plot: laughing in a joyful scene, murmuring in a tense moment, or standing still in silence during a dramatic pause. These small, carefully choreographed movements establish tone and emotional depth to guide the audience’s response to the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While background characters don’t carry the story’s central plot, \u003Cstrong>they still serve a storytelling purpose\u003C/strong>: a passerby reacting to a key event, a shopkeeper offering a quiet nod, or a child playing in the distance provides context, foreshadowing, or cultural texture. Their presence subtly reinforces themes, world-building details, and character dynamics.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-grey-silhouettes-subtle-background-animation\">\u003Cstrong>1. Grey Silhouettes & Subtle Background Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In most animation productions, background characters serve as visual punctuation\u003Cstrong>,\u003C/strong> enhancing the world without drawing attention away from the central narrative. One of the most effective techniques for achieving this is the use of \u003Cstrong>low-resolution characters\u003C/strong>, which are designed with minimal detail, muted colour palettes, or simplified linework.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach is especially prevalent in anime, where a stylistic economy of detail is often embraced. Sometimes, animators don't even bother and go as far as using literal grey silhouettes in place of background characters:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-91a98f90-be07-42ca-b9d9-07b535951482.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"661\" height=\"349\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-91a98f90-be07-42ca-b9d9-07b535951482.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-91a98f90-be07-42ca-b9d9-07b535951482.png 661w\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Stone Ocean\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Background extras may lack facial features entirely, like eyes or mouths, unless they are directly involved in a scene with the protagonists. Their forms are often rendered in monochromatic or low-contrast tones, making them appear more subtle within the environment. It not only streamlines production but also reinforces the hierarchy of visual importance: the foreground characters command attention, while the background hums with quiet life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, less is more. \u003Ca href=\"about:blank\">\u003Cu>Another simple way to avoid over-animating\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is to reuse assets.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-asset-reuse-efficiently-populating-scenes\">\u003Cstrong>2. Asset Reuse: Efficiently Populating Scenes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rather than creating entirely new characters from scratch for every scene, \u003Cstrong>animators frequently repurpose existing character rigs, models, or designs, applying only minor variations\u003C/strong> like different clothing, color schemes, or hairstyles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach not only saves significant time and resources but also helps keep visual consistency across a production, which is especially important in large-scale projects:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>In 2D animation, asset reuse often involves re-coloring or re-drawing existing character cels. For example, a basic character design can be quickly adapted by changing the shirt color, adding a hat, or altering hair style. Tasks that require minimal effort compared to \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\">full character creation\u003C/a>. These small adjustments allow animators to populate bustling city streets, crowded markets, or busy office scenes with diverse background characters.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>In \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\">3D animation\u003C/a>, reuse is achieved through modular design and texture swapping. Animators can take a base character rig and swap out textures for different outfits, skin tones, or accessories. In some cases, entire body parts like arms or heads can be interchanged to create variety. Advanced rigs may even support dynamic changes in hairstyle or facial features via simple parameter adjustments.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-29ae003f-3f85-42af-baa3-35affc5bd437.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1493\" height=\"514\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-29ae003f-3f85-42af-baa3-35affc5bd437.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-29ae003f-3f85-42af-baa3-35affc5bd437.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-29ae003f-3f85-42af-baa3-35affc5bd437.png 1493w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Sword of the Demon Hunter\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-looping-for-natural-movement\">\u003Cstrong>3. Looping for Natural Movement\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Background characters are typically \u003Cstrong>animated using simple, repeating cycles\u003C/strong> like walking loops, idle breathing motions, or subtle talking gestures to give the illusion of life without the need for complex, frame-by-frame animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These minimal loops are designed to be efficient, allowing animators to maintain visual interest across large groups or extended scenes without overextending rendering resources.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A key technique in making these loops feel organic is \u003Cstrong>timing variation\u003C/strong>. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/timing-animation-principle/\">\u003Cu>By offsetting the start and duration of individual loops\u003C/u>\u003C/a> so that one character begins walking slightly before another, animators can avoid the mechanical, repetitive feel that often comes with identical cycles.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-layering-for-depth-and-realism\">\u003Cstrong>4. Layering for Depth and Realism\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Layering is another technique that creates a sense of depth by varying the level of detail and motion based on a background character’s perceived distance from the camera.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Simplify with distance\u003C/strong> - Characters farther from the camera should have reduced detail in both design and motion. Broad, slower movements read better at a distance.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Blur and depth cues\u003C/strong> - Apply motion blur to deeper layers in compositing. This not only mimics \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">real camera depth of field but also naturally separates focal planes\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Light and shadow separation\u003C/strong> - Adjust lighting so that background characters subtly fall into shadow or softer highlights compared to the main action.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-a8b442ea-c6ef-4f84-a4c7-9068902a695f.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1037\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-a8b442ea-c6ef-4f84-a4c7-9068902a695f.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-a8b442ea-c6ef-4f84-a4c7-9068902a695f.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-a8b442ea-c6ef-4f84-a4c7-9068902a695f.png 1037w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Captain Tsubasa\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-procedural-generation\">\u003Cstrong>5. Procedural Generation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Procedural generation is a modern approach \u003Cstrong>using algorithms for the creation of dynamic crowds\u003C/strong> without manually animating each individual. This approach is especially effective in large-scale scenes like bustling city streets, epic battlefields, and other massive crowds where the sheer number of characters would make traditional animation impractical.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A prime example of this is the use of VFX simulation systems like Massive, originally developed for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It enables background agents to exhibit autonomous behaviours, making decisions based on environmental cues, social dynamics, and scripted rules. These agents can walk, react to nearby characters, respond to threats, or even improvise actions during a scene, adding a layer of unpredictability that feels organic. (See: \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/vfx-artist-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>VFX artist role and challenges\u003C/u>\u003C/a>)\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-e7970f24-3765-4066-80d3-0036a3dbc190.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"874\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-e7970f24-3765-4066-80d3-0036a3dbc190.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-e7970f24-3765-4066-80d3-0036a3dbc190.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-e7970f24-3765-4066-80d3-0036a3dbc190.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: The Lord of the Rings\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Through procedural generation, background characters aren't just passive fillers: their movements are varied and responsive. This technology not only saves time and resources but also enhances storytelling by making the environment feel truly alive.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation isn’t just about the heroes, the villains, or the pivotal moments: it’s about the world they inhabit. And that world only feels real when it breathes and moves beyond the frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When background characters are animated with intention, they make scenes much more impactful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Ask yourself: Is this world really alive? Don’t just show characters, use them to tell a story. They need purpose, rhythm, and presence. Whether through a subtle loop, a strategic silhouette, or a dynamic procedural system, make every extra matter!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":946,"comment_id":947,"feature_image":948,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":949,"updated_at":678,"custom_excerpt":950,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":951,"primary_tag":952,"url":953,"excerpt":950,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":954},"ed19a217-eabc-45d8-b763-13a050eb6fc6","68c7c605a4afcc0001232bde","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1736180613586-f275eace0731?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEwfHxhbmltYXRlZCUyMGNyb3dkfGVufDB8fHx8MTc1NzkyMjkwMHww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-09-15T09:53:41.000+02:00","Background characters make animated worlds feel alive, adding realism and depth to every scene. Learn how animators use techniques like asset reuse, looping cycles, layering, and procedural generation to create believable crowds without overspending time or budget.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/background-characters-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@artchicago?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Art Institute of Chicago\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/background-characters-animation","2025-09-15T10:02:09.000+02:00",{"title":941},"background-characters-animation","posts/background-characters-animation",[961],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"gEHiLSfUpV7L64DtZG7xclJ0PGA_i5qIPGfc-eHU2wk",{"id":964,"title":965,"authors":966,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":968,"meta":969,"navigation":15,"path":980,"published_at":981,"seo":982,"slug":983,"stem":984,"tags":985,"__hash__":987,"uuid":970,"comment_id":971,"feature_image":972,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":973,"updated_at":974,"custom_excerpt":975,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":976,"primary_tag":977,"url":978,"excerpt":975,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":979},"ghost/posts:animation-outsourcing-guide.json","Animation Outsourcing: Best Practices for Studios In 2026",[967],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🌎\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">The best animation studios don’t do it all in-house—outsourcing is their secret weapon to save time, cut costs, and scale creatively.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>You just landed a new client with a great story that deserves to be seen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But your budget is tight, deadlines are looming, and your team is drowning in revisions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here’s a simple truth: if you’re still doing it all in-house, you’re leaving money, speed, and your creativity on the table.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The best studios in the world don’t work their magic alone. They outsource often, yet strategically.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Want to know how they do it? Keep reading. Because your next breakthrough isn’t always in your studio, it could be in the next time zone!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-outsourcing\">\u003Cstrong>What Is Outsourcing?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Outsourcing is \u003Cstrong>the practice of hiring third parties to perform tasks\u003C/strong>, jobs, or entire processes that were previously handled in-house by a company’s own employees.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, a US-based animation studio could outsource the creation of background art or \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\">\u003Cu>character animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to a team of artists in India or the Philippines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Outsourcing is a common model across industries, and \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-for-beginners/\">\u003Cu>animation is no exception\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-outsourcing-works\">\u003Cstrong>Why Outsourcing Works\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>More studios and companies are turning to outsourcing to streamline their production process without compromising on quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Outsourcing is so popular because \u003Cstrong>it allows businesses to significantly reduce production costs\u003C/strong>, first and foremost. By partnering with studios in regions where labor and operational expenses are lower, companies access skilled animators at a fraction of the price compared to hiring locally. The savings can then be reinvested to scale projects or launch multiple ones simultaneously.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes it's not so much about saving money and more about \u003Cstrong>focusing on what you do best\u003C/strong>: animation is a highly specialized field that requires diverse skill sets. Outsourcing opens the door to a global talent pool to fill the gaps.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, in-house animation teams often face limitations when it comes to \u003Cstrong>scaling up for large projects or managing seasonal workloads\u003C/strong>: outsourcing provides the flexibility to scale production up or down based on demand, without the long-term commitment of hiring full-time staff.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-define-your-outsourcing-needs\">\u003Cstrong>1. Define Your Outsourcing Needs\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before reaching out to animation studios or individual contractors, it’s important to clearly define what you want to outsource. The more precise you are at this stage, the easier it'll be to find the right partner and the smoother the collaboration will be.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scope\u003C/strong> - Start by outlining the scope of work. Are you looking for full-scale production support or just specific parts of the pipeline? Clarifying the scope helps understand exactly what’s expected and compare quotes, timelines, and capabilities. Make sure both sides are aligned on deliverables.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Budget\u003C/strong> - Animation projects vary widely in cost depending on complexity, style (2D, 3D, motion graphics, etc.), and duration. By setting a budget range, you not only avoid wasting time with vendors outside your price bracket but also encourage realistic proposals. If you’re unsure, check our guide on \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-manage-your-animation-production-budget/\">how to manage your animation production budget\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Quality expectations\u003C/strong> - Quality can be subjective, so defining it upfront is important: share style guides, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-moodboard/\">animation moodboards\u003C/a>, or examples of past work you’d like to match. This provides a benchmark for the team and prevents costly revisions later on.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Timeline\u003C/strong> - Deadlines make or break a project. Be specific about overall timelines, as well as milestone check-ins for drafts, revisions, and final delivery. A clear schedule not only keeps the vendor accountable but also gives your in-house team enough time to review and integrate outsourced assets.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Technical requirements\u003C/strong> - Animation pipelines often rely on specific software and formats. Make sure to outline the technical requirements from the start. Include details like \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/working-with-multiple-digital-content-creation-tools/\">DCC tools\u003C/a>, resolution, aspect ratio, frame rate, or file format standards so that the outsourced work is easier to integrate.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Level of involvement\u003C/strong> - Decide how much creative control you want to retain. Some studios prefer to outsource only execution tasks, providing detailed directions for every shot. Others hand over broader responsibilities and allow vendors to make creative decisions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Confidentiality and IP\u003C/strong> - Don’t overlook legal considerations. Clarify ownership of assets, intellectual property rights, and licensing terms. If the project involves sensitive material, make sure NDAs and confidentiality agreements are in place.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-choosing-between-freelancers-vs-studios\">\u003Cstrong>2. Choosing Between Freelancers Vs Studios\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to \u003Cstrong>work with freelancers or a professional studio\u003C/strong>. Both options have their pros and cons, and the right choice depends on your project's requirements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Freelancers are often more affordable than studios, since they don’t carry the overhead costs of a large team. They also offer a higher degree of flexibility, adapting to your workflow. For smaller projects or specific tasks, hiring a freelancer is a great way to get specialized skills on demand. But a single animator may not be able to handle large volumes of work or tight deadlines. Availability can also be a challenge, as freelancers often juggle multiple clients. Scaling a team of contractors with different skillsets is a challenge not every company is equipped for.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation studios provide a ready-made team with diverse skills and a structured production pipeline, making them well-suited for complex projects that require coordination across multiple disciplines. Studios also tend to have quality assurance processes in place. You gain not just talent but also project management support. Studios are generally more expensive. Their processes is also less flexible to fit their established workflows.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If your project is small, has a limited budget, or requires only specific tasks, freelancers are often the most efficient option. But if you’re producing a large-scale animation with multiple moving parts, strict deadlines, or high production values, a studio is usually the safer choice. In many cases, companies find value in a hybrid approach: using freelancers for specialized tasks while relying on studios for full-scale production.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-task-tracking\">\u003Cstrong>3. Task Tracking\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Without proper oversight, even the most talented collaborators can miss deadlines or deliver work that doesn’t fit into your pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>As previously mentioned,you need to \u003Cstrong>define responsibilities on both sides at the beginning\u003C/strong> of the collaboration. Documenting these roles prevents overlap and confusion. Assigning a single point of contact like a project manager also streamlines communication.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Modern animation projects rely on \u003Cstrong>pipeline management tools\u003C/strong> to keep everyone aligned. Solutions like \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/collaborative-animation-production/\">Kitsu\u003C/a>, ShotGrid, or ftrack allow teams to track assets, assign tasks, monitor progress, and store version histories in one place. These tools make it easier to manage \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-remote-animators-work-from-home/\">remote animators\u003C/a> or distributed teams by providing visibility into every step of production.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-6935a6e1-3e74-4566-a43c-0b1ea0f38e59.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-6935a6e1-3e74-4566-a43c-0b1ea0f38e59.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-6935a6e1-3e74-4566-a43c-0b1ea0f38e59.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-6935a6e1-3e74-4566-a43c-0b1ea0f38e59.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Consider a project that involves a mix of \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\">\u003Cu>3D modeling\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rigging-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>rigging\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, and animation. Without a tracking system, a rigger might begin working on a character model before the modeling team finishes its work and force revisions. A pipeline tool like Kitsu can tell the rigger the model’s status is “in review” and to wait until it’s officially approved before starting.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-asset-management\">\u003Cstrong>4. Asset Management\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Asset management is a critical part of keeping the production organized and secure, from sharing large files across studios to enforcing proper version control.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cross-studio collaboration\u003C/strong> - Animation projects now often involve multiple studios contributing different assets—models, textures, rigs, or scenes. Without a clear system, files easily get lost or overwritten. Centralized \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-storage/\">animation asset storage\u003C/a> solutions ensure everyone works with the latest approved files.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>DCC integrations\u003C/strong> - Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools play a central role in animation pipelines. Many asset management platforms integrate directly with these tools, allowing artists to check files in and out without leaving their worksp          ace. This reduces friction, minimizes human error, and keeps version history intact. By linking task tracking tools with DCC software, studios automate approvals and make collaboration more seamless.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Security best practices\u003C/strong> - Outsourcing often means sharing sensitive assets, from proprietary character designs to client IP. To protect this material, studios establish strict \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-security/\">animation asset security\u003C/a> policies like limiting access permissions, using encrypted file transfers, or requiring two-factor authentication on storage platforms. A strong security framework also builds trust with clients and partners.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-review-engine\">\u003Cstrong>5. Review Engine\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Without clear communication and feedback loops, projects risk falling into endless revisions or drifting away from the intended vision.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Successful outsourcing depends on \u003Cstrong>frequent, structured communication\u003C/strong>. Instead of relying only on emails, use dedicated review tools that allow for visual feedback like Kitsu. These platforms let reviewers leave frame-accurate comments directly on a scene preview. You can then instantly turn comments into actionable tasks for artists to keep revisions organized and prevent notes from being lost in long message threads. Check out our guide on \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\">how to give efficient animation feedback\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Define \u003Cstrong>a step-by-step review pipeline\u003C/strong> so both your in-house team and outsourcing partners know what to expect. For example, rough passes might be reviewed only for timing and \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/staging-animation-principle/\">staging\u003C/a>, while later passes can focus on polish and technical details. Each stage should have clear criteria for approval, along with deadlines for feedback. Documenting decisions helps avoid revisiting old notes.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-1d1e4cdb-2d98-4b42-81a0-ec4b995e2377.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/09/data-src-image-1d1e4cdb-2d98-4b42-81a0-ec4b995e2377.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/09/data-src-image-1d1e4cdb-2d98-4b42-81a0-ec4b995e2377.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/09/data-src-image-1d1e4cdb-2d98-4b42-81a0-ec4b995e2377.png 1438w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Outsourcing is a creative accelerator. From defining your needs and choosing between freelancers or studios, to tracking tasks, managing assets, and streamlining reviews, the right systems turn outsourcing from a gamble into a growth strategy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The studios that thrive aren’t the ones trying to do everything in-house. They’re the ones that know how to tap into global talent, manage collaboration across time zones, and keep their pipeline airtight with the right tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your next big animation project doesn’t have to overwhelm your team!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":970,"comment_id":971,"feature_image":972,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":973,"updated_at":974,"custom_excerpt":975,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":976,"primary_tag":977,"url":978,"excerpt":975,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":979},"7692bac3-2003-40c8-9351-36aab2dd3da1","68be7277c104180001847e19","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1588348442528-85c6fa3b0440?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE3fHxvdXRzb3VyY2luZyUyMHRlYW13b3JrfGVufDB8fHx8MTc1NzMxMTg0MHww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-09-08T08:06:47.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:03:52.000+01:00","Outsourcing in animation helps studios save money, scale faster, and access global talent without compromising quality. Learn how to define your outsourcing needs, choose between freelancers and studios, manage assets, and streamline reviews to keep projects on track.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-outsourcing-guide/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@markusspiske?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Markus Spiske\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-outsourcing-guide","2025-09-08T10:00:55.000+02:00",{"title":965},"animation-outsourcing-guide","posts/animation-outsourcing-guide",[986],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"cTGc9GbDMm4HtB-_RKwd9vs1OAEx939sk43ZHNJ_s6Q",{"id":989,"title":990,"authors":991,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":993,"meta":994,"navigation":15,"path":1005,"published_at":1006,"seo":1007,"slug":1008,"stem":1009,"tags":1010,"__hash__":1012,"uuid":995,"comment_id":996,"feature_image":997,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":998,"updated_at":999,"custom_excerpt":1000,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1001,"primary_tag":1002,"url":1003,"excerpt":1000,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1004},"ghost/posts:how-remote-animators-work-from-home.json","Mastering Remote Animation (2026): Tools, Habits, and Mindset",[992],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💻\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Working remotely as an animator takes more than just a good internet connection — it’s about trust, discipline, and the right tools.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>So you want to work as a remote animator.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>No more commutes, studio politics, or awkward fridge chats—just you, your tools, and the freedom to animate from literally anywhere. Sounds great, right?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It can be.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But working remotely as an animator isn’t just about rolling out of bed and into Blender. It means juggling time zones, staying inspired on your own, and learning how to communicate clearly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article is your no-fluff guide to how remote animators actually work from home, and how to showcase to companies that you are a good fit for remote work. If you're ready to make remote animation more than a daydream, let’s dive in.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-remote-animation-is-rising\">\u003Cstrong>Why Remote Animation Is Rising\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Remote animation isn’t just a trend; it’s now part of the norm. \u003Cstrong>A big part of that shift comes down to the tools.\u003C/strong> DCC software now runs smoothly on personal setups. With cloud storage, project management platforms, and real-time feedback tools, animators collaborate and deliver work without ever setting foot in a studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Studios have also adapted. \u003Cstrong>Cross-studio collaboration is on the rise\u003C/strong>, with teams spread across continents working together on the same project. Instead of housing a full-time team under one roof, \u003Cstrong>production companies are assembling talent from all over the world\u003C/strong>. Animators in Argentina, editors in Canada, art directors in Tokyo... It’s all connected through the cloud.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And then there’s the contractor model. \u003Cstrong>More studios are hiring freelancers and short-term contractors\u003C/strong> to work on specific scenes, episodes, or even just asset creation. That flexibility benefits both sides: studios keep overhead low, and animators get more control over when, how, and with whom they work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All of this adds up to one thing: the barriers to working remotely as an animator have never been lower.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The thing is: it's not for everyone. It takes skills and a shift in mindset.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-to-work-remotely\">\u003Cstrong>How to Work Remotely\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Getting into remote animation isn’t just about wanting it. You need to prove you’re built for it. Studios want to know that you can deliver top-quality work without needing constant supervision.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Finding the right studio fit\u003C/strong> - Not every studio works well with remote animators, and not every remote setup suits every artist. It can be helpful to look for studios that openly advertise remote roles and have a history of working with freelancers or distributed teams, preferably in a matching timezone.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Showing you thrive remotely\u003C/strong> - Studios sometimes have concerns about productivity in remote setups, but there are great ways to gently ease those doubts. You can use tools to organize tasks, hours, and deadlines to demonstrate a thoughtful approach to time management. Regular check-ins, status updates, or brief video summaries help keep communication clear and open. Projects completed ahead of schedule or with minimal supervision speak volumes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Building trust\u003C/strong> - More than anything, studios want to know they can count on the people they hire. A portfolio with polished work reflects dedication and professionalism. Including a few kind words from past clients or listing previous studio collaborations builds credibility. For those just starting out, consistency also tells a story: sharing regular animation studies, finishing personal projects, or participating in collaborative shorts can all reflect a strong sense of follow-through. Show that work gets done, communication is clear, and collaboration feels easy.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Even if you're already working in or aiming for an animation studio with strict remote work policies, you can always negotiate more flexible conditions later down the road once you've demonstrated your reliability. Here are a few best practices to help you do just that.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-create-an-ergonomic-environment\">\u003Cstrong>1. Create an Ergonomic Environment\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Working remotely as an animator means your home becomes your studio, and how you set it up can make or break your focus, productivity, and even your physical health.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Creating a distraction-free environment\u003C/strong> - It’s easier to concentrate when distractions are kept at bay. That might mean keeping entertainment tabs closed, silencing non-essential notifications, and keeping the desk space clear of clutter. For shared spaces, gently communicating your work hours can go a long way in minimizing interruptions. A workspace that supports focus can make a big difference in getting into the creative flow. Even a small, dedicated corner of a room becomes a powerful signal to the brain that it's time to work.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Setting up ergonomically\u003C/strong> - Long hours at a desk can take a toll, so comfort and posture really matter. A supportive chair, a desk at the right height, and a monitor or drawing tablet positioned to avoid strain can all contribute to a healthier setup.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Staying connected\u003C/strong> - A stable internet connection is a must. Wired connections tend to offer more reliability, and having a solid router (or even backup mobile data) offers peace of mind when deadlines are looming.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Leaning on discipline more than motivation\u003C/strong> - Motivation comes and goes, but gentle structure keeps things moving forward. Having regular work hours, planning the day in manageable blocks, and using tools for tracking provide a steady rhythm.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>A smart ergonomic setup does more than keep you comfortable: it helps you stay focused, deliver on time, and enjoy your work without burning out.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-collaborative-tooling\">\u003Cstrong>2. Collaborative Tooling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In remote animation, communication \u003Cem>is\u003C/em> production. You can’t just swivel your chair to ask a teammate a question: you need tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Production tracker\u003C/strong> - A production tracker is the command center for your workflow. It helps everyone stay aligned on what’s in progress, what’s approved, and what still needs attention in real time. If a studio doesn’t provide one, creating a personal tracker with task types, due dates, and regular check-ins is a helpful way to stay on track and share progress clearly.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Digital content creation tools\u003C/strong> - DCC tools are where much of the creative work takes shape. In remote settings, compatibility becomes especially important. When everyone uses the same software versions, settings, and file formats, collaboration tends to flow much more smoothly. Keeping software up to date and matching project versions, along with using shared naming conventions and folder structures, often helps prevent confusion and technical hiccups down the line.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Asset management\u003C/strong> - In remote pipelines, assets like rigs, backgrounds, and audio are constantly in motion. Without some structure, things quickly become disorganized. Using\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-storage/\"> \u003Cu>cloud storage solutions\u003C/u>\u003C/a> with version control can also add a layer of protection, reducing the chances of overwriting someone else’s work and helping the whole team stay in sync.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdWMYZ0lidMe0bt8EU_aDn0rRkqri9XgBY7NrjhjhFiK3fHH8hNaURaTCoiTELnJ8he312A03SttaeL8GY7OssS6e5fNuEtz9NHYMuIvFfpls_PJCbgBdLAjml_5mQK8W7onRy2eA?key=rNClMmKK9rahTbrUgczSyA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Mastering collaborative tools builds trust. Studios are far more likely to keep working with animators who are technically fluent and don’t need hand-holding.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-security\">\u003Cstrong>3. Security\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Working remotely doesn’t mean working carelessly. Studios entrust you with their files, characters, and sometimes unreleased IP.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-security/\"> \u003Cu>If that data leaks or gets corrupted, it can jeopardize the entire project and your reputation.\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storage\u003C/strong> - Keeping files safe and organized is an essential part of any remote workflow. Relying solely on a desktop or USB stick is risky. Again, you need an asset manager with automatic syncing. For sensitive projects, studios also require encrypted storage or the use of a VPN—something worth checking in advance.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Best practices\u003C/strong> - A remote setup often functions like a personal mini studio, and a few thoughtful habits can help keep it secure. Password-protecting devices, turning on auto-lock, and avoiding public workspaces help reduce the risk of accidental exposure. It’s also a good practice to share files and links only within approved pipelines, even when working with trusted collaborators.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>IP protection\u003C/strong> - Intellectual property is at the heart of animation work, and studios need to trust that their characters, stories, and assets are being handled with care. Reading and following NDAs closely is one way to show that respect, and if an NDA isn’t provided, asking for one often comes across as a sign of professionalism. Keeping client work and personal projects separate, avoiding asset reuse without permission, and holding off on sharing work-in-progress content (even sketches) until given written approval all help build trust and demonstrate a commitment to creative integrity.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Treat studio assets with care, protect your digital space, and you’ll be trusted with more work—and bigger projects.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-review-workflow\">\u003Cstrong>4. Review Workflow\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When you work remotely, your ability to receive and respond to feedback can make or break a project. Since you’re not sitting next to a director or supervisor, you need a streamlined review process and the communication skills to match.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Communication skills\u003C/strong> - In remote work, clear and respectful communication is especially important, since there’s no body language or casual office chatter to rely on. A thoughtful note when submitting work, like mentioning the stage it’s in (like rough animation or final pass), any uncertainties, and what kind of feedback is most helpful, can go a long way.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\"> \u003Cu>Being concise, open to critique, and focused on understanding notes\u003C/u>\u003C/a> rather than defending work during early reviews leads to smoother collaboration. It’s also helpful to summarize the next steps after receiving feedback, just to make sure everyone’s on the same page.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Review engine\u003C/strong> - Studios and clients often\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/review-engine?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>use review platforms to leave frame-specific notes\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and comments, so feeling comfortable with those tools makes the process much smoother. Exploring features like annotations, comment threads, version tracking, and note downloads can help keep everything organized and efficient. Hanging onto previous versions is useful if a rollback or comparison is ever needed.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeKCP-RlNg76QqbO-p-nfElgHkJYAMW8J66okqgMyOoAGynOz4g_TL7enR8NqAYC1E55lhImNotCXsz3RdpS8rhgR0LPYV3c0LoeIUzyGr03a8HjfqoyDBQs4jzguUvaHtfv_5RkA?key=rNClMmKK9rahTbrUgczSyA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>An efficient review workflow makes you a dream to work with. Clear communication and the right tools lead to faster approvals, fewer revisions, and stronger relationships with directors and teams.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Remote animation isn’t just a lifestyle. It’s a test. Of your discipline, your communication, your ability to stay creative in pyjama pants. But if you can handle the time zones, the feedback loops, and the occasional tech hiccup, you'll thrive in a remote work environment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We’ve covered the essentials: the tools that keep teams running, the habits that build trust, the setups that protect your spine and your sanity. The opportunities are out there, and the gatekeeping is lower than ever.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Just show the world you can deliver from anywhere!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":995,"comment_id":996,"feature_image":997,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":998,"updated_at":999,"custom_excerpt":1000,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1001,"primary_tag":1002,"url":1003,"excerpt":1000,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1004},"2bfa6a62-9c10-4af7-bfb0-2d59b05cbd53","6891b6dace2b0a00014203f9","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1637250051543-9fca17abf411?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEzfHxhbmltYXRpb24lMjBzZXR1cHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NTQ4OTk3MDJ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-08-05T09:46:34.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:32.000+01:00","Discover how remote animators successfully work from home, from building ergonomic workspaces to mastering collaborative tools, securing assets, and managing feedback like a pro.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-remote-animators-work-from-home/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@jakobowens1?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Jakob Owens\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/how-remote-animators-work-from-home","2025-08-25T10:00:23.000+02:00",{"title":990},"how-remote-animators-work-from-home","posts/how-remote-animators-work-from-home",[1011],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"BWZGm9Lk9tPE01PoJiGbgPTq70vwjyDa7KQfX6TQ5lI",{"id":1014,"title":1015,"authors":1016,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1018,"meta":1019,"navigation":15,"path":1030,"published_at":1031,"seo":1032,"slug":1033,"stem":1034,"tags":1035,"__hash__":1037,"uuid":1020,"comment_id":1021,"feature_image":1022,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1023,"updated_at":1024,"custom_excerpt":1025,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1026,"primary_tag":1027,"url":1028,"excerpt":1025,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1029},"ghost/posts:client-communication-animation.json","The Animator’s Guide to Clear, Productive Client Communication In 2026",[1017],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💬\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Miscommunication is the real budget killer in animation—here’s how to stop it before it starts.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Ever watched a beautiful animation get shredded by client feedback? Not because it lacked skill, but because somewhere, somehow, wires got crossed. If you've worked in an animation studio for more than five minutes, you know the real monster under the bed isn't bad rendering—it's bad communication.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Creative chaos is part of the process, sure. But unclear feedback, shifting expectations, and endless revision loops? Those are expensive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Fortunately, it’s usually avoidable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article is your crash course in levelling up client communication: not with corporate jargon, but with real strategies that keep projects on track, clients happy, and your team from pulling their hair out.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-good-communication-with-clients-is-key\">\u003Cstrong>Why Good Communication with Clients Is Key\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A simple misinterpretation of a client’s vision can lead to days of wasted work.\u003C/strong> A client might say, “Make it more dynamic,” which could mean anything from faster pacing to more visual effects. Without clarifying what they mean, your team could overhaul an entire scene, only to find they were thinking of something much simpler.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Clear, respectful, and consistent communication shows professionalism. \u003Cstrong>It reassures clients\u003C/strong> that their project is in capable hands and that your team is both creative and reliable. When clients feel heard and respected, \u003Cstrong>they become long-term collaborators instead of one-off transactions\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Without strong communication boundaries, projects spiral out of control\u003C/strong>: clients might begin requesting “just one more tweak,” or rethinking entire concepts midway through production. These changes, while sometimes necessary, can destroy schedules and morale if not managed carefully.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's start from the beginning.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-onboarding-laying-the-groundwork\">\u003Cstrong>1. Onboarding: Laying the Groundwork\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The first step in any successful animation project isn’t sketching a storyboard—it’s a conversation. A strong onboarding process lays the foundation for aligning expectations. Get this right, and you'll prevent most miscommunications before they start.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Establish clear communication channels\u003C/strong> - When messages and feedback are scattered across platforms like Slack, email, and Zoom, important details are easily lost. To avoid this, designate a primary communication channel, centralize feedback and files, and establish clear response expectations from the start.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Define scope with surgical precision\u003C/strong> - Scope creep often happens when expectations aren’t clearly defined, making onboarding the perfect time to document every detail. Be precise about deliverables, clarify the revision process, and outline a timeline with deadlines for client feedback. Always build in a buffer: clients tend to take longer than expected, and production needs room to breathe.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Build trust, not just transfer info\u003C/strong> - Onboarding is your first opportunity to build trust, show professionalism, and set the tone for a strong client relationship. Start with a kickoff call to introduce the team and align on goals, ask deeper questions to understand the project’s context, and provide a polished onboarding doc with timelines, contact info, and shared resources.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-progress-tracking-staying-on-the-same-page\">\u003Cstrong>2. Progress Tracking: Staying on the Same Page\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once the project is underway, keeping the client informed is a core part of project management. Regular, structured updates reduce anxiety, build trust, and minimize surprises on both sides.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Track budgets proactively\u003C/strong> -\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-manage-your-animation-production-budget/\"> \u003Cu>Budget surprises are what often upset clients\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, making proactive tracking essential. Choose a method that fits your pricing model: track hours transparently for hourly projects, or break fixed-price projects into phases. Include mini budget updates in status emails (e.g., “Storyboard: 100% complete — 12 of 15 hours used”) and flag scope changes early to avoid last-minute issues.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create milestones that match the client journey\u003C/strong> - Clients crave structure, even in nonlinear creative workflows, which is why clear milestones are key.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems/\"> \u003Cu>Break the project into defined phases\u003C/u>\u003C/a> (e.g., Kickoff, Script, Storyboard, Animatic, Design, Animation, Final Delivery), assign dates to each, and share a timeline early—updating it as needed. Use each milestone review to realign on goals and surface new priorities.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcvLxlhHN1zfO7IbJlgbbip2pLkVa6mY3xTX8cQttkYhJdYtLym9oBqdclLwN2gKS0q1jbPh1W0D5X_WKovD4Jk_0zy4CxzrqWisgpDLUiPZ0IB-XKGHe8eA4wfTV5wTaS6bd7x?key=XNbmfWN3DmX1oYDaBe0c2w\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use status updates to build momentum\u003C/strong> - Regular status updates show your studio is organized and on track. Weekly or biweekly emails (or Loom videos) should highlight what’s done, what’s in progress, what’s needed from the client, and what’s next. Share visual progress like animation tests or before-and-after comparisons to keep clients engaged. A consistent subject line format (e.g., “\\[Project Name] – Weekly Update – July 24”) helps keep communication clear.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-communication-frequency-finding-the-right-rhythm\">\u003Cstrong>3. Communication Frequency: Finding the Right Rhythm\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Communication needs to be consistent, but not overwhelming. Too many check-ins waste time and frustrate clients. Too few, and they’ll start to wonder if the project is off track. Finding the right communication rhythm is about clarity, confidence, and convenience for both sides.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Match communication type to the message\u003C/strong> - Choosing the right communication format for each type of message helps avoid confusion and keeps projects running smoothly, just like designing a good production pipeline. Use asynchronous tools like email or Kitsu for feedback, updates, logistics, and quick check-ins, while reserving synchronous channels like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet for onboarding, creative alignment, or sensitive discussions like scope changes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Centralize, simplify, standardize\u003C/strong> - Too many tools create confusion and dilute communication, so it's crucial to simplify your workflow. Choose a clear tool stack like\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\"> \u003Cu>Kitsu for feedback\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and files, and Slack for communication, and introduce it during onboarding with a walkthrough or guide.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Set a communication rhythm that works for both sides\u003C/strong> - Set expectations early. For example, “Weekly updates on Wednesdays, with review calls after each milestone”, and adjust based on client input. Some prefer frequent check-ins, others just key milestones. Respect time zones and working hours. A clear, consistent cadence reduces friction.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfHpwJXZb-X3CHyxaxnp3Lf6UWdqb2vBEw3RMb9Yl_hyAVUbKJ6kpg4gvK7si3QRyhBfoVF2aHAbfq3MEPQS1elRmdJiU4jzAGH60uL6HNTJnih51hcFuDhpTUWdJ4hQw3ltVj2Lg?key=XNbmfWN3DmX1oYDaBe0c2w\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You don’t need to talk more—you need to talk smarter. The best communication systems in animation production are predictable, purposeful, and client-friendly. When you find the right rhythm, your client feels supported, not micromanaged. And your team stays focused on what they do best: creating great work.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-review-engine-managing-feedback-without-the-chaos\">\u003Cstrong>4. Review Engine: Managing Feedback Without the Chaos\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The review phase can be a momentum killer or a powerful accelerator. Without structure, feedback spirals into late changes and mounting frustration. But with\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/review-engine?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>a solid system\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, you channel client input productively, protect timelines, and keep your creative flow intact.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Establish clear, consistent versioning\u003C/strong> - Versioning prevents confusion, rework, and miscommunication. Use a standardized naming format and include a brief changelog with each update to highlight what’s new. To avoid premature sharing, watermark early drafts with “Work in Progress – Not Final.”\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Define the review structure before production begins\u003C/strong> - Without clear guidelines, feedback often arrives too late, lacks focus, or pushes beyond what’s feasible for the current stage. To keep it constructive and timely, set the number of revision rounds in the contract and guide clients with stage-specific prompts, like asking narrative and pacing questions during the storyboard phase. A well-crafted review prompt helps clients give relevant input and prevents your team from chasing shifting targets.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeh8XGBxzMX1vVt2GpBnPcKq4hQ5ziQ4uft4ZOe4sRf953vTPET8dvX9mnmkh56FuXkmPluxjqpsdUdbZLab42K3vpGO6xXiD9zQLxfh5mCIFMtswppeJeUYzT7VEktGrl_OCSPeQ?key=XNbmfWN3DmX1oYDaBe0c2w\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>A good review system doesn’t just make the project better: it makes the relationship better.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-offboarding-ending-on-a-high-note\">\u003Cstrong>5. Offboarding: Ending on a High Note\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The project’s done, the files are delivered, but your relationship with the client doesn’t have to end there. Offboarding is a golden opportunity to leave the door wide open for referrals and future collaborations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When done well, offboarding becomes the final impression that sticks.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Deliver With care\u003C/strong> - Your final delivery should be as thoughtful as your kickoff—organized, clear, and respectful of the client’s time. Structure files logically, and include a brief README with usage rights, next steps, and contact info. Confirm delivery and request written approval to officially close the project and avoid post-handoff change requests.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use offboarding to strengthen the relationship\u003C/strong> - Offboarding is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression and open the door to future work. Send a warm wrap-up email thanking the client, confirming delivery, and offering continued support. Ask for feedback or a short testimonial with an easy prompt, and suggest relevant next steps, like repurposing content for social media or ongoing support packages. For example, a simple follow-up two weeks post-launch can spark new work without a formal pitch.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Leave the door open\u003C/strong> - Offboarding is the ideal time to transition from a one-time vendor to a long-term creative partner. Offer a retainer or service bundle as a way to provide ongoing, low-friction support. With permission, add the client to a newsletter or updates list to stay on their radar. You can also provide an archive link for easy access to past work.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Don’t let the end of a project be the end of the relationship. Use it as the beginning of the next one.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Effective communication isn’t just a supporting element in animation production. It’s the foundation. As we’ve explored, each phase of a project offers critical opportunities to align expectations, prevent confusion, and foster stronger client relationships.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From structured onboarding and transparent progress tracking to purposeful feedback systems and thoughtful offboarding, clear communication transforms creative work into a reliable, collaborative process. It reduces revisions, protects timelines, and positions your studio as a trusted partner.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Identify one area in your current workflow that could benefit from greater clarity, whether it’s standardizing review protocols or refining how you track project milestones. Implementing even one improvement creates a measurable difference in both client satisfaction and team efficiency.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Strong communication doesn’t stifle creativity; it supports it. Build the systems now that will empower your team to focus on delivering exceptional work.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1020,"comment_id":1021,"feature_image":1022,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1023,"updated_at":1024,"custom_excerpt":1025,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1026,"primary_tag":1027,"url":1028,"excerpt":1025,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1029},"433f55ca-1bce-487e-ac9a-d01421c49e26","6891b6ddce2b0a00014203ff","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1752650736067-f063e0af420c?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE3fHxkZXNpZ24lMjB0ZWFtJTIwb2ZmaWNlfGVufDB8fHx8MTc1NDg5ODg4NHww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-08-05T09:46:36.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:19.000+01:00","Learn how to streamline client communication in animation production. From onboarding to offboarding, this guide covers strategies to align expectations, manage feedback, and keep projects on time and on budget.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/client-communication-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@silverkblack?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Vitaly Gariev\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/client-communication-animation","2025-08-18T10:00:19.000+02:00",{"title":1015},"client-communication-animation","posts/client-communication-animation",[1036],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"YCmHYIpZQfbUtVX0Y4r8IVHNYjr2ojS8vOIz77-LuwA",{"id":1039,"title":1040,"authors":1041,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1043,"meta":1044,"navigation":15,"path":1055,"published_at":1056,"seo":1057,"slug":1058,"stem":1059,"tags":1060,"__hash__":1062,"uuid":1045,"comment_id":1046,"feature_image":1047,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1048,"updated_at":1049,"custom_excerpt":1050,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1051,"primary_tag":1052,"url":1053,"excerpt":1050,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1054},"ghost/posts:animation-moodboard.json","Building Moodboards for Animation (2026): From Vibe to Vision",[1042],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🖼️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">A moodboard isn’t decoration—it’s your animation’s creative compass.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Before the first frame moves, there’s one thing every great animation needs: \u003Cem>a unique mood\u003C/em>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And no, it doesn’t magically appear in the storyboard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You don't want to jump straight into production only to realize halfway through that the tone feels off.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s where moodboards come in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this guide, we’ll show you how to build animation moodboards that do more than just look pretty. Let’s dive in.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-a-moodboard\">\u003Cstrong>What Is A Moodboard\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In animation, \u003Cstrong>a moodboard is a curated collage of visual references\u003C/strong> that captures the overall look and tone of your project before you start animating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It combines elements such as colour palettes, lighting styles, character designs, environments, typography, and even texture or motion references to convey the animation’s intended vibe.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-need-a-moodboard-for-animation\">\u003Cstrong>Why You Need A Moodboard For Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A moodboard makes the look and feel of your animation tangible \u003C/strong>before production begins.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of relying on abstract descriptions like “dreamlike but grounded” or “retro-futuristic,” you can show your team exactly what you mean. Animation is rarely a solo act. Whether you’re working with a big studio or a small crew, \u003Cstrong>a moodboard keeps everyone on the same page\u003C/strong>. It’s a shared reference that guides decision-making in character design, environment building, lighting, and even movement. With a clear visual foundation, you reduce revisions, avoid miscommunication, and speed up the creative process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before you animate a single frame,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-pitch/\"> \u003Cu>a moodboard gives clients, producers, or stakeholders something tangible to react to\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. \u003Cstrong>It helps sell your idea\u003C/strong> by making the vision \u003Cem>visible\u003C/em>—not just conceptual.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-define-the-creative-direction\">\u003Cstrong>1. Define the Creative Direction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before building a moodboard, take a step back and define the broader creative vision: the tone, theme, and emotional intent behind the project.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Explore the story’s core message and genre\u003C/strong> - Ask key questions like: What is the animation trying to say? What emotions should it evoke? Is the tone light and playful, or dark and moody? This initial clarity acts as a compass for the rest of your process. Dig into the heart of the narrative and genre to identify the emotional arc you want the audience to experience. The more specific and intentional your answers are, the easier it will be to collect cohesive and relevant visual references later on.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Consider your audience\u003C/strong> - Think about who the animation is for. Define your audience by demographics like age range—children, teens, or adults—as well as cultural or regional context. Understanding what your viewers are drawn to visually will help you make aesthetic choices that resonate more deeply.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Set clear visual constraints\u003C/strong> - Before you begin collecting images, establish boundaries to focus your visual exploration. Write concise guiding statements like, “The animation should feel like a blend of \\[X] and \\[Y],” or “Avoid neon palettes; stick to natural tones.” These constraints help eliminate guesswork.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Condense your creative direction into one powerful sentence that captures the project. For example: “A sun-bleached, lo-fi sci-fi world with surreal animation and a melancholic tone.” This sentence should guide your entire moodboard and serve as a benchmark when selecting visual references.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Share this creative vision with key stakeholders to ensure alignment early and avoid costly revisions later.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-gather-references\">\u003Cstrong>2. Gather References\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once your creative direction is defined, it's time to start\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges/\"> \u003Cu>collecting references that visually support your vision\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Source from a wide range of media\u003C/strong> - Pull inspiration from films, animations, illustrations, photography, fashion, architecture, music videos, and motion graphics reels. Each medium can bring unique visual cues, helping you craft a richer and more layered moodboard.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Choose emotionally and stylistically aligned visuals\u003C/strong> - Don’t just collect impressive or trendy visuals. Prioritize references that reflect your project’s unique identity, emotional tone, and narrative voice. The right reference should feel like it belongs in the world you're building.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use dynamic references for motion and energy\u003C/strong> - Inspiration doesn’t have to be static. Music videos, live-action commercials, and motion graphics reels can spark ideas for pacing, editing rhythm, transitions, and animated visual storytelling techniques that elevate your work.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-curate-don%E2%80%99t-dump\">\u003Cstrong>3. Curate, Don’t Dump\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>After gathering a wide range of references, it’s time to shift from collecting to editing.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Be selective and stay cohesive\u003C/strong> - Don’t aim for quantity. Aim for unity. Return to your core creative foundation—your tone, theme, and visual constraints. For every image, ask: \u003Cem>Does this support the direction we defined?\u003C/em> If not, it doesn’t belong. Throwing in everything you like can result in clashing visuals and mixed messages, which weakens the impact of your board and confuses your audience.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Eliminate redundancy without losing meaning\u003C/strong> - When multiple images say the same thing, keep only the strongest one. Repetition is useful only when it deepens a visual idea, not when it creates clutter. Prioritize clarity over volume to make each reference count.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use a “Maybe” folder to stay focused\u003C/strong> - If you're unsure about certain images, move them to a separate “maybe” folder. This allows you to keep your main board clean and cohesive while preserving options to revisit later. It’s easier to judge the core direction when distractions are removed.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Limit the total number of images\u003C/strong> - Aim for 10–25 high-impact visuals. That’s enough to convey depth and dimension without overwhelming your viewer. A well-edited board should speak for itself in under 30 seconds and communicate mood, setting, and tone at a glance.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Curating takes time, so don't hesitate to take a break. Sleep on it if possible. Come back with a fresh perspective—you’ll likely spot a few more images that don’t belong. The tighter and more focused your board becomes, the stronger and more persuasive your visual direction will be.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-organize-the-layout\">\u003Cstrong>4. Organize the Layout\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A well-curated moodboard isn’t just about the content—it’s also about how that content is arranged.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Good layout brings clarity, helps communicate your creative vision more effectively, and makes the board easier to read at a glance.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Group visuals by category or theme\u003C/strong> - Organize images into clear sections such as character designs, environments, color palettes, lighting references, typography, or motion cues like GIFs or frame stills. This structure makes your board easier to navigate and understand. Step back and look at the overall board. Are you seeing repeated colors, lighting styles, shapes, or emotional tones? These patterns are valuable—they reveal the visual DNA of your project. Highlight and prioritize the references that reinforce these patterns to build cohesion.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create a logical flow\u003C/strong> - Design the layout to guide the viewer’s attention naturally from one section to the next. Use visual hierarchy by placing the most important references in prominent positions, and maintain readability through thoughtful spacing and composition.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Balance consistency with flexibility\u003C/strong> - Maintain rhythm through consistent sizing and alignment, but don’t be afraid to break the grid when emphasis is needed. Use negative space to balance dense visuals, and avoid clutter by keeping groups distinct yet visually connected.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Once your references are in place, refine them as needed.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-add-context\">\u003Cstrong>5. Add Context\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A single image can evoke wildly different interpretations depending on the viewer’s perspective or background.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, a neon-lit alley might suggest a gritty cyberpunk noir to one person and a stylish rom-com backdrop to another. Adding brief captions or notes grounds the imagery and helps ensure everyone understands your intent. This doesn’t mean you need to write essays for each image. Just a few purposeful words can do the job: “gritty texture for dystopian vibe” or “soft rim lighting for emotional climax scene.”\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Label and structure your moodboard clearly\u003C/strong> - If your board is organized by category—characters, environments, lighting, typography—make that structure obvious. Use clear section headers to guide the viewer’s eye and reinforce the logic behind your layout, making the content more skimmable and presentation-ready.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Highlight specific details with annotations\u003C/strong> - Sometimes, only a part of an image is relevant. Use arrows, lines, or highlight shapes to draw attention to those key areas, paired with a short note like, “Note the high-contrast shadows—great for dramatic tension.” This makes your references more precise and helps avoid misreading.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Cp>Consider adding a short paragraph at the top or side of your board summarizing your overall creative vision. This can expand on your earlier one-sentence style summary by including emotional tone, visual influences, or design philosophy. For example: “This board explores a grounded, emotional sci-fi world with washed-out colors, warm lighting, and hand-drawn imperfections. Inspired by lo-fi indie films and 90s anime, it aims to feel both nostalgic and strange.”\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A great animation doesn’t start in the timeline—it starts with vision. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>And your moldboard? That’s your first real shot at making that vision tangible.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s where scattered ideas become direction. Where tone, style, and storytelling begin to lock into place. It’s not busywork—it’s your blueprint.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, you define your creative direction. Then you gather references with intention. You curate like a ruthless art director, lay it all out like a designer, and add context like a storyteller.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Done right, your moodboard is a decision-making machine. It sells ideas. Aligns teams. Saves hours (if not days) of confused revisions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don’t wait. Build it now. Before the animatics, before the keyframes—lock in your visual language.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Grab your references, sketch your boundaries, and make your board say, “This is what we’re making, and here’s exactly how it should feel.” Because if your moodboard is solid, everything else flows.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1045,"comment_id":1046,"feature_image":1047,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1048,"updated_at":1049,"custom_excerpt":1050,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1051,"primary_tag":1052,"url":1053,"excerpt":1050,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1054},"c5c59ec6-260f-4dfa-bf8f-ce5e8488ce0e","6891b6e2ce2b0a0001420405","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1521249664898-864e6c1b6d5c?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDZ8fGFuaW1hdGlvbiUyMG1vb2QlMjBib2FyZHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NTQ4OTc3Nzl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-08-05T09:46:42.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:22:24.000+01:00","Learn how to create animation moodboards that define your project’s tone, style, and direction. From gathering references to curating layouts, this guide shows how to turn abstract ideas into a clear visual blueprint.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-moodboard/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@chuttersnap?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">CHUTTERSNAP\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-moodboard","2025-08-11T10:00:44.000+02:00",{"title":1040},"animation-moodboard","posts/animation-moodboard",[1061],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"wC0g0V9PGdSoIWroNFjtTNlxLtSEIApICZSH2uGXPng",{"id":1064,"title":1065,"authors":1066,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1068,"meta":1069,"navigation":15,"path":1080,"published_at":1081,"seo":1082,"slug":1083,"stem":1084,"tags":1085,"__hash__":1087,"uuid":1070,"comment_id":1071,"feature_image":1072,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1073,"updated_at":1074,"custom_excerpt":1075,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1076,"primary_tag":1077,"url":1078,"excerpt":1075,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1079},"ghost/posts:animation-director.json","From Animator to Director (2026): How to Make the Leap",[1067],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎬\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">You don’t need permission to become a director—you need a plan.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>You’ve mastered animation techniques and principles, and you pour your soul into every scene you touch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But deep down, you know you want more.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>You don’t just want to animate a story. You want to create it.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Directing isn’t just about calling the shots: it’s about leading a vision, making creative decisions, and bringing an entire team with you!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The problem? There’s no clear roadmap for animators who want to become directors.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we break down what it really takes to make that leap.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-does-a-director-do\">\u003Cstrong>What Does a Director Do?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The animation director is the person who turns storyboards, scripts, and sketches into a unified vision.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They decide how the story should feel, look, and move. From pacing a dramatic scene to shaping character expressions, the director calls the shots.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But directing animation doesn't follow a strict template. Sometimes, directors are involved in everything from script rewrites to final color grading. In Japanese animation studios, series directors often set the vision, but episode directors and animation supervisors carry it through.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Directors are often confused with supervisors or technical directors, but supervisors focus on specific areas like animation quality or character consistency while technical directors are more problem solvers—rigs, pipelines, tools.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-a-director-so-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Is A Director So Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A director defines the vision, unites the team, and makes final calls.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They set the creative tone and narrative direction, keeping the story, emotion, and visual style aligned across the entire project. Without \u003Cstrong>a clear vision-holder\u003C/strong>, an animated film or series risks becoming a patchwork of mismatched ideas in a big animation studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation involves dozens, sometimes hundreds, of artists, animators, writers, designers, and technicians. \u003Cstrong>The director is the unifying voice\u003C/strong> making key decisions and giving feedback to keep everyone moving toward the same goal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From camera angles, performances, color palettes, etc., to timing, creative choices are infinite. \u003Cstrong>The director is the one who decides what works and what doesn’t\u003C/strong>: whether it's cutting a scene for emotional clarity or pushing a character's performance to hit harder, their calls directly affect the story's impact.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sounds exciting to you? We came up with a clear, realistic roadmap to becoming an animation director. It’s not a one-size-fits-all path, but these steps reflect how many animators rise to the director’s chair.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-build-a-strong-foundation-in-animation\">\u003Cstrong>1. Build a Strong Foundation in Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Everybody starts by building a strong foundation in animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>You begin by\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cu>learning the core principles of animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, either through a formal animation program or self-directed study to focus on essential skills like drawing, storytelling, timing, and cinematography, all of which are critical for visual storytelling.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>As you progress, you'll gain \u003Cstrong>a clear understanding of how the animation production process works\u003C/strong> from start to finish—pre-production (such as storyboarding and layout), production (where the animation is created), and post-production (including editing and sound design).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Proficiency with industry-standard software\u003C/strong> is also vital, so you should invest time in mastering DCC tools commonly used in both 2D and 3D animation workflows like After Effects, Maya, or Blender.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>For example, Satoshi Kon took a graphic design course at Musashino Art University, then became a manga artist before jumping into animation, background design, layout, storyboarding, and even script writing! It took him 15 years to work on his directorial debut, \"Perfect Blue\" with Madhouse.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-specialize-in-a-core-discipline\">\u003Cstrong>2. Specialize in a Core Discipline\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Most animation directors master a specific craft within the production pipeline—whether it's storyboarding, character animation, layout, editing, or even technical direction. Choose a core discipline that genuinely excites you and commit to becoming exceptional at it.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>You have to \u003Cstrong>build credibility through real work\u003C/strong>, so seek out opportunities to contribute to real projects—whether through internships, freelance gigs, indie productions, or studio work.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-build-an-animation-portfolio/\"> \u003Cu>A strong, focused portfolio\u003C/u>\u003C/a> that shows your technical skills, storytelling ability, and creative voice is key to establishing yourself in the industry.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Collaboration is critical. \u003Cstrong>Directors must understand the entire animation pipeline\u003C/strong>, so while you deepen your expertise in one area, make an effort to learn how other departments operate. It'll help you cultivate empathy for the challenges your teammates face. The best directors speak the language of animators, editors, sound designers, and technical artists.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Be obsessed with the process.\u003C/strong> What separates future directors from skilled technicians is an obsession with how and why things are done, not just what is being done. Develop a curiosity about the decision-making behind every creative and technical choice, and learn to think strategically: how does a scene support the story arc? What mood does this lighting setup evoke?\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Walt Disney began his career as a cartoonist in 1919. He then worked for a company producing cutout animations for commercials, before switching to cel animation, convinced of its potential. In 1923, the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was formed, and in 1928, Mickey Mouse appeared for the first time on-screen.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-build-a-portfolio-and-reputation\">\u003Cstrong>3. Build a Portfolio and Reputation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As you work in a studio, leverage every project as an opportunity to develop and showcase your unique directing voice.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>These projects aren’t just jobs: \u003Cstrong>they’re building blocks for your future career\u003C/strong>. Use them as much as possible to experiment, refine your storytelling style, and create a body of work that clearly reflects your artistic identity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Submitting your work to animation festivals can lead to awards and recognition that elevate your profile in the industry. \u003Cstrong>This visibility helps attract collaborators, creative partners, or even larger clients\u003C/strong> who will be drawn to your vision.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Over time, \u003Cstrong>a studio that consistently produces compelling, stylized, or emotionally resonant work can punch well above its weight\u003C/strong>. Examples like Studio Colorido, Spindle, or independent filmmakers who emerged from Gobelins show how a strong reputation opens doors far beyond what budget or size might suggest.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Henry Selick went to work for Walt Disney Studios as an in-betweener and used the opportunity to master his craft and meet the person who would eventually fund his directorial debuts: Tim Burton, for none other than the brilliant \"The Nightmare Before Christmas\" and \"James and the Giant Peach\".\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-take-on-leadership-roles\">\u003Cstrong>4. Take on Leadership Roles\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As you progress in your animation career, actively seek out leadership opportunities like becoming a lead animator, supervisor, or episode director.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>These roles are crucial stepping stones toward becoming an animation director because \u003Cstrong>they provide valuable experience in guiding teams\u003C/strong>, managing production workflows, and making key artistic decisions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Taking on these positions allows you \u003Cstrong>to develop essential skills\u003C/strong> like\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\"> \u003Cu>giving constructive feedback\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, coordinating across departments, and maintaining a consistent creative vision—all while meeting tight deadlines and staying within budget constraints.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Leadership roles not only \u003Cstrong>build your credibility\u003C/strong> but also give you firsthand insight into the complex balance of creativity and management required to direct an animated production successfully.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Award-winning Jennifer Yuh Nelson started out as a cleanup artist, then moved on to storyboarding. When Kung Fu Panda was being developed, she stepped up to become head of story and director of the opening sequence. The CEO of DreamWorks Animation ended up offering her the direction of Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-develop-a-strong-creative-voice\">\u003Cstrong>5. Develop a Strong Creative Voice\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>You need to cultivate your own creative identity to stand out as an animation director.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>One of the best ways to do this is by \u003Cstrong>working on personal projects\u003C/strong> or animated shorts where you have full creative control.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>These passion projects allow you to experiment with storytelling, visual style, pacing... anything you can use \u003Cstrong>to define your unique voice\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Beyond the creative aspects, it's important to build key directing skills like pitching your ideas clearly and confidently.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Like we previously mentioned, \u003Cstrong>once your work is polished, you have to share it widely\u003C/strong>. Submit your films to festivals, post them online, or participate in anthology projects. These platforms not only showcase your talent but also signal to the industry you're a director with vision and initiative.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>If you look at Hayao Miyazaki's directorial debut \"Lupin the Third Part I\", you can already have a feel of what made Studio Ghibli famous: an emphasis on mature, complex characters and storylines, as well as an attention to the details of vehicles.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-build-industry-relationships\">\u003Cstrong>6. Build Industry Relationships\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Who you know can be just as important as what you know.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Building strong relationships within the industry—especially with producers, fellow directors, and studio leads—can \u003Cstrong>open doors that talent alone might not\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Networking isn't just about attending events or exchanging business cards: it's about cultivating genuine, professional connections over time. \u003Cstrong>Collaborate on projects, support your peers, and stay active in the creative community.\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Many directing opportunities aren't publicly advertised\u003C/strong>—they come through word of mouth, referrals, and the trust you build with others in the industry.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Madhouse producer Masao Maruyama invited Satoshi Kon because he was impressed with Kon's work on the 1993 OVA JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If you’re waiting for someone to anoint you as a director, stop. No one’s coming. You don’t get invited to direct: you earn it by showing up like one long before the title is on your email signature.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The road to directing isn’t glamorous. It’s long nights, tough calls, and learning to guide a vision without steamrolling your team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But every storyboard you lead, every short you direct, every tiny team you rally around an idea—that’s you stepping into the role.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Master your craft. Specialize, then zoom out and learn how the whole machine runs. Build a voice people recognize. Lead projects. Lead people. Earn trust. Build something real. And when the time comes, don’t blink.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There’s no one path to becoming an animation director. But there’s one thing every director has in common: they decided to be one before anyone else did.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-start-an-animation-studio-as-a-freelancer/\">\u003Cu>Running your own studio\u003C/u>\u003C/a> also makes you a director by default, so consider this alternative path as well.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1070,"comment_id":1071,"feature_image":1072,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1073,"updated_at":1074,"custom_excerpt":1075,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1076,"primary_tag":1077,"url":1078,"excerpt":1075,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1079},"d2a7d819-fe5d-4d56-8c9d-8184fe432fe5","6891b6e5ce2b0a000142040b","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1577190651915-bf62d54d5b36?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGRpcmVjdG9yfGVufDB8fHx8MTc1NDM4MDE3MXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-08-05T09:46:45.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:13:05.000+01:00","Curious how to go from animator to animation director? This in-depth guide covers the key steps—building your craft, leading teams, and defining your creative voice—so you can direct with purpose and confidence.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-director/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@natalieparham?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Natalie Parham\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-director","2025-08-05T10:18:11.000+02:00",{"title":1065},"animation-director","posts/animation-director",[1086],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"N4SA0RC6xl90qRB2qEZYNNYT0KIL0N7Ud9BkH-g21qk",{"id":1089,"title":1090,"authors":1091,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1093,"meta":1094,"navigation":15,"path":1105,"published_at":1106,"seo":1107,"slug":1108,"stem":1109,"tags":1110,"__hash__":1112,"uuid":1095,"comment_id":1096,"feature_image":1097,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1098,"updated_at":1099,"custom_excerpt":1100,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1101,"primary_tag":1102,"url":1103,"excerpt":1100,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1104},"ghost/posts:secondary-action-principle.json","The Secondary Action Principle (2026): Animation’s Unsung Hero",[1092],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎭\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">It’s the little things—a glance, a twitch, a rustling leaf—that bring animated worlds to life.\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Animating a character's movements isn't enough.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you have two men talking at a bar, you can't just lip sync them and call it a day: you need to take into account background animations, the subtle glass cleaning movements of the bartender, or even the vibrations of the jukebox in the corner.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, it's the less obvious secondary actions that make the difference between good and great animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's have a look at how animators do it in this article, and how you can too!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-the-secondary-action-principle\">\u003Cstrong>What is the Secondary Action Principle?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The secondary action principle refers to \u003Cstrong>the additional movements that support the primary actions\u003C/strong> within a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If a character is waving, the primary action is the arm motion, but the head nodding or hair swaying in response introduces secondary actions that enrich the scene.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-the-secondary-action-principle-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why is the Secondary Action Principle Important?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Secondary actions add depth to characters and their environments\u003C/strong> without overshadowing the main action. While a character angrily closes a book (primary action), animators can have them tap their foot impatiently (secondary action) to highlight their frustration.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Adding secondary actions results in \u003Cstrong>movements that feel more realistic\u003C/strong>. The body is a complex system with interconnected parts, and so is our environment or our relational network. When one part moves, another is bound to follow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's not just entertaining but also \u003Cstrong>appealing to viewers\u003C/strong>: secondary actions give rhythm to scenes and prevent them from feeling dull. A character might take a slight pause to scratch their head after delivering a line to give the audience a moment to absorb the dialogue.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-start-with-the-primary-action\">\u003Cstrong>1. Start With the Primary Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Focus on the main action first.\u003C/strong> It should be clear and purposeful. This is the foundation for any secondary actions. If the primary action is not solid, secondary actions weaken the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider this example: if a character is jumping over a puddle, the path of the jump from take-off to landing is your primary action. The jump has to feel natural, so you pay attention to how the character bends their knees, pushes off the ground, and lands.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the primary action is smooth and believable, you add secondary actions―the flutter of a cloth or a facial expression of triumph―\u003Cstrong>but it's not a must-have\u003C/strong>. Lots of low-budget animations forgo secondary actions in most scenes, and it's not the end of the world. Wojack animations don’t even lip syn,c but are still watched by millions:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But even a minimal secondary action like a slight stagger can elevate a basic move like walking. It shows that thought was put into the character's weight and momentum, and invites the viewer to feel the impact physically: you don’t need many layers to create a richer experience!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-avoid-over-animating\">\u003Cstrong>2. Avoid Over-Animating\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Secondary actions add a lot to animations, but \u003Cstrong>it's crucial to strike the right balance with the main action\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Too many movements overwhelm your scene\u003C/strong> and distract the viewers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If your character is picking a book off a shelf, a simple hand grasp should be your focus. A head tilt or a shift in weight are subtle yet effective choices for secondary actions because they do not steal attention, but they enrich the moment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the contrary, you should avoid unnecessary movements like tapping fingers or exaggerated blinking to avoid cluttering your scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To plan these actions effectively,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\"> \u003Cu>use storyboards\u003C/u>\u003C/a>: sketch out your scene to visualize where secondary actions fit naturally. Planning allows your animation to stay consistent without needing never-ending revisions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Observe people doing everyday things: you’ll find most people rarely stand perfectly still. A foot adjusts. A hand brushes against a sleeve. These are natural micro-actions, and mimicking them selectively keeps your animation grounded without going overboard.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-experiment-with-timing\">\u003Cstrong>3. Experiment with Timing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Adjusting the speed or delay of secondary actions shapes the mood\u003C/strong> and highlights the main action. By experimenting with timing, you can add nuance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One practical tool to consider is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/onion-skinning/\"> \u003Cu>ghost frames to visualize and tweak the timing\u003C/u>\u003C/a> of secondary motions. They show how actions unfold over time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Blender, onion skinning allows you to see both past and future frames to get a feel of the timing of your animation:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But motion paths are more effective in isolating different body parts:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If a character claps their hands, a delayed head nod or subtle grin amplifies the gesture. \u003Cstrong>This delay allows the secondary action to emphasize the impact\u003C/strong> of the clap. By carefully timing these elements, you enrich the character’s expression.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-dont-forget-the-context-of-the-scene\">\u003Cstrong>4. Don't Forget The Context of The Scene\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When using secondary action in your animations, \u003Cstrong>always consider the scene’s context\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If we go back to the example of a character waving, you need to imagine where this action takes place and how it affects or is affected by other characters and the environment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Consider interactions with the environment or props as rich sources for secondary actions\u003C/strong>. If your character is drinking coffee, they might fidget with the cup’s handle. This small gesture adds depth to their personality. The steam wafting upwards from the cup introduces a subtle secondary action that adds realism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Background animations are also crucial. They make the entire environment feel alive. Leaves rustling in the wind or a cat stretching lazily on a warm sidewalk support the story and create a believable world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By paying attention to the context, you not only improve your primary actions but also enrich the scene with layers of meaning that make for a more memorable experience.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-work-these-rigs\">\u003Cstrong>5. Work These Rigs\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A rig is \u003Cstrong>the digital skeleton of a character in 3D modeling\u003C/strong>. It controls how the character moves.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rigging-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>A good rig\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is crucial for secondary action. When a character nods in agreement, their hair also needs to sway slightly. Your rig needs to support these extra motions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Rigging artists usually start with Inverse Kinematics (IK) to manipulate limbs and Forward Kinematics (FK) for individual joints. These rig constraints allow animators to make poses.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Only then do they add controls for secondary elements like hair, tails, or clothing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, \u003Cstrong>these secondary elements have their own physics engine to render them\u003C/strong> more realistically. Typically, photo-realistic hair simulations are extremely resource-intensive:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-mastering-layers\">\u003Cstrong>6. Mastering Layers\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When you're working with DCC tools like Maya, Blender, or Toon Boom Harmony, \u003Cstrong>managing layers efficiently becomes crucial\u003C/strong> to maintain clarity while working with other teammates on a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Main and secondary actions are usually on separate layers. For example, the major body movement should be one layer, while hair, clothing, or a waving hand can be placed on a secondary layer. Animators use layer groups or nesting features to organize related elements and streamline visibility toggling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Constraint stacks allow animators to create complex hierarchies of animation layers where one action can influence another. It's an advanced technique in tools like Blender, where you can link objects and bones, allowing a base action to be intently nuanced by a secondary one.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Make sure to add metadata to your layers―whether it's through naming conventions, color coding, or notes―to make your models more readable.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Secondary actions are precious storytelling tools to make your animation more immersive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Getting the primary action right is key, and you should beware of over-animating, but well-timed secondary actions can truly make movements shine or reveal more about the world the characters evolve in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Secondary actions are\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/follow-through-overlapping-action/\"> \u003Cu>not to be confused with overlapping actions\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, and just like primary actions, you need to plan for follow-through actions. Have a look at our detailed guide on this topic here!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1095,"comment_id":1096,"feature_image":1097,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1098,"updated_at":1099,"custom_excerpt":1100,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1101,"primary_tag":1102,"url":1103,"excerpt":1100,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1104},"3d37b682-e6e0-4cdb-ab99-8624a57064fb","686c11e083fca9000148f4aa","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1655532391070-ef6c6e922e39?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDI2fHxhbmltYXRpb24lMjBiYWNrZ3JvdW5kfGVufDB8fHx8MTc1MTkxMzc3OXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-07-07T20:28:48.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:40:29.000+01:00","Learn how to master the secondary action principle in animation—subtle, supporting movements that add realism and emotional depth to your scenes without stealing focus from the main action.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/secondary-action-principle/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@pato_abyss?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Pato González\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/secondary-action-principle","2025-07-28T10:00:56.000+02:00",{"title":1090},"secondary-action-principle","posts/secondary-action-principle",[1111],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"fYA2jFwt-pc_ji7_SCw-42r6-77nm5vSTcaYsBEh7gw",{"id":1114,"title":1115,"authors":1116,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1118,"meta":1119,"navigation":15,"path":1130,"published_at":1131,"seo":1132,"slug":1133,"stem":1134,"tags":1135,"__hash__":1137,"uuid":1120,"comment_id":1121,"feature_image":1122,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1123,"updated_at":1124,"custom_excerpt":1125,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1126,"primary_tag":1127,"url":1128,"excerpt":1125,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1129},"ghost/posts:color-correction-animation.json","Color Correction in Animation (2026): The Secret to Polished Scenes",[1117],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎨\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Color correction can take your animation from decent to dazzling—all without reanimating a single frame.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Sometimes you finish an animation and find the colors dull. Or you just want to change the tones to match an aesthetic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of editing each frame one by one, you can just correct colors during post-production in one go.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on for tips on getting started with color correction!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-color-correction\">\u003Cstrong>What is Color Correction?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-blue\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Color correction alters the color values of your animation to achieve a visually appealing result.\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>That's how you go from a rough-looking 3D scene to an appealing final product:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-14.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-14.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2026/03/image-14.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2026/03/image-14.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-14.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>See the difference? It's immediately noticeable.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-color-correction-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Is Color Correction Important?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Different scenes are animated at different times or by different artists.\u003C/strong> Mistakes can result in slight variations in color tones. Color correction fixes that and ensures all scenes maintain a consistent color palette.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Colors significantly influence the emotional tone of a scene.\u003C/strong> Through color correction, animators can also emphasize particular feelings like cooler tones to evoke sadness or warmer hues for comfort and happiness. Specific colors are often used to communicate certain themes or motifs within a story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Depending on the production's style, \u003Cstrong>color correction can make an animation appear more lifelike or create an aesthetic\u003C/strong>. For instance, a realistic animation might require precise color adjustments to match natural lighting conditions, while a stylized piece might benefit from exaggerated color schemes.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-elements-of-color\">\u003Cstrong>The Elements of Color\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>To understand how color correction works, you have to be familiar with the fundamental elements of color: hue, saturation, brightness, and the processes of tinting and shading.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Hue\u003C/strong> is the color family, or the base color of your animation. The pure color without any tint or shade. Tools like color wheels help you visualize and select harmonious hues for your compositions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Saturation\u003C/strong> defines the intensity or purity of a color. High saturation means vivid colors, while low saturation leads to muted colors. High saturation signals excitement and activity, while desaturated colors suggest nostalgia or solemnity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Brightness\u003C/strong> dictates how light or dark a color appears. It significantly impacts the mood and depth of a scene. You can use brightness shifts to create contrast and build visual interest: a bright character against a dark background creates a focal point.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Tinting\u003C/strong> involves adding white to a color to lighten it, while \u003Cstrong>shading\u003C/strong> adds black to darken it. These techniques create lighting effects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To stay consistent throughout production, animators use a color script—a strategic outline of the color scheme for the entire project.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-white-balance-adjustment\">\u003Cstrong>1. White Balance Adjustment\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>White balance adjustment removes unrealistic color casts in your animation to make white appear as pure white and all other colors look natural. This process involves tweaking the colors in your scenes to align them with how they would appear under neutral lighting conditions, \u003Cstrong>mimicking the way our eyes perceive color in different lighting environments\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Most animation and editing software includes a white balance tool to automatically adjust your scene based on a selected neutral point (white or gray areas).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Blender for example, you can find the white balance feature in color management panel of the render properties.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-exposure-correction\">\u003Cstrong>2. Exposure Correction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Exposure correction changes brightness levels to make sure that the details in the darkest and brightest areas are visible and correctly balanced\u003C/strong>: it tweaks the amount of light in your frames so that your audience can see the intended details and colors clearly, without any parts being underexposed (too dark) or overexposed (too bright).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Histogram tools help gauge correct exposure levels by showing the tonal values in your image: the distribution of shadows, midtones, and highlights. You can use scopes to make sure each scene has the same level of exposure unless you animate flashback or dream sequences. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender proposes the Exposure node to increase the brightness of an area. For example, a window in a room.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-contrast-enhancement\">\u003Cstrong>3. Contrast Enhancement\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Contrast enhancement alters the difference between the lightest and darkest parts of an image\u003C/strong>. By amplifying these differences, animators can make visuals more engaging.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is achieved by changing the brightness levels to allow each element within a frame to stand out correctly. A high-contrast area naturally draws the eye.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-color-balance-adjustment\">\u003Cstrong>4. Color Balance Adjustment\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Color balance adjustment is the process of \u003Cstrong>changing the intensity of the colors in a scene to achieve a desired visual tone\u003C/strong>: tuning the colors so that they complement each other and create a harmonious look.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you have an animated scene set at sunrise, you want to achieve a balance that reflects the gentle warmth of the early morning light. You start by identifying the dominant color of your sunrise scene on the color wheel, which might be a soft yellow-orange, and to enhance this warmth you can slightly adjust the balance towards red, to give the impression of a gentle morning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To see color balance in action, you can look at the interaction between colors on the color wheel: if your scene has too much yellow, which sits next to the greens on the wheel, it might inadvertently pull in a cool green hue, contradicting your intention. By carefully adjusting the balance, you can have the yellow remain soft and inviting without tipping into the spectrum's cooler side.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-saturation-control\">\u003Cstrong>5. Saturation Control\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>It's \u003Cstrong>the adjustment of intensity or purity of colors in your frames\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Say you're animating a serene forest scene at dawn: opting for muted, desaturated colors illustrates a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Inversely, boosting saturation would make everything look exaggerated and distract from the narrative. Oversaturation can also cause loss of detail.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If the stylistic choice is to make colors pop, then a more saturated palette can be both intentional and effective.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A simple rule of thumb is to start with a neutral baseline and incrementally adjust.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-color-grading\">\u003Cstrong>6. Color Grading\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Color grading is \u003Cstrong>changing the colors in your animation to create a specific look or mood.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider a scene where your character is on a sunny beach. By applying color grading techniques, you can enhance the brightness of the sky, saturate the colors of the ocean to create a more vibrant and inviting atmosphere and adjust the skin tones of characters to look more natural under sunlight.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One way to achieve consistent and repeatable color grading is by using Color Lookup Tables (LUTs): predefined color settings that can be applied to your animation to quickly achieve a professional look.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Video scopes / histograms again allow you to precisely evaluate color balance, exposure, and brightness levels and avoid colors that are too bright or too dark.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-skin-tone-correction\">\u003Cstrong>7. Skin Tone Correction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Skin tone correction refines the color of character skin colors to make them look natural and consistent\u003C/strong> across various lighting conditions and scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Strong sunlight may wash out the colors and make skin tones appear overly pale or unrecognizable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To correct this, animators use software tools to adjust the color balance. For example, by increasing the saturation slightly in warmer tones (reds and yellows), skins can retain their vividness under harsh light.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Color correction is an important step in post-production to polish the final result. Different techniques bring different benefits, and it's important to understand how they work to get the most out of them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Depending on the DCC tool you use, your workflow will change, but the principles are roughly the same. Have a look at\u003Ca href=\"https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/color_management?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\"> \u003Cu>Blender's color management section\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to learn more about color correction for rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If your animation has multiple shots in the same setting, animators usually pick one \"hero frame\" with the correct balance and use it as a reference for other scenes to speed up the matching process while helping with visual consistency.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Color correction is not a substitute for good color design though: you need to proactively pick color palettes that suit your story from the conception stage.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-color-palettes/\"> \u003Cu>Have a look at this guide on picking a color palette for character design\u003C/u>\u003C/a> for more details.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1120,"comment_id":1121,"feature_image":1122,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1123,"updated_at":1124,"custom_excerpt":1125,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1126,"primary_tag":1127,"url":1128,"excerpt":1125,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1129},"f68ec398-4a3f-4010-87a0-464550babae3","6867f6222ff010000105b71a","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1627873828998-50b7aeec7ffe?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMwfHxjb2xvciUyMHBhbGV0dGV8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzUxOTEzMTY3fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-07-04T17:41:22.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:31:44.000+01:00","Color correction is a crucial step in animation post-production, used to fix inconsistencies, unify tones, and enhance visual storytelling. Learn the essential techniques like white balance, saturation control, and color grading to bring polish and consistency to your animated work.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/color-correction-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@lucasgwendt?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Lucas George Wendt\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/color-correction-animation","2025-07-21T10:00:36.000+02:00",{"title":1115},"color-correction-animation","posts/color-correction-animation",[1136],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"DqoWcB0044_VTKL5p4tRi_vxxIPMVPn12dI4m2GlrGw",{"id":1139,"title":1140,"authors":1141,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1143,"meta":1144,"navigation":15,"path":1155,"published_at":1156,"seo":1157,"slug":1158,"stem":1159,"tags":1160,"__hash__":1162,"uuid":1145,"comment_id":1146,"feature_image":1147,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1148,"updated_at":1149,"custom_excerpt":1150,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1151,"primary_tag":1152,"url":1153,"excerpt":1150,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1154},"ghost/posts:avoid-over-animating-scenes.json","Why Over-Animation Hurts Your Storytelling In 2026",[1142],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">⏳\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Don’t animate every grain of sand—animate the desert 😮\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>\"What's even going on here?\"\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you find yourself wondering that while watching a scene, chances are you are a victim of over-animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Over-animation is when a scene is saturated with excessive movement or detail indicating animators are gripping too hard onto the need for realism at the expense of the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Recently, an episode of One Piece provoked controversy over the animation style being considered over-animated by some critics:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Without dwelling on this debate, it's interesting to reflect on why over-animation can be a bad thing for studios, and how to design your workflow to prevent that.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-over-animating-counter-productive\">\u003Cstrong>Why Is Over-Animating Counter-Productive?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Understanding how the brain processes motion is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Our eyes are drawn to contrast and change—not just movement but also brightness or color. The human eye thrives on balance and focal points.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If everything is moving, nothing stands out. Studies in visual perception show that the human brain automatically prioritizes motion in peripheral vision, which means that irrelevant animated background clutter can actually distract from the main character. When every element on the screen is animated with equal intensity, \u003Cstrong>viewers struggle to know where to focus\u003C/strong>. Key moments or emotions easily go unnoticed amid the chaos if you leave the audience exhausted. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Storytelling should always take center stage\u003C/strong>. While adding intricate details seems like a good idea at first to capture realism or creativity, it can divert attention from the main narrative. You need to give the audience room to breathe and take things in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Anyone who has worked in animation knows that \u003Cstrong>over-animation is both time-consuming and costly\u003C/strong>. It stretches the resources needed to complete a project, which can lead to inconsistencies in the animation quality if not managed carefully. Instead of aiming for maximum movement in every scene, animators need to prioritize keyframes and scenes that drive the story forward first and foremost.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-use-live-footage\">\u003Cstrong>1. Use Live Footage\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One of the best ways to avoid over-animating is to \u003Cstrong>use live footage for reference\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Have you ever noticed how a small sigh speaks volumes of emotion? We often communicate with subtle body language. Capturing that essence in animation helps create relatable characters without overdoing it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In DCC software you can usually overlay your reference video with your background:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can then use this reference to design your keyposes, but more generally to plan your animation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-you-need-good-planning\">\u003Cstrong>2. You Need Good Planning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Planning gives you a clear vision\u003C/strong> of where you're headed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before you even think about sketching your first frame, start by outlining your scenes with great care.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Identify the key moments that warrant extra emphasis. Whether it's a character’s moment of revelation or a dramatic action sequence, knowing these pivotal points ahead allows you to allocate your time and resources wisely.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Storyboards and animatics are key in this pre-production phase. Use them to map out the rhythm and flow of your story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\">\u003Cu>Storyboards make it easy to plan your shots\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and estimate budgets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life/\">\u003Cu>Animatics showcase how your scenes play out\u003C/u>\u003C/a> over time. They help you improve the pacing and eliminate superfluous movements that could cloud the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Build estimates of how long each part of the animation will take and compare these to your actual budget. If you start overanimating the first few episodes of your series but end up with subpar quality in the latter parts because you ran out of budget, you'll piss your audience off.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-simplify\">\u003Cstrong>3. Simplify\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Focus on the purpose behind each scene. \u003C/strong>Over-animation often originates from animators jumping directly into motion without fully considering the why behind each scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Is it a moment of tension between characters? A comedic relief?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you animate, continually evaluate what each element contributes to that purpose. Ask yourself: Does this movement advance the storyline, enhance the mood, or develop a character?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If the answer is no, then perhaps it doesn't belong.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Simplifying doesn’t mean stripping your work down to bare bones. It means focusing on what serves the story best.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Think of it as decluttering your canvas. By cleaning up unnecessary animations, you allow key moments to shine brighter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, a single rotated frame speaks louder than a full-blown 3D-rendered hyper-realistic animation:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-leverage-exaggeration-properly\">\u003Cstrong>4. Leverage Exaggeration Properly\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Imagine a character about to burst with excitement. By selectively exaggerating their movements with a leap that defies gravity or a smile that stretches from ear to ear, you convey their overwhelming joy in a way that's both clear and memorable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/exaggeration-animation-principle/\"> \u003Cu>the magic of exaggeration\u003C/u>\u003C/a>: it draws in the audience and hooks you into following along with the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach doesn't just tell the audience how the character feels: it makes them feel it too!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Exaggeration makes sure your audience knows exactly where to look and what to feel.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>It's about showing more with less.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But the line between effective exaggeration and over-animating is thin. Overloading a scene with unwarranted exaggeration leads to characters overacting. And nobody likes inauthentic characters.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-focus-on-keyframes\">\u003Cstrong>5. Focus On Keyframes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Keyframes dictate both the starting and ending points of motion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a common pitfall, especially among new animators, to overcrowd their sequences with unnecessary frames. When an animation feels off, the instinct is to add more frames: more in-betweens, more movement, more secondary actions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But this overflow creates noise, muddling the story rather than enhancing it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>By focusing on perfecting your keyframes, you can convey more in fewer frames.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is what made\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/smear-frames/\"> \u003Cu>smear frames\u003C/u>\u003C/a> so effective back in the day: you didn't need 60 frames per second to make your audience feel something.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Begin with a clear roadmap―your storyboard―and place your key poses methodically using\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/straight-ahead-action-pose-to-pose-animation/\"> \u003Cu>a pose-to-pose approach\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. Only then should you strategically use in-betweens to connect those keyframes.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-stay-consistent\">\u003Cstrong>6. Stay Consistent\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Consistency in animation isn’t just a nice-to-have\u003C/strong>: you need it to create a believable world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As we previously mentioned, over-animation gets in the way. It's not sustainable, so the quality varies from one scene to the next.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Imagine you're watching a scene where the protagonist is moving with exquisitely detailed expressions, their hair and clothes reacting to every subtle shift in movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But then, in the same scene, the background is starkly simple, with crowd members who barely move or express emotion. It's like watching a character in high definition set against an out-of-focus landscape: it just looks out of place and breaks the suspension of disbelief. Some background crowds in Jojo's Stone Ocean anime look particularly funny:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These inconsistencies often originate from the realities of production: \u003Cstrong>teams change, budgets evolve, and timelines shift\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As animators pour their efforts into perfecting main characters, background elements can become afterthoughts, not getting the attention or time they deserve.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You need to find a balance early on.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/lod-levels-of-detail/\"> \u003Cu>The level of detail\u003C/u>\u003C/a> across all elements of an animation has to match the story's tone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We're not saying the background needs as much detail as the main character, but it shouldn't detract from the narrative:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Establish clear visual standards\u003C/strong>. Define the level of detail appropriate for different elements in a scene.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Regularly review scenes\u003C/strong> as a whole rather than in isolation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Focus on detailed animation efforts where they serve the story best\u003C/strong> while making sure supporting elements maintain a consistent yet less detailed style.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In summary, while it’s tempting to add as much detail and motion as possible, over-animating dilutes your story and exhausts your audience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By using live footage, planning effectively, simplifying movements, using exaggeration, and focusing on keyframes, you can avoid the common pitfalls of over-animating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don’t animate every grain of sand in a desert. Animate the desert.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Over-animation is subjective, though if you have the budget of Toei to animate One Piece, it can be okay to have every frame become a money shot. If you're a smaller studio, less so. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>There are exceptions where high-impact, stylized scenes benefit from visual overload, like a chaotic battle sequence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In one sentence, over-animation is when you can't sustain the same level of detail throughout production.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1145,"comment_id":1146,"feature_image":1147,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1148,"updated_at":1149,"custom_excerpt":1150,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1151,"primary_tag":1152,"url":1153,"excerpt":1150,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1154},"52d0f4ef-c74d-47e8-8318-1f12d20621ee","6867f6252ff010000105b720","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1737134385541-dd2af8ae1113?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGV4YWdnZXJhdGV8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzUxOTEyNDk3fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-07-04T17:41:25.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:26:55.000+01:00","Over-animating can distract from your story, inflate production time, and overwhelm your audience. Learn how to simplify your animation workflow, focus on what matters, and bring clarity to your scenes with practical, studio-tested advice.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/avoid-over-animating-scenes/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@infernisvox?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Jens Riesenberg\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/avoid-over-animating-scenes","2025-07-14T10:00:07.000+02:00",{"title":1140},"avoid-over-animating-scenes","posts/avoid-over-animating-scenes",[1161],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"pF2TnP9TbcKQelr7POKL_fvDarTvBr0s4BWwnu-lfnQ",{"id":1164,"title":1165,"authors":1166,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1168,"meta":1169,"navigation":15,"path":1180,"published_at":1181,"seo":1182,"slug":1183,"stem":1184,"tags":1185,"__hash__":1187,"uuid":1170,"comment_id":1171,"feature_image":1172,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1173,"updated_at":1174,"custom_excerpt":1175,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1176,"primary_tag":1177,"url":1178,"excerpt":1175,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1179},"ghost/posts:arc-animation-principle.json","Mastering the Arc Principle (2026): Bring Flow and Realism to Your Animation",[1167],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💫\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Add grace, weight, and story to every motion—your animations deserve more than straight lines.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>A great way to improve the quality of your animations is to make your movements less linear and more curvy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is what Disney animators call the \u003Cstrong>arc principle\u003C/strong>, and it's one of the 12 principles they used in the 1930s to propel their studios to global success.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, you'll discover why arcs are essential and the best ways to use them in your animations for maximum effect.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on for practical tips!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-the-arc-principle\">\u003Cstrong>What's the Arc Principle?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The arc principle refers to \u003Cstrong>the visual path taken by objects or characters as they move through space\u003C/strong>. This path is often an arc rather than a straight line to mirror how things move in the real world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, a swinging arm doesn't travel straight from one point to another but rather follows a parabolic trajectory. Note how One Piece animators play with Luffy's arm trajectory to make scenes more appealing:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-the-arc-principle-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Is the Arc Principle Important?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, \u003Cstrong>arcs make animated sequences more realistic\u003C/strong>. In fact, most movements follow a curve: the swing of walking legs, the path of a bouncing ball, or to convey momentum for a follow-through.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But they also \u003Cstrong>make scenes more appealing\u003C/strong>: our brains are hardwired to appreciate these natural curves. When an animation lacks them, it appears stiff.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Movement paths can also act as \u003Cstrong>storytelling tools\u003C/strong> to showcase the personality traits of characters or their emotional states: a character who moves in sharp, angular paths seems tense, while another who moves in smooth arcs appears more relaxed.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-plan-with-thumbnails-storyboards-animatics\">\u003Cstrong>1. Plan with Thumbnails, Storyboards & Animatics\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Good planning makes sure that the arcs remain consistent while saving time and effort: when you know the trajectory the motion should follow, you avoid unnecessary revisions.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Align arcs with character intentions\u003C/strong> - Think about the motivations and emotions that underlie your character’s movement. Aligning the arcs with these intentions adds not just to the physical movement but also to the storytelling.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sketch thumbnails or storyboards to map out key poses and arcs\u003C/strong> - Before you animate anything, take the time\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\"> \u003Cu>to sketch out storyboards\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. These rough drawings give you a bird’s-eye view of your animation to help you lay down key poses and the arcs they’ll follow.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use animatics to test flow\u003C/strong> -\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life/\"> \u003Cu>Convert your storyboards into animatics\u003C/u>\u003C/a>—moving storyboards that include timing, motion, and transitions. They'll allow you to visualize how well your arcs and poses flow over time to polish them before committing to the full animation process.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-arc-visualization-with-motion-paths-and-onion-skinning\">\u003Cstrong>2. Arc Visualization With Motion Paths And Onion Skinning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Visualizing arcs is key to understanding the natural progression of your movement. You can use two DCC tool features for this use case:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Motion paths\u003C/strong> - Motion paths allow you to see the trajectory of a movement across a series of frames. By observing these paths, you can adjust the motion to follow smooth, circular arcs rather than linear ones.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>In Blender for example, the motion paths are shown in red for past frames and green for future frames:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Onion skinning\u003C/strong> - Onion skinning shows you multiple frames at once to see their progression over time. This way, you can make sure your arched animations will render well.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-easing-for-realism\">\u003Cstrong>3. Easing For Realism\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Without proper timing and spacing, arcs would look off. While\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/timing-animation-principle/\"> \u003Cu>timing is the rhythm of your animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, spacing is the distance your object travels between each frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Think of a car coming to a stop or a sprinter pushing off the blocks. The secret to animating these motions lies in easing, also known in animation as\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/slow-in-out/\"> \u003Cu>the slow in/out principle\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By adjusting the spacing of your keyframes, you create the illusion of acceleration and deceleration to make movements look smoother. Start by having more frames closer together at the beginnings and ends of motion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Blender, \u003Cstrong>the graph editor\u003C/strong> is your best friend when it comes to easing. By manipulating ease curves, you can fine-tune how animation properties change over time. Smooth, S-shaped curves tend to produce more natural motion, while sharper curves can create more snappy, dynamic movements.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-exaggeration-for-storytelling\">\u003Cstrong>4. Exaggeration For Storytelling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation isn't just about replicating reality: you need to\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/exaggeration-animation-principle/\"> \u003Cu>push boundaries for the sake of storytelling\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By amplifying your arcs, you inject energy into scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Push the boundaries\u003C/strong> - Begin by stretching the arcs of a character's movement slightly further than you initially planned. Experiment with the degree of exaggeration. For example, when a character runs, consider a more pronounced curve in their pose. Naruto's ninja run is iconic precisely because of the exaggerated arched body:\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Facial expressions\u003C/strong> - But arcs aren't confined to limbs and bodies: you can use them in facial animations as well. When transitioning from a frown to a smile, watch for the arcs formed by the eyebrows and the corners of the mouth. Emotional states also influence the arc of your lip-syncing. Look at all the arcs used in the body language of Homer Simpson, showing how he goes from discomfort to shock:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-dont-forget-follow-through-overlapping-action\">\u003Cstrong>5. Don't Forget Follow-Through & Overlapping Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A fluid arc should include other animation principles like\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/follow-through-overlapping-action/\"> \u003Cu>follow-through and overlapping actions\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Follow-through action is the continuation of movement beyond the primary action. A jumping character will have her hair, loose-fitting clothes, and limbs trail behind the main jumping action. If arcs are involved, they'll also influence the follow-through. Same with overlapping actions, where different parts of a character move at different rates.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use reference footage\u003C/strong> - Import reference footage in your DCC tool and notice the delays in movement, like how a hand swings after the arm stops swinging.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Break down the motion\u003C/strong> - When planning your animation, divide the actions into primary and secondary movements. Think about which parts should lead and which should follow.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animate in layers\u003C/strong> - Focus first on the core motion, adding follow-through elements afterwards. This method helps keep track of the sequencing and the impact each element has on the overall movement.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-anti-principle-linear-animations\">\u003Cstrong>6. Anti-Principle: Linear Animations\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rules are great, but they are meant to be broken!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There are scenarios where deviating from arcing motion with \u003Cstrong>linear movements is not just effective, but necessary to convey a specific mood\u003C/strong> or idea.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Linear motions are perfect for depicting mechanical entities like robots or machines because they come across as precise, calculated, and unnatural. In Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Adam Smasher's animated movements are just translated frames:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They can also be used to create a feeling of tension or unease. Sudden, direct movements break the fluidity of a scene and introduce abrupt moments for horror scenes or plot twists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Inversely, an abrupt, straight-line exit of a character from a scene, ignoring all physical laws, emphasizes the absurdity or urgency of the action to create laughter.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The arc principle contributes significantly to the visual rhythm, realism, and appeal of movements. You don't need much to improve your animations:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Start by sketching key poses. Visualize and draw the arc path that connects these poses.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Use guidelines or onion-skinning techniques in your animation software to see the path of your motion.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Arcs are not just about positioning but also timing. The speed of motion along the arc affects the animation's fluidity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>By pushing poses and extending the path beyond what might be realistic, you can amplify the expressiveness of your animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Once your character's primary action concludes, elements like clothing, hair, or limbs continue to follow the arc's path.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Make sure to have a look at\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cu>the 11 other animation principles\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to get a better understanding of the arc principle and how they all relate to each other, but don't forget to sometimes break the rules and use linear motions for interesting results!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1170,"comment_id":1171,"feature_image":1172,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1173,"updated_at":1174,"custom_excerpt":1175,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1176,"primary_tag":1177,"url":1178,"excerpt":1175,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1179},"b13a0bca-d443-4df7-a196-0486e3c0deb8","6867f6262ff010000105b726","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1457365050282-c53d772ef8b2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGFyY3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NTE2NDU2MTJ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-07-04T17:41:26.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:25:52.000+01:00","Discover how to apply the arc principle in animation to create more realistic, appealing, and emotionally resonant movement. Learn techniques for planning, visualizing, and exaggerating arcs, and when to break the rules for storytelling impact.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/arc-animation-principle/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@spacex?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">SpaceX\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/arc-animation-principle","2025-07-07T10:00:53.000+02:00",{"title":1165},"arc-animation-principle","posts/arc-animation-principle",[1186],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"5vGyszemHQIfgfivf_sXaAu3v47ZZkGYeVn1dNt-Lxg",{"id":1189,"title":1190,"authors":1191,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1193,"meta":1194,"navigation":15,"path":1204,"published_at":1205,"seo":1206,"slug":1207,"stem":1208,"tags":1209,"__hash__":1211,"uuid":1195,"comment_id":1196,"feature_image":1197,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1198,"updated_at":1199,"custom_excerpt":1200,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1201,"primary_tag":1202,"url":1203,"excerpt":1200,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-june-2025-update.json","Build in Public: June 2025 Update",[1192],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in! 🚀\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"kitsu-updates-%F0%9F%A6%8A\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Updates 🦊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’re continually adding new and exciting features to Kitsu. Here are some of the highlights from the past few months:\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-budget-forecasting-tools-%F0%9F%92%BC%F0%9F%93%8A\">\u003Cstrong>1. Budget Forecasting Tools 💼📊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>A new \u003Cstrong>Budget\u003C/strong> section is now available in the Project menu to help you track costs, compare budget versions, and forecast expenses with accuracy. Admins can define daily rates or use placeholders to plan for future hires\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-easier-task-assignment-in-the-schedule-%E2%9A%A1%F0%9F%8E%AC\">\u003Cstrong>2. Easier Task Assignment in the Schedule ⚡🎬\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You can now drag and drop an asset type or sequence in the Schedule view to assign multiple tasks at once. Set your parameters first, then assign everything in one smooth move.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-zoom-pan-in-the-review-room-%F0%9F%94%8E%F0%9F%96%BC%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>3. Zoom & Pan in the Review Room 🔎🖼️\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>A new Zoom & Pan mode is available in the Playlist review. Easily zoom in with your mouse wheel and pan around to check fine details without leaving full-screen mode.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-more-filters-on-the-all-tasks-page-%F0%9F%94%8D%F0%9F%A7%A9\">\u003Cstrong>4. More Filters on the All Tasks Page 🔍🧩\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You can now filter tasks by Studio and Department from the All Tasks page. It’s faster than ever to find what you’re looking for and focus on the right slice of work.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"infrastructure-updates-%F0%9F%92%BD\">\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure Updates 💽\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>This month was all about under-the-hood maintenance. We focused on OS upgrades across our infrastructure to ensure better stability, security, and long-term support. While these updates don’t come with shiny new features, they’re crucial for keeping Kitsu running smoothly behind the scenes. Thanks to these improvements, we’re better positioned to support future updates and scale more efficiently.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"events-%F0%9F%8E%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Events 🎫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We had a busy and inspiring month on the event circuit!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At \u003Cstrong>FMX\u003C/strong>, it was a real pleasure to reconnect with folks in the VFX world. The resilience and creativity of the community continue to impress us. We left with fresh energy—and a handful of exciting new connections we’re eager to explore further.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Over at \u003Cstrong>MIFA\u003C/strong>, the atmosphere was incredible. The community showed up with so much support, and we had some great conversations with studios and partners. We’re coming away with a renewed sense of purpose and a few promising leads in our pocket.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/06/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/06/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/06/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/06/image.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2025/06/image.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The Kitsu team at MIFA 2025 \u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">🦊\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"finance-%F0%9F%92%B0\">\u003Cstrong>Finance 💰\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Our financial situation remains solid—nothing flashy, but stable and sustainable, just the way we like it.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Looking ahead, we’ve defined a new growth goal for 2025–2026: we’re doubling down on \u003Cstrong>mid-sized creative teams\u003C/strong> (typically between 20 and 50 people). We’ve seen strong demand from this segment across multiple industries—teams that are too big for spreadsheets, but not quite the scale that ShotGrid was built for. Kitsu fits nicely in that gap, and we’re excited to explore it further.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We also clarified our \u003Cstrong>pricing model\u003C/strong> to make things simpler: pricing is now \u003Cstrong>per seat\u003C/strong>, rather than being tied to user ranges. This should make things more transparent for everyone and easier to scale.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You can check out our public financial metrics below:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">CGWire - Metrics\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">This\n webpage shows the KPI of the company. We made them public because we \nare part of the Open Company movement. Transparency is important to \nbuild trust. Let us know if you want to see additional information.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://cg-wire.com/favicon.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Metrics\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/_nuxt/logo.4d5a2d7e.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"communication-%F0%9F%97%A3%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Communication 🗣️\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Big news from Annecy! 🏆 \u003Cstrong>Arco\u003C/strong>, powered by Kitsu, took home the \u003Cstrong>Cristal for Best Feature Film\u003C/strong>. The team at Remembers studio used Kitsu throughout the entire production, and we’re incredibly proud to have played a small part in their well-deserved success. Huge congratulations to the whole team—and thank you for bringing another win to the Kitsu community!\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Meanwhile, we’ve started laying the groundwork for something exciting: the \u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit\u003C/strong>. It’s still early days, but we’re exploring ways to bring the community together, share knowledge, and collaborate on the future of production tracking. More on this soon!\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"studios-productions-%F0%9F%8F%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Studios & Productions 🏫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Over the past three months, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming several top-tier organizations to the Kitsu family. These studios span games, film, and animation—and each one brings new energy, feedback, and creativity into the ecosystem.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here’s the full list of recent additions: 🎬\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/branch-gg?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Branch\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://feralanimation.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Feral animation\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://lacabaneproductions.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">La Cabane\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://en.chouetteco.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">La Chouette\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.malil-art.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Malilart\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://manicmonday.tv/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Manic Monday\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://megaspacefighter.com/en/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">MegaSpace Fighter\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://phanta-animation.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Phanta Animation\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Polygonal\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://studiofeather.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Studio Feathers\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.thinkots.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">ThinkOTS\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>ZDK Labs\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We’re thrilled to support these teams as they scale their pipelines, streamline their reviews, and bring incredible stories to life. Welcome aboard! 👋✨\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"closing-notes-%E2%9C%8D%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Closing Notes \u003C/strong> ✍️\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Thanks for reading and following along with our journey! 🙌\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether you’re a long-time user or just discovering Kitsu, we’re always happy to connect. If you have any questions, feedback, or ideas you’d like to share, don’t hesitate to reach out—we love hearing from the community. 💬\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We’ll be back in \u003Cstrong>September\u003C/strong> with more updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes news. Until then, take care and keep creating! 👋\u003C/p>",{"uuid":1195,"comment_id":1196,"feature_image":1197,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1198,"updated_at":1199,"custom_excerpt":1200,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1201,"primary_tag":1202,"url":1203,"excerpt":1200,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"7d2144ee-21b6-4ea3-a3c5-f09acbaad38f","685a7bc883b8b80001253549","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/06/buildinpublic_june_2025.png","2025-06-24T12:19:52.000+02:00","2026-03-26T09:41:49.000+01:00","Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in! ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-june-2025-update/","/posts/build-in-public-june-2025-update","2025-06-25T17:22:14.000+02:00",{"title":1190},"build-in-public-june-2025-update","posts/build-in-public-june-2025-update",[1210],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"tND4h8baKBAAKgbb1d2i4eJ19RONkh9C4RDygQltdoQ",{"id":1213,"title":1214,"authors":1215,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1217,"meta":1218,"navigation":15,"path":1229,"published_at":1230,"seo":1231,"slug":1232,"stem":1233,"tags":1234,"__hash__":1236,"uuid":1219,"comment_id":1220,"feature_image":1221,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1222,"updated_at":1223,"custom_excerpt":1224,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1225,"primary_tag":1226,"url":1227,"excerpt":1224,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1228},"ghost/posts:animation-asset-storage.json","How to Organize and Manage Animation Assets at Scale In 2026",[1216],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💿\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Animation files can balloon into terabytes of data. Learn how to keep your production organized, collaborative, and efficient with better storage workflows.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>A single animation project can generate a vast amount of digital assets, from complex 3D models and preliminary previews to fully rendered videos.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each of these assets takes up significant storage space―sometimes terabytes of data!―presenting a unique set of challenges for studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Effectively managing storage across various digital content creation (DCC) tools while coordinating distributed processes and facilitating remote team collaboration is a major pain point in animation production. We know this from our first-hand experience\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>building Kitsu\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on for best practices to master storage management!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-storage-management\">\u003Cstrong>Why Storage Management\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation projects, especially those involving 3D elements and high-resolution outputs, generate massive amounts of data. Efficient storage management makes sure that \u003Cstrong>all assets, from raw footage to rendered files, are organized and accessible\u003C/strong> without overwhelming the infrastructure. As teams use a variety of specialized software, storing, organizing, and sharing these assets is a complex puzzle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation projects often involve teams distributed across different locations, sometimes different studios. Effective \u003Cstrong>storage solutions facilitate collaboration\u003C/strong> by allowing team members to access, share, and update files efficiently, regardless of where they are located. With cyber threats increasingly targeting creative industries, secure storage management is key to protecting intellectual property from unauthorized access.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Efficient storage systems also reduce load times for large assets, which increases the performance of software tools and \u003Cstrong>improves the overall productivity of artists\u003C/strong> and technical staff. Proper storage management \u003Cstrong>help reduce costs\u003C/strong> by optimizing existing storage resources, eliminating the need for unnecessary hardware purchases and minimizing cloud storage fees.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-resilient-centralized-storage\">\u003Cstrong>1. Resilient, Centralized Storage\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>It's important to have a robust storage solution that centralizes all the project assets into a single, secure location.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It should combine \u003Cstrong>centralized data repositories with redundancy and backup systems\u003C/strong> to ensure that all vital assets are not only easily accessible but also protected against loss or corruption. This system allows animators, designers, and other team members to work together without conflict, knowing that the material they need is shielded against hardware failures, cyber threats, and accidental deletions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Time is a critical factor in productions. Decentralized or fragmented storage systems can lead to lost hours or even days as teams search for assets or face repetitive losses that delay production timelines. An elevated risk of losing critical work could result in considerable setbacks and financial losses.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Start by \u003Cstrong>selecting reliable storage solutions\u003C/strong> that fit your project needs. It is crucial to conduct thorough research and possibly consult with IT experts to identify the right combination of storage technologies, high-capacity servers that can handle intensive data loads and advanced backup technologies to duplicate data regularly to secure locations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Invest in \u003Cstrong>strong cybersecurity measures\u003C/strong> to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches. Regular updates to security protocols and continuous monitoring should be standard procedures.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Foster a collaborative workflow\u003C/strong> by creating a centralized asset management platform where team members can easily access, share, and update assets in real time. This method not only boosts productivity but also ensures consistency throughout production.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/studio-database?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>The Kitsu API provides centralized storage\u003C/u>\u003C/a> for assets, shots, casting, tasks, and everything a production pipeline needs. The casting management feature makes it easy to build breakdown tables to list casted assets for each shot in a meaningful way:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-dcc-tool-integrations\">\u003Cstrong>2. DCC Tool Integrations\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Modern storage solutions often integrate with other tools in the production pipeline to streamline workflows and automate repetitive tasks for higher productivity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>DCC tool integrations facilitate the transfer and synchronization of assets\u003C/strong>, including 3D models, textures, animations, and other digital elements, across different software.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a typical pipeline, artists rely on a variety of specialized tools for tasks like modelling, rigging, animation, texturing, lighting, rendering, etc. Without effective integrations, transitioning assets between these tools can quickly become a cumbersome and error-prone process leading to inconsistencies. DCC integrations help eliminate redundant processes, reduce the likelihood of errors, and enable teams to focus on creative tasks rather than on technical challenges related to asset compatibility and data transfer.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>It's crucial to \u003Cstrong>ensure compatibility with industry standards and interoperability protocols\u003C/strong>, like Alembic, USD, and FBX, to facilitate smooth data exchange between different systems.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Maintaining clear documentation of the integration process\u003C/strong> allows technical artists to understand workflows and resolve issues swiftly.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Regularly \u003Cstrong>updating and testing integrations\u003C/strong> to align with software updates and new features ensures continued performance.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>For example,\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/software-integrations?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>Kitsu allows artists to publish asset previews directly from their DCC tools\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, so that it's easy to keep track of the work you do with your team, without overwhelming your storage space with full-blown 3D models or HD videos:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Duplicating assets between databases can easily blow up the storage space you need, so using appropriate levels of detail is important.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-traceability\">\u003Cstrong>3. Traceability\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Traceability is the ability to track and manage the history, location, and usage of animation assets throughout the project's lifecycle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It includes \u003Cstrong>maintaining detailed records of asset changes\u003C/strong>, including who made what modifications and when, to allow all team members to have access to up-to-date information.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With numerous assets being developed and iterated on simultaneously, having a robust traceability system in place helps maintain order. It enforces accountability, as team members can easily identify the source of any asset-related issue, and facilitates rapid problem resolution. It also helps project management by providing clear insights into the progress and status of assets for teams to meet deadlines and budgets more effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>A centralized asset management system serves as \u003Cstrong>a single source of truth\u003C/strong> for all asset-related information.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Consistent naming conventions and metadata\u003C/strong> help organize and retrieve assets efficiently.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Regular audits and updates to the asset database\u003C/strong> ensure its accuracy and reliability.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Fostering a collaborative culture where \u003Cstrong>team members diligently document changes\u003C/strong> and communicate effectively significantly improves traceability and overall production efficiency.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/review-engine?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>A review engine like Kitsu's\u003C/u>\u003C/a> allows you to quickly add annotations with your team to work on the next batch of edits, and\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/casting-management?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>the breakdown tables\u003C/u>\u003C/a> make it easy to access assets related to each shot in a single place.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, this system should support version control.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-versioning\">\u003Cstrong>4. Versioning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation involves multiple iterations, making it essential to track versions of assets and scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Multiple artists and teams often work concurrently on various elements. \u003Cstrong>Versioning ensures that everyone is working with the most up-to-date and correct files\u003C/strong>, minimizing the risk of errors (e.g. overwriting files) or inconsistencies in the final product. It also allows teams to roll back to previous versions if necessary and maintain a clear history of the asset's development.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After reviews, Kitsu previews are automatically versioned for easy comparison.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All new changes, like comments or preview,s appear in the newsfeed to keep everyone informed about available versions.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>An effective asset storage solution for animation productions must include key features like resilience, centralization, integration with digital content creation tools, traceability, and versioning to make sure assets are not only safeguarded against potential data loss but also efficiently organized and easily accessible to the entire production team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Additionally, the integration of asset storage solutions with project management tools improves the workflow significantly to coordinate teams across different departments or even studios. Using a pipeline tracker like Kitsu further streamlines this process by providing a comprehensive oversight of project assets, status updates, and team interactions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to consider the design of your asset storage solution so that it fits your specific needs as an animation studio: it's not enough to drop everything in a Google Drive when you handle terabytes of data. Kitsu neatly organizes everything in a logical way by shots and previews, and you can use the API to match the storage logic with your studio's workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1219,"comment_id":1220,"feature_image":1221,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1222,"updated_at":1223,"custom_excerpt":1224,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1225,"primary_tag":1226,"url":1227,"excerpt":1224,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1228},"8ad6d628-2316-4ff4-9b32-50f0e8d116c1","683441e02c2dc700019388a3","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1611153730462-e84a16b8c6e1?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMyfHxkYXRhJTIwc3RvcmFnZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDgyNzY0Mzl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-05-26T12:26:40.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:09:13.000+01:00","Efficient asset storage is critical in animation production. This guide explores best practices for organizing, securing, and versioning digital assets across large-scale projects and distributed teams.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-storage/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@pondjup?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Pond Juprasong\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-asset-storage","2025-06-23T10:00:57.000+02:00",{"title":1214},"animation-asset-storage","posts/animation-asset-storage",[1235],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"EhRsBQQWWvv2jEKNEb7fQPjonvy2mYF_UL_EWmL3PU8",{"id":1238,"title":1239,"authors":1240,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1242,"meta":1243,"navigation":15,"path":1253,"published_at":1254,"seo":1255,"slug":1256,"stem":1257,"tags":1258,"__hash__":1259,"uuid":1244,"comment_id":1245,"feature_image":1246,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1247,"updated_at":1248,"custom_excerpt":1249,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1250,"primary_tag":8,"url":1251,"excerpt":1249,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1252},"ghost/posts:animation-pitch.json","Building the Perfect Animation Pitch (2026)",[1241],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Pitching isn’t just about the idea—it’s about proving you can bring it to life.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Securing funding or gaining distribution power to bring your creative vision to life is often the difference between a dream becoming a reality and one that never leaves the drawing board.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Many talented artists find themselves at a crossroads when pitching their animations: creating a compelling pitch bible doesn't come naturally, but understanding how to present your animation in the best possible light is key to your success.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this guide, we demystify the process by offering you clear, actionable steps on how to create an effective pitch bible from our years of experience working with animation studios.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-a-pitch-bible\">\u003Cstrong>What's A Pitch Bible\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A pitch bible is \u003Cstrong>a concise, visually engaging document used to present and sell an animated series or film concept\u003C/strong> to producers, networks, or investors.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a key resource that provides a snapshot of the project's creative vision, tone, and appeal. A pitch bible typically includes an overview of the characters, stories, and designs, but also cues on the financial viability of a project (audience analysis, budget, team, etc.).\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-need-to-pitch-your-animation-project\">\u003Cstrong>Why You Need To Pitch Your Animation Project\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The main purpose of a pitch bible is to effectively communicate the unique aspects of the project \u003Cstrong>to capture the interest of decision-makers\u003C/strong> and convince them of its potential for success. It's a dynamic tool that's adjusted as needed when pitching to different stakeholders with various interests.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With numerous projects competing for attention, a pitch bible helps \u003Cstrong>distinguish your idea from others\u003C/strong>: it presents a professional and compelling case for the project, while also reflecting preparedness and showing that the team is capable of handling complex projects from conception to delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A pitch bible is also \u003Cstrong>useful when you're hiring animators\u003C/strong> or an animation studio to present your project. Freelance animators and studios regularly take on client work, so having a clear idea of what you're looking for is a great way to filter them.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-story-vision\">\u003Cstrong>1. Story Vision\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A compelling vision begins with \u003Cstrong>a strong concept that encapsulates the essence\u003C/strong> of your animated series.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The title\u003C/strong> should be memorable and reflect the tone and theme of your show, while \u003Cstrong>the logline\u003C/strong>—a brief one or two-sentence summary—should hook the audience by succinctly conveying the core premise and intriguing elements of the story. Gravity Falls' creators also specified the genre and a synopsis:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Equally important are the \u003Cstrong>example storylines\u003C/strong> that will drive your series. They should not only entertain but also resonate on a deeper emotional level, with an overarching narrative thread that will sustain audience interest over multiple episodes. These storylines should highlight key moments, conflicts, and resolutions that will unfold throughout the series to provide a roadmap for how the plot develops and the characters evolve, but you don't have to go into much detail. Here are some story ideas from SpongeBob's pitch bible:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-characters\">\u003Cstrong>2. Characters\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\">\u003Cu>Characters are the core of the story\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, engaging the audience through their journeys, conflicts, and growth.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The main characters\u003C/strong> are the driving force of your animation. They are the protagonists the audience will relate to and root for as they navigate the various challenges and adventures presented in the story. It's crucial to give these characters depth, maybe by including a well-thought-out backstory, clear motivations, and distinct personalities. A successful main character will have a unique voice and appeal that makes them memorable, as well as an arc that shows development over time. Consider their goals, strengths, flaws, and how these elements intertwine to move the plot forward.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Side characters\u003C/strong>, while not in the spotlight, also play essential roles: they provide support, create obstacles, and enrich the world of the animation. They can range from companions and mentors to antagonists and comic relief. It’s important to ensure they are not just mere plot devices but have their own nuances and potential mini-arcs that complement the main storyline. Effective side characters also have distinct traits and relationships with the main characters that either challenge or support them, contributing to conflict and resolution.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The writers' bible of Batman: The Animated Series includes extensive descriptions of the characters, including their backgrounds, roles, and character sheets:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-concept-art\">\u003Cstrong>3. Concept Art\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The visual design of your project is a determining factor, so\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges/\"> \u003Cu>concept art gives the first glimpse into the world\u003C/u>\u003C/a> you want to create.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>It should provide \u003Cstrong>a visual sense of the universe in which your story unfolds\u003C/strong>. Illustrating the setting, whether it be an enchanted forest, a bustling city, or a distant planet. The goal is to capture the uniqueness of the environment, giving a clear idea of where your characters live and interact to convey the mood, cultural influences, and even the color palette of the production.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>You'll also want to \u003Cstrong>showcase the style of your animation\u003C/strong>. Sleek and futuristic, whimsical and hand-drawn, gritty and realistic, etc. The design tone should match the story.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>It's also important to \u003Cstrong>use concept art to depict key characters\u003C/strong>, their wardrobes, and essential props, emphasizing how these elements fit within the overall aesthetic of the project to showcase consistency and make it easier for others to visualize the finished product.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Adventure Time's pitch bible has 75% of its space filled with detailed concept art showcasing its world and characters over 38 pages:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-format\">\u003Cstrong>4. Format\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Defining your audience\u003C/strong> is key to deciding the format of your animation, so you should identify the demographic you are aiming to reach―age group, interests, and viewing habits. Are you targeting children, teenagers, young adults, or a family audience? Understanding your target group guides the tone, style, and content of your animation to make it more appealing to viewers.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Clarify whether your animation is intended as \u003Cstrong>a series or a standalone movie\u003C/strong>. If it’s a series, specify the number of episodes and the expected duration of each episode. This information helps potential buyers or collaborators gauge the scope of your project and its narrative structure. If it’s a movie, detail the expected runtime and the overall structure, including acts or key segments if applicable.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Identify \u003Cstrong>the platforms where your animation will be released\u003C/strong>. Will it be broadcast on television, streamed on a platform like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Disney+, or distributed through other avenues like YouTube or social media? Each platform has its own set of requirements, and tailoring your pitch to fit these platforms significantly enhances its appeal and feasibility. Highlight any platform-specific features or interactive elements that your animation might incorporate.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Last but not least, \u003Cstrong>a clear and realistic budget\u003C/strong> should provide\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-much-cost-a-cgi-tv-show-52-episodes-of-12-mn/\"> \u003Cu>a detailed breakdown of the estimated costs associated with producing your animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. Include pre-production, production, and post-production expenses, covering elements like scriptwriting, voice acting, animation, music, and marketing. Transparency about your finances helps investors understand the financial scope and potential return on investment for your project.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-presentation\">\u003Cstrong>5. Presentation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When it comes to presenting your animation pitch bible, focus on clarity and engagement.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Make sure \u003Cstrong>your presentation is tailored to your target audience\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Visuals speak louder than words\u003C/strong>, so don't be shy to use artwork. Keep your text concise and to the point, with shorter notes that complement your visuals rather than overshadow them.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use presentation tools\u003C/strong> like Keynote or PowerPoint for a more impactful presentation, but you should be able to pitch your project without needing those (think elevator pitch).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Clearly \u003Cstrong>articulate the inspiration behind your project\u003C/strong>: stakeholders should understand not just what you're creating, but why it matters to you. This emotional connection is key to winning support.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Showcase the strengths of your team\u003C/strong> by emphasizing their expertise. Mention any awards, significant followings, or previous funding that lend credibility to your project. Demonstrating external validation enhances trust.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>In SpongeBob's original pitch bible, creator Stephen Hillenburg highlights his extensive experience at Nickelodeon:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You need to practice your presentation multiple times to make sure you can deliver it confidently. Familiarity with your material helps ease your nerves and make your message more compelling.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Creating a pitch bible is an essential step in bringing your animation to life. It should include a basic description of your project, a compelling explanation of your motivation (your \"why\"), a well-rounded introduction to your team, a clear articulation of your vision, detailed character profiles, engaging concept art, examples of storylines, a realistic budget, and a precise identification of your target audience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The animation industry is vast and full of opportunities. With the right preparation and a pitch bible that vividly showcases your unique project, the potential to carve your niche isn't a pipe dream. Go out there and share your story with the world!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1244,"comment_id":1245,"feature_image":1246,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1247,"updated_at":1248,"custom_excerpt":1249,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1250,"primary_tag":8,"url":1251,"excerpt":1249,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1252},"f77f245d-43fa-4fc5-939b-a0c583c73767","683441e22c2dc700019388a9","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1434030216411-0b793f4b4173?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE4fHxpZGVhJTIwcGl0Y2h8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQ4Mjc1Mzk4fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-05-26T12:26:42.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:22:45.000+01:00","Learn how to create an animation pitch bible that grabs attention—from story vision and character design to budgeting and presentation. This guide includes real examples and industry tips to help get your animated project off the ground.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-pitch/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@uns__nstudio?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unseen Studio\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-pitch","2025-06-16T10:00:10.000+02:00",{"title":1239},"animation-pitch","posts/animation-pitch",[],"mtMb9KOR4nw5GIXCpxEOUH7AeWc7pT1yX_oIEfztiAQ",{"id":1261,"title":1262,"authors":1263,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1265,"meta":1266,"navigation":15,"path":1277,"published_at":1278,"seo":1279,"slug":1280,"stem":1281,"tags":1282,"__hash__":1284,"uuid":1267,"comment_id":1268,"feature_image":1269,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1270,"updated_at":1271,"custom_excerpt":1272,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1273,"primary_tag":1274,"url":1275,"excerpt":1272,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1276},"ghost/posts:straight-ahead-action-pose-to-pose-animation.json","(2026) When to Use Straight-Ahead or Pose-to-Pose Animation",[1264],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🤔\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Every animator faces the same question: should I follow the action frame by frame or block out the key poses first?\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Should an animator start by drawing the first frame and continue improvising, or should they focus on creating keyframes first? This dilemma points to a fundamental choice in animation techniques, whether to adopt a \"straight-ahead\" or a \"pose-to-pose\" approach.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation has many styles and levels of complexity, each requiring different levels of planning and execution. Not all animations are created equal: some demand meticulous preparation to capture intricate details. The straight-ahead action and pose-to-pose principle was developed by Disney animators to address these varying needs, offering guidance on how to approach this creative process effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on to discover how this principle can be harnessed to meet contemporary animation challenges!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-straight-ahead-action\">\u003Cstrong>What's Straight-Ahead Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Straight-ahead action focuses on creating movement frame by frame from the beginning to the end.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeRF645aEZpyWtRn1uWptYW9FTxISne5v4PrNMGeBnqfKnE7RH-YW1coDZTcK0_0rJSU6gCBM1wBctY805OWNkRCRm62OVpd-EThpFTI5ctnpgCapJjAk7I0lOJ0evmTOTxTdf9HQ?key=CHOiUiba8JrsBzDfvMO3Zw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"339\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Animost Studio\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>An example of straight-ahead action is animating a character performing a fast, uncontrolled dance. The animator starts with the initial pose and progress frame by frame to allow each movement to flow unpredictably into the next.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-pose-to-pose\">\u003Cstrong>What's Pose-to-Pose\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Pose-to-pose involves planning and creating specific key frames or poses first, and then filling in the in-between frames to smooth the motion.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeohtT1gRj7AO0hosHESzpyUVT0wAp8s86dgIB3RD8xMF8OzofE0xvlpAUR6N10-bfs9CJVOsDkOB2-Jbb4pjpbyx9_hJLJQjgkjyXD-M1Ph-Lw8gkZC88_j9KLh8aBOM7hF3Fkfg?key=CHOiUiba8JrsBzDfvMO3Zw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Creativity School\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>If you're animating a character jumping, you would start by drawing the initial crouch before the jump, the peak of the jump when the character is in the air, and the landing pose. With these keyframes set, you then draw the in-between frames to transition smoothly from one key pose to the next.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-this-principle-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Is This Principle Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Understanding the straight-ahead and pose-to-pose action principle is important because each method offers distinct advantages and challenges. Animators have to pick the right technique to improve the quality of their animation process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The right method prevents costly edits, particularly when dealing with a high number of frames: if an animator uses the straight-ahead method in a situation where pose-to-pose would be more appropriate, they may find themselves having to redo substantial sections of the animation to align with the intended timing or structure, which could strain both the budget and the schedule.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Choosing the right approach also enables animators to keep as much creative control as possible over the movement being created. They can effectively convey the intended mood, emotion, and storytelling elements without compromising on quality or creative vision.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"straight-ahead-vs-pose-to-pose-pros-cons\">\u003Cstrong>Straight-Ahead vs Pose-to-pose pros & cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Straight-Ahead Action is a technique favored by animators when the goal is \u003Cstrong>to capture dynamic, detailed, or unpredictable movements\u003C/strong>. Animating one frame after another in a continuous flow allows for a high degree of creativity and spontaneity in how the action evolves. The result is often a lively and organic quality that can be more challenging to achieve with structured methods.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But this method can also lead to \u003Cstrong>variations or inaccuracies in timing and proportions\u003C/strong>, as the animator is working without specific predetermined keyframes. Straight-ahead action requires a clear vision, since any mistakes or adjustments would require substantial rework, which can be both time-consuming and costly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the other hand, the Pose-to-Pose approach offers animators \u003Cstrong>greater control over timing and precision\u003C/strong> by starting with key frames and then filling in the in-betweens. This technique ensures that the animated sequence hits specific poses or expressions precisely as intended. It's particularly useful for complex scenes that demand consistency and accuracy by allowing animators to plan the pacing of a sequence meticulously.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If not executed with care, pose-to-pose animation can result in \u003Cstrong>movements that feel more mechanical\u003C/strong> so animators may need to apply additional tweaks to achieve a more natural sequence flow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the modern animation industry, \u003Cstrong>there's a noticeable trend towards relying more on pose to pose\u003C/strong> rather than straight-ahead action. Animation studios operate under tight schedules and budgets:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Pose-to-pose action supports a more efficient workflow because keyframes can be planned and approved before moving into the more time-consuming in-between frames.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>With digital animation tools, the process of setting keyframes and automating in-betweens is streamlined. Pose to pose is the default workflow because of how they handle rigging and interpolation.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-step-spline-mode\">\u003Cstrong>1. Step & Spline Mode\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In digital content creation tools like Blender, animations are often created using keyframes, and two common interpolation modes that relate directly to the pose to pose animation principle are \"step\" mode and \"spline\" mode.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>In step mode, the animation holds one keyframe until it reaches the next one\u003C/strong>, with no interpolation in between: the animated object or character will \"jump\" from one pose to the next without transitioning smoothly between them.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stepped-animation/\"> \u003Cu>Step mode is crucial\u003C/u>\u003C/a> during the early stages of pose-to-pose animation because it allows animators to focus on creating strong, clear poses by eliminating distractions that may arise from premature smoothing transitions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Spline mode introduces interpolation between keyframes\u003C/strong> to create smooth transitions. The software calculates the in-between frames using curves (splines), creating fluid movement from pose to pose. Once the key poses and timing are locked down in step mode, animators switch to spline mode to refine the animation. The transition to spline mode allows them to work on the arcs, easing in and out of movements, and other nuanced performance details that bring the animation to completion. Spline interpolation lets animators adjust these curves to control how fast or slow an object moves between poses.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdo1TYT4fW66k26X2otVlHjlyvkTBTjYkFs_NRZ71EKE4eguU0AV8Zm33vJMyCCy8g0LbdVYPssGWdsPBDEyTILOnpIA7k5uCkw5vcP-KgPfFqJjEXzP14yGBCa1IjlaqZFmQ6y?key=CHOiUiba8JrsBzDfvMO3Zw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Wobbe Koning on YouTube\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-onion-skinning\">\u003Cstrong>2. Onion Skinning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Onion skinning (also known as ghosting) is another feature used to visualize multiple frames at once in a sequence\u003C/strong>, which allows animators to refine and adjust their work with greater precision. This tool is integral in digital content creation (DCC) software and is particularly useful when applying the straight-ahead and pose-to-pose action principle in animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfaBrvcnRnpgagOoWmL9-Kk5utl-LiiCGGd-SDUGngBLF5twVtjbtRLJXwe9utyj8GogxXS3t1jWEsmwiNehHT75iekWRMs7G4dvIkq4_QhsKso0jgaLVmULmmIkdY-LkY7TrnLLQ?key=CHOiUiba8JrsBzDfvMO3Zw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"316\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Manual\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Onion skinning helps with the straight-ahead approach by allowing animators to see several frames before and after the current frame they are working on. This visibility ensures that the animator maintains consistency in movement, timing, and spacing between frames. By seeing the adjacent frames simultaneously, animators can make more informed decisions about how to progress each frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/onion-skinning/\">\u003Cu>Onion skinning is also key for pose-to-pose\u003C/u>\u003C/a> as it shows keyframes and their in-between progressions simultaneously. It allows animators to compare and adjust the in-between frames effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-motion-trails\">\u003Cstrong>3. Motion trails\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Similar to onion skinning and often used in 3D animation, \u003Cstrong>motion trails are particularly useful to visualize the flow of a moving object\u003C/strong>. They provide a line or curve that showcases the path through which an object travels to convey information about its velocity and trajectory.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfnBVONywBweE62vvKBrQpEQzf3he6HI9FhT39sePsdNKmmY0K5lC4sCQdoC_fOzWJ-Lvnv2UansKRfS86ypdxnsZ0N7AyVZGsJ7hDPfCQA8Tk0BBcW2k3vmp5isEvgFG3XV68SWw?key=CHOiUiba8JrsBzDfvMO3Zw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"316\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Manual\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>By observing the distribution of points along the trail, animators can adjust the speed and timing of the movement. When animating interactions between characters or objects, it also helps predict and plan movement trajectories to avoid unrealistic overlaps or collisions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To animate a sword swing animation using pose-to-pose, an animator would use motion trails to visualize the arc through which the sword travels to adjust the movement, and ghosting to see the sword's position at various intervals.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Both the straight-ahead and pose-to-pose techniques offer distinct advantages and challenges, but pose-to-pose is the predominant method in modern animation studios. While straight-ahead animation allows for more spontaneous and fluid movements, pose-to-pose provides a structured approach that is ideal for achieving precise timing while leaving room for easy edits.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The pose-to-pose method's prevalence in modern workflows can be attributed to its ability to facilitate collaboration and streamline the animation process, allowing artists to plan out key movements and ensure consistency across complex scenes. This method is further augmented by the mainstream usage of DCC tool features like step/spline mode, onion skinning, and motion trails.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1267,"comment_id":1268,"feature_image":1269,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1270,"updated_at":1271,"custom_excerpt":1272,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1273,"primary_tag":1274,"url":1275,"excerpt":1272,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1276},"377a9e89-3a34-4d0f-9757-37bb64f0fa31","683441e32c2dc700019388af","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1529229504105-4ea795dcbf59?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDZ8fG1vdmVtZW50fGVufDB8fHx8MTc0ODI2MTMxOXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-05-26T12:26:43.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:05:00.000+01:00","Learn the difference between straight-ahead and pose-to-pose animation, and how to choose the best method for your scene. This guide covers pros, cons, and digital techniques to help animators plan with confidence.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/straight-ahead-action-pose-to-pose-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@aoddeh?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Ahmad Odeh\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/straight-ahead-action-pose-to-pose-animation","2025-06-09T10:00:37.000+02:00",{"title":1262},"straight-ahead-action-pose-to-pose-animation","posts/straight-ahead-action-pose-to-pose-animation",[1283],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"54oJp8dGh-St4ZQu2f06F8pPe2lgVE9nnBe750bIolU",{"id":1286,"title":1287,"authors":1288,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1290,"meta":1291,"navigation":15,"path":1301,"published_at":1302,"seo":1303,"slug":1304,"stem":1305,"tags":1306,"__hash__":1307,"uuid":1292,"comment_id":1293,"feature_image":1294,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1295,"updated_at":1296,"custom_excerpt":1297,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1298,"primary_tag":8,"url":1299,"excerpt":1297,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1300},"ghost/posts:staging-animation-principle.json","Staging in Animation (2026): Make Every Frame Count",[1289],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🖼️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The way you frame each moment matters\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>In animation, how you present characters and props to viewers holds great power.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But with many parameters to take into account, like posing or camera angles, good staging is a challenge: not all animations achieve the level of every frame looking like a painting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on for best practices to transform your animations into more compelling stories!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-staging\">\u003Cstrong>What's Staging?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Staging is the clear presentation of an idea or emotion to the audience\u003C/strong>, making sure a scene effectively communicates the intended message.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a scene where a character is about to discover a hidden treasure, staging could involve positioning the character in a way that highlights their curiosity and anticipation, perhaps through body language like leaning forward or eyes widening. The lighting could be focused on the treasure chest, making it the focal point of the scene, while everything else falls slightly into shadow. The camera angle might be placed at a lower position, looking up slightly to emphasize the character's excitement and the significance of the discovery.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-staging-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Is Staging Important?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Staging helps the audience easily \u003Cstrong>understand what is happening\u003C/strong> in a scene. It clarifies the storyline by directing the viewer’s attention to the most important aspects of the action.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Staging also \u003Cstrong>adds to the emotional experience\u003C/strong> by using composition, camera angles, and lighting to support the mood of the scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By organizing elements aesthetically and logically, \u003Cstrong>staging maintains the viewer’s interest\u003C/strong> while improving the cinematic quality of the scene, which significantly contributes to the appeal of an animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Good staging is economical because \u003Cstrong>it conveys complex ideas through visual storytelling\u003C/strong> without the need for excessive dialogue or exposition.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-posing\">\u003Cstrong>1. Posing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/solid-drawing/\">\u003Cu>Posing involves arranging characters, props, and other background elements\u003C/u>\u003C/a> within the frame to express a character's emotions, intentions, or relationships with other characters or objects.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Understand the character and scene\u003C/strong> - Study the character’s personality and backstory to create poses that are true to their nature, while taking into account the context of the scene.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Silhouette clarity\u003C/strong> - Design poses that can be easily read as a silhouette.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Exaggeration\u003C/strong> - Push poses to improve their expressiveness and make them more impactful.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Line of action\u003C/strong> - Use a clear and strong line of action to give energy and flow to the pose.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Balance and weight\u003C/strong> - Poses need proper balance to avoid looking unnatural, but you should avoid too much symmetry.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Facial expressions\u003C/strong> - Faces are often the focal point, so expressions need to align with the body language of poses.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Contrast and variation\u003C/strong> - Use contrasting poses to highlight differences in mood or action between characters.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>When I think of amazing posing, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure comes to mind. For Hirohiko Araki, posing isn't just a way for characters to move through space. It's a tool to tell a captivating story, inspired by his love for fashion:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-camera\">\u003Cstrong>2. Camera\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The camera guides the focus on essential actions or expressions to tell the audience what's important in the scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/camera-work-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>Different camera techniques set the tone of a scene\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, and great camera work allows the audience to feel part of the scene by offering perspectives that enhance immersion.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Plan with storyboards\u003C/strong> - Use storyboards to map out camera angles and movements.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Choose the right angle\u003C/strong> - Use angles to reinforce the viewer’s perspective. For example, a low angle makes a character appear powerful, while a high angle conveys vulnerability. Consider the impact of each angle on the scene’s clarity and storytelling.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Control camera moves\u003C/strong> - Decide on static shots, pans, tilts, or other movements based on what best serves the narrative. Overly complex movements may distract from the message, so make sure camera movements are smooth and purposeful, not just for the sake of visual flair.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>In Tarzan, vine-swinging scenes leverage different camera techniques to make them not only great to watch but also give a sense of the environment and the scale in which the story unfolds:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/05/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/05/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/05/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/05/image.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Disney\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-composition\">\u003Cstrong>3. Composition\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Like camera work,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-layout/\"> \u003Cu>composition tells the audience what's important\u003C/u>\u003C/a> in the shot and where they should focus their attention.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Determine the focal point\u003C/strong> - Decide what the focal point of the scene is. Whether it's a character, an action, or an object, ensure that this element stands out through size, color, or placement.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use the rule of thirds\u003C/strong> - Divide the frame into nine equal parts using two equally spaced horizontal lines and two vertical lines. Position the most significant elements along these lines or at their intersections for a balanced and aesthetically pleasing composition.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Balance your elements\u003C/strong> - Create a sense of symmetry or asymmetry by balancing visual weights across your composition to guide the viewer's eye.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Consider lines and flow\u003C/strong> - Use lines (both literal and implied, such as sightlines or motion paths) to direct the viewer’s gaze and create flow.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create depth\u003C/strong> - Leverage techniques like overlapping, varying size (scale), and perspective to add depth.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Leverage contrast\u003C/strong> - Apply contrast in color, tone, size, or shape to make the focal point stand out. High contrast draws attention to the most important elements and create visual hierarchy.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Simplify and eliminate clutter\u003C/strong> - Remove unnecessary details that might distract from the main focal point.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Frame within a frame\u003C/strong> - Try using natural elements within your scene to create a frame around the subject.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>The King And The Mockingbird is a classic example of composition inspired by surrealist painters, making the most of all frame elements to mesmerise you:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-lighting\">\u003Cstrong>4. Lighting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Again, lighting is another tool to direct the audience's eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>Different lighting setups can also evoke different emotions\u003C/u>\u003C/a>: for example, soft, warm lighting can create a sense of cosiness and safety, but harsh, cold lighting could establish a feeling of tension or unease.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Shadows and highlights improve the perception of depth in a scene to make characters and backgrounds appear more three-dimensional.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lighting also communicates the time of day and helps establish the setting.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Define the light source\u003C/strong> - Establish the primary light source(s) in the scene. Natural light (like the sun) behaves differently from artificial sources, and knowing the type of light informs its direction and intensity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create a lighting plan\u003C/strong> - Sketch out a quick lighting plan for each scene, including light direction, intensity, and color temperature to match the emotional tone.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Layer lighting\u003C/strong> - Use key lights to highlight important characters or actions, fill lights to soften shadows, and rim or backlights to separate subjects from the background.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Play with contrast\u003C/strong> - Adjust contrast to draw attention to focal points. High contrast creates dramatic tension, while low contrast suggests calm.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Experiment with colors\u003C/strong> - Use colored lighting to add to the mood or convey different times of day or emotional states. Cool blue tones for nighttime, warm oranges for a sunset, etc.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas leaves a great deal to lighting sources to set the stage for the story. The dim moonlight of Halloween Town contrasts greatly with the merry lights of Christmas Town:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Good staging is the bare requisite of engaging animations. It focuses on posing, camera work, composition, and lighting, which collectively guide the viewer's eye and highlight the narrative's key elements while also adding emotional depth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Great staging makes the animation so memorable that viewers will remember its frames for years, like any good painting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But staging is only one piece of the puzzle. It's also important to\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cu>understand other animation principles\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, like timing or anticipation, to become a proficient animator.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1292,"comment_id":1293,"feature_image":1294,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1295,"updated_at":1296,"custom_excerpt":1297,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1298,"primary_tag":8,"url":1299,"excerpt":1297,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1300},"70024ed4-10f5-459e-86b7-71fd9cfa9055","683441e42c2dc700019388b5","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/05/Staging.jpg","2025-05-26T12:26:44.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:43:04.000+01:00","Master the art of staging in animation with techniques to improve posing, camera work, composition, and lighting—so every frame tells a clear, compelling story.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/staging-animation-principle/","\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Darvideo Animation Studio\u003C/em>\u003C/i>","/posts/staging-animation-principle","2025-06-02T10:00:45.000+02:00",{"title":1287},"staging-animation-principle","posts/staging-animation-principle",[],"Zym19dqF6GyIVcd_18goP_OQgSMCXJfb5Rt8J6XX17o",{"id":1309,"title":1310,"authors":1311,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1313,"meta":1314,"navigation":15,"path":1325,"published_at":1326,"seo":1327,"slug":1328,"stem":1329,"tags":1330,"__hash__":1332,"uuid":1315,"comment_id":1316,"feature_image":1317,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1318,"updated_at":1319,"custom_excerpt":1320,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1321,"primary_tag":1322,"url":1323,"excerpt":1320,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1324},"ghost/posts:from-script-to-screen-voice-acting-in-animated-storytelling.json","Voice Acting in Animated Storytelling (2026): From Script to Screen",[1312],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🗣️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Voice acting is more than just reading lines—it’s a blend of performance, training, and emotional intelligence. Whether it’s narration, dubbing, or full-on character work, voice actors are essential to making animated worlds feel real and memorable.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction\">\u003Cstrong>Introduction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In Japan, voice actors possess a star power akin to that of pop idols and movie celebrities, with their own fan clubs and reality shows. These 'seiyuu' showcase the critical role voice acting plays in storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But in the rest of the world, voice acting is still an underrated profession. In today's article, we wanted to shed some light on the fascinating profession of voice actors and how they help create memorable characters.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-voice-acting\">\u003Cstrong>What's Voice Acting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Voice acting is the art of \u003Cstrong>providing voices to animated characters\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>An example of voice acting in animation is Tom Hanks as Woody in the \"Toy Story\" films.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-animation-needs-voice-actors\">\u003Cstrong>Why Animation Needs Voice Actors\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Voice actors bring animated characters to life\u003C/strong> by infusing them with personality and emotions. Robin Williams's performance as the Genie in Disney's \"Aladdin\" gave the character a memorable personality that contributed significantly to the film's success. Williams’s improvisational skills added layers to the Genie to make him endearing and humorous.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Through their vocal performances, \u003Cstrong>voice actors convey narrative nuances\u003C/strong> that visuals alone cannot fully capture. James Earl Jones's deep and resonant voice as Mufasa in \"The Lion King\" helped convey authority, wisdom, and warmth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Beyond storytelling, \u003Cstrong>good voice acting has a significant impact on the appeal and memorability of a character\u003C/strong>, especially if the voice actor already has a following. When you think of your favorite animated character, their voice is one of the first elements that comes to mind.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"types-of-voice-acting-in-animation\">\u003Cstrong>Types Of Voice Acting In Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Voice acting can be categorized into four main types: character, narration, commercial, and translation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each category requires a unique set of skills and serves distinct purposes in the storytelling process:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character voice acting\u003C/strong> - Character voice acting is the most recognized form of voice work in animation. Actors bring animated personas to life through vocal performances that reflect the characters' personalities, emotions, and arcs. This type of voice acting demands versatility, as actors often need to embody a wide range of characters, from heroes and villains to sidekicks and background figures, sometimes even within the same project. Character voice actors must be adept at altering their vocal tone, pitch, and style to match the on-screen characters.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Narration\u003C/strong> - Narration serves as a guiding voice that provides context, exposition, or insight into the storyline. A narrator's role is to maintain a balance between being informative and engaging, often setting the mood and tone for the entire piece. This form of voice acting is pivotal in storytelling techniques where visual cues alone may not suffice. Narrators often act as an omniscient presence, helping to bridge scenes, introduce characters, or provide backstory.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Commercial voice acting\u003C/strong> - Commercial voice acting in animation is used in animated advertisements and promotional content. This type of voice work focuses on delivering messages clearly and persuasively while respecting the brand tone. Voice actors adjust their vocal delivery to suit the target audience to evoke specific emotions or drive consumer actions. The challenge lies in conveying enthusiasm, trustworthiness, and clarity, often within a short time frame, to effectively engage and persuade viewers.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Translation voice acting\u003C/strong> - Translation voice acting, also known as dubbing, is crucial in adapting animated content for international audiences. It replaces the original dialogue with a translated script while maintaining the integrity of the original performance. Like regular voice acting, dubbing requires actors to match the lip movements and emotional expressions of the animated characters. Actors often have to navigate cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions to ensure the translated dialogue resonates with local audiences while preserving the essence of the original content.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>In any case, voice actors follow a similar 4-phase process.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-voice-training\">\u003Cstrong>1. Voice Training\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Voice training creates \u003Cstrong>the foundation for delivering compelling performances\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One of the primary elements of voice training is \u003Cstrong>versatility\u003C/strong>―developing a wide vocal range that allows actors to bring different characters to life, each with a unique voice. Whether it's portraying a young child, a gruff villain, or a whimsical creature, the ability to switch between various pitches, tones, and styles is essential for creating distinctive and memorable characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Endurance\u003C/strong> is another crucial aspect of voice training. Voice actors often undergo long recording sessions that can be vocally demanding, so developing vocal control and stamina is necessary to maintain consistent quality throughout these extended periods. Proper breathing techniques, posture, and vocal exercises are integral to enhancing endurance.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-character-analysis\">\u003Cstrong>2. Character Analysis\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A thorough understanding of the characters not only shapes how they are portrayed but also how they resonate with audiences. This analysis is intrinsically linked with both scriptwriting and character design to form a cohesive framework for voice actors to deliver performances that bring animated characters to life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Narration and commercial voice actors aren't exempted―far from it―since they still play a character and relate to an audience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-scripts/\">\u003Cu>Scriptwriting lays the foundation for character development\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. It is through the script that characters gain their personalities, motivations, and distinctive voices. \u003Cstrong>A well-crafted script provides voice actors with detailed insights into a character’s background, emotional arc, and behavioral nuances.\u003C/strong> This information is important since it guides actors in making informed decisions on how to approach a role. By interpreting the dialogue and understanding the context, voice actors can add layers of depth to their performances and make sure each character is authentically represented according to the vision of the writers and directors.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\">\u003Cu>Character design is another key component of the character analysis process\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. \u003Cstrong>It involves visual storytelling elements like the character's appearance, movement, and expressiveness, which influence how a character is perceived by both the actors and the audience.\u003C/strong> For example, the physical traits depicted in the design, like the size, shape, and facial features, inform the voice actor on the possible vocal qualities to adopt, whether that involves adjusting their pitch, pace, or tone.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-acting\">\u003Cstrong>3. Acting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At the heart of voice acting is the performance itself.\u003C/strong> While each actor brings their unique style to a role, they must respect and embody the character's nature. This balance between personal flair and fidelity to the character is what distinguishes exceptional voice acting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The foundation of voice acting lies in the actor's ability to \u003Cstrong>read and interpret scripts accurately\u003C/strong>: a skilled voice actor not only reads the lines but also grasps the underlying subtext to bring depth to their performance while matching the vision of the directors.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Delivering dialogue also requires more than just a clear voice: \u003Cstrong>it demands timing, rhythm, and interaction with other characters\u003C/strong>, even when the actor might be performing alone in the studio. The challenge is to match the energy and intention of the scene while maintaining clarity and fluidity in speech.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-sound-design\">\u003Cstrong>4. Sound Design\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Last but not least, voice actors need to take into account sound design.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>Sound design goes far beyond merely adding background noise or effects\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. It begins with the initial stages of production, often working in tandem with the voice acting team to ensure that the overall auditory atmosphere aligns with the tone of the animation. This synergy is crucial, as voice acting provides the primary emotional connection between the characters and the audience: \u003Cstrong>sound design supports and amplifies this connection\u003C/strong> by creating an immersive soundscape that captures the unique essence of each scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the early stages, sound designers might participate in table reads or recording sessions alongside the voice actors to grasp the nuances of the character's voices and the timing of their lines. \u003Cstrong>Understanding these elements helps in designing sounds that match the energy, rhythm, and pacing of the dialogue\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In some cases, \u003Cstrong>voice actors can be responsible for voice foley\u003C/strong>, including sounds like grunts, growls, roars, humming, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>During post-production, \u003Cstrong>sound designers meticulously synchronize sound effects with the animated visuals and voice tracks\u003C/strong>. They layer ambient sounds, Foley effects, and atmospheric audio to flesh out the world in which the characters exist.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Voice acting is a multifaceted art form that brings animated characters to life through a dynamic blend of creativity and technical skill. This article explored the various types of voice acting, emphasizing the importance of specialized voice training and in-depth character analysis in delivering memorable performances. Voice actors not only need to master their vocal abilities but also possess the insight to see into their characters' personalities, motivations, and emotions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Voice actors are not just performers; they are storytellers connecting audiences to animated worlds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Back in Japan, the seiyuu phenomenon underscores not only the cultural significance but also the artistic depth that expert voice actors contribute to animation. It's clear that the future of animation will continue to be profoundly shaped by these powerful voices, so consider voice acting as a viable career path!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1315,"comment_id":1316,"feature_image":1317,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1318,"updated_at":1319,"custom_excerpt":1320,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1321,"primary_tag":1322,"url":1323,"excerpt":1320,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1324},"f4f19d8f-0c22-4f5b-b409-412c96c4ec0f","6818549287083b0001edea26","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516485392461-3961cc21f1e7?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHZvaWNlJTIwYWN0b3J8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQ2NjAyNzEyfDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-05-05T08:02:58.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:34:47.000+01:00","From Japan’s seiyuu stars to iconic Disney performances, voice actors are the lifeblood of animated storytelling. Discover how they shape characters, elevate emotion, and bring entire worlds to life through sound.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/from-script-to-screen-voice-acting-in-animated-storytelling/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@dylu?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Jacek Dylag\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/from-script-to-screen-voice-acting-in-animated-storytelling","2025-05-26T10:00:24.000+02:00",{"title":1310},"from-script-to-screen-voice-acting-in-animated-storytelling","posts/from-script-to-screen-voice-acting-in-animated-storytelling",[1331],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"_o6HGUU3eZlPTc_TisdEszM1GYeSXEYD7rEr1qaxorA",{"id":1334,"title":1335,"authors":1336,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1338,"meta":1339,"navigation":15,"path":1350,"published_at":1351,"seo":1352,"slug":1353,"stem":1354,"tags":1355,"__hash__":1357,"uuid":1340,"comment_id":1341,"feature_image":1342,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1343,"updated_at":1344,"custom_excerpt":1345,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1346,"primary_tag":1347,"url":1348,"excerpt":1345,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1349},"ghost/posts:animation-art-style.json","How to Find Your Animation Art Style in a World of AI (2026)",[1337],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎨\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Finding your animation style isn’t just about visuals—it’s about storytelling, exploration, and making space for your unique creative voice. This guide shows how to stand out in a sea of sameness with authenticity and intent.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction\">\u003Cstrong>Introduction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In a world where technology eats everything (\u003Cem>cough\u003C/em> AI \u003Cem>cough\u003C/em>), it's easy to wonder if the art of animation is losing its unique touch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Hayao Miyazaki once famously critiqued the use of artificial intelligence in animation, suggesting that the soul of artistry could never be replicated by machines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But here we are in 2025 with everyone posting generated \"Ghibli art\".\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation is not just about bringing characters to life, fortunately. It can also be about leaving your personal imprint on every frame and scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Miyazaki’s work is iconic not because it follows a formula, but because it is steeped in his unique vision, storytelling prowess, and deep emotional resonance. Just as Miyazaki carved a niche for himself by staying true to his passion and principles, you, too, have the potential to forge your path.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a world of \"AI art\", your distinct style can be what sets you apart.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read this article for some tips on where to start.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-need-an-art-style-as-an-animator\">\u003Cstrong>Why You Need An Art Style As An Animator\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In a competitive industry like animation, \u003Cstrong>having a recognizable style sets you apart from other animators\u003C/strong>. It becomes a part of your personal brand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For freelance animators or those looking to establish their own studios, \u003Cstrong>a strong, consistent style can attract clients who resonate with your vision\u003C/strong>. Audiences are also drawn to animations that offer a fresh, unique perspective.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You might wonder what the point of developing your own style is when an AI can blatantly steal it without any repercussions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to note that Ghibli's situation is an extreme case. For Internet communities, it's a meme fueled by Ghibli's decades of influence on the collective unconscious. It reflects neither the vision nor the sense of storytelling of the studio―an empty shell.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your art style is \u003Cstrong>a reflection of your personality, experiences, and influences\u003C/strong>. It allows you to \u003Cstrong>express your individuality\u003C/strong>, thoughts, feelings, and perspectives through your work. This personal touch makes your animations more relatable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Developing a style that feels authentically yours brings \u003Cstrong>a sense of satisfaction\u003C/strong>. It allows for greater creative freedom, as you are not confined by the expectations or norms set by others.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>AI cannot steal any of those, so go ahead and have fun anyway!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-finding-your-voice\">\u003Cstrong>1. Finding Your Voice\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is about stories, so \u003Cstrong>your style should be a reflection of the stories you wish to tell\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You'll naturally uncover your distinctive voice as an animator by focusing on storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Central to this process is your vision—an individual perspective that influences how you interpret and create stories.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Your artistic vision guides the choices you make\u003C/strong>, from character design to color palettes, and shapes the narratives you wish to explore. Tim Burton is a perfect example: his distinct style, characterised by gothic whimsy and quirky characters, is a direct reflection of his unique vision and creative mind. His animations are immediately recognizable and have become synonymous with his name.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Keep in mind \u003Cstrong>you don't need to become overly fixated on pinning down a personal style\u003C/strong> immediately. Your style should feel natural, a genuine form of self-expression that emerges gradually as you continue to grow and experience. Your style evolves with you.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Embracing this organic development is key, \u003Cstrong>just as stories change over time, so too will your approach to animation\u003C/strong>. By nurturing your vision while remaining open to growth, you'll find that your unique style will reveal itself.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-the-importance-of-consumption\">\u003Cstrong>2. The Importance Of Consumption\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The journey to discovering our unique style often begins with what we consume: the media, art, and animation that we experience all play a crucial role in shaping our creative outlook. \u003Cstrong>It's through this consumption that we gather inspiration.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One popular idea in the creative community is the concept of \"stealing like an artist.\" It doesn't mean copying someone else's work outright, but rather \u003Cstrong>absorbing a wide variety of influences and reimagining them\u003C/strong> in a personal and innovative way.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By observing how other artists solve creative problems or tell compelling stories, we can develop a more refined understanding of what resonates with us and incorporate those elements into our style. That's how humanity evolved for thousands of years.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This practice encourages us to borrow aspects we admire, mix them with our perspective, and ultimately create something uniquely ours.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Hayao Miyazaki himself stood on the shoulders of giants, like his mentor Yasuo Otsuka, or French animator Paul Grimault, with The King and The Mockingbird:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\"\u003Cem>We were formed by the films and filmmakers of the 1950s. At that time\u003C/em>,\u003Cem> I started watching a lot of films. One filmmaker who really influenced me was the French animator Paul Grimault. [...] It was through watching Le Roi et l'Oiseau by Paul Grimault that I understood how it was necessary to use space in a vertical manner.\u003C/em>\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But \u003Cstrong>continuous consumption without reflection or intention can dilute our originality\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to periodically step away from the influx of external influences and brain rot and engage in what might be called a creative detox―an intentional pause that allows us to process what we've absorbed, letting our natural preferences emerge without being overshadowed by current trends or the styles of others. We need to create space for our inner voice to speak.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-exploration\">\u003Cstrong>3. Exploration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Consumption is one thing, but \u003Cstrong>you also need intentional practice\u003C/strong>: exploring different artistic mediums and techniques is a great way to work on a unique style.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One way to begin is by \u003Cstrong>engaging in traditional forms of art\u003C/strong> like drawing and painting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Drawing, whether a quick sketch or a detailed study, sharpens your understanding of form, line, and texture. It encourages you to observe the world around you with a keen eye and translate those observations into visual stories.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Similarly, painting opens up a world of color and composition, allowing you to experiment with mood and lighting in ways that can enrich your animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sculpting is another avenue for exploration, particularly when it involves creating models for claymation. Working with your hands to mould characters and scenes brings a tactile dimension to your creative process. It challenges you to think in three dimensions and consider the physical space your characters inhabit, which can enhance your ability to convey depth and realism in your animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>More broadly, you can find different benefits in exploring all kinds of art forms.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Trying new tools is another way to push your creative boundaries\u003C/strong>: whether it's getting comfortable with a new type of software, using a tablet for digital drawing, or using animation techniques like stop-motion or 3D modeling, each tool offers unique possibilities and inspires innovative approaches.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-change-your-process\">\u003Cstrong>4. Change Your Process\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Beyond tools and art techniques, finding your unique style as an animator \u003Cstrong>requires shaking up your creative routine\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It can be incredibly beneficial to \u003Cstrong>first learn the best practices of the industry\u003C/strong>. Familiarizing yourself with these established methods provides a foundation on which to build, and paradoxically, they can also serve as guideposts for understanding how to break free from the norm when the time is right.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One effective strategy for evolving your style is to \u003Cstrong>experiment with different environments, workflows, and topics\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned,\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>trying out new animation software or tools\u003C/u>\u003C/a> can introduce you to different ways of thinking about your art, but you can also \u003Cstrong>consider altering your usual working space\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Exploring unfamiliar themes or narratives\u003C/strong> in your animations challenges your usual assumptions and pushes the boundaries of your comfort zone.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-create-your-studio\">\u003Cstrong>5. Create Your Studio\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Embracing your unique animation style can mean stepping outside the confines of someone else's studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While working within an established studio offers invaluable experience and insight, it limits the full expression of your individual style. \u003Cstrong>To truly let your creativity flourish, you need your own space\u003C/strong>—whether it's a physical studio or a metaphorical artistic environment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-start-an-animation-studio-as-a-freelancer/\">\u003Cu>Creating your own studio\u003C/u>\u003C/a> allows you to define the parameters of your creative process so that your artistic voice can be heard without interference. This freedom enables you to experiment, take risks, and explore new techniques that might not align with the established norms of other studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While independence is empowering, \u003Cstrong>seeking validation and feedback from external sources remains crucial\u003C/strong>. Release your work. Engage with a community of fellow animators, mentors, and audiences to gather diverse perspectives on your work. Constructive criticism provides the motivation and direction needed to refine your style further.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>So, what does it truly mean to find your style as an animator? It's a journey of discovery—blending your influences, experimenting with different techniques, and ultimately, embracing your individuality. You can draw inspiration from other studios, but your signature as an artist will come from the authenticity you bring to your work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You're making more than just art, you're defining your legacy in the world of animation, while getting a chance to express who you are. Embrace the challenge and let your style speak for yourself: the magic of animation lies not in the tools we use, but in the soul we pour into our craft.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For this reason, and leaving the ethical aspect aside, worrying about AI stealing your style is an overreaction. Nobody can tell stories like you do, even if the looks are similar, so go ahead and do it anyway!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1340,"comment_id":1341,"feature_image":1342,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1343,"updated_at":1344,"custom_excerpt":1345,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1346,"primary_tag":1347,"url":1348,"excerpt":1345,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1349},"d1133fc6-a7e7-413b-a006-5070e556063a","6818549587083b0001edea2c","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1630207831419-3532bcb828d7?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE0fHxhbmltYXRpb258ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQ2NjAyMzI5fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000","2025-05-05T08:03:01.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:06:15.000+01:00","In a world filled with AI-generated art, developing a personal animation style is more important than ever. Discover how to explore your influences, evolve your process, and build a style that’s uniquely yours.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-art-style/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@javaistan?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Afif Ramdhasuma\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-art-style","2025-05-19T10:00:50.000+02:00",{"title":1335},"animation-art-style","posts/animation-art-style",[1356],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"7qyXgptKWH9q9rKz-cXBTG776saC22aUUAnqvnIzQ5A",{"id":1359,"title":1360,"authors":1361,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1363,"meta":1364,"navigation":15,"path":1375,"published_at":1376,"seo":1377,"slug":1378,"stem":1379,"tags":1380,"__hash__":1382,"uuid":1365,"comment_id":1366,"feature_image":1367,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1368,"updated_at":1369,"custom_excerpt":1370,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1371,"primary_tag":1372,"url":1373,"excerpt":1370,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1374},"ghost/posts:character-sheet-animation.json","Character Sheets (2026): The Blueprint for Consistent Animation",[1362],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📄\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Consistency is key in animation—and character sheets are how you keep it. Learn how to build expressive, functional character sheets that support your team from concept to final frame.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction\">\u003Cstrong>Introduction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Creating memorable characters is an art form, but animating them throughout the whole production in a consistent way is just as challenging.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To make this work more effectively, animators rely on a simple tool: the character sheet.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article explores the process of creating a character sheet that not only captures the essence of your character but also serves as a comprehensive guide throughout the whole pipeline, from defining distinct visual styles to ensuring consistency across every animated movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on to discover how to make better character sheets!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-a-character-sheet\">\u003Cstrong>What's A Character Sheet\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A character sheet is \u003Cstrong>a reference document that provides detailed information about a character's design, movements, and often personality traits\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It typically includes a turnaround, expressions, poses, and details of specific features or clothing. It can also include notes on color schemes, proportions, and any distinctive characteristics that need to be consistent throughout production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Avatar: The Last Airbender, a character sheet for the character Aang could include his bald head with the signature blue arrow tattoo, and his clothing details reflecting the Air Nomad aesthetic. This sheet ensures that every animator working on the series can accurately depict Aang in any given scene:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-a-character-sheet-is-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why A Character Sheet Is Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Character sheets make sure \u003Cstrong>all animators and artists working on a project maintain consistency\u003C/strong> in the appearance and design of a character to avoid visual discrepancies that could distract the audience. This uniformity is crucial, especially in long-form animations or series, where multiple scenes might be produced by different teams or at different times.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Character sheets typically show how they move and emote, not just what they look like. \u003Cstrong>It helps animators understand the character's personality\u003C/strong> to improve the quality of the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Character sheets are \u003Cstrong>crucial communication tools\u003C/strong> among different departments in animation production, like storyboard artists, animators, character designers, and directors: by providing a visual reference that everyone can follow, character sheets help streamline the workflow, reducing misunderstandings and saving time by minimizing the need for corrections. \u003Cstrong>It's essential for studios to save costs.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-character-turnaround\">\u003Cstrong>1. Character Turnaround\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A character turnaround provides a 360-degree view of a character through a series of images:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Front view\u003C/strong>—Animators begin with a detailed front-view drawing. This is often the most straightforward angle, laying the foundation for the other views. The front view shows the character facing directly forward, helping the viewer understand the character’s symmetry and primary features.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Profile/side view\u003C/strong> - We then use horizontal guidelines to ensure features align correctly from the front. The profile view depicts the character from the side, usually the right side. It highlights the depth and silhouette of the character, showing elements like the nose, ears, and arms in profile.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Back view\u003C/strong> - The front view is used to mirror elements in the back view, adjusting for any asymmetrical details. The back view is a look at the character from the rear. Important for understanding back-specific features such as hairstyles, clothing details, and body posture.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Three-quarter views\u003C/strong> - These views are typically midway between the front and side views (both front and back). They provide a more dynamic perspective, revealing depth and how elements wrap around the character’s form. These are often the most challenging since they involve foreshortening and perspective. Use the front and side views as references.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-expression-sheet\">\u003Cstrong>2. Expression Sheet\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>An expression sheet is a type of model sheet that showcases various facial expressions a character can make to reflect their emotions, attitude, and personality:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character's emotional range\u003C/strong> - The sheet displays a variety of emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, and fear. Each expression is carefully crafted to ensure it feels authentic to the character's personality.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Head angles\u003C/strong> - Often, expressions are shown from various angles (front, profile, three-quarter views) to guide animators on how a character's face changes with different perspectives.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Eye and mouth shapes\u003C/strong> - Detailed illustrations of how the eyes and mouth alter with each expression to convey emotion accurately.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-pose-sheet\">\u003Cstrong>3. Pose Sheet\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A pose sheet explains how a character moves and behaves in different situations.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Basic poses\u003C/strong> - Standard positions that define the character's physical attributes, personality, and behaviour. It often includes the T-pose, which shows the character standing upright with arms stretched out to the sides to allow animators to see the character’s proportions and details clearly.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Key poses\u003C/strong> - Significant positions that reflect key actions or emotional states of the character. Examples might include running, jumping, laughing, or any other action that is characteristic of the character.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Silhouette views\u003C/strong> - Simple outlines of the character in various poses to check if the character’s form is readable without internal details.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Interaction poses\u003C/strong> - Poses that show the character interacting with objects or other characters can sometimes be included, depending on the complexity of the animation.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-props\">\u003Cstrong>4. Props\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Props can be extensions of a character’s personality. For example, a character’s unique weapon or quirky gadget can become an iconic aspect of their identity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Props are often integral to the plot (e.g., magic wands in a fantasy setting, high-tech gadgets in a sci-fi story): they can drive the narrative forward, and their design should reflect this significance.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Prop contextualization\u003C/strong> - Make sure props are depicted in relation to the character. Show how a gun fits in a holster or how a hat sits on a character's head to give animators a clear understanding of scale and proportion relative to the character.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Multiple angles\u003C/strong> - Illustrate props from various angles and perspectives.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Functional breakdown\u003C/strong> - Include a breakdown of movable parts or components if the prop has functional elements (e.g., a folding umbrella or a transforming gadget). Animators need to know how these elements work mechanically to animate them believably.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Material and texture notes\u003C/strong> - Add notes regarding the material or texture of the prop to help during texturing and rendering. This could include glossiness, fabric types, or the reflection of light.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-color-palette\">\u003Cstrong>5. Color Palette\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-color-palettes/\">\u003Cu>Color palettes convey the character's personality\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and the overall tone of the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Highlight key colors\u003C/strong> - Artists identify and list the main colors used in a character’s design: base colors for skin, hair, and clothing, along with details like eyes or accessories. Present these colors as swatches, typically in a row or grid format near the character illustration.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Shade variations\u003C/strong> - A series of shade variations are included for each key color, covering light, mid-tone, and dark shades to demonstrate how the character looks in different lighting conditions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Labelling and notation\u003C/strong> - We clearly label each swatch with names or codes (such as RGB, HEX, or Pantone) to ensure consistency across different platforms and media. Artists often provide notes on the use of each color, if necessary, such as when certain colors should be used (e.g., bright light vs. shadow).\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>You can also include small illustrations in the character sheet to show the character in different lighting scenarios, using the provided color palette for reference.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-dont-underestimate-annotations\">\u003Cstrong>6. Don't Underestimate Annotations\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In animation, the adage \"show, don't tell\" should be a priority.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But sometimes \u003Cstrong>you need to write things down to avoid guesswork\u003C/strong>: including annotations in character sheets is essential for clarifying important details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can provide information about visual features (head, body structure, clothing, accessories, color palette, etc.), but also on turnarounds and expression sheets to help with nuances, proportions, and contextual cues.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Annotations are also a great way to mention personality traits that might affect animation, like a character being jittery, confident, or clumsy. You can describe typical mannerisms or habits that should be reflected in movement. You can even note down any particular speech patterns or vocal quirks for lip-syncing.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In conclusion, character sheets are an invaluable tool for animators to capture every detail necessary for (pre-)production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From the careful selection of a color palette to the turnaround, every element is meticulously analyzed for consistency. Annotations offer additional insight into a character's unique attributes, and expression sheets and pose sheets capture the emotional and physical range of the character. Props provide additional contextual storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But creating character sheets is pointless if not grounded in\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\"> \u003Cu>strong character designs\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, so make sure to spend ample time on concept development.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1365,"comment_id":1366,"feature_image":1367,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1368,"updated_at":1369,"custom_excerpt":1370,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1371,"primary_tag":1372,"url":1373,"excerpt":1370,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1374},"648b2437-c639-4f60-862c-7c488c9bd222","6818549787083b0001edea32","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/05/character-design-sheet-for-2d-animation-1024x545.jpg","2025-05-05T08:03:03.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:29:53.000+01:00","Character sheets are the unsung heroes of animation production. From turnarounds to pose sheets, learn how these vital tools help keep characters consistent, expressive, and production-ready from start to finish.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-sheet-animation/","\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: 21 Draw\u003C/em>\u003C/i>","/posts/character-sheet-animation","2025-05-12T10:00:47.000+02:00",{"title":1360},"character-sheet-animation","posts/character-sheet-animation",[1381],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"UHVqoCao9E_c9ZUns9WUOZoM5_9nQW5goLAwxCjyzYQ",{"id":1384,"title":1385,"authors":1386,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1388,"meta":1389,"navigation":15,"path":1400,"published_at":1401,"seo":1402,"slug":1403,"stem":1404,"tags":1405,"__hash__":1407,"uuid":1390,"comment_id":1391,"feature_image":1392,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1393,"updated_at":1394,"custom_excerpt":1395,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1396,"primary_tag":1397,"url":1398,"excerpt":1395,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1399},"ghost/posts:appeal-animation-principle.json","The Appeal Principle (2026): The Heart of Every Great Animation",[1387],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">😍\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Ever wonder what makes a character like Totoro or Mickey Mouse so instantly lovable? It’s all about appeal.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Why do we like animation so much when we can turn anything into live-action?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's all about appeal. Animation is a distinct medium for expression with its own unique appeal, and you can't translate this appeal easily to other media.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The question becomes, how can animators bring out this unique appeal from their work?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Think of Disney, and the iconic figure of Mickey Mouse comes to mind. With his distinctive round ears and cheerful expression, Mickey embodies the principle of appeal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on for common techniques and best practices to increase the appeal of your animation to Mickey Mouse levels of charisma!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-appeal\">\u003Cstrong>What's Appeal\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The appeal principle is \u003Cstrong>the concept of creating characters and visuals that are engaging to the audience\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's about making the characters, expressions, and movements interesting and captivating to make them worth watching.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It doesn't necessarily mean that the character has to be conventionally beautiful or cute―even villains or unconventional characters can be appealing if they're designed with unique and memorable traits. Scar from The Lion King includes distinctive attributes like his sharp features, expressive eyes, and memorable voice that make him interesting and engaging to watch. His movements and expressions convey his cunning and charisma.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-appeal\">\u003Cstrong>Why Appeal\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In Up, the design of Carl Fredricksen with his boxy frame, square glasses, and unexpressive face conveys his stubborn yet lovable personality and the emotional depth of his character arc. \u003Cstrong>The appeal of Carl's design plays a significant role in storytelling\u003C/strong> by visually expressing his transformation from a grumpy, isolated widower to a caring, adventurous companion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The character Totoro is designed with a simple yet striking silhouette, large eyes, and a soft, huggable appearance. \u003Cstrong>His appeal makes him so memorable that\u003C/strong> \u003Cstrong>it became an iconic symbol\u003C/strong> not just for the film but also for the studio itself, cementing the character in popular culture.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Frozen, a secondary character like Olaf the Snowman is designed with rounded shapes, expressive eyes, and a friendly demeanour to make him instantly likeable. These appealing traits help audiences emotionally connect with him, supporting his role as a comic relief and a beloved companion to Elsa and Anna. \u003Cstrong>His appeal is also crucial in making viewers care about his character despite his secondary role\u003C/strong> in the story.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-character-design\">\u003Cstrong>1. Character Design\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Character design is the process of creating the appearance, personality, and traits of a character for an animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It often starts with concept drawings and evolves into more detailed 2D or 3D models that animators use as a reference.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Character design is key for the appeal principle because \u003Cstrong>it directly influences how a character looks\u003C/strong>, both how visually attractive a character is and how effectively they communicate emotion and narrative:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Shape language\u003C/strong> -\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-shape-language/\"> \u003Cu>Animators make use of basic shapes\u003C/u>\u003C/a> (circles, squares, triangles) to convey different traits and personalities.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Solid drawing\u003C/strong> -\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/solid-drawing/\"> \u003Cu>A sense of depth and weight contributes to the believability\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and appeal of the character. Artists make sure that each character has a distinct silhouette that can be recognized even in shadow: a clear silhouette makes it easier for the audience to quickly understand the character’s shape.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color theory\u003C/strong> -\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-color-palettes/\"> \u003Cu>Colors are used strategically\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to differentiate characters and reflect their personalities. Warm colors can suggest energy or aggression, while cool colors often suggest calmness or mystery. Contrasting colors can make them more striking and memorable.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-exaggeration\">\u003Cstrong>2. Exaggeration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/exaggeration-animation-principle/\">\u003Cu>Exaggeration is another one of the 12 principles\u003C/u>\u003C/a> of animation that involves amplifying actions, expressions, or features to enhance the impact of a character or scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Exaggeration is important for the appeal principle as well because \u003Cstrong>it makes the character's personality and actions more memorable\u003C/strong>: a character that moves, reacts, and exaggeratedly expresses emotions is way more appealing and can communicate ideas and feelings more effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Animators \u003Cstrong>exaggerate facial features and expressions\u003C/strong> to more clearly depict emotions. A character's eyes pop or eyebrows arch dramatically when surprised.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Closely related to exaggeration,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/squash-stretch-principle/\"> \u003Cu>Squash and stretch\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is another animation principle where objects or characters are \u003Cstrong>exaggerated in their shape to convey weight and flexibility\u003C/strong>. A bouncing ball squashes on impact and stretches as it leaves the ground. This not only makes the motion more dynamic but also communicates the material properties of the object. The same principle can be applied to depict interacting forces, for example, during a chase or a fight scene, to make them look more interesting to watch.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-poses-overlapping-actions\">\u003Cstrong>3. Poses & Overlapping Actions\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Poses and facial expressions influence how we perceive actions and emotions.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Introducing a diverse range of poses\u003C/strong> throughout a scene maintains the viewer's interest. If a character is sad, instead of only showing slumped shoulders, you would include other poses like head in hands or a deep sigh with a turned-away face.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Animators design \u003Cstrong>strong, readable poses to clearly convey the character’s emotions and intentions\u003C/strong>, even in silhouette, using lines of action. When a character experiences surprise, their body language (wide eyes, open arms) emphasizes this emotion clearly in one frame.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Overlapping actions\u003C/strong> add a sense of fluidity and realism: actions should not start and end simultaneously to reflect inertia and weight. When a character turns their head, animators let the hair or loose garments follow through the motion with a slight delay. Animate different parts of the body slightly out of phase to achieve a more natural result.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Similarly, \u003Cstrong>secondary actions\u003C/strong> support the main action while adding depth to the scene. If a character is walking sadly, we include subtle actions like a sad hat bobbing with the step to enrich the primary action.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-timing\">\u003Cstrong>4. Timing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/timing-animation-principle/\">\u003Cu>Timing determines how quickly or slowly actions appear on the screen\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and shapes the flow of the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Poor timing has a drastic effect on the appeal of an animation. You can use it to make a viewer feel the weight of an object or character. Heavier objects require slower acceleration and deceleration, while lighter ones move more quickly. It can be applied, for instance, in a scene where a character lifts or drops an object, but also for a jump, a walk, a run, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>By adjusting the timing before a major action, \u003Cstrong>you can build anticipation\u003C/strong>. A character pulling back before a punch or a jump can have a slower timing than the punch or jump itself to create tension and make the subsequent action more impactful.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Varying the timing of character movements can also communicate different emotional states\u003C/strong>. Quick, sharp movements suggest excitement, anger, or surprise, whereas slow, deliberate movements show sadness, tiredness, or contemplation. In comedic sequences, the precise timing of delayed reactions, quick movements, and sudden pauses is crucial.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The overall pace of an animation sets the tone\u003C/strong>: a fast-paced sequence suggests action or chaos, while a slow, deliberate pace creates a serene or suspenseful atmosphere.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>A lack of timing results in a lifeless scene that's boring to watch and easily forgotten.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-camera\">\u003Cstrong>5. Camera\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/camera-work-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>Camera work is not only a means to guide the viewers through the story but also a storytelling tool\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to make the animation more appealing.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Using \u003Cstrong>dynamic camera angles adds drama and scale\u003C/strong>. Perspectives like bird’s eye or worm’s eye views immerse the audience further into the animated world. Dutch angles–where the camera is tilted slightly–introduce a sense of unease or tension.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Smooth camera movements maintain audience engagement\u003C/strong>. Tracking shots that follow the action draw viewers into the unfolding scene. Panning and tilting reveal important scene elements sequentially, naturally guiding the viewer’s focus.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Zoom techniques elevate tension and emphasize significant details\u003C/strong>. The dolly zoom, or Vertigo effect, creates a disorienting visual impression by simultaneously zooming out while moving the camera closer (or vice versa), adding an intense effect for pivotal moments.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Composition is also critical in creating visually appealing shots\u003C/strong>. The rule of thirds helps position main elements along grid lines to achieve a balance that pleases the eye. Using leading lines like roads or buildings guides viewer attention directly to the central subject, subtly reinforcing narrative intentions.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Over-the-shoulder shots for intimate conversations, point-of-view shots for perspective shifts, depth of field manipulation, transitions for pacing... the list goes on and on.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-audio\">\u003Cstrong>6. Audio\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>Audio creates a richer, more immersive experience\u003C/u>\u003C/a> for the audience by complementing the visual elements of animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>First, selecting voices that align with the personalities and physical traits of the characters is key. \u003Cstrong>The right voice enriches a character's uniqueness and relatability to make them more memorable and engaging\u003C/strong>. An expressive vocal performance conveys emotions and character growth. By choosing distinctive voice actors, characters are given life beyond their visual representation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Background sounds breathe life into scenes\u003C/strong>, whether it's the hustle and bustle of a city, the serene ambiance of a forest, or the calming crash of ocean waves. These subtle layers provide texture, enriching the setting and adding another dimension to the viewer's experience without drawing attention away from the narrative focus.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Timing sound effects precisely with on-screen actions reinforces the physicality of movements\u003C/strong> and establishes a clear cause-and-effect relationship. This synchronization helps ground the animation in a reality that is believable, even when the visuals stretch beyond the plausible.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Developing \u003Cstrong>unique sound cues for recurring character actions\u003C/strong> or traits, such as distinctive footsteps or memorable themes, can reflect their personality or mood. These auditory signatures become a part of the character's identity.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Equally important, \u003Cstrong>introducing moments of silence effectively builds tension or highlights visual elements\u003C/strong>. Strategically placed quiet moments allow emotions to linger and resonate more deeply with the audience.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In summary, appeal is a cornerstone of animation that determines a project's success with audiences. We've explored how various elements like character design, audio, camera work, timing, exaggeration, and poses can significantly add to the appeal of a scene, but there are many more elements to take into account to make animations more appealing!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All animation elements and tools can be used to increase the appeal of the end result, whether it's a unique art style or the creative use of colors. All you have to keep in mind as an animator is how well you can tell a story to an audience, and the rest will unfold naturally.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Make sure to\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cstrong>\u003Cu>read about the other 11 foundational animation principles\u003C/u>\u003C/strong>\u003C/a> and how they integrate with the appeal principle!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1390,"comment_id":1391,"feature_image":1392,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1393,"updated_at":1394,"custom_excerpt":1395,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1396,"primary_tag":1397,"url":1398,"excerpt":1395,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1399},"279f6c5e-cde7-4b63-a28e-93f5f273cd83","6818548f87083b0001edea20","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1615493749953-742903db7e9d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEwfHxoYXBweSUyMGNoYXJhY3RlcnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDY0MjUzMzV8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-05-05T08:02:55.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:25:19.000+01:00","From iconic silhouettes to strong poses and perfect timing—appeal is what makes animated characters stick. Learn how to master this vital animation principle and build more engaging, memorable work.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/appeal-animation-principle/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@prince_perry?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Perry Merrity II\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/appeal-animation-principle","2025-05-05T10:00:50.000+02:00",{"title":1385},"appeal-animation-principle","posts/appeal-animation-principle",[1406],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"58ZU5HfHn-zzk7d2G79akwlPayW7-v_gYJE0R8O3RX0",{"id":1409,"title":1410,"authors":1411,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1413,"meta":1414,"navigation":15,"path":1425,"published_at":1426,"seo":1427,"slug":1428,"stem":1429,"tags":1430,"__hash__":1432,"uuid":1415,"comment_id":1416,"feature_image":1417,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1418,"updated_at":1419,"custom_excerpt":1420,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1421,"primary_tag":1422,"url":1423,"excerpt":1420,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1424},"ghost/posts:timing-animation-principle.json","Timing Animation Principle (2026): The Hidden Key to Better Storytelling",[1412],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">😀\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Timing is everything in animation. Get it right, and your scenes come to life—get it wrong, and you lose the magic.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction\">\u003Cstrong>Introduction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We can all remember a scene where a character is interrupted mid-action with an awkward pause—just enough to induce a chuckle: this comedic timing is a perfect example of how important timing is in animation for storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXchOK682m_JCJiaFIBNdRMXIkMsaosbSyETGvAUC5XmfXpEP57EofiqtZ2keBglvVi30ChS1rypx2c61c6im0kYmWFr5_ck6Ad8ydM9CiM9xt4RPESkiokWlafBQy9y5rOdEwfO?key=efl3qnIZjmsN6y8rnyUBQP9A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"464\" height=\"279\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Hitpig!\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Timing isn't just about getting a sequence right: it's a tool to create more engaging animations, and all animators need to master it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explore what's timing―one of\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cu>the 12 principles of animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a>―and how it's refined during the production process to make more impactful animations.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-timing\">\u003Cstrong>What's Timing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing is the number of frames or the amount of time between two key poses or actions: it determines both the speed and the fluidity of motion in an animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd-cWFAm02Dr5QM1SXBUff2_Ki9mq8Tc4x9E8vKDfvtEDzs5SZAz0ueUEn9Id9r32MoSugHLNqYlJ6pRCvNxXLQMl2oJBEP8k4kRTIZ9f_Z-M0jdFDvwdUvGTn7LjKFNYYq9bngcg?key=efl3qnIZjmsN6y8rnyUBQP9A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"459\" height=\"248\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: fullfrontal.moe\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Timing is not to be confused with frame rate―the number of frames per second―or spacing―the distance between two frames or poses.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A simple change in timing has a noticeable effect on the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-timing-is-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Timing Is Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>First, timing is key for realism: in the real world, different objects and characters move at different speeds because of their size, weight, and the forces acting upon them. A heavy object takes longer to start or stop moving. Animators create more believable animations by replicating these factors through precise timing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As mentioned in the introduction, timing is also a powerful tool for storytelling: by manipulating the speed of movements and the duration of pauses, animators emphasize certain moments and bring depth to character actions and reactions. Slowing down a scene underscores a dramatic moment to allow the audience to absorb the significance of what's happening. Speeding up a sequence injects excitement and urgency to propel the story forward with energy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Good timing is a prerequisite of good pacing, which is crucial for keeping the audience invested. The rhythm of an animation, dictated by how quickly or slowly objects move, keeps viewers attentive. For example, an action sequence with rapid timing captures the audience's attention and conveys a thrilling sense of speed. But in a contemplative scene, a slower timing invites viewers to reflect and connect emotionally with the characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators have several tools available to improve the timing of a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-use-reference-footage\">\u003Cstrong>1. Use Reference Footage\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing uses reference footage as a practical guide for animators.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcaxyzLY8fR20-kD0sNm2sgM6YnZEbV8l8PzmKVsiA_cpYhUVoWP8MozgFaJwHkyv5jNk2wBq0eHrxXz0pF41S1qm5U3Iyii4NoWExQL2vohk1MwU0bZrrQj0lHEuXA5ubGGoAT6A?key=efl3qnIZjmsN6y8rnyUBQP9A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"217\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Alice In Wonderland, Disney\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Analyzing reference footage offers animators a sense of keyframes—the main poses that define the action of a sequence―and transitions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also use reference footage to precisely measure the timing between keyframes. These time numbers are foundational during the animation process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Discrepancies or awkward transitions between poses can disrupt sequences, but reference footage helps identify potential posing problems before production.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-time-charts\">\u003Cstrong>2. Time Charts\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A time chart is a diagram or a series of annotations that indicate how frames are distributed over time: a visual representation of the timing for a particular scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcbu08TtKdGx6BLvx75QgDK8RKfOVynsqQQl_HaZO5nBTOlIuS-nQ0mrLYpID9X_BXYQXwBoFpoOUZCHWHCJDhsCFG0FoAZKnM9f7UPTUZab0OcnTltHpZE5z-sb6hbGx5LGZJKjw?key=efl3qnIZjmsN6y8rnyUBQP9A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"273\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Animost Studio\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Time charts are often found in the margins of exposure sheets (X-sheets) or as part of a storyboard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A time chart helps maintain consistent timing across a sequence and allows animators to plan the number of frames needed for a particular action. It's a communication tool to help multiple animators understand how their individual segments fit into the overall sequence.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Plotting keyframes\u003C/strong> - Animators begin by determining the keyframes, which are then plotted on the time chart at specific intervals.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>In-betweening\u003C/strong> - The time chart shows how many in-betweens are needed to transition from one keyframe to the next. These in-betweens determine how smooth or fast the movement appears.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Adjusting timing\u003C/strong> - By adjusting the spacing between frames on the time chart, animators can fine-tune the timing of the action. Increasing the spacing speeds up an action.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ease in and ease out\u003C/strong> - Time charts can also show easing animations, where actions start slowly (slow in) or conclude slowly (slow out), adding a more natural movement to the animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Review and refinement\u003C/strong> - Animators frequently refer back to the time chart during reviews to make sure the timing remains consistent throughout the iterative production process.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-exposure-sheets\">\u003Cstrong>3. Exposure Sheets\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>An exposure sheet (X-sheet) is a vertical document divided into rows and columns where each row represents a single frame and columns represent different aspects of the animation like dialogue, music, sound effects, descriptions, and various annotations.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfDVcojqBbpJXh-rulb14fcG3LZhsNSDjCRr6T_9zBj_W6Of_ISzVR0gpHyd_zDLd-8Zh4cG6dZXuluMGBXcwR6XvdV8QFlUtiV42H78frljNEgP5-RLHvpOO9843Xr_dA_ImarwA?key=efl3qnIZjmsN6y8rnyUBQP9A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"623\" height=\"841\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Cartoon Buzz\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Animators use notations and symbols to represent the timing of different actions, including keyframes, in-betweens, holds, and other timing cues.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Like time charts, an exposure sheet provides a clear reference for every animator working on a project to maintain consistency while planning complex scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-onion-skinning\">\u003Cstrong>4. Onion Skinning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/p/6d2adb16-3154-4330-bd22-8617b2e7d658/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Onion skinning\u003C/a> is a feature in animation software that allows animators to see multiple frames simultaneously in a semi-transparent manner, like layers of an onion, hence the name.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcCMVGzievXovg4KOVpAn9L3m3RReACxSTOuR8gRBJZqUQrjDXsatQuxn3_VDULndGf11yVAztixUQDZkczx3JIm3kmkeOjN5HcpD1Sew3xfbxxIFNiFbJGtxhDfnmdSg3ieo6T?key=efl3qnIZjmsN6y8rnyUBQP9A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"316\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Documentation\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Onion skinning is essential for getting a clear understanding of the flow of motion and timing: animators can visually gauge the spacing between frames to edit the timing of movements and transitions. It also helps easily spot discrepancies in motion paths or unintended jumps in sequences for early correction.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For complex sequences with multiple moving parts, onion skinning provides a clear view of how different elements interact over time.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-motion-trails\">\u003Cstrong>5. Motion Trails\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Motion trails represent the path of an object through space over time, often depicted as a sequence of overlapping lines that show the object's previous and future positions:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXepw9_aXHjxtLMHCtETa10yM0tSM-6ZyvIUM8y-oc41PAXuk9_6fd-0E5U63I-gwGX6Txzrnsg1b-BIe7ROGes0kIHO7hB2N_hwJDCaFoMYpK7-J5m5lGF4Wdnf9RkK2F3jrKoVuA?key=efl3qnIZjmsN6y8rnyUBQP9A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"316\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Manual\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Motion trails make it sometimes easier than onion skinning to see the distribution of keyframes and in-betweens: animators can assess whether the spacing between frames achieves the desired timing, whether they want quick, snappy motion (with frames closer together) or slow, languid movement (with frames spaced further apart).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They also show the trajectory of the movement. Arcs are a fundamental principle of animation that contributes to fluidity.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"usage-with-other-animation-principles\">\u003Cstrong>Usage With Other Animation Principles\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Because timing is such an important part of animation, it's often indistinguishable from other animation principles:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Slow in/out\u003C/strong> - Timing determines\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/slow-in-out/\"> \u003Cu>how an object accelerates and decelerates\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, giving weight and realism. In the case of a bouncing ball, incorrect timing lacks the organic feel of gravity’s effect.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Follow through\u003C/strong> - If a character comes to a sudden halt after running,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/follow-through-overlapping-action/\"> \u003Cu>their clothes and hair would continue to move slightly forward for a few frames\u003C/u>\u003C/a> due to inertia before settling: if timed too fast, it appears snappy and unrealistic, while if too slow, it loses the sense of energy and momentum.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Overlapping action\u003C/strong> - Timing helps distinguish between the overlapping motions of different parts of a character or object. If your character waves a hand while walking, you'll need different timing between the arm and the legs to make the sequence more lifelike.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Anticipation\u003C/strong> - Timing is crucial to build up anticipation. If a character is about to jump, anticipation is having the character bend their knees and pull their arms back. If the timing is too short, the jump feels sudden and unprepared, but if too long, it can break the flow and lose the viewer.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>If animation is a series of poses, the timing between these poses is always something to consider.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing is a fundamental principle for animators to master. To do that, they can rely on tools like reference footage, time charts, exposure sheets, and onion skinning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Good timing is also a pillar of other animation principles like slow in and slow out, follow through, overlapping action, and anticipation: you need to understand each principle individually but also take into account how they bounce off each other.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Make sure not to underestimate its impact in your next work!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1415,"comment_id":1416,"feature_image":1417,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1418,"updated_at":1419,"custom_excerpt":1420,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1421,"primary_tag":1422,"url":1423,"excerpt":1420,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1424},"6f4cfe8b-87ec-40ad-83ca-6b1cdd757be9","67fcb49d0097450001312566","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1450897918656-527057db59d3?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fHJ1bm5pbmclMjBsYXRlfGVufDB8fHx8MTc0NDYxNjA4OXww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-04-14T09:09:17.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:05:04.000+01:00","Timing controls the pace, rhythm, and emotional weight of your animations. Learn how to refine your timing using tools like time charts, onion skinning, and motion trails to bring your stories to life.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/timing-animation-principle/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@andybeales?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Andy Beales\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/timing-animation-principle","2025-04-28T10:00:38.000+02:00",{"title":1410},"timing-animation-principle","posts/timing-animation-principle",[1431],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"fwuc5AOvxuYLKb_jHZ6pKULa_sudf3Qf898-oDQtl24",{"id":1434,"title":1435,"authors":1436,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1438,"meta":1439,"navigation":15,"path":1450,"published_at":1451,"seo":1452,"slug":1453,"stem":1454,"tags":1455,"__hash__":1457,"uuid":1440,"comment_id":1441,"feature_image":1442,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1443,"updated_at":1444,"custom_excerpt":1445,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1446,"primary_tag":1447,"url":1448,"excerpt":1445,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1449},"ghost/posts:onion-skinning.json","Why Onion Skinning Is Every Animator’s Secret Weapon (2026)",[1437],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🧅\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Want to animate like a time traveler? Onion skinning shows you past, present, and future frames all at once.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Animators are time travellers: they need to visualize past, present, and future frames to create convincing animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Modern tools help quickly visualize the flow of a character’s motion to identify what needs editing before the entire sequence plays out―onion skinning is one of them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on to learn how to see multiple points in time simultaneously to make better animations, faster.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-onion-skinning\">\u003Cstrong>What is Onion Skinning?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Onion skinning is a tool used in animation to see multiple frames of an action at once.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeBk98p02_GhsWLkwo6aUR9ebw01nmlIu2m6AYhgLNMo8pmgRu0WhlXWc-TEcMlsHUItN4mMNGkES_rVlISep5340asjKrFIXBVV7poCHr_JhaZIsuoOMWsABUHTlA8rTPgkJLWEw?key=g0FOzCquyy3OxeMvCCnu-SEL\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"279\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: SideFX\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The term \"onion skinning\" originates from the metaphor of peeling back layers of an onion: by displaying frames before and after the current one in a translucent manner with a faint overlay, onion skinning shows the progression from one frame to the next―the past, present, and potential future frames merge together on screen.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-onion-skinning\">\u003Cstrong>Why Onion Skinning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Onion skinning used to be done manually by layering translucent sheets of paper (called \"onionskin\"), with each sheet containing a different frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd7Nm9zOSosyqlv3eS7huSMKZrXEHOFjJPopzBRt4yZzL5rfWJ7VXqYxKFmSXnJHI9EvKmvrQkosooeenmi9ZX7y2octRNUjGezpoMUwn2SfAZ9siX9CIKad8SCMafgFH1KlaBI?key=g0FOzCquyy3OxeMvCCnu-SEL\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: The Art of Aaro, Youtube\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>This method provided animators with a tactile, intuitive understanding of motion, but it was time-consuming and displayed a limited capacity for revisions: changes often required redrawing entire sequences!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Modern digital onion skinning revolutionizes the process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, there is the obvious productivity benefit: by allowing animators to see multiple frames at once, onion skinning provides a visual reference that enables smoother and more consistent motion throughout the animation sequence. It saves time and effort that would otherwise be spent constantly toggling back and forth between frames. You can make corrections more easily, and you also get advanced user interface features like adjustable transparency and color-coded frames.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Onion skinning also enables a whole new level of precision in an animator's work: you can more accurately determine the position and timing of elements and ensure a smoother progression of movement. It's especially important in complex scenes with fast motion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Since animators can instantly preview how their edits affect the overall sequence, they can identify and correct mistakes early on, minimizing the need for extensive revisions later and thus reducing costs.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"onion-skinning-in-blender\">\u003Cstrong>Onion Skinning In Blender\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Onion skinning comes with potential challenges: animators can encounter software limitations or face visual clutter due to multiple overlays when using this technique, and animators need to master onion skinning features to overcome these issues.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Blender, onion skinning provides visual cues or \"ghosts\" of frames in an animation sequence, both before and after the current frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe7yRDX6X3S8lrsNarD9Bz8WwfH4q8WDgGOMPzMY0ZEi6HTT5Nx6HzzKlVYi8mZhDKMFkqi9Wt7l-GQipa-fqsGMJeyFyDqEjaXqARdcr8UptxZIvvlzyNxGuoiOLqtgTv6fKCVEg?key=g0FOzCquyy3OxeMvCCnu-SEL\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"316\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Manual\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You can toggle the main onion skinning visibility through the Viewport Overlays. For a more customized experience, particularly when using Grease Pencil, onion skinning can also be activated on a per-layer basis from the layer list.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can, of course, customize the onion skinning depending on your workflow:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The \"Mode\" selection determines how the frames to be ghosted are picked. By choosing \"Keyframes,\" Blender will show keyframes in the range specified by your \"Before\" and \"After\" settings. If you select \"Frames,\" it will show the frames based on the same range settings. The \"Selected\" mode will display only those keyframes that you've manually selected in the Dope Sheet, offering precise control over which frames are ghosted.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Opacity lets you control how prominently the ghost frames appear. This can be crucial for maintaining clarity and helping you focus on either the primary animation or its surrounding context. The \"Filter by Type\" option refines what kinds of frames are included in the onion skinning display, allowing for more specific frames to be visualized.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>To help distinguish between past and future frames, Blender provides the option to color-code them: previous frames are shown in one color (often red) and future frames in another (often green or blue). This color distinction makes it easier to differentiate between frames quickly and helps in planning the movement of objects and characters.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdTTQQbWjdZZvBuduhIUlhQv0L-4iJAiDGgZ-kFQhhjeKrdDKrcTeQdI6L2z-dDrlcZwDW6FCZZ6ndXkjAbKgaLRTHzFBTO3Bor1FLiMUK1k0v4EnTAW9PEzWLjUbjhJabFuk3wFw?key=g0FOzCquyy3OxeMvCCnu-SEL\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"292\" height=\"325\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>For display tweaks, the \"Fade\" setting gradually decreases the opacity of ghost frames the further they are from the current frame to focus your attention appropriately.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The \"Show Start Frame\" feature is particularly beneficial for loop animations: it allows the animator to visualize the first keyframe or frame as a ghost when working on the last frame of an animation, essentially enabling a seamless loop cycle.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"use-cases\">\u003Cstrong>Use Cases\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Onion skinning plays a key role in\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cu>integrating several animation principles\u003C/u>\u003C/a> during production. Depending on the task at hand, you'll probably need to tweak the onion skinning settings to focus on relevant frames:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Timing\u003C/strong> - Onion skinning allows animators to visualize the spacing of frames, which is key to work on the timing of the animation more effectively. By observing the sequence of frames laid on top of each other, animators can discern if the motion is too fast or too slow and make precise edits.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Anticipation\u003C/strong> - Anticipation is about preparing the audience for an action. Using onion skinning, animators can see preceding and following frames to ensure that anticipation actions (like a character crouching before jumping) are effectively depicted.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Follow-through and overlapping actions\u003C/strong> - Follow-through are\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/follow-through-overlapping-action/\"> \u003Cu>secondary actions that continue after the primary action\u003C/u>\u003C/a> has been completed. Onion skinning allows animators to keep track of these secondary motions by observing how they evolve frame by frame. Filtering frames helps animators fine-tune overlapping actions like hair, clothing, or appendages that move at a slightly delayed timing relative to the main action.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Slow in/out\u003C/strong> -\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/slow-in-out/\"> \u003Cu>Slow in and slow out\u003C/u>\u003C/a> relate to the easing of animations where actions start slowly, pick up speed, and then slow down again toward the end. Through onion skinning, animators make sure more frames are used at the beginning and end of an action for smooth deceleration or acceleration. It's a visual representation of how densely frames are packed together.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pose-to-pose\u003C/strong> - Pose-to-pose animation involves drawing key poses and then filling in the in-between actions. With onion skinning, animators can efficiently create these in-betweens manually or automatically through software by observing how their key poses transition into one another.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Last but not least, onion skinning can be used to create an illusion of motion blur. By examining the ghosted images, animators strategically animate intermediate frames that simulate streaks or blurred edges to create an illusion of speed:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXedEkgrMir5bdXJxrcPFFWmvMRQvoLiMFo83qvipS559rqFg_VkbxfI2SgnWDvAOhthQx7vGtLFzgfyUK7uq-wTEdHfRywldDgXjSBqGa0P_ooGNJWY1X696Mx1r2PPbhsVLiMH?key=g0FOzCquyy3OxeMvCCnu-SEL\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"307\" height=\"230\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Wikipedia\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Onion skinning remains an essential technique that bridges both the rich history of traditional animation and the innovation of modern digital methods. It provides animators with the ability to view multiple frames simultaneously to create smooth movements and transitions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While it might seem like just another tool, its impact is far-reaching across various workflows. Make sure to leverage it! For example, you could create custom keyboard shortcuts in your DCC tool to quickly navigate between frames or toggle settings while using onion skinning.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1440,"comment_id":1441,"feature_image":1442,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1443,"updated_at":1444,"custom_excerpt":1445,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1446,"primary_tag":1447,"url":1448,"excerpt":1445,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1449},"6d2adb16-3154-4330-bd22-8617b2e7d658","67fcb49f009745000131256c","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1668295037469-8b0e8d11cd2a?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fG9uaW9uJTIwc2tpbm5pbmd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQ0NjE1MzU3fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-04-14T09:09:19.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:47.000+01:00","Onion skinning helps animators see past and future frames at a glance, making smoother motion, better timing, and fewer mistakes possible. Learn how this powerful tool works and why it’s still a must-have in modern animation workflows.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/onion-skinning/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@eprouzet?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Eric Prouzet\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/onion-skinning","2025-04-21T10:00:22.000+02:00",{"title":1435},"onion-skinning","posts/onion-skinning",[1456],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"Hr_0lUH6Ygv5vYaK8SRQxzHOS9XRBk5ERARt5gkkwCM",{"id":1459,"title":1460,"authors":1461,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1463,"meta":1464,"navigation":15,"path":1475,"published_at":1476,"seo":1477,"slug":1478,"stem":1479,"tags":1480,"__hash__":1482,"uuid":1465,"comment_id":1466,"feature_image":1467,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1468,"updated_at":1469,"custom_excerpt":1470,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1471,"primary_tag":1472,"url":1473,"excerpt":1470,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1474},"ghost/posts:hard-surface-modeling.json","Hard Surface Modeling (2026): The Backbone of 3D Animation",[1462],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">😀\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">From spaceships to coffee makers—if it’s made by humans, it’s modeled with hard surfaces.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\">\u003Cu>3D modeling\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is seriously hard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Just try to imagine your favorite coffee shop as an example: list down all the different assets that you'd need to model to animate a scene in it, and then remember you need to do this for every new scene. Even with reused assets, an animated production takes tremendous time and effort to see the day!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The people taking care of these environments and props are called hard surface modelers, and this article explores the process and techniques involved in professional hard surface modeling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Read on to get an overview of how things work behind the scenes:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-hard-surface-modeling\">\u003Cstrong>What's Hard Surface Modeling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In 3D modeling, a hard surface is anything that has been manufactured or is machine-made, unlike organic modeling that focuses on \"natural\" objects like humans, animals, plants, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Rigid objects that don’t deform are typically done with hard-surface modeling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Though they are made of rubber and do deform, modeling a car’s wheels would also be regarded as hard-surface modeling because they still have a smooth surface.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A model is said to be organic if it has smooth curves where the shape seamlessly transitions to another model.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-hard-surface-modeling-is-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why Hard Surface Modeling Is Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Hard surface modeling is key to create believable animated worlds. Objects like vehicles, buildings, machines, and various props that populate scenes use hard surface modeling techniques. All these elements contribute to the storytelling by providing a relatable context within which the characters evolve.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the production pipeline, hard surface models lay the groundwork for animation sequences: rigging these objects demands that they be modeled with animation in mind, ensuring pivots and movement ranges are accurate for the scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Understanding hard surface modeling is equally important because it requires a specialized set of skills and best practices that contrasts with character modeling. It involves understanding materials, reflection properties, and the way different surfaces interact in terms of physics and function: a car chase requires detailed hard surface models that can realistically simulate motion, crashes, and other dynamic interactions. Organic modeling has a similar but different approach, with different processes and techniques involved.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-elements-of-a-hard-surface\">\u003Cstrong>The Elements Of A Hard Surface\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One of the key takeaways of this article is how hard surface modeling uses a different topology―the arrangement, flow, and structure of vertices, edges, and faces that make up a 3D model's surface―than organic modeling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Good topology not only supports efficient animation and rendering but also ensures that the model can be easily rigged and textured.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here are some key terms used to talk about hard surfaces:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Vertices\u003C/strong> - Points in the 3D space.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Edges\u003C/strong> - Edges are the lines connecting two vertices. Clean edge placement is crucial for maintaining high-quality surfaces that respond well to lighting and shading.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Faces/surfaces\u003C/strong> - Ideally, 3D models predominantly use quadrilateral (quad) polygons. Quads deform predictably and are favored in animation for better subdivision and rigging. N-gons (polygons with more than four sides) and triangles can cause issues in deformation and should thus be minimized or used strategically.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Mesh\u003C/strong> - A collection of vertices, edges, and faces that define the shape of a 3D model.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Bevel - \u003C/strong>Beveling is the technique of creating rounded or chipped edges instead of sharp, unrealistic lines.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Edge loops\u003C/strong> - Continuous loops of edges that follow the contours of a model. Properly placed edge loops are important for maintaining smooth deformations, especially around joints for rigging.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Loose parts\u003C/strong> - Loose parts are separate components of a model that may not be physically connected to the main mesh but are nonetheless part of the overall structure, like screws and bolts.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Trims\u003C/strong> - Decorative or functional edge modifications applied to give more detail to an object, like grooves, engravings, or other surface details used to break monotony.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"a-typical-hard-surface-modeling-workflow\">\u003Cstrong>A Typical Hard Surface Modeling Workflow\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Hard surface modelers typically follow the same steps, sometimes with extra iterations to get the 3D model right:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Gather references\u003C/strong>—Gathering references involves collecting images, blueprints, and any available materials of the object you intend to model to understand its proportions, details, and features. You look for different angles, close-up details, and technical drawings that can provide insights into how each part of the object connects and functions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Separate the parts\u003C/strong> - Once you have your references, the next step is to analyze the object and break it down into simpler components/parts. Being able to understand how the object is constructed greatly helps. You can then tackle each part individually to make the modeling process more manageable, but it's also important to consider how each part connects or interacts with others.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Block-out model\u003C/strong> - The block-out is where you create a basic, low-detail version of your model using simple shapes to define the overall form and proportions and make sure everything is sized correctly and positioned accurately before adding more detail. It’s an iterative process that requires adjustments to achieve the desired proportions and relationships between parts.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Detailing\u003C/strong> - With the block-out complete, you can refine the model and add more intricate features that define a hard surface object, like bevels, creases, edge loops, and other trims to add realism.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texturing\u003C/strong> - Texturing is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/texturing-shading-animation/\"> \u003Cu>the process of applying images\u003C/u>\u003C/a> (textures) to your model to create surface patterns and details like color, roughness, and metallic properties.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rigging\u003C/strong> - In some cases, the model is intended for animation. Rigging is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rigging-in-animation/\"> \u003Cu>creating an animation skeleton\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to allow the model to be posed or animated―setting up joints, controls, and any necessary constraints to have the model function correctly. For example, a car should have spinning wheels.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>That's pretty much it, but 3D models can also require more edits during animation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"modeling-techniques-and-tools-for-hard-surfaces\">\u003Cstrong>Modeling Techniques And Tools For Hard Surfaces\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"polygonal-modeling\">\u003Cstrong>Polygonal Modeling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Polygonal modeling is a standard technique for creating 3D models out of polygons, primarily triangles and quadrilaterals. These polygons form the surface mesh of the 3D model. Artists control the model by manipulating vertices, edges, and faces.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"subdivision-modeling\">\u003Cstrong>Subdivision Modeling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Subdivision modeling creates smooth, high-resolution meshes from a low-resolution base model.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This technique is important because it simplifies workflows by allowing artists to work with simple meshes while being able to produce high-quality outputs during rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Subdivision modeling starts with a low-polygon mesh and then processes it through a series of iterations where each polygon is divided into more polygons. These subdivisions lead to a higher resolution and smoother appearance, all while maintaining original proportions and details as controlled by edge loops and crease weights.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"box-modeling\">\u003Cstrong>Box Modeling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Box modeling is a simple form of polygonal modeling used extensively for creating both organic and hard surface models.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Starting with a basic primitive shape like cubes (or \"boxes\"), the modeler extrudes, scales, and subdivides faces, edges, and vertices to gradually transform the shape into the desired model.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"kitbashing\">\u003Cstrong>Kitbashing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Kitbashing is using pre-made assets to create complex structures or enhance detail on models. Artists can select, modify, and combine these \"kits\" to build complex models. Typically, these kits include detailed components like pipes, panels, and engines, which can be reused across different projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's crucial for saving time and effort, especially in productions with tight deadlines. It also encourages creativity by allowing artists to quickly experiment with various combinations of existing model components.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"nurbs\">\u003Cstrong>NURBS\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) create mathematically accurate curves and surfaces. This technique is common in industries that require high levels of precision, like in automotive and industrial design.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>NURBS defines surfaces with control points, weights, and knot vectors. The surfaces are generated through the manipulation of these control points, which influence the curvature and shape of the model dynamically.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In summary, hard surface modeling is a vital skill for 3D animation that allows the creation of detailed, realistic objects, from vehicles to architectural structures. The article explored the main techniques and tools to understand how hard surface modeling works.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>AI is predicted to revolutionize hard surface modeling by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks to allow artists to focus on more creative aspects of their craft. But the expertise of skilled modelers remains indispensable: animators will always need clean topology and smart rigging to make their work easier during production. Keep creating!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1465,"comment_id":1466,"feature_image":1467,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1468,"updated_at":1469,"custom_excerpt":1470,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1471,"primary_tag":1472,"url":1473,"excerpt":1470,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1474},"9ab53252-aeeb-41f8-a807-b5a8e06c5b2f","67fcb49a0097450001312560","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518732714860-b62714ce0c59?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fDNEJTIwbW9kZWx8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQ0NjE1MDEwfDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-04-14T09:09:14.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:35:37.000+01:00","Hard surface modeling is essential to 3D animation—from coffee cups to spacecraft. Learn how artists build detailed environments with the right topology, clean geometry, and time-saving techniques like kitbashing and subdivision modeling.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/hard-surface-modeling/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Kenny Eliason\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/hard-surface-modeling","2025-04-14T10:00:49.000+02:00",{"title":1460},"hard-surface-modeling","posts/hard-surface-modeling",[1481],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"z09oC9OHDliLBt4nIAeWptxHAQV0qSGXOrVW320fRSI",{"id":1484,"title":1485,"authors":1486,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1488,"meta":1489,"navigation":15,"path":1499,"published_at":1500,"seo":1501,"slug":1502,"stem":1503,"tags":1504,"__hash__":1506,"uuid":1490,"comment_id":1491,"feature_image":1492,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1493,"updated_at":1494,"custom_excerpt":1495,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1496,"primary_tag":1497,"url":1498,"excerpt":1495,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":734},"ghost/posts:exaggeration-animation-principle.json","Exaggeration Principle (2026): Why Bigger Emotions Make Better Animation",[1487],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🔉\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Animation is all about amplifying reality—and exaggeration is your tool to do just that.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>In the early days of animation, Disney animators often found themselves confused by what seemed to be conflicting instructions from Walt Disney himself: \"When Walt asked for realism, he wanted a caricature of realism. [...] If a character was to be sad, make him sadder;\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The realist approach gets in the way of the magic that animation has the power to harness: what Walt wanted to convey was something that resonated deeply with the child within, yet differed noticeably from the mundane reality viewers experienced every day.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This balance between reality and exaggeration is hard to get: from character designs to poses and facial expressions, exaggeration encompasses the whole production process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explore the basics of exaggeration―what it is and why it's important―as well as simple elements to take into account to implement this principle in your animation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-exaggeration\">\u003Cstrong>What's Exaggeration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Exaggeration is about making elements of animation like size, emotions, actions, or expressions larger, better, worse, or more important than they are in reality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The goal is not to distort reality entirely but to amplify the essence of an idea or action to make it more vivid to the audience. When a character is excited, their movements should display more energy. When a significant moment in the storytelling occurs, a camera can show dramatic angles. Audio cues can highlight important actions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Exaggeration plays an important role, even in more realistic animations.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-this-principle-is-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why This Principle Is Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Exaggeration makes actions clearer for audiences to immediately understand character movements and emotions, even in complex or fast-paced sequences. A character's joy might be shown through a leap that defies gravity, or their anger could be expressed through exaggerated facial expressions that go beyond normal human capabilities.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Exaggeration also plays a role in emphasizing story points: overly dramatic camera zooms or the use of slow motion and exaggerated smirks are for example often used in plot twists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All these little details help engage viewers emotionally to draw them deeper into the narrative, but it's still important to balance exaggerated and non-exaggerated elements to maintain a believable world. Not just to avoid overwhelming the audience, but also to let those exaggerated moments stand out effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There are many ways to integrate the exaggeration principle in animation, but in this article we focus on four basics.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-character-design\">\u003Cstrong>1. Character Design\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One way to use exaggeration is through character design to help viewers instantly recognize and understand characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Through\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-shape-language/\"> \u003Cu>shape language\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, animators emphasize character attributes using simple forms like rounded shapes to convey a friendly and approachable character or sharp, angular forms to suggest a villainous or aggressive personality. It visually communicates the essence of a character at a glance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Playing with\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-color-palettes/\"> \u003Cu>the color palette\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is also a great way to exaggerate personalities. For example, by using bold, contrasting colors to intensify the character's presence and mood: bright, vibrant colors might be used for a lively character, while dark, muted shades could underscore a more mysterious presence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Props and their relations to the character design are another way to exaggerate personalities. Zoro from One Piece is hard worker who aims to be \"the greatest swordman\", so Eiichiro Oda gave him 3 swords to wield―it's a form of exaggeration that makes the character iconic:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-poses-facial-expressions\">\u003Cstrong>2. Poses & Facial Expressions\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another obvious way to integrate the exaggeration principle is to work on your poses.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators can heighten the visual impact of a scene by deliberately slightly pushing poses beyond their natural extremes. Take this comparative picture for example:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Exaggerated poses also emphasize key moments, clarify intent, and communicate strong emotional states. Goku going super saiyan is a classic example, but Dragon Ball features many more iconic poses:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Similarly, facial expressions are exaggerated to display emotions more vividly. It's especially effective for comedic effects:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Applying\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/solid-drawing/\"> \u003Cu>the solid drawing principle\u003C/u>\u003C/a> with for example a strong line of action or by relying on asymmetric poses is a great way to obtain convincing poses with realistic exaggeration. Look at how quickly you can grasp the following poses thanks to the line of action:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-timing\">\u003Cstrong>3. Timing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing highlights the key actions that need exaggeration: holding a pose for a longer duration can give it more weight and make it more noticeable, for example.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Quick timing can be used to exaggerate speed and intensity while stretching out timing can make a movement feel sluggish to exaggerate a character's fatigue or laziness. Longer hang times during leaps or fast impacts on landing accentuate the heaviness or lightness of a character. Quick changes in expression intensify the feeling of surprise or shock, while prolonged expressions enhance the sensation of sadness or contemplation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Timing differences create contrast, which is a core element of exaggeration. For example, you can use it to build up anticipation before an exaggerated action: by slowing down or pausing just before a major action, animators build up the suspense to make the exaggerated moment more impactful.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-sound-effects\">\u003Cstrong>4. Sound Effects\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>Sound effects are underrated elements\u003C/u>\u003C/a> of exaggeration: a simple movement like a character jumping can be exaggerated with the sound of a powerful whoosh or a comical boing. Sound creates a hyper-realistic world that goes beyond what is possible in reality: whether it's exaggerated footsteps, overly loud slurping noises, or unrealistically booming explosions, they all contribute to \"enhancing\" reality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animes are well known for this. In Fire Force, energy blasts use bass-boosted sound cues to increase their impact. In Hajime no Ippo, punching sounds turn into jet noise.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can all remember a sad scene underscored with an exaggerated, melodramatic violin sound, or a joyful scene accompanied by over-the-top, whimsical musical cues or cheerful jingles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Unique sound effects, sometimes entire themes, are often assigned to specific characters to exaggerate their traits or behaviors. Rengoku's theme from Demon Slayer reinforces his fiery personality traits and fire-themed character design:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-camera-work\">\u003Cstrong>5. Camera Work\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/camera-work-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>The way animators use the camera\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is also a great way to exaggerate story points.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Dramatic zooms quickly move the camera closer to or further from a subject to emphasize an emotion or action.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Quick cuts are rapid transitions between different camera angles or scenes, while jump cuts are abrupt edits within a continuous shot. These techniques show chaos, urgency, or heightened emotions by quickly shifting the viewer's focus and exaggerating the energy of a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A Dutch angle tilts the camera to one side to create a diagonal horizon line that distorts perspective. It can exaggerate disorientation or confusion in a scene by making the viewer feel off-balance alongside the characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also use follow shots to add momentum to a character's movements, wide shots to show the character's loneliness, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The exaggeration principle is a fundamental tool to create engaging animations. Poses and facial expressions are one way to apply this principle, but you can also use character design, timing, sound effects, or camera techniques. Your creativity is the only limit!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Exaggeration also plays a huge role in\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cu>other animation principles\u003C/u>\u003C/a> like timing, anticipation, or squash and stretch, so you not only need to master each principle individually but also understand how they relate to and complement each other.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Experiment with different degrees of exaggeration and observe how it transforms your scenes to find the right balance between realism and storytelling and ultimately find your own style!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1490,"comment_id":1491,"feature_image":1492,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1493,"updated_at":1494,"custom_excerpt":1495,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1496,"primary_tag":1497,"url":1498,"excerpt":1495,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":734},"f248972d-6ef7-4bbd-bfad-fbf4c8169bcd","67f3e4ad5f2fdd0001789c24","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1628260412297-a3377e45006f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fGNhcnRvb24lMjBleHByZXNzaW9ufGVufDB8fHx8MTc0NDAzNzI3M3ww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-04-07T16:43:57.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:33:47.000+01:00","Exaggeration is a key animation principle that pushes emotion, timing, and poses beyond realism to tell more impactful stories. Learn how animators use it across design, sound, and camera work to create iconic scenes.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/exaggeration-animation-principle/","/posts/exaggeration-animation-principle","2025-04-08T10:00:34.000+02:00",{"title":1485},"exaggeration-animation-principle","posts/exaggeration-animation-principle",[1505],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"JBuJ1tck4ECIFiAAwGUTu0iAJeihjPD1lbvNyNoZSUs",{"id":1508,"title":1509,"authors":1510,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1512,"meta":1513,"navigation":15,"path":1524,"published_at":1525,"seo":1526,"slug":1527,"stem":1528,"tags":1529,"__hash__":1531,"uuid":1514,"comment_id":1515,"feature_image":1516,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1517,"updated_at":1518,"custom_excerpt":1519,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1520,"primary_tag":1521,"url":1522,"excerpt":1519,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1523},"ghost/posts:lod-levels-of-detail.json","How LOD (Levels of Detail) Saves Time in 3D Animation (2026)",[1511],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🖌️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Not every 3D model needs the highest level of detail! Learn how LOD (Levels of Detail) helps animators optimize rendering without compromising quality. 🎨\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Animators don’t always work with the highest level of detail.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s similar to watching YouTube videos—sometimes, you prioritize loading speed and lower the resolution to the minimum watchable quality. Other times, you want the full cinematic experience and opt for 4K resolution.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Likewise, animators adjust levels of detail (LOD) to balance visual fidelity with performance efficiency. When refining a scene’s timing, high-detail models aren’t necessary. But in post-production, ensuring the final render meets quality standards is essential.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article explores the importance of LOD, how it optimizes production without compromising quality, and key techniques like bump mapping, retopology, texture baking, and displacement map baking.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-lod\">\u003Cstrong>What's LOD?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In animation, the level of detail (LOD) defines the varying degrees of complexity applied to models or scenes, especially when objects are viewed at different distances by a viewer or camera.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When an object is far from the camera, it's unnecessary to render all its fine details in high geometric detail so lower LOD models with fewer polygons are used: a tree seen in the foreground might have detailed leaves and branches, while a distant tree might be a simple shape with textures to conserve processing power.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdd1XLupXEQ0BjsLyQ98mUTgu2DLdonnRTJc1_KEOp1KUFEhjEQfjiT4JlUerYtotKclSgvNbDZbTf9rxNkw2JjlvZbklU2vjG31gzjWvyFbkR3ujE6W1t4VSyZMKUJXJecWLCq3A?key=S5xdGiACLTcKa2a_84MnLfXD\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: ArtStation\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-levels-of-details-matter\">\u003Cstrong>Why Levels Of Details Matter\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>LOD allows animators and\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rendering-explained/\"> \u003Cu>rendering artists\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to optimize computational resources: objects far away can be rendered with less detail without noticeable loss in visual quality, reducing the load on the processor. If your animated film is one hour long, you need to render 108,000 frames at 30 frames per second, so these processing optimizations quickly stack up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Different levels of detail also mean only the necessary amount of polygons or textures are processed, saving up storage memory.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is particularly crucial for real-time rendering, where you need to maintain high frame rates without bloating the animator's PC, but it's also important for the whole production pipeline to reduce rendering costs.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-bump-mapping\">\u003Cstrong>1. Bump Mapping\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Bump mapping is a computer graphics technique that simulates bumps and wrinkles on an object's surface to create the illusion of intricate textures without increasing the model's geometric complexity with additional polygons.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXc6bHhb0m4SyOIQMsKI7T2vdZtGN5_rMgymT4vLb_5OZpLH1CJfVBm8L8v_fW3JfI-3pPOVYAdHvHcUvRURZfbAnwuX1SC638aK06a5spApwS1BM1j1KKP8xN4WGnIO_giaRVyMjQ?key=S5xdGiACLTcKa2a_84MnLfXD\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"209\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Wikipedia\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>It works by changing the appearance of the surface texture by manipulating the lighting calculations during rendering rather than changing the actual geometry. This is done by using a texture known as a bump map, which is typically a grayscale image where the intensity of the color represents the height of the surface perturbation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Traditionally, modeling each brick in a brick wall with its unique surface details would require a dense mesh, with each bump and groove captured by additional polygons, which can be computationally expensive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead, you can just create a bump map where the lighter areas indicate raised sections of the brick texture, while darker areas correspond to deeper sections like the mortar lines. When applied to a simple flat plane with minimal polygons, the rendering engine uses this bump map during shading calculations to perturb the surface normals. The interplay of light and shadow on these altered normals gives the viewer the illusion that the flat plane has all the intricate geometry of an actual brick wall.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-retopology\">\u003Cstrong>2. Retopology\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Retopology is a process in 3D modeling where the topology, or the structure of the mesh surface, is redefined to achieve better geometry flow and reduce polygon count while preserving the original shape and detail of the model.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfjaHAvyccmdo6np7QPaMO5CyCKvtmE-frtI7-V5wObEkiiTNZ_IDBVZ12ME_ZFSgIPTu-BhDcWjyCdcWFRQjhZX5HvDLo4lIjfJNamn8-rAGbCJfmfkZ9WPEUX0lUKBmwP70UIsQ?key=S5xdGiACLTcKa2a_84MnLfXD\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"307\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: people.wku.edu\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Imagine you start with a highly detailed character model created using sculpting software like ZBrush. This model might have millions of polygons capturing every intricate detail. The retopology process would go like this:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Simplification\u003C/strong> - The software creates a new mesh on top of the high-poly model using retopology techniques (automatic like ZBrush's ZRemesher or manual for more granular edits) to define a more manageable polygon structure while capturing the character's essential forms.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Flow utilization\u003C/strong> - The tool considers edge loops around significant anatomical features like the eyes, mouth, and joints to help animation deformation (bending and stretching).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Polygon reduction\u003C/strong> - The new topology should have significantly fewer polygons.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Retopology is important to create clean, efficient mesh structures. It's especially important to create multiple versions of the character model corresponding to different levels of detail:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>LOD0\u003C/strong> - The most detailed version is used when the character is close to the camera.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>LOD1\u003C/strong> - A less detailed version for mid-range shots.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>LOD2 and beyond\u003C/strong> - Even simpler versions for distance shots.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Vertex Weighting\u003C/strong> - The lower detail versions maintain essential shape and silhouette but use minimal geometry to optimize rendering performance.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-texture-baking\">\u003Cstrong>3. Texture Baking\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Texture baking pre-calculates and transfers various surface details and lighting information into a texture map. These baked textures include shadows, reflections, global illumination, ambient occlusion, or complex material properties that are computationally expensive to calculate in real time. Once baked, this data is applied to simpler versions of the 3D models to optimize performance without sacrificing quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXetwGb0Q9Xf_Ggr4xp_tpwmI5Wtic2BSkLdobK9A2F3Bg45Ol9Yjkdr_fYMQbG6UTqqz3F4kND05SZAcoi2skNfEvFVazF6JEt0PbbQyKgUc85hnJQgZB-56ZcmfpmyYdtQiiCRlQ?key=S5xdGiACLTcKa2a_84MnLfXD\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"550\" height=\"502\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Developers Blog\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>By baking textures, the artist ensures visual consistency across different levels of detail: features like shadow placement and surface details can be preserved even with reduced geometric complexity. Lower LODs require less processing power to render, allowing more straightforward shading techniques to be used.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>An intricate 3D model of a building that will be part of a large city scene in a real-time application has highly detailed geometry and complex materials with bump maps and reflective surfaces, which can be rendered beautifully in high-end renders but are too resource-demanding for real-time rendering during production:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>High-Resolution Model Preparation\u003C/strong> - We start with a high-resolution version of the building model, where lighting and material effects are meticulously applied.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Baking Process\u003C/strong> - Using 3D DCC software, we bake the model's lighting information into a texture map―shadows, highlights, and any ambient occlusion effects into a 2D texture. You'll typically bake several maps, like diffuse, normal, and specular maps.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create LOD Models\u003C/strong> - We generate several lower-resolution versions of the building model with fewer vertices and simplified geometry.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Apply Baked Textures\u003C/strong> - Artists apply the baked textures to these LOD models. Even though they have a reduced vertex count, the baked textures convey intricate details and lighting effects, keeping the visual quality high.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Implementation\u003C/strong> - In the real-time environment, the LOD system selects which version of the model to render based on the camera distance or screen space size. The pre-baked textures ensure that even the simplest model retains much of the visual complexity of the high-resolution asset.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-displacement-map-baking\">\u003Cstrong>4. Displacement Map Baking\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Displacement map baking transfers the high-resolution details of a 3D model onto a lower-resolution version. This is also achieved by generating a texture, the displacement map, that stores the height differences from the low-resolution model's surface to the high-resolution model's surface. This texture can then be used to recreate the appearance of the high-resolution model during rendering without having to load the full complexity all the time.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfxmHx2XuYjmoNGQ9vy5MrprEB58pDW0OVLWaf2dZFgF4cb5tx9C0FVcSQCe8wu-VXlS1c-qOVSxgjB-Qpp7FdXLOqv8YNMFPCecqHpgMCLaAK0KPg2FZFX82G4icQk19hEgLHRAA?key=S5xdGiACLTcKa2a_84MnLfXD\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: nutelZ on Youtube\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create High and Low-Resolution Models\u003C/strong> - We start with a high-resolution 3D model that has all the detailed features like bumps, creases, and other surface details. Then, we create a simplified version of this model with a reduced polygon count.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Bake the Displacement Map\u003C/strong> - Using software like ZBrush, Blender, or Maya, we calculate the difference between the two models' surfaces. The result is the displacement map, a grayscale texture where the intensity of the color indicates how much to displace the surface of the low-res model to match the high-res model's details.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Apply the Map to Low-Resolution Model\u003C/strong> - Once the map is baked, it's applied to the low-resolution model. The rendering engine will use the map information to simulate the high-detail surface during real-time rendering or animation playback.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>LOD Implementation\u003C/strong> - We add the low-res model with the displacement map into a LOD system, which swaps out different levels of detail depending on the camera distance. When the model is far enough away, the low-res model appears as detailed as the high-res one thanks to the displacement map, saving processing power.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Displacement maps allow different LOD versions of a scene to share high-resolution details without the computational overhead, saving memory and simplifying asset management.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A level of detail is an important concept in animation to increase your animation pipeline's efficiency by adjusting the complexity of your 3D models based on parameters like distance from the camera or production environments.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Several techniques like bump mapping, retopology, texture baking, and displacement map baking allow animators to adapt their model's LOD, but there are more, and our article only gives a glimpse of how they work: you'll have to figure out by yourself how to make the best of them in your DCC tool. Consider playing with these techniques in your software and see how they impact the polygons and visual quality of your 3D models!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1514,"comment_id":1515,"feature_image":1516,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1517,"updated_at":1518,"custom_excerpt":1519,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1520,"primary_tag":1521,"url":1522,"excerpt":1519,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1523},"5f04f99e-8f8a-4556-8177-f07bebb3f668","67c929ecc288b6000147a838","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516382799247-87df95d790b7?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fG1hZ25pZnlpbmclMjBnbGFzc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDEyNDAwNDF8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-03-06T05:51:56.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:45.000+01:00","Levels of detail (LOD) help animators optimize performance by adjusting rendering complexity based on a scene’s needs. From bump mapping to texture baking, learn how LOD keeps 3D animation efficient without sacrificing quality.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/lod-levels-of-detail/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@olloweb?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Agence Olloweb\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/lod-levels-of-detail","2025-03-31T10:00:14.000+02:00",{"title":1509},"lod-levels-of-detail","posts/lod-levels-of-detail",[1530],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"2dzn-lw4Jf2uw_vYMUitQ8oAi6i1gl3sSiwth6Q8DBo",{"id":1533,"title":1534,"authors":1535,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1537,"meta":1538,"navigation":15,"path":1548,"published_at":1543,"seo":1549,"slug":1550,"stem":1551,"tags":1552,"__hash__":1554,"uuid":1539,"comment_id":1540,"feature_image":1541,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1542,"updated_at":1543,"custom_excerpt":1544,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1545,"primary_tag":1546,"url":1547,"excerpt":1544,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-march-2025.json","Build in Public: March 2025 Update",[1536],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in! 🚀\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"kitsu-updates-%F0%9F%A6%8A\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Updates 🦊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’re continually adding new and exciting features to Kitsu. Here are some of the highlights from the past few months:\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-smoother-scheduling-navigation\">\u003Cstrong>1. Smoother Scheduling & Navigation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We’ve improved the \u003Cstrong>Production Schedule\u003C/strong> page with clearer views, visible task names, and hover-based durations—making planning easier than ever. Plus, navigating \u003Cstrong>shot lists\u003C/strong> is now a breeze with new click-and-drag panning support, perfect for dense data or smaller screens. 🧩🖱️\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-better-support-for-traditional-2d-workflows\">\u003Cstrong>2. Better Support for Traditional 2D Workflows\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Kitsu now supports \u003Cstrong>2D (Paper)\u003C/strong> animation! Select this style when setting up a production to track \u003Cstrong>drawings\u003C/strong> instead of frames—ideal for hand-drawn animation workflows and accurate paper-based reporting. ✏️📄\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-faster-task-filtering-playlist-building\">\u003Cstrong>3. Faster Task Filtering & Playlist Building\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Need to find something fast? You can now \u003Cstrong>filter tasks\u003C/strong> by \u003Cstrong>Studio\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>Department\u003C/strong> from the All Tasks page. And when building playlists, new buttons let you instantly add \u003Cstrong>daily or all pending asset tasks\u003C/strong>, just like with shots. 🚀🎯\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-smarter-previews\">\u003Cstrong>4. Smarter Previews\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We’ve made reviewing visuals even easier: use the new \u003Cstrong>Contact Sheet View\u003C/strong> to quickly scan preview files within an entity. And for \u003Cstrong>3D models\u003C/strong>, our viewer now plays \u003Cstrong>looping animations\u003C/strong> and lets you switch between multiple loops. 🎞️👁️\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"5-enhanced-drawing-tools\">\u003Cstrong>5. Enhanced Drawing Tools\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Kitsu’s \u003Cstrong>drawing annotations\u003C/strong> now support \u003Cstrong>pen pressure\u003C/strong>, offering dynamic line thickness for more natural and precise feedback. Bonus: if your device doesn’t support pressure, we simulate it based on path movement! ✍️🖊️\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"infrastructure-updates-%F0%9F%92%BD\">\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure Updates 💽\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>We’ve continued to improve the robustness of our infrastructure this quarter by adding more automation around instance management. It’s now significantly easier to \u003Cstrong>recover closed instances\u003C/strong> or \u003Cstrong>migrate a Kitsu instance from one region to another\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Another improvement we made is that you can now see more metrics about your Kitsu instance on your account page. Active users, maximum users, and storage usage are now displayed alongside your instance information.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These upgrades reduce manual intervention, improve response time, and make it easier for us to support studios operating across multiple regions.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"events-%F0%9F%8E%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Events 🎫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>We had a great time at GDC this year, where we made valuable new contacts and saw growing interest from the video game industry—particularly among contractors looking for lightweight, flexible production tracking solutions like Kitsu. 🎮\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Next up, we’re getting ready for \u003Cstrong>FMX\u003C/strong> in May and \u003Cstrong>Annecy MIFA\u003C/strong> in June. If you’ll be attending, we’d love to connect—come say hi!\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"finance-%F0%9F%92%B0\">\u003Cstrong>Finance 💰\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The market continues to be challenging, with overall conditions making growth difficult across the industry. Despite this, our financial position remains solid. We’re staying cautious, but stable—focused on long-term sustainability while keeping a close eye on opportunities to grow when the time is right.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You can check out our public financial metrics below:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">CGWire - Metrics\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">This webpage shows the KPI of the company. We made them public because we are part of the Open Company movement. Transparency is important to build trust. Let us know if you want to see additional information.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://cg-wire.com/favicon.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Metrics\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/_nuxt/logo.4d5a2d7e.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"communication-%F0%9F%97%A3%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Communication 🗣️\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Flow\u003C/em>, a stunning animated film that used Kitsu as its production management software, brought home both an Oscar and a Golden Globe! 🎉 It’s a proud moment to see a Kitsu-powered production receive such high recognition on the global stage.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We’ve also begun early planning for the first-ever \u003Cstrong>Kitsu Summit\u003C/strong>—a community event where studios, artists, and pipeline teams can come together to share ideas and workflows. We’re currently brainstorming presentation topics and exploring potential formats and pricing models. More to come soon!\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"studios-productions-%F0%9F%8F%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Studios & Productions 🏫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Over the past three months, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming several top-tier organizations to the Kitsu family. These studios span games, film, and animation—and each one brings new energy, feedback, and creativity into the ecosystem.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here’s the full list of recent additions:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>🎬 \u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/miraculous-corp/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Miraculous Corp\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://lofistudio.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Lofi Studio\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://jaibofilms.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Jaibo Films\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://magoproduction.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Mago\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://emcitv.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">EMCITV\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.frame240.com/company/studio-marguya?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Studio Marguya\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Stage11\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.asobostudio.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Osobo\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Adrenalin\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We’re thrilled to support these teams as they scale their pipelines, streamline their reviews, and bring incredible stories to life. Welcome aboard! 👋✨\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"closing-notes-%E2%9C%8D%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Closing Notes \u003C/strong> ✍️\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As we close out Q1, we’re more excited than ever about what’s ahead. Between new features, infrastructure gains, and growing interest from studios of all sizes, Kitsu continues to evolve in meaningful ways.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your feedback and ideas keep us grounded and ambitious. If you’ve got thoughts, we’re always listening—drop us a message, suggest a feature, or just say hi.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. 💬 See you in June for the next update! 👋\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/contact?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Contact Us\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1539,"comment_id":1540,"feature_image":1541,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1542,"updated_at":1543,"custom_excerpt":1544,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1545,"primary_tag":1546,"url":1547,"excerpt":1544,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"b13579bd-c742-4abb-9e5f-8df40414426b","67e3b211de9f4a0001a7d46e","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/03/buildinpublic_march_2025.png","2025-03-26T08:51:45.000+01:00","2025-03-27T22:52:29.000+01:00","Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-march-2025/","/posts/build-in-public-march-2025",{"title":1534},"build-in-public-march-2025","posts/build-in-public-march-2025",[1553],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"T3sJHMW7J7DWJZR7ZR_0pvEttprq73H381lyAY8YlZk",{"id":1556,"title":1557,"authors":1558,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1560,"meta":1561,"navigation":15,"path":1571,"published_at":1572,"seo":1573,"slug":1574,"stem":1575,"tags":1576,"__hash__":1578,"uuid":1562,"comment_id":1563,"feature_image":1564,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1565,"updated_at":423,"custom_excerpt":1566,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1567,"primary_tag":1568,"url":1569,"excerpt":1566,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1570},"ghost/posts:slow-in-out.json","Slow In and Out (2026): Why Easing Makes Animation More Engaging",[1559],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎈\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Objects in the real world don’t start or stop instantly—they ease in and out of motion. Great animation follows the same rule!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>In the real world, objects never start or stop moving instantaneously―a car will gradually pick up speed and then slow down before coming to a halt.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cu>Slow In and Out principle\u003C/u>\u003C/a> replicates this natural acceleration and deceleration to match basic physics and create more engaging animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfereWkVt083bHGS-wn-N2Ko38h-TI5EgqExVM29yjfP2M0CKwHirNqEMKWmfFQucpGKb-6lZ1og9zorIb1sKtc3Mn95cHmbGYxPq4OxGPKiiSqrWhKtOdKZfkt7VsIGqdz3gTHnw?key=M91ppFxZ4Gl8NmaA242FhRO_\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"183\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Suresh V. Selvaraj on Medium\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>But how does an animator use this principle in practice? In this article, we give you five \u003Cstrong>actionable tips\u003C/strong> to better implement smooth transitions. You'll discover how to manipulate ease curves, optimize secondary actions, and use audio cues to amplify your storytelling, motion trails, ghosting, and precise keyframe placement.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-slow-in-and-slow-out\">\u003Cstrong>Why Slow In And Slow Out?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Transitions look smoother when the frames are gradually spaced closer together at the movement's start (slow in) and end (slow out).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The pacing of your transition is a great storytelling tool: a character who slowly raises their eyebrows before they widen quickly in shock uses this principle to underscore the surprise element.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-master-ease-curves-in-animation-software\">\u003Cstrong>1. Master Ease Curves in Animation Software\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Ease curves, also known as motion graphs, represent how the speed of an animation changes over time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By understanding and manipulating these curves, animators gain precise control over the acceleration and deceleration of their animated objects to make them look more natural.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is particularly useful in creating motions that mirror real-world physics because objects rarely move at a constant speed: they accelerate and decelerate gradually, influenced by forces like gravity and inertia.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you were to animate a bouncing ball without adjusting ease curves, the ball might move up and down at a constant rate, losing its sense of weight. But you can adjust bezier handles on the animation curve by using the graph editor within your animation software to create a gradual slowdown as the ball reaches its peak height, simulating the natural deceleration due to gravity. Similarly, by accelerating the curve as the ball descends, you can mimic the ball picking up speed as it falls back to the ground. These details make all the difference.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Different types of ease curves produce varying effects on animation. There are three main categories:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ease-in\u003C/strong> curves create a slow start and a faster finish, which is perfect for objects coming to life or launching from a standstill.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ease-out\u003C/strong> curves facilitate a fast start with a gradual end for simulating objects coming to a rest.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ease-in-out\u003C/strong> curves combine both principles for smooth starts and finishes.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You can then have slight variations of each category like sinusoidal, cubic, or quadratic curves for various effects. And of course you can use your DCC tool to create a custom curve manually:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXforb2ePxMY_klk-HjNn4vWWMJzuhL-qEXTjmXWuXedbwVZ6KqvRZoHvDzkfDDwD0X4KTL9_7yiGvNSCrcNIJEr6Ahtprnr8gsDDMbZ_kY_Za4H6QKT-V91ftSjOeBr_JHiuq3CjQ?key=M91ppFxZ4Gl8NmaA242FhRO_\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"329\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender Stack Exchange\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-focus-on-secondary-action\">\u003Cstrong>2. Focus on Secondary Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Secondary actions are smaller, complementary motions that add depth and nuance to the primary actions in a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When applied to secondary actions, the slow-in-out principle ensures that these motions blend smoothly with the primary actions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's take the example of a character waving. The primary action might be the arm moving back and forth, driven by the character's intention to greet someone. The secondary action could involve the subtle swaying of the character's ponytail, a gentle rise and fall of the shoulders, or the slight shift of weight from one foot to the other to signal excitement. These secondary actions should ideally begin with a subtle, gradual build-up (slow in), reaching a peak motion in harmony with the primary action, and then gently retreating (slow out).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Slight variations are sometimes necessary for stylistic or narrative purposes: if the animatic calls for a comedic effect, the secondary actions could exaggerate the ease or lack thereof, creating a more playful or exaggerated motion to fit the tone.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-synchronize-with-audio-cues\">\u003Cstrong>3. Synchronize with Audio Cues\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another effective way to improve the impact of your ease in and out transitions is by aligning them with audio cues.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These audio cues can underscore emotional beats, build anticipation, or provide comedic relief.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And when animations are synchronized with these audio cues, they can highlight and accentuate important movements and transitions within the animation, to make sure viewers feel the moment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a scene where a character is leaping off a cliff, you create a sense of propulsion by applying slow-out as the character pushes away from the edge. As the character soars through the air, the slow-in, when they begin to slow toward the apex of their jump, can be accentuated by a musical crescendo.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-use-motion-trails-and-ghosting\">\u003Cstrong>4. Use Motion Trails and Ghosting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Motion trails and ghosting offer animators a visual representation of the path of action to iteratively refine the easing in their animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Motion trails are particularly useful to visualize the flow of a moving object. They provide a line or curve that showcases the path through which an object travels to convey information about its velocity and trajectory.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdcbCEOGgSQK9owdF2kfAt7te2L3k4Yo_UdaFshQfdVkp1ZcplPGvEr7_pDYaI6j-B0SCADR1Aaaqtedz3DARzZyF9NqKfvx6KqX7TN-B5n-luUqCtFECyVwiWovMB5vk4mqQSD4w?key=M91ppFxZ4Gl8NmaA242FhRO_\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"316\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Blender\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Ghosting, on the other hand, creates a series of semi-transparent frames that represent an object's past or future positions so that animators can see multiple stages of motion simultaneously and get a comprehensive view of the action as it unfolds.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcGfFgnIrLKM5XACQa3vMVIBsNRlEziGm7oGwZFJc8MCc66TX6hbYKRJRW7Fc_a3Hbx9issIIDBxIh5Um9WrSnYVptAd6qK6_mlbQfcW7jqxMZI2hPRJIjup0f-gc9bLwzks1S56g?key=M91ppFxZ4Gl8NmaA242FhRO_\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"364\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Cascadeur\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Animators can then evaluate and adjust the timing and spacing of an animation with great precision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider the example of a sword swing animation. With motion trails, an animator can visualize the arc through which the sword travels to adjust the movement. Ghosting further enhances this process by allowing the animator to see the sword's position at various intervals.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-optimize-keyframe-placement\">\u003Cstrong>5. Optimize Keyframe Placement\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>By carefully \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stepped-animation/\">\u003Cu>determining where to place keyframes\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, animators can maximize their control over the movements' start, middle, and end to improve the generated ease in and ease out transitions by in-betweening.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a walk cycle, keyframes must be placed with precision to capture critical moments like the heel strike and toe-off phases of the step. The heel strike is the point where the heel meets the ground, and the toe-off is when the foot pushes away. By accurately defining these points with appropriately placed keyframes, animators can achieve precise control over easing the foot’s movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe2dqY5TmOnkmfl62PG0TPNLdA74_0ie9ANo9AFRhUjNtm9FGAvOq5uPC9m9BtYWkD42gq2Dsn3dHATc7glIGZDtAoM4tOKR3zrFd5t9BZkv8OE0xjfNZ_iHME10F2IY0eAQLc4-g?key=M91ppFxZ4Gl8NmaA242FhRO_\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"580\" height=\"363\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: AngryAnimator.com\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Strategic keyframe positions also allow animators to avoid unnecessary clutter and create smoother transitions.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The slow in and out principle is a given nowadays: every quality animation relies on smooth transitions, and easing curves are key in this aspect.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But mastering this principle is not easy. You need a good sense of timing and storytelling to match audio cues with secondary actions and keyframes. You also need to be comfortable with tools like motion trails, ghosting, and motion graphs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you work with a limited budget, smooth animations aren't often a priority, and you must do with what you have. A good animator can work around those constraints with efficient use of keyframes, tweening, and reusable assets, including animation cycles.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1562,"comment_id":1563,"feature_image":1564,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1565,"updated_at":423,"custom_excerpt":1566,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1567,"primary_tag":1568,"url":1569,"excerpt":1566,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1570},"3b32c7a8-71d9-47a5-9588-b1221dd02ceb","67c929f0c288b6000147a83e","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1723145886817-1a2ee70a251b?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEwfHxzbG93JTIwaW4lMjBhbmQlMjBvdXR8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzQxMjM5MjEyfDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-03-06T05:52:00.000+01:00","The Slow In and Out principle makes animations feel more natural by replicating real-world acceleration and deceleration. Learn how to use easing curves, secondary actions, motion trails, and keyframe placement to create smoother transitions in animation.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/slow-in-out/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@westhephotographer?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Wesley Armstrong\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/slow-in-out","2025-03-24T10:00:19.000+01:00",{"title":1557},"slow-in-out","posts/slow-in-out",[1577],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"NyrdLz8BQ0-MMckck4U7-eyAN9Yze2auq0THnWfyAdQ",{"id":1580,"title":1581,"authors":1582,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1584,"meta":1585,"navigation":15,"path":1596,"published_at":1597,"seo":1598,"slug":1599,"stem":1600,"tags":1601,"__hash__":1603,"uuid":1586,"comment_id":1587,"feature_image":1588,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1589,"updated_at":1590,"custom_excerpt":1591,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1592,"primary_tag":1593,"url":1594,"excerpt":1591,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1595},"ghost/posts:previs-artist.json","Previs in Animation (2026): Mapping Out the Perfect Shot",[1583],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎨\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Great animation starts with great planning. \u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Previsualization\u003C/strong>\u003C/b> (\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">previs\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>) is where ideas take shape before production begins!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Animation is incredibly complex, like writing a novel. You don't just write a first draft; you usually start with an outline to get an idea of how the novel will evolve without going into too much detail.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Similarly, productions don't just happen in a vacuum: you start with previsualization to explore an idea and plan the rest of the work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article describes the vital role of previs artists and how they transform ideas into guides for animators. We'll cover how these artists meticulously plan complex scenes and how they ensure every camera angle and movement fits.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-previsualization\">\u003Cstrong>What's Previsualization\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Previsualization, or previs, is the process in which animators create a preliminary visualization of sequences using 3D animation tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A previs artist is responsible for crafting these rough animated versions to help visualize how a scene unfolds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, in a car chase scene, a previs artist would use 3D software to simulate the camera angles, car movements, and timing, allowing the supervisors and animators to see how the action will play out before going further in the production process.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-previs\">\u003Cstrong>Why Previs\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Previs allows animators to \u003Cstrong>visualize complex scenes before production\u003C/strong> to identify potential challenges.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By identifying issues and perfecting scenes early, previs can significantly reduce production costs by minimizing the need for reshoots or corrections in later stages.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Previsualization also helps with technical planning by mapping out camera angles, movement, lighting, and effects, ensuring all technical aspects are covered.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The deliverables are a common visual language that facilitates better communication among team members, from directors to animators to VFX artists.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-previs-items\">\u003Cstrong>The Previs Items\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Concept art\u003C/strong> -\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges/\"> \u003Cu>Concept art\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is a detailed visual representation that illustrates the characters' style, color, design, visuals, environments, props, and overall project look. It serves as a visual reference and guide for the production team to set the aesthetic direction of the project.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storyboard\u003C/strong> - A storyboard is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\"> \u003Cu>a sequence of quick sketches\u003C/u>\u003C/a> representing the shots intended for an animation. Each panel depicts a specific moment or action and accompanying notes on dialogue, camera angles, and movements. Storyboards help visualize the story in a clear narrative flow.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animatic\u003C/strong> - An animatic is a more advanced version of a storyboard. It's\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life/\"> \u003Cu>a video version of the storyboard\u003C/u>\u003C/a> edited with sound to create a rough animation version. Animatics may include temporary music tracks, dialogue, and sound effects. They give a clearer sense of timing and pacing and how sound and visuals will work together, but most importantly, they can prevent costly mistakes by uncovering potential issues in story flow and transition before expensive animation work begins.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Storyboards focus on the story and shot composition. Animatics emphasize timing, pacing, and integrating sound with visuals. Concept art centers on the design and aesthetic aspects.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-mastering-camera-movement\">\u003Cstrong>1. Mastering Camera Movement\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>It's important to focus on developing a robust understanding of\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/camera-work-in-animation/\"> \u003Cu>camera movement techniques\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to create more engaging sequences. Camera work directs the audience's attention but also can make or break the emotional impact of a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Plan your shots with storyboards\u003C/strong> - Plan your camera shots with detailed storyboards to make sure each camera move enhances the storytelling rather than distracts from it.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use dynamic angles\u003C/strong> - Incorporate a mix of camera angles and heights to add variety and maintain viewer interest. For example, high-angle shots give a sense of vulnerability, while low-angle shots make characters appear more powerful.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Embrace smooth camera transitions\u003C/strong> - Pay attention to how your camera transitions between shots. Avoid jarring cuts by using smooth dolly moves or whip pans to keep the motion fluid.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>For example, in an action scene, experimenting with quick pans or zooms might be a good way to amplify a sense of speed and urgency and pull the viewer deeper into the action.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-proficiency-in-layout-design\">\u003Cstrong>2. Proficiency in Layout Design\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-layout/\">\u003Cu>Layout skills\u003C/u>\u003C/a> ensure each frame is visually balanced to guide the viewer's attention naturally toward key elements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a crowded market scene, arranging characters and props strategically prevents visual clutter and maintains the focus on the main character.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rule of thirds\u003C/strong> - Divide the frame into a 3x3 grid and place key elements at the intersections or along the lines to direct attention.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Depth and layering\u003C/strong> - Use foreground, midground, and background layers to create depth in the scene and allow the audience's eye to travel naturally through the composition.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Leading lines and eye paths\u003C/strong> - add lines, whether they are structural elements or shapes, that guide the viewer’s eyes toward the focal point. This can be achieved through angled props, character gazes, or pathways within the scene.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-effective-communication\">\u003Cstrong>3. Effective Communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Conveying your ideas and feedback clearly across departments is paramount to make sure everyone is on the same page. Previsualization deliverables are going to define the bulk of the work after all, so the whole team needs to get them right to prevent misunderstandings.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use visual aids\u003C/strong> - Storyboards, animatics, and early visual models are meant to communicate ideas more effectively by bridging language gaps.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Establish a feedback loop\u003C/strong> - Create\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\"> \u003Cu>a structured feedback process\u003C/u>\u003C/a> where constructive criticism can be shared freely and frequently. Set regular review meetings or check-ins where team members from different departments can provide input.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Document everything\u003C/strong> - Keep thorough documentation of all creative decisions, changes, and feedback. This includes maintaining a version history of previs assets and clearly marking the reasons for revisions. This documentation ensures that everyone involved can trace the evolution of the project to reduce the risk of repeating past mistakes or overlooking important feedback.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-animation-timing\">\u003Cstrong>4. Animation Timing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing is extremely important for previs to make sequences more engaging. It sets the pace of the sequence and helps convey the intent of each action to the audience. For example, it sets the tone for dramatic tension or comedic effects.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use of beats\u003C/strong> - Break down scenes into distinct beats to highlight key actions or transitions. It not only helps in maintaining audience focus but also ensures that important narrative elements are given the appropriate screen time.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Variable pacing\u003C/strong> - Experiment with different rates of action to create varying emotional impacts: fast pacing can build excitement or tension, while slower actions can enrich dramatic moments or reinforce character development.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Playback speed adjustment\u003C/strong> - Regularly review sequences at different playback speeds. Slowing down the sequence can help detect timing misalignments or subtle animation errors, while speeding it up can test the flow and energy of the scene.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-developing-a-cinematic-eye\">\u003Cstrong>5. Developing a Cinematic Eye\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A good previs artist can perceive scenes through a cinematic lens: they pay attention to aspects like camera and layout/composition but also lighting and the overall mood.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Study film and photography\u003C/strong> - Pay close attention to the directors' use of camera angles, movements, and shot compositions. Analyze photographs to understand lighting, framing, and the rule of thirds.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Practice sketching\u003C/strong> - Regularly sketching scenes allows you to experiment with different visual ideas without investing too much time in 3D software. It helps train your eye to visualize how scenes will translate into film, emphasizing the importance of perspective, scale, and visual flow.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Experiment with different lighting and mood setups\u003C/strong> - Lighting isn't just about illuminating a scene—it's about setting the tone. Experiment with various lighting setups to understand how they affect mood and storytelling. Try replicating lighting scenarios from famous movies to see first-hand how light can transform a scene.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Previsualization is so important, it can make or break a production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's not just a technical challenge where you need to master the camera, layout, and timing, but also a collaborative challenge to align the work of the whole animation studio in a single vision. The resulting concept art, storyboards, and animatics lay the foundations of everything else.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the previs artist's work is completed, the production stage begins. But that's not where the job ends: previs artists help other animators understand the deliverables and translate them into end-products while maintaining the creative vision.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1586,"comment_id":1587,"feature_image":1588,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1589,"updated_at":1590,"custom_excerpt":1591,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1592,"primary_tag":1593,"url":1594,"excerpt":1591,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1595},"7da9bb9e-9545-47b9-b1ef-c9f9bfc2cc2b","67c929f4c288b6000147a844","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/03/PIX-2-Halon_FordvFerrari1.jpg","2025-03-06T05:52:04.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:39:39.000+01:00","Previsualization (previs) is the key to planning complex animation scenes before production. From storyboards to animatics, previs artists shape the blueprint for smooth, cost-effective workflows. Learn how previs enhances storytelling, camera work, and timing!",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/previs-artist/","\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: VFX Voice\u003C/em>\u003C/i>","/posts/previs-artist","2025-03-17T10:00:36.000+01:00",{"title":1581},"previs-artist","posts/previs-artist",[1602],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"qDedGluNpKSc4v89EFdG-dRGBwoJ1M0lDy_MfrvPRH0",{"id":1605,"title":1606,"authors":1607,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1609,"meta":1610,"navigation":15,"path":1621,"published_at":1622,"seo":1623,"slug":1624,"stem":1625,"tags":1626,"__hash__":1628,"uuid":1611,"comment_id":1612,"feature_image":1613,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1614,"updated_at":1615,"custom_excerpt":1616,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1617,"primary_tag":1618,"url":1619,"excerpt":1616,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1620},"ghost/posts:follow-through-overlapping-action.json","Follow-Through & Overlapping Action (2026): The Key to Fluid Motion",[1608],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🏃\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Ever noticed how a character’s hair keeps moving even after they stop running? That’s follow-through & overlapping action in motion!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Understanding\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/\"> \u003Cu>the 12 principles of animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is one of the first steps for every professional animator. Among them, the follow-through and overlapping action principle is one of the most recognizable: you can see it in any animated project, no matter how barebones it is.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article explores best practices for this animation principle: from understanding the lingering motions after a character lands from a jump to mastering the choreography of secondary movements through layered animation techniques, we cover all the basics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By the end, you should have a good understanding of what this principle is about and have good actionable ideas to use in your own animation projects.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-follow-through\">\u003Cstrong>What's Follow-Through\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The follow-through principle refers to the continuation of motion in different elements of a character or object after the main action has stopped.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, when an animated character stops running suddenly, their long hair might move forward briefly before settling.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-overlapping-action\">\u003Cstrong>What's Overlapping Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When a character runs, their hair or clothing moves as well. The slight delay or variation in the timing of different parts of a character or object as they move is called overlapping action.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-this-principle-is-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why This Principle Is Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Follow-through and overlapping action communicate the weight and mass of objects or characters, giving the animation a sense of gravity and inertia.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These principles introduce natural delays and fluidity to movements, making animations less mechanical.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>How a character moves reveals volumes about their emotional state, and you can also use overlap to build suspense or highlight key moments within a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-prioritize-weight-and-momentum\">\u003Cstrong>1. Prioritize Weight And Momentum\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>To accurately portray weight and momentum, the animator must first understand how different objects and characters react under gravity, inertia, and other forces.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When a character jumps, the action doesn't simply conclude when the character lands. Instead, their body parts, hair, or loose clothing will continue to move, propelled by the momentum generated during the leap. This lingering motion is a perfect opportunity for animators to emphasize the downward force exerted during the landing. It can be observed in how a character's hair bounces or how loose garments flutter and settle gradually after the movement has appeared to conclude.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-use-layered-animation-techniques\">\u003Cstrong>2. Use Layered Animation Techniques\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Layered animation involves separating different aspects of motion into distinct layers that can be individually manipulated, like primary and secondary motion, to make it easier to adjust overlaps.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators should start with major body movements, like those of the torso: the torso serves as the central axis of a character's body. It is often the source of primary motions, so establishing the motion of the torso first creates a solid foundation upon which all other actions can be realistically based. Once the primary motion is in place, animators can add secondary movements, including overlapping actions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the main motion has been animated, attention can then shift to additional follow-through animations. By addressing these components separately, animators can ensure that each movement flows naturally and transitions smoothly from one phase to the next.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also add accessories like hats, necklaces, and other props to provide the animation an extra layer of depth.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-use-reference-footage\">\u003Cstrong>3. Use Reference Footage\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One effective strategy for mastering this principle is using reference footage: analyzing and breaking down live-action reference footage allows animators to grasp nuanced motion details that might be challenging to visualize through imagination alone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Reference footage provides fine details that may be overlooked without visual aids yet significantly convey a sense of realism. For example, how a dancer’s body continues to move fluidly after a jump or how an actor’s hair follows their head’s motion provides invaluable insights into creating lifelike follow-through in animation. By observing how these movements occur in reality, animators can replicate or even exaggerate them to increase their impact.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When animating sports scenes, studying slow-motion videos of athletes in action is particularly beneficial. By dissecting these sequences frame by frame, animators can better understand how the body’s various parts contribute to a cohesive motion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The same goes for complex facial expressions. The face has 43 muscles controlling expressions, each with overlapping actions and sometimes follow-through animations (e.g., shaking eyes aftershock).\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-integrate-secondary-animation-early\">\u003Cstrong>4. Integrate Secondary Animation Early\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Plan and integrate secondary actions during the initial stages of animation to maintain consistency.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By doing so, animators can prevent potential disconnects between primary and secondary actions to avoid mismatched motions that often require extensive corrections, thus reducing time spent making revisions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, animators can incorporate likely follow-through and overlapping actions when proposing initial sketches or storyboards.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider a scene involving a group of birds taking flight. In the initial planning stages, it's vital to visualize how each bird's wings, tails, and bodies will move independently yet harmoniously as they soar into the air. Sketches might include the subtle sway of feathers lagging behind the wing movements or the natural bobbing of their bodies. Presenting these considerations early ensures the team can build on a solid foundation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-optimize-timing-for-narrative-impact\">\u003Cstrong>5. Optimize Timing for Narrative Impact\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Effective timing controls the rhythm and conveys the appropriate energy or emotion in a scene. Similarly, you must adjust timing within follow-through and overlaps to enhance storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a suspenseful scene where a character stealthily enters a dimly lit room, the timing of follow-through in actions such as a swinging door becomes crucial. By extending the animation of the door's swing, animators can build anticipation and create an atmosphere of tension. As the door slowly comes to a halt with a prolonged creak, the viewer senses the character's cautious entry, heightening the suspense of the follow-through of the door opening.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-implement-advanced-rigging-solutions\">\u003Cstrong>6. Implement Advanced Rigging Solutions\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A rig is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rigging-in-animation/\"> \u003Cu>the skeletal structure or control system within a digital character model\u003C/u>\u003C/a> that animators use to create movement. It acts as an intermediary between the animator and the 3D model, allowing for the manipulation of the model with greater ease and precision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A robust rig can significantly reduce the workload and complexity of animating expressive follow-through and overlapping actions, so you should design and use rigs accordingly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Without a well-constructed rig, animators may find themselves bogged down in the minutiae of manually adjusting every component of a character's movement, leading to inefficient use of time and potential inconsistencies in animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, create a custom rig with dynamic Inverse Kinematics (IK) and Forward Kinematics (FK) switch controls to handle the fluid motion of a character's tail without constant manual adjustments:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Define the Structure\u003C/strong> - Begin by identifying the major parts of the character's tail that will require movement and flexibility—often breaking them down into several segments or \"bones\" within your 3D software. Each segment should be able to move independently yet remain connected to form a cohesive whole.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Set Up IK Controls\u003C/strong> - Implement Inverse Kinematics (IK) for the tail to allow animators to move the end of the tail, and have the rest of the segments follow accordingly. This is useful for quickly positioning the tail, especially when it interacts with other objects or needs to maintain contact with a surface.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Configure FK Controls\u003C/strong> - Alongside IK, establish Forward Kinematics (FK) controls that give animators the ability to rotate each segment of the tail independently. This is essential for fine-tuning arcs and adding natural, flowing movements.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create a Switching System\u003C/strong> - Provide a seamless transition between IK and FK controls by incorporating an IK/FK switch within the rig. This switch allows animators to toggle between the two systems depending on what is needed for a particular action, combining the strengths of both techniques for optimal tail animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Add Dynamic Features\u003C/strong> - Enhance the rig with dynamics or secondary motion control systems that can simulate natural physics and add an extra layer of realism to the tail movement, like auto-sway or bounce features that react to the character's primary movements.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Adding follow-through and overlapping actions can be complex, but the result is worth it! Make sure to follow best practices to ease your work:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Be aware of weight and momentum\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Use layers\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Plan secondary actions\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Use reference footage\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Leverage timing for emotional impact\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Advanced rigs\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Animation is not just about the story, it's also about how you tell it with subtle details: that's the huge difference between boring and great animation. Follow-through and overlapping actions are key in this regard, so don't neglect them!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1611,"comment_id":1612,"feature_image":1613,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1614,"updated_at":1615,"custom_excerpt":1616,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1617,"primary_tag":1618,"url":1619,"excerpt":1616,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1620},"597abdcb-2891-4fef-a2cb-926e7805ff9b","67c92446c288b6000147a817","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/03/Follow-Through-and-Overlapping-Action-3.jpg","2025-03-06T05:27:50.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:34:19.000+01:00","Follow-through & overlapping action bring realism and fluidity to animation. From hair swaying after a stop to clothing trailing behind movement, these principles add weight and believability. Learn how to apply them effectively in our latest article!",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/follow-through-overlapping-action/","\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Animost Studio\u003C/em>\u003C/i>","/posts/follow-through-overlapping-action","2025-03-10T10:00:12.000+01:00",{"title":1606},"follow-through-overlapping-action","posts/follow-through-overlapping-action",[1627],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"xYsd6kHNHZx6HvEwrhJb3iNVqvXzBdVoPHR1mvkjiU8",{"id":1630,"title":1631,"authors":1632,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1634,"meta":1635,"navigation":15,"path":1646,"published_at":1647,"seo":1648,"slug":1649,"stem":1650,"tags":1651,"__hash__":1653,"uuid":1636,"comment_id":1637,"feature_image":1638,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1639,"updated_at":1640,"custom_excerpt":1641,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1642,"primary_tag":1643,"url":1644,"excerpt":1641,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1645},"ghost/posts:squash-stretch-principle.json","(2026) Mastering the Squash & Stretch Principle in Animation",[1633],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🐶\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Squash & Stretch isn’t just for cartoons—it’s the secret to making animations feel natural, expressive, and full of life!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>When people say an animation looks \"\u003Cstrong>cartoony\u003C/strong>,\" they often mean that animators use exaggerated squash and stretch effects throughout.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators call squash and stretch the most important of the 12 principles because it's such an iconic characteristic of Western animation, though it's pretty simple in practice―just imagine the object or character has the physical properties of a rubber ball! Every action or force applied to a character should slightly deform it before it regains its original shape.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>I can list at least three reasons why squash and stretch is such an important principle to master, even with more realistic animations.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-squash-stretch\">\u003Cstrong>Why Squash & Stretch\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The squash and stretch principle helps convey the mass and weight of objects and characters to make movements look more grounded in physics: as a ball hits the ground, it should squash to show the impact force and compression under its weight. As the ball rebounds, it should stretch to convey the speed and energy of the bounce. This tells the audience a lot about the object's properties—whether it is heavy or light, rigid or flexible.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators also use squash and stretch to animate emotions. When a character is surprised, their eyes widen, and their mouth stretches open. But when a character is sad, their face squashes inward with drooping eyelids and a downturned mouth. These exaggerated facial features communicate the character’s emotional state to the audience without needing to explain anything.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Even in more realistic animations, squash and stretch contribute to the quality of an animation by preventing it from appearing too stiff or mechanical. When a person runs, their muscles and skin will naturally squash and stretch. The head will also bob from side to side like a bouncing ball.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"preserving-volume\">\u003Cstrong>Preserving Volume\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When an object or character moves, its volume should stay consistent. But its shape can change to reflect forces like gravity and momentum.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As a rubber ball hits the ground and squashes, it should get wider, not just flatter, to maintain the same overall mass. When it stretches as it rebounds, it should become taller without losing mass. To keep this in check, you need to constantly visualize the object's volume as a fixed quantity that reshapes but doesn’t vanish.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Guides can be incredibly helpful to ensure that your character or object retains its volume during transformations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-shape-language/\"> \u003Cu>basic volume shapes like cubes, spheres, or cylinders can be used to serve as anchors\u003C/u>\u003C/a> while animating. These guides can be adjusted along the animation path to assist you in maintaining proper proportions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A classic exercise is to animate a bag of flour or water balloon that is being bounced around and distorted. Animators focus on how the mass inside the object flows and reshapes.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"timing-and-spacing\">\u003Cstrong>Timing and Spacing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing is how long an action takes, while spacing is where the object is placed from frame to frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When working with squash and stretch, timing and spacing are adjusted to reflect the object's characteristics like speed and weight: a quick, sharp stretch suggests speed, while a slower, smaller squash indicates a heavy object.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As a rule of thumb, heavier objects require less squash and stretch and move with quick timing, while lighter objects need more exaggerated distortions and slower movements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The amount of squash and stretch should also reflect the object's material properties. Even if they have the same mass, a rubber ball would show significant squash and stretch, while a bowling ball would barely change shape.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Squash occurs when there's a force or contact with another surface. Stretch typically occurs before and after the contact during anticipation and follow-through, respectively. The transitions need to be smooth to pull off the effect effectively. Example for a character jump:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Anticipation\u003C/strong> - Add a few frames where your character crouches to load energy before your character jumps. The squashing of the leg can serve as a visual cue to the viewer that a big action is about to happen.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Squash and stretch\u003C/strong> - As they leap, use the stretch in the upward motion to emphasize the speed and direction of the movement.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Follow-through\u003C/strong> - When they land, use squash as they bend their knees to cushion the impact and naturally lead into a stand.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"a-tool-for-expression\">\u003Cstrong>A Tool For Expression\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, the squash and stretch principle is great at\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\"> \u003Cu>expressing emotions and personalities\u003C/u>\u003C/a> effectively by exaggerating movements: different levels of compression and elasticity reflect different emotional and mental states.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A character that is feeling excited or joyful could be depicted almost as light as a feather, with more stretch in the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A heavy, grumpy character might use squash and stretch more in the squash side when they move, with minimal stretch to indicate their heavy, sluggish personality by keeping most of their body condensed and low to the ground.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Anime aesthetics heavily leverage temporary facial exaggeration to emphasize sudden emotional changes to draw the viewer's attention, most notably by squashing or stretching the eyes and the mouth.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"usage-in-animation-cycles\">\u003Cstrong>Usage in Animation Cycles\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Movements rarely progress linearly, so animators experiment with different easing curves in their animation software to see what best matches the timing of the movement they're aiming for. For example, you have to display more energy at the beginning of the sprint when a character runs, so the animator would add more squash and stretch within a shorter time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Talking about running, balance is crucial in loop animations (cycles): too much repetition leads to monotony so you need to introduce variation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Minor tweaks in the squash and stretch timing or scale for different cycles add a lot to the quality of the animation. It's as simple as changing the speed of a step, a posture, or the amplitude of squash and stretch. For example:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/neiPpkXD7F8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Animating a Heavy Run With ProRigs - Head Squash And Stretch\">\u003C/iframe>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Pay particular attention to how the body compresses and elongates naturally. The body's weight shifts with each step in a walk cycle. As the character's foot touches the ground, introduce a slight squash to convey impact. As the character pushes off the ground, you can slightly stretch the leading leg to show propulsion.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Mastering the squash and stretch principle is key for animators, whether you're aiming for a cartoony or realistic aesthetic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a cornerstone of animation because it allows animators to convey not only the physical properties of objects like weight and speed but also the emotional states of characters through visual cues. You just have to be mindful of volume, timing, and applied forces to bridge the gap between art and physics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Combined with the other 11 principles of animation, squash, and stretch is a great way to level up your animation!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1636,"comment_id":1637,"feature_image":1638,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1639,"updated_at":1640,"custom_excerpt":1641,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1642,"primary_tag":1643,"url":1644,"excerpt":1641,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1645},"ea190022-05c6-4191-ac6f-618a6f23f954","67aad70be95d410001686289","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/squash-and-stretch.webp","2025-02-11T05:50:19.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:42:37.000+01:00","Squash & Stretch isn’t just for cartoons—it’s key to making animation feel natural and dynamic. Learn how this principle adds weight, flexibility, and believability to motion in our latest article.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/squash-stretch-principle/","\u003Ci>\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Tom's Game Design Blog\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/i>","/posts/squash-stretch-principle","2025-03-03T10:00:27.000+01:00",{"title":1631},"squash-stretch-principle","posts/squash-stretch-principle",[1652],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"LIy8IGrUz-hYlPOMf0erQAHITfSJ82IiQwWkCkIcjug",{"id":1655,"title":1656,"authors":1657,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1659,"meta":1660,"navigation":15,"path":1671,"published_at":1672,"seo":1673,"slug":1674,"stem":1675,"tags":1676,"__hash__":1680,"uuid":1661,"comment_id":1662,"feature_image":1663,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1664,"updated_at":1665,"custom_excerpt":1666,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1667,"primary_tag":1668,"url":1669,"excerpt":1666,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1670},"ghost/posts:blender-vs-maya.json","Blender vs Maya In 2026: Which 3D Tool is Right for You?",[1658],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💻\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Blender\u003C/strong>\u003C/b> or \u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Maya\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>? The debate continues in 2025—let’s break down the differences!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>There are plenty of digital content creation tools out there, some of which can spark ongoing debates among 3D artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Maybe you just started studying animation and wonder which tool to pick. Or you have a new project to manage and try to decide between hiring Maya or Blender animators.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we’ll take a friendly stroll through the features of both \u003Cstrong>Blender\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>Maya\u003C/strong> to explore what sets them apart, their strengths and weaknesses, and which projects they suit best.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"comparison-criteria\">\u003Cstrong>Comparison Criteria\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When comparing Maya and Blender, we will focus on a few key criteria to make it as objective as possible:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Target audience\u003C/strong> - who is the tool built for?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pricing\u003C/strong> - what's the business model like?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pros & cons\u003C/strong> - what are the key advantages and inconveniences of each tool?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Learning curve\u003C/strong> - how easy can you get started?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Community support\u003C/strong> - how active are the users?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Modeling\u003C/strong> - does it fare well with common 3D modeling tasks?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation & rigging\u003C/strong> - what about the animation process of 3D models?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rendering\u003C/strong> - how can I turn my animations into videos?\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Before we dive in, I want to emphasize the fact that neither is better―it all depends on your requirements and use cases! With that out of the way, let's start with Maya.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"maya\">\u003Cstrong>Maya\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Autodesk Maya is considered the industry standard for 3D animation, and it is used by major studios around the globe, such as Walt Disney Animation Studios.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"target-audience\">\u003Cstrong>Target audience\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Maya's toolset is tailored for professionals working within film, television, and gaming industries, especially those involved in complex production pipelines.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"pricing\">\u003Cstrong>Pricing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Maya is quite expensive at $1,945 per year ($245 monthly), with subscription costs potentially a barrier for independent artists and small studios. But Autodesk does offer free student licenses and discounted indie licenses for only $320 per year if you are eligible.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"pros\">\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Used by many big studios in the industry\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Great animation and rigging UI\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Works out-of-the-box but fully customizable\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Industry standards closed-source plugins\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"cons\">\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Cost\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Few community resources\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"blender\">\u003Cstrong>Blender\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender is a free and open-source 3D content creation tool that is steadily gaining traction across various creative industries. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline, including modeling, rigging, animation, and rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender has been used in several acclaimed productions, like the 2023 film \"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,\" and was pivotal in the Grease Pencil feature in short films and animations.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"target-audience-1\">\u003Cstrong>Target audience\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Blender is designed to be accessible to everyone, from hobbyists to professionals. Smaller studios appreciate its zero-cost entry point and evolving feature set. It's particularly appealing to freelancers and startups looking for powerful but hackable tools without the financial strain.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"pricing-1\">\u003Cstrong>Pricing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The biggest advantage of Blender is its price—free—and its highly active community that fosters innovation and support. However, it may not integrate as seamlessly into larger production pipelines compared to Maya, which can be a drawback for some studios.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"pros-1\">\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Open-source\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Big community\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Great modeling UI\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"cons-1\">\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Less popular in large-scale productions\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Need plugins to improve your animation workflow\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"learning-curve\">\u003Cstrong>Learning Curve\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Both software packages have steep learning curves, but Maya is often considered more challenging to master due to its complexity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender, as an open-source software, has a reputation for being less intimidating to start with, especially for newcomers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Numerous tutorials and courses are available for both, but Blender has the edge here thanks to its open-source nature and large community.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"community\">\u003Cstrong>Community\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The community support for Blender is one of its strongest assets. With its open-source model, developers, and artists frequently contribute to its growth with tutorials, plugins, and resources. This open-source vibe encourages experimentation, and community-driven platforms like Blender Artists and Blender Nation are buzzing with open project discussions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Maya also benefits from a large, though more commercially focused, community providing professional resources and support. Maya is used primarily by professionals engaged in large-scale production settings, so the Maya community is often composed of industry veterans and experts with deep knowledge of complex production pipelines. The community tends to communicate through forums like Autodesk's own support and community networks. Because of this setting, free assets and plugins aren't as common since animators are busy working on studio projects.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"modeling\">\u003Cstrong>Modeling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender is praised for its fast and flexible modeling tools. The software offers a versatile range of features, from polygonal and sculpting workflows to advanced procedural modeling with modifiers. Blender’s non-destructive modifier stack allows you to modify geometry in a flexible and non-linear way, which is particularly beneficial for iterative design processes. Its customizable interface and hotkey-centric workflow enable modelers to streamline their processes and work more efficiently once they master the toolset. Lastly, Blender has better built-in sculpting support than Maya.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Maya excels in polygonal modeling features, with a range of advanced tools that support precise and detailed work. Its integration with other Autodesk products and advanced support for NURBS modeling give it an edge in creating complex, high-precision models that are often required in professional projects. Maya’s user interface can appear more daunting to beginners.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All in all, both are pretty\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\"> \u003Cu>similar at 3D modeling\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, and your choice will boil down to your preferences regarding UI and controls.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"animation-rigging\">\u003Cstrong>Animation & Rigging\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Maya offers advanced animation and\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rigging-in-animation/\"> \u003Cu>rigging tools\u003C/u>\u003C/a> out-of-the-box for professional animators who need precision and fluidity. Its rigging system is incredibly powerful and has a great depth of control. The software supports complex characters with intricate riggings thanks to tools like the Node Editor, which simplifies customized control rigs and advanced deformations. Maya’s robust scripting capabilities with MEL and Python allow technical directors to create custom tools and automate rigging processes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender has made significant strides in animation and rigging with its constant updates, and the Grease Pencil feature is opening new opportunities for 2D and 3D animation. Blender's animation and rigging systems aren't as advanced as Maya's, but they are still there. Blender’s Rigify plugin is a fantastic starting point for creating complex rigs without diving deep into manual rigging.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"rendering\">\u003Cstrong>Rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Maya uses the Interactive Photorealistic Rendering engine for visualization during development and the Autodesk Arnold engine for the final render.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Arnold is a high-quality Monte Carlo ray-tracing renderer celebrated for its ability to handle complex scenes. Arnold is CPU-driven, although recent updates have included GPU acceleration support.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender has two rendering engines:\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\"> \u003Cu>Cycles and Eevee\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Cycles is a physically-based path tracer providing realistic lighting, reflections, and shadows. It relies heavily on GPU acceleration, which can significantly speed up the rendering process if you have a compatible graphics card.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the other hand, Eevee is a real-time rendering engine that excels in speed. While it doesn’t provide the same level of detail as Cycles, Eevee is perfect for pre-visualization during development or projects that require quick iterations and less realistic but high-quality visual feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Maya and Blender are both powerful tools for creating 3D animations, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With its considerable clout in large studios and major productions, Maya continues to be the standard. But Blender is a formidable alternative, increasingly closing the gap with flexibility and a budget-friendly approach.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Starting with Blender offers a comprehensive understanding of the 3D world, especially for those working independently. As your skills and studio requirements evolve, transitioning to Maya can align more closely with industry standards.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you're still in school, make sure to leverage the free student license to get a feel of both software.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In any case, the skills you learn in each software are transferable, so don't worry too much about picking one or the other. If you have a good understanding of Blender, you can easily transfer your skills to Maya by watching a few how-to videos, reading the documentation, and practising for a few weeks.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1661,"comment_id":1662,"feature_image":1663,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1664,"updated_at":1665,"custom_excerpt":1666,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1667,"primary_tag":1668,"url":1669,"excerpt":1666,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1670},"db254e69-5771-4a7d-a891-fc49a870a06b","67aad34ae95d410001686252","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/blender_vs_maya_cover.1102x655.jpg","2025-02-11T05:34:18.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:27:19.000+01:00","Blender and Maya are two of the most popular 3D animation tools, but which one is right for you? This guide compares their features, pricing, strengths, and best use cases to help you decide.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/blender-vs-maya/","\u003Ci>\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Pinglestudio\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/i>","/posts/blender-vs-maya","2025-02-24T10:00:50.000+01:00",{"title":1656},"blender-vs-maya","posts/blender-vs-maya",[1677,1678],{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},{"id":1679,"name":79,"slug":85,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":82},"69c20dfccb09d8000107cfe9","pWff7SjVzDRT2VjO4NBblvCVh6Z8XO6i15KiZoibeSg",{"id":1682,"title":1683,"authors":1684,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1686,"meta":1687,"navigation":15,"path":1698,"published_at":1699,"seo":1700,"slug":1701,"stem":1702,"tags":1703,"__hash__":1705,"uuid":1688,"comment_id":1689,"feature_image":1690,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1691,"updated_at":1692,"custom_excerpt":1693,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1694,"primary_tag":1695,"url":1696,"excerpt":1693,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1697},"ghost/posts:anticipation-principle.json","Anticipation in Animation (2026): The Key to Impactful Motion",[1685],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🏃\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Great animation isn’t just about movement—it’s about setting the stage for it. Anticipation is the key to making actions feel natural, impactful, and engaging!\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>If you animate a character punching another, you don't just go straight to punching: you let the character time to frown, send their arm back, and then let them hit their target.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's building up \u003Cstrong>anticipation\u003C/strong>, which makes the punching so satisfying!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators have a term for it: the \u003Cstrong>\u003Cu>anticipation principle\u003C/u>\u003C/strong>. They use it to prepare the audience for an action and maximize its impact.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether it's jumping, initiating dialogue, or fending foes, your animation can benefit from it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article explores why anticipation is important and how to make the most of it to elevate your animation skills in an actionable way. Enjoy!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-this-principle-is-important\">\u003Cstrong>Why This Principle Is Important\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Anticipation prepares the audience for what is about to happen to make an action more understandable. Hinting at the upcoming movement guides the viewer's attention to reduce confusion. A character preparing to jump would crouch down slightly before leaping into the air, for example. This crouching motion signals to the audience that the character is about to jump, setting up the expectation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In real life, the\u003Cstrong> \u003C/strong>most significant actions involve preparatory movements that help in building the necessary momentum and power. For this reason, anticipation echoes the natural physics and mechanics of real-world actions, which is key for realism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Different styles of anticipation can give\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\"> \u003Cu>insights into a character's mood or personality\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. A mischievous character ready to sneak behind another character could look side to side, grin slyly, and slowly bend their knees. Anticipation provides animators with an opportunity to express subtle cues that add depth to the character while making any animation interesting to look at.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-basics\">\u003Cstrong>The Basics\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Anticipation acts as a setup for the main action in animation, which can be broken down into three elements:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The setup\u003C/strong> - Introducing subtle movements that signal a forthcoming major action.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The build-up\u003C/strong> - Increasing tension and directing viewer focus.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The action\u003C/strong> - Delivering the anticipated movement or event.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>This is especially important for key scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Vinland Saga, the twist when Askeladd meets the king is beautifully anticipated \u003Cstrong>(spoiler alert 🚨)\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The scene begins with the setup where the king thanks his benefactors, including Askeladd.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, a series of actions builds up to a climax. First, the king asks Askeladd to kill Canute, then Askeladd reverses the power balance, going from being submissive to threatening, and then the king orders his men to kill Askeladd.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXfwhjdsWZ9sCb-axj7hUtTOGVfM88sx1WDy3PR2SCliNHCQPQ68IVbcMJq5-0N5ysGGTKkCLmwJawJYp1hE-5bG_4T5NFZoYrBBwJys0P89T3EgSUI0cwHy2wYxeoHEaj0TgogQ7g.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"782\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/02/AD_4nXfwhjdsWZ9sCb-axj7hUtTOGVfM88sx1WDy3PR2SCliNHCQPQ68IVbcMJq5-0N5ysGGTKkCLmwJawJYp1hE-5bG_4T5NFZoYrBBwJys0P89T3EgSUI0cwHy2wYxeoHEaj0TgogQ7g.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/02/AD_4nXfwhjdsWZ9sCb-axj7hUtTOGVfM88sx1WDy3PR2SCliNHCQPQ68IVbcMJq5-0N5ysGGTKkCLmwJawJYp1hE-5bG_4T5NFZoYrBBwJys0P89T3EgSUI0cwHy2wYxeoHEaj0TgogQ7g.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXfwhjdsWZ9sCb-axj7hUtTOGVfM88sx1WDy3PR2SCliNHCQPQ68IVbcMJq5-0N5ysGGTKkCLmwJawJYp1hE-5bG_4T5NFZoYrBBwJys0P89T3EgSUI0cwHy2wYxeoHEaj0TgogQ7g.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Finally, we arrive at the action of Askeladd beheading the king, effectively altering the fate of all main characters in the show.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>How you do your anticipation should match the tone and style of your animation. A cartoonish character might have exaggerated and dramatically long anticipations, while in a thriller, you leverage more sounds, camera movements, and subtle character cues like a sweating face or facial expressions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As we'll see in other sections, anticipation also leverages animation principles like exaggeration, timing, and staging to maximize its impact.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"physical-and-emotional-anticipation\">\u003Cstrong>Physical and Emotional Anticipation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Anticipation isn't solely used for physical movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Emotional anticipation operates similarly but relies on more subtle cues. For example, a character on the verge of tears or laughter showcases a gradual build-up of emotion on their face—like a quivering lip or a glimmer in their eye—preparing the audience for the emotional release.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this context, anticipation involves a character's facial expressions gradually changing or their body language shifting to convey feelings.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators can also leverage the scene's environment to create anticipation. In the opening scene of Ninja Kamui, animators use bird-view camera angles, the train rails animation, and fog effects to signify the impending arrival of a group of ninjas in pursuit of the featured character.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The strength of anticipation lies in these subtle changes. As animators, we observe these real-life cues and bring them to the screen to create compelling characters.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"using-exaggeration\">\u003Cstrong>Using Exaggeration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Exaggeration is a powerful tool in an animator's toolbox, especially when applied to anticipation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Pushing the boundaries of a preparatory action by exaggerating its amplitude, like the depth of a character's crouch before a jump, significantly enhances the drama of the resulting action.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A right balance between subtlety and excess is key, though: too much exaggeration can transform a nuanced build-up into a comedic gesture (unless comedy is the desired effect). The key is to maintain a hint of realism within the exaggeration.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Naruto, the infamous Naruto vs Pain fight has great examples of exaggeration going overboard, including some anticipatory actions of Pain before he throws a punch:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The resulting animation can be considered good because it adds speed to the fight, but the facial expression doesn't fit the stoic nature of the character.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-importance-of-timing\">\u003Cstrong>The Importance of Timing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing affects the speed of movement and shapes a scene's emotional impact.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Similarly, the way anticipation is timed has dramatic effects: a slow, lingering build-up creates tension or suspense, while a quick build-up conveys urgency or surprise.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By adjusting the number of frames allocated to anticipation versus the actual action, animators can experiment with different pacing. Dedicating more frames to anticipation creates a sense of looming inevitability while using fewer frames results in an explosive, dynamic quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Varying the spacing between frames also creates an illusion of acceleration or deceleration, adding intensity and weight to the movement.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"staging\">\u003Cstrong>Staging\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Staging is another incredibly important animation principle that builds anticipation. You need to\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-layout/\"> \u003Cu>set up the scene\u003C/u>\u003C/a> so that the audience's attention is directed where it needs to be, and you can use it to highlight anticipatory actions and guide viewers to observe important details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Camera angles and character positioning emphasize expected movements. A close-up shot can draw attention to a subtle yet significant facial expression, while a wide shot can showcase the full action taking place.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The background and setting also play a role: simplifying the elements around an action can minimize distractions and keep the viewer focused on the primary movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The way you stage each scene can enhance or weaken the sense of anticipation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"reverse-anticipation\">\u003Cstrong>Reverse-anticipation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are also cases of reverse anticipation where the setup and build-up steps occur after the action has taken place, and you animate the reveal of its consequences.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, a character is stabbed by surprise, you see his face contort in pain, but you're not sure what happened, and then you see blood dripping on the floor before the reveal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Reverse anticipation is a powerful tool to create a sense of surprise or shock by first depicting the consequences, prompting the audience to mentally fill in or anticipate the cause of the event.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The scene where Ace dies protecting Luffy in One Piece is a great example. We only processed what happened after a few anticipatory frames:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXfs0EB_ObDT5XIdjHlxp-vKE1Kpcjwrnsj-6vcLELKN_2r1YpCJeGG8M7dQCo197k7Q_xcStolDnCn-EoDgDNo3TGQlhQ9qc0DIKBnFWfztvzfVcAVLUD1-shODpjw624eMFlRy-w-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"729\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/02/AD_4nXfs0EB_ObDT5XIdjHlxp-vKE1Kpcjwrnsj-6vcLELKN_2r1YpCJeGG8M7dQCo197k7Q_xcStolDnCn-EoDgDNo3TGQlhQ9qc0DIKBnFWfztvzfVcAVLUD1-shODpjw624eMFlRy-w-1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/02/AD_4nXfs0EB_ObDT5XIdjHlxp-vKE1Kpcjwrnsj-6vcLELKN_2r1YpCJeGG8M7dQCo197k7Q_xcStolDnCn-EoDgDNo3TGQlhQ9qc0DIKBnFWfztvzfVcAVLUD1-shODpjw624eMFlRy-w-1.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXfs0EB_ObDT5XIdjHlxp-vKE1Kpcjwrnsj-6vcLELKN_2r1YpCJeGG8M7dQCo197k7Q_xcStolDnCn-EoDgDNo3TGQlhQ9qc0DIKBnFWfztvzfVcAVLUD1-shODpjw624eMFlRy-w-1.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXeDjaS-PfbAyYlIKiSianVX_cBEr0ZerfGXxPrSRs056GPTCY1hdFEuxQgU6iLiYCfpO2lxk5L_JUsgTzNCIp72zaeOfz-PYKsI6kw7CEx9jntCXAhyuqIrIq5cpoqZsJ0Eac8VPw.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"756\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/02/AD_4nXeDjaS-PfbAyYlIKiSianVX_cBEr0ZerfGXxPrSRs056GPTCY1hdFEuxQgU6iLiYCfpO2lxk5L_JUsgTzNCIp72zaeOfz-PYKsI6kw7CEx9jntCXAhyuqIrIq5cpoqZsJ0Eac8VPw.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/02/AD_4nXeDjaS-PfbAyYlIKiSianVX_cBEr0ZerfGXxPrSRs056GPTCY1hdFEuxQgU6iLiYCfpO2lxk5L_JUsgTzNCIp72zaeOfz-PYKsI6kw7CEx9jntCXAhyuqIrIq5cpoqZsJ0Eac8VPw.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXeDjaS-PfbAyYlIKiSianVX_cBEr0ZerfGXxPrSRs056GPTCY1hdFEuxQgU6iLiYCfpO2lxk5L_JUsgTzNCIp72zaeOfz-PYKsI6kw7CEx9jntCXAhyuqIrIq5cpoqZsJ0Eac8VPw.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXcp1of88VBEhwiQKElXR_UcnHlpfZX2ugVKIgDNGud3Jf6bilAicsiXarI3EjO5DRNIdIcxsjI7nzqJAjlh02mb3W-c5kF_g0u2jUbXMAVUeZAZ3qBUVcku9yFoKgiWrDTWDPtg8w.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"743\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/02/AD_4nXcp1of88VBEhwiQKElXR_UcnHlpfZX2ugVKIgDNGud3Jf6bilAicsiXarI3EjO5DRNIdIcxsjI7nzqJAjlh02mb3W-c5kF_g0u2jUbXMAVUeZAZ3qBUVcku9yFoKgiWrDTWDPtg8w.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/02/AD_4nXcp1of88VBEhwiQKElXR_UcnHlpfZX2ugVKIgDNGud3Jf6bilAicsiXarI3EjO5DRNIdIcxsjI7nzqJAjlh02mb3W-c5kF_g0u2jUbXMAVUeZAZ3qBUVcku9yFoKgiWrDTWDPtg8w.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXcp1of88VBEhwiQKElXR_UcnHlpfZX2ugVKIgDNGud3Jf6bilAicsiXarI3EjO5DRNIdIcxsjI7nzqJAjlh02mb3W-c5kF_g0u2jUbXMAVUeZAZ3qBUVcku9yFoKgiWrDTWDPtg8w.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXeGwliFS4EcFdoMPPJnVcC_P04QV1QsqedCnWyCc-LSBImuphwsDo0wxL6Sj56x7cLCGB9vYXTMJfnSFWdVT1x9EXqFT33knb94jP4r-pfFcYfxtG5r-rA8o48Yk4yDu2IWkPnbcw.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"747\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/02/AD_4nXeGwliFS4EcFdoMPPJnVcC_P04QV1QsqedCnWyCc-LSBImuphwsDo0wxL6Sj56x7cLCGB9vYXTMJfnSFWdVT1x9EXqFT33knb94jP4r-pfFcYfxtG5r-rA8o48Yk4yDu2IWkPnbcw.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/02/AD_4nXeGwliFS4EcFdoMPPJnVcC_P04QV1QsqedCnWyCc-LSBImuphwsDo0wxL6Sj56x7cLCGB9vYXTMJfnSFWdVT1x9EXqFT33knb94jP4r-pfFcYfxtG5r-rA8o48Yk4yDu2IWkPnbcw.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/AD_4nXeGwliFS4EcFdoMPPJnVcC_P04QV1QsqedCnWyCc-LSBImuphwsDo0wxL6Sj56x7cLCGB9vYXTMJfnSFWdVT1x9EXqFT33knb94jP4r-pfFcYfxtG5r-rA8o48Yk4yDu2IWkPnbcw.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Anticipation is more than just a precursor to movement―it's' a powerful storytelling tool that adds depth to your animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By combining physical, emotional, and environmental cues and using other animation principles like exaggeration, timing, and staging, animators create incredible scenes that pull the viewers right into their world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Make sure to read about the other animation principles in our blog to get a better understanding of how they all fit together.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you! 😊\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1688,"comment_id":1689,"feature_image":1690,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1691,"updated_at":1692,"custom_excerpt":1693,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1694,"primary_tag":1695,"url":1696,"excerpt":1693,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1697},"81725c74-2bf2-4d78-a59a-c685e468e310","67aa9db4e95d410001686220","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/c3b6n-hareket-anticipation.jpg","2025-02-11T01:45:40.000+01:00","2026-03-27T11:02:02.000+01:00","Anticipation is key to making animation feel natural and impactful. Learn how this principle guides movement, builds tension, and enhances storytelling.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/anticipation-principle/","\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Pinterest\u003C/em>\u003C/i>","/posts/anticipation-principle","2025-02-17T10:00:57.000+01:00",{"title":1683},"anticipation-principle","posts/anticipation-principle",[1704],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"LITQgFqMKQLOtxKSJ4muiAB6GPbGQtDpOIZM-ZKzgw8",{"id":1707,"title":1708,"authors":1709,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1711,"meta":1712,"navigation":15,"path":1723,"published_at":1724,"seo":1725,"slug":1726,"stem":1727,"tags":1728,"__hash__":1730,"uuid":1713,"comment_id":1714,"feature_image":1715,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1716,"updated_at":1717,"custom_excerpt":1718,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1719,"primary_tag":1720,"url":1721,"excerpt":1718,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1722},"ghost/posts:12-principles-animation.json","The 12 Principles of Animation (2026): A Timeless Guide for Animators",[1710],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🖌️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Mastering animation starts with understanding the \u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">12 core principles\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>In 1981, during the Golden Age of American animation, Disney animators \u003Cstrong>Frank Thomas\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>Ollie Johnston\u003C/strong> published \u003Cem>\"Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life.\"\u003C/em> This book describes the behind-the-scenes of a Disney production, including a quick overview of the character animation process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In retrospect, The Illusion of Life was among the first resources to present a framework for animators, which we would later know as the 12 principles of animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Walt Disney Co. is now worth $193 billion, and it all started by creating compelling animated characters!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we give you a quick overview of the 12 principles, but you can find\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/\"> \u003Cu>more detailed articles on our blog\u003C/u>\u003C/a> about animation principles with additional actionable tips and illustrated examples.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-squash-and-stretch\">\u003Cstrong>1. Squash and Stretch\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A bouncing rubber ball squashes when it hits the ground, then stretches as it rises back into the air.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Similarly, squash and stretch is used to exaggerate the actions and emotions of a character, giving it cartoon-like aesthetics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Even in more realistic animations, squash and stretch subtly enhance the sense of weight and timing: when a person runs, their members, head, and skin will naturally squash and stretch.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-anticipation\">\u003Cstrong>2. Anticipation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Anticipation is the preparation for a significant action. It sets the audience for what will happen, making the movement more realistic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In real life, actions have preparatory movements: a person crouches down before jumping, and it could feel weird if you don't include this anticipation movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Anticipation also guides the audience's attention to where the main action will occur. This is particularly important in scenes with multiple characters or complex backgrounds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also use anticipation to add drama and increase impact. In a suspenseful moment where a character is about to open a mysterious box, a slow build-up with hesitant movements and a tense pause add suspense.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-staging\">\u003Cstrong>3. Staging\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Staging is about placing characters, props, cameras, and lighting in environments for a scene to convey a story. It guides the audience's eye to the most important aspects of a scene: you can control what the viewers see and when they see it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But staging isn't just about where you place things.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By arranging characters and their actions purposefully, you make sure the audience understands the context without confusion: if a character is supposed to feel isolated in a crowd, staging them at the edge of a large gathering, looking towards the center, will visually communicate their loneliness. Simple but effective.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Staging elements like lighting, camera angles, and composition significantly influence the mood of a scene. In a suspenseful scene, for example, a character in a low-lit room with looming shadows creates tension.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-straight-ahead-action-and-pose-to-pose\">\u003Cstrong>4. Straight-Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Straight-ahead action means drawing each frame in sequence, one at a time, from start to finish. This method emphasizes fluid, organic movements for maximum creative exploration―a bit like improvising in music or dance. It's perfect for elements like fire, smoke, or character animations where spontaneity is key.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the opposite side, pose-to-pose is all about planning and control. You\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stepped-animation/\"> \u003Cu>start with key poses\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to define major movements or expressions, then fill in with in-betweens. This approach is key for clarity and timing, especially when animating complex scenes that require specific keyframes, like a character performing a dance move. This way, each step or pose is correctly timed and executed to maintain the beat of the dance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Most professional animations use a blend of both. Creating key poses first with Pose-to-Pose ensures that the primary story points and actions are clear and effectively conveyed. Then, using straight-head action between these keys can add fluidity and life to certain movements.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-follow-through-and-overlapping-action\">\u003Cstrong>5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Follow-through and overlapping action describe how parts of a character or object continue moving even after a primary action has been completed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When characters or objects move, they don't stop all at once. If a character with long hair comes to a sudden stop, the hair will continue moving forward for a bit before settling. This principle mimics the laws of physics and makes the animation feel more alive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Overlapping action makes sure that different parts of a character move at different rates to smooth the whole movement. A character throwing a ball would first have their arm accelerate before the hand follows through to release the ball. Overlapping these actions makes the throw more dynamic by breaking the motion into parts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>How a character moves reveals volumes about their personality or emotional state: a confident character might have a sharp, controlled follow-through, while an indecisive one could have a more jittery, prolonged movement.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-slow-in-and-slow-out\">\u003Cstrong>6. Slow In and Slow Out\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, objects never start or stop moving instantaneously in the real world: a car will gradually pick up speed and then slow down before coming to a halt.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Slow In and Out replicate this natural acceleration and deceleration to make animations more realistic. The transition looks smoother when the frames are gradually spaced closer together at the start (slow in) and end (slow out) of a movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The pacing of your transition is a great storytelling tool. A character who slowly raises their eyebrows before they widen quickly in shock uses this principle to underscore the surprise element.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-arc\">\u003Cstrong>7. Arc\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Because of gravity, movements are rarely linear and instead follow curved, arched paths.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Following arcs in your animations mimic this natural motion. For example, a person's arm swings when they walk following a gentle arc rather than moving up and down in a straight line.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Arcs are also way more expressive than linear motions. Exaggerated arcs can also serve storytelling purposes,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\"> \u003Cu>adding to character designs\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-secondary-action\">\u003Cstrong>8. Secondary Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animated movements can be broken down into functional primary actions and aesthetic secondary actions that support the former.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A character walking could have their hair bouncing or their arms swinging slightly as secondary actions. This adds depth to the animation while making the primary action (walking) appear more natural. In the real world, movements are rarely isolated. Multiple things often happen at once. This variety prevents animations from looking too mechanical.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Secondary actions can also give additional insight into a character's emotional state. You could have, for example, a character nervously tap their foot while talking. This additional movement provides a clue to the viewer about their anxious state without disrupting the main dialogue. These little touches can really level up your animation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-timing\">\u003Cstrong>9. Timing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Timing determines the speed of an animation, or a part of it, to control its narrative rhythm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Timing greatly impacts how an audience perceives a scene. For example, a quick movement conveys that a character is excited, energetic, or perhaps even nervous, while slow movements can suggest a character is relaxed, tired, or feeling depressed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Timing also contributes to the realism of motion by obeying physical laws like gravity, momentum, and inertia: the timing of a bouncing ball communicates its weight and material. Like a bowling ball, a heavy ball will have slower bounces with more hang time between each contact with the ground, while a light, bouncy ball, like a beach ball, will have quicker, more frequent bounces.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, timing sets the rhythm of a scene to create moments of tension or comedic relief. In a suspenseful scene where a character slowly reaches for a door handle, the extended time before touching the handle builds anticipation and suspense. Comedic timing could involve a series of rapid actions followed by a pause to let the audience absorb the humor.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"10-exaggeration\">\u003Cstrong>10. Exaggeration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Exaggeration is the principle of stretching reality to add energy and dramatics to an animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In animation, clarity often relies on larger-than-life actions to convey the intended message quickly and effectively. When animating a fast action like a punch, exaggeration depicts powerful movements. By extending the arc, making the first move slightly faster, and adding an unrealistic but impactful follow-through, you can highlight the speed and force of the punch. This makes the action more readable for the viewer to understand, even in a fraction of a second.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Too much realism can remove the fun of an animation, while strategic exaggeration emphasizes emotions and actions―a character experiencing joy should have a broad smile and gleaming eyes! It's an important tool for animators to express themselves.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"11-solid-drawing\">\u003Cstrong>11. Solid Drawing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Solid drawing emphasizes creating characters and objects that feel three-dimensional.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-shape-language/\"> \u003Cu>thinking about basic shapes\u003C/u>\u003C/a> like spheres, cubes, and cylinders help form a clear visual structure to maintain consistency in shape and proportion when viewed from different angles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This principle involves understanding the basics of drawing, like anatomy, composition, balance, and perspective, to create consistent scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Solid drawing shines when animators need to create dynamic poses effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"12-appeal\">\u003Cstrong>12. Appeal\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Appeal is about creating animations that grab the audience's attention: regardless of their role as heroes or villains, characters should be engaging.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Just like a charismatic actor can hold an audience's attention, characters developed with a unique design and personality facilitate the viewer's connection to the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This doesn't necessarily mean that the character has to be cute or pretty―unique quirks or exaggerated features can make a character memorable. Shrek is an ogre, not traditionally beautiful, but his personality and design have undeniable appeal.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The 12 animation principles are foundational best practices―you can find them in any animation project!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you acquire more experience, you'll notice that each principle overlaps with the others. For example, it's not possible to master slow in and out without a good sense of timing, or you can't do anticipation without a bit of exaggeration, and so on.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But the twelve principles are not the end of the journey. They were developed when traditional hand-drawn animation was the dominant form, and we have since developed many new techniques to create art. Eastern animation is a prime example: you can easily guess which is which from glancing at a single frame. Many techniques also originate from cinema, like the extensive use of virtual cameras.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In any case, it's important for you as an animator not to stick rigidly to these principles and instead find your own workflows and techniques.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation is also not limited to character animation―environments and props are just as important!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1713,"comment_id":1714,"feature_image":1715,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1716,"updated_at":1717,"custom_excerpt":1718,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1719,"primary_tag":1720,"url":1721,"excerpt":1718,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1722},"5392990b-4ac9-4cd1-bd5a-525d6aa96d29","67a96b1438d33400019cb33f","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/02/12-principles-of-animation.jpg","2025-02-10T03:57:24.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:02:20.000+01:00","The 12 principles of animation are the foundation of every great animation. Developed by Disney animators in the 1980s, these timeless techniques bring characters to life with weight, movement, and emotion. Learn how squash and stretch, anticipation, and staging can elevate your work!",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/12-principles-animation/","\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Animatron\u003C/em>\u003C/i>","/posts/12-principles-animation","2025-02-11T10:00:07.000+01:00",{"title":1708},"12-principles-animation","posts/12-principles-animation",[1729],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"agY_-cZYYRRa5SP01I8DNm21Yd1lpwFCPhKgUGx6W-Y",{"id":1732,"title":1733,"authors":1734,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1736,"meta":1737,"navigation":15,"path":1748,"published_at":1749,"seo":1750,"slug":1751,"stem":1752,"tags":1753,"__hash__":1755,"uuid":1738,"comment_id":1739,"feature_image":1740,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1741,"updated_at":1742,"custom_excerpt":1743,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1744,"primary_tag":1745,"url":1746,"excerpt":1743,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1747},"ghost/posts:solid-drawing.json","Mastering Solid Drawing (2026): A Core Animation Principle",[1735],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">✏️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Solid drawing is the ability to make forms appear three-dimensional.\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>If you're animating a bouncing ball, it's tempting to draw a circle in the first frame and continue with that shape in each frame as it rises and falls.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To apply the solid drawing principle, you would think about how the ball changes shape as it moves: at the point of impact, the ball squashes slightly to show weight and impact before stretching as it rebounds. As the ball moves towards or away from the viewer, the animator adjusts its shape slightly to show distance, with the edges tapering inwards when it's further away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But bouncing balls aren't all there is to animation: you need a few guiding principles to apply the same thinking to other types of animation. That's what we provide in this article.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-solid-drawing\">\u003Cstrong>Why Solid Drawing?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is all about optical illusions, and at its core are the 12 principles of animation—a set of guidelines that animators have used for decades to create believable animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Among these principles, solid drawing creates a well-defined sense of three-dimensionality within two-dimensional frames to engage viewers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A crucial aspect of solid drawing is achieving a well-defined silhouette for characters and objects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In animation, silhouettes play a significant role in making a scene visually readable. They help distinguish different characters and objects from one another at a glance. Without a strong silhouette, characters can appear flat, or hard to distinguish from their backgrounds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Solid drawing also helps animators draw characters consistently as they move through different poses and perspectives without losing what makes their design unique.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-the-basics\">\u003Cstrong>1. The Basics\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Solid drawing comes down to several foundational concepts. The first one is to understand the basic terms that define a drawing:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Form\u003C/strong> - For an animator, bringing a character or object to life starts with turning the basic shapes into forms with depth. Form refers to the three-dimensional nature of an object: by visualizing characters as three-dimensional forms like spheres, cubes, and cylinders, they can maintain consistency across different poses.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Volume\u003C/strong> - Volume is about how much space an object occupies. It prevents characters from appearing flat and inconsistent when moving in the animated world―an object must retain its volume as it moves through space, bending or twisting without awkward stretching or shrinking.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Proportions\u003C/strong> - Proportion is about relationships—the relative sizes between different parts of an object or character. Getting proportions right is key to producing balanced, natural, and relatable animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Perspective\u003C/strong> - Perspective creates an illusion of depth and space, giving the audience a sense of where objects and characters are positioned. It allows animators to shift viewpoints, guide the audience's focal point, and enhance the storytelling of the scene.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Shape\u003C/strong> - Shapes are the 2D version of forms. Elipsis, rectangles, triangles, and lines convey emotions, define characters, and establish visual themes. Look at our dedicated article on shape language to learn more about their complex usage.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>After practicing these basics, an animator will move on to more complex concepts to make their drawings more solid.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-line-of-action\">\u003Cstrong>2. Line of Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The line of action is the invisible line that guides a pose's primary axis and flow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Every hero leaping through the air or villain slinking through shadows has one thing in common: a powerful line of action. This line dictates their movement's energy and direction, like the pose's backbone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The line of action isn't arbitrary―its direction and shape add meaning to a scene while guiding the viewer's attention.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a tool for clarity in complex scenes and a way to add dramatic effects. The line of action also facilitates smoother transitions between poses by suggesting key frames.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-balance\">\u003Cstrong>3. Balance\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One of the core concepts in achieving balanced drawings is avoiding symmetry, often called twinning―the unintentional mirroring of elements that would look stiff and unnatural in the real world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A character standing with arms down their sides perfectly symmetrically would look strange.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead, animators add a touch of asymmetry, using strong silhouettes, twists, and counterposes. They would, for example, vary the angles of the arms or shift the weight to one leg.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A strong silhouette communicates the character's actions clearly and quickly. When designing poses, animators reduce their characters to a simple, recognizable shape. The pose has a strong silhouette if the action is easily interpreted, even in its most simplified form devoid of details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Incorporating twists and counterposes in your drawings introduces dynamic motion and a sense of energy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A twist is when different body parts face different directions, like the torso turning one way while the hips face another, to reflect better how the human body naturally moves.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Similarly, counterposes involve positioning the hips and shoulders to face opposite directions.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-turnarounds\">\u003Cstrong>4. Turnarounds\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A turnaround is a drawing of a character as it rotates 360 degrees to provide a comprehensive view from multiple angles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Typically, a turnaround includes front, side, back, and three-quarter views to help animators maintain consistency throughout production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Design discrepancies can detract the viewer's experience, so keeping width, height, and design details similar is important.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Creating a turnaround also forces the artist to understand every facet of the character, which implies grappling with how various body parts interact in different poses and angles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In an animation studio, a well-made turnaround is a reliable reference for the entire animation team. It streamlines the production process by allowing different animators to work on the same character without needing constant guidance or corrections. Retakes and redesigns are costly, so it's best to avoid those.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>An often-quoted example is\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\"> \u003Cu>the character design sheets\u003C/u>\u003C/a> used in major animation studios, where each character undergoes extensive turnaround drawings to solidify their design.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-posing-life-drawing\">\u003Cstrong>5. Posing / Life Drawing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another way to get better at solid drawing is to practice life drawing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Life drawing is sketching live models to capture the human form quickly and accurately. It typically involves short, timed poses known as gesture drawing, where the artist rapidly captures the model's form.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The emphasis here is on speed and fluidity rather than precision, so you're forced to apply solid drawing concepts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's an excellent way to train an animator's eye and hand to capture the essence of form, motion, and weight distribution: you have to distill the complex human form into its fundamental elements while avoiding unnecessary details that would weigh down your characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider attending local life drawing classes or joining online sessions if available. You could also commit a few minutes daily to sketch quick poses using online resources or apps designed for gesture drawing, or you could simply sketch a person sitting in your favorite café or library.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-lighting\">\u003Cstrong>6. Lighting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Without any shading, a simple sphere looks flat. But when you introduce a light source, the highlight, mid-tones, and shadows all contribute to a realistic drawing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>Lighting affects how we perceive forms.\u003C/u>\u003C/a> It determines how effectively an object's form and volume are portrayed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, perspective focuses on creating a believable representation of a three-dimensional world, and lighting is your ally to emphasize the spatial relationship between objects: where you position a light source influences how an object casts shadows and catches highlights, reinforcing its placement within the environment. It clarifies which areas are closer to the viewer or receding into the distance, guiding the eyes across the canvas.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Solid drawing connects together form, movement, and dimension to create more engaging animations. Mastering its principles allows you to turn even the most mundane drawings into captivating stories.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Solid drawing is not the only best practice to take into account in your animation, though: there are 12 principles of animation to master, and you still need the discipline to keep practising each one.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1738,"comment_id":1739,"feature_image":1740,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1741,"updated_at":1742,"custom_excerpt":1743,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1744,"primary_tag":1745,"url":1746,"excerpt":1743,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1747},"cac0b9d1-e69d-44fe-b821-0bdc7afb3956","6774dddc0262320001308ed1","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1582134534988-f8bcfc928273?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fHNvbGlkJTIwZHJhd2luZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3MzU3MTI0MzB8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-01-01T07:17:00.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:42:04.000+01:00","Solid drawing is a cornerstone of the 12 principles of animation, giving characters and objects depth, volume, and movement. Learn how to bring your sketches to life with techniques like form, perspective, balance, and lighting in our latest blog post.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/solid-drawing/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@kellysikkema?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Kelly Sikkema\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/solid-drawing","2025-02-03T09:55:57.000+01:00",{"title":1733},"solid-drawing","posts/solid-drawing",[1754],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"_2L-UjjjPM6wcOrQKBvSRokkkJRijW4ZatiE8F5DylI",{"id":1757,"title":1758,"authors":1759,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1761,"meta":1762,"navigation":15,"path":1773,"published_at":1774,"seo":1775,"slug":1776,"stem":1777,"tags":1778,"__hash__":1780,"uuid":1763,"comment_id":1764,"feature_image":1765,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1766,"updated_at":1767,"custom_excerpt":1768,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1769,"primary_tag":1770,"url":1771,"excerpt":1768,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1772},"ghost/posts:animation-scripts.json","Writing Scripts for Animation: A Step-by-Step Guide (2026)",[1760],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📖\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Animation is about storytelling\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Just like a novel engages readers with a narrative, an animation captivates viewers with dialogue and visual storytelling. And just like a novel needs a manuscript, an animation needs a script.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether it's a short animated series or a feature film, most animations start with a script.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It can be a surprise if you're just beginning to learn more about animation, but you need to write if you're going to work with other animators, producers, or consultants.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And because it's not always easy to know where to start, we walk you through the basics of writing a script for animation in this article.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-a-script\">\u003Cstrong>Why a Script?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A script lays down ideas in a structured way. It's essential to convey your vision to potential investors, producers, and collaborators because pitching projects relies on the clarity and originality of your script to show its potential.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A script also acts as a single source of truth for animation projects: it guides the storyline and defines visual elements, character dynamics, and narrative flow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From pre-production to the final cut, every team member uses the script with\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\"> \u003Cu>storyboards\u003C/u>\u003C/a>,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life/\"> \u003Cu>animatics\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, and other design packages to work together.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Directors and supervisors use scripts to streamline workflows and coordinate team efforts. Concise actions and dialogue lines help animators, voice artists, directors, and editors understand their roles and do their job.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"formatting\">\u003Cstrong>Formatting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before diving into storytelling, let's tackle an essential aspect of scriptwriting: formatting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Proper script formatting creates an organized template that answers the crucial \"5Ws\"—each scene's who, what, where, when, and why.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is typically done through four elements:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scene heading\u003C/strong> - Also known as a slugline, it indicates the location and time of day. For example, \"EXT. FOREST - DAY\" sets the stage immediately.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scene descriptions\u003C/strong> - The descriptions depict the scene's environment and notable actions. Brief but descriptive, they lay down visual and audible expectations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character names for dialogue\u003C/strong> - Scriptwriters name all the characters who will speak in a scene. Their unique vocabulary and tone help distinguish characters.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Dialogue\u003C/strong> - Dialogue is key for conveying emotions and driving the narrative. Well-crafted dialogue is concise yet loaded with meaning.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>While these basic elements provide structure, how scriptwriters use them varies greatly: there is no unique way to write a screenplay, so you can add your own style to the script.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Hayao Miyazaki from Studio Ghibli doesn't write a script, per see. He just starts with storyboards and annotates dialogues in the margins for voice actors (available scripts are just transcripts).\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-narrative-arcs\">\u003Cstrong>1. Narrative Arcs\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A story needs a cohesive structure that viewers can easily follow, so writers come up with narrative arcs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Traditional storytelling follows five arcs: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Novels are broken down into parts and chapters to help readers discern when an arc begins or ends.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In animation, shorter scripts are divided into acts: Act I ends after a problem occurs, Act II continues up until a climax, and Act III describes the resolution.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The way you write your script is up to you, of course, but keep in mind the following elements while structuring your script:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Goal, audience, themes\u003C/strong> - At this stage, the writer thinks of the ultimate goal of the narrative, taking into account the target audience and weaving in underlying themes. You have things you want to tell, and you need to think about how you want to bring them forth for maximum emotional impact.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storytelling archetypes\u003C/strong> - Broadly, narratives follow one of the traditional archetypes—tragic, comedic, hero's journey, rags-to-riches, voyage and return, etc. Understanding these archetypes helps determine how you can structure your story.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Breaking the rules\u003C/strong> - Understanding narrative techniques provides a good foundation for storytelling, but you also want to subvert your audience's expectations by avoiding clichés. For example, animators experiment with nonlinear storytelling (White Fox's Steins Gate includes complex time loops) or unique perspectives (Inside Out by Pixar personifies emotions).\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>In any case, the simplest way to go about constructing a story is to start with an outline highlighting the key narrative elements you want to include.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-character-description\">\u003Cstrong>2. Character Description\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Character descriptions are especially important in scriptwriting to drive the narrative,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\"> \u003Cu>inspire character design\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, and plan out their development.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A character's personality is conveyed via dialogue and description, which in turn dictates their design: a villain has a mischievous smile, a hero exudes sympathy, etc. Every physical trait reveals something deeper.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Characters evolve, influenced by circumstances and challenges. Their personal growth—or lack thereof—guides plot progression and engage audiences. Descriptions are used to indicate changes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, it's better for scriptwriters to use character sheets instead of adding lengthy descriptions. They include detailed notes on every aspect of a character, from physical appearance and personality traits to backstory and personal goals, to help writers create consistent yet multi-dimensional and believable characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Character descriptions also help animators and voice actors bring characters to life, though much creativity is needed to get all the details right.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-scene-description\">\u003Cstrong>3. Scene Description\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Like character descriptions, scene descriptions provide a visual framework from which animators can draw inspiration. They include three elements: layout, environment, and props.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When describing the layout of a scene, you must imagine how the space is occupied and perceived by viewers. Think of it as a camera angle that directs the audience's eye. Defining the layout helps animators decide how characters move and interact within the space.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The environment and background set the tone of a scene. It's not just about where the scene takes place but the emotions it triggers. Is the environment warm and inviting, with soft colors and gentle lighting, or dark and cold, with stark contrasts and deep shadows?\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-color-palettes/\"> \u003Cu>Describe textures, colors, and lighting\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to tell a story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Props are also powerful storytelling tools to reveal character traits, drive the plot, and improve your world-building. A seemingly mundane object, when used creatively, can take on significant meaning: the magic carpet in Disney’s Aladdin is not merely a mode of transport―it's a character. In your script, detail not only the appearance of props but also their relationship with the characters and their influence on the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By combining each element, you give precious indications to animators.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-dialogues\">\u003Cstrong>4. Dialogues\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Dialogues play a pivotal role in character design.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to note that in animation, not every message needs to be communicated through dialogue. \"Show, don't tell.\" Use your animation's visual power to tell the story whenever possible, using dialogue as merely a tool for pacing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Think of scenes like WALL-E's silent moments, where expressions and actions convey depth without a single spoken word.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Like in any great writing, what's unsaid is often more powerful, so encourage viewers to read between the lines by writing dialogue rich with subtext, where characters say one thing but imply another, for example.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But dialogue and sound remain crucial components of animation to elevate the story, build the world, and bring out the distinct characteristics of each character.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each line reflects a character's unique personality, background, and motivations, so write dialogues that feel authentic to their voice. Good dialogue needs to sound natural. A simple tip is to read your lines aloud or have others perform them. This exercise helps catch awkward phrasings or unintentional rhymes that could distract from the narrative. It's also the voice actor's role to work with and interpret the source material.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation thrives on rhythm, so animators avoid long-winded speeches that slow the action. Instead, they use snappy, impactful lines to keep the story moving.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"get-inspired\">\u003Cstrong>Get Inspired\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Every great writer stands on the shoulders of scripts that came before.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Online databases, script archives, and film schools are great starting points for accessing animated scripts of varying genres and complexities:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/01/CleanShot-2025-01-01-at-3-.00.49@2x.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1127\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/01/CleanShot-2025-01-01-at-3-.00.49@2x.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/01/CleanShot-2025-01-01-at-3-.00.49@2x.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2025/01/CleanShot-2025-01-01-at-3-.00.49@2x.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2025/01/CleanShot-2025-01-01-at-3-.00.49@2x.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Developing the habit of reading and analyzing scripts is a way to get better at scriptwriting. You can, for example, annotate scripts and summarize key plot points, character arcs, and critical strains in dialogue that add depth to storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You also don't have to start writing scripts from scratch. Adapting existing works into animations is a great way to learn the ropes of scriptwriting. Adaptations require understanding but also deviating from original texts while staying true to core elements to respect pacing, budget, and feasible run time. Scripts provide a framework to navigate these challenges.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You don't need to worry about copyrights either: there is plenty of free material out there! For example, Gutenberg has tens of thousands of classic books in the public domain.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Scripting is not just a side note in animation: it's the very first step to transforming ideas into animations. A well-crafted script doesn't just tell a story—it builds worlds, designs characters, and weaves complex narratives.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Scriptwriters usually start with an outline to structure the main narrative acts, then process with scene headings, descriptions, and dialogues. Character designs are suggested via descriptions, character sheets, and accompanying storyboards or concept art.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you're inspired and eager to create your own animation productions someday, scriptwriting is a valuable skill to add to your arsenal, so don't underestimate it! Behind-the-scenes documentaries, scriptwriting databases, and books like \"Animation Writing And Development\" are amazing starting points.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1763,"comment_id":1764,"feature_image":1765,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1766,"updated_at":1767,"custom_excerpt":1768,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1769,"primary_tag":1770,"url":1771,"excerpt":1768,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1772},"18737000-2d13-49fa-b524-2fea68b2cb50","6774d9270262320001308eae","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1571232151946-f7f00c61ade7?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDIxfHxmaWxtJTIwc2NyaXB0fGVufDB8fHx8MTczNTcxMTQyM3ww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-01-01T06:56:55.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:23:39.000+01:00","Every great animation begins with a strong script. Learn the essentials of animation scriptwriting in our latest blog post, from formatting and narrative arcs to crafting compelling character dialogues. Discover how to transform your ideas into powerful visual stories.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-scripts/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@waldemarbrandt67w?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Waldemar\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-scripts","2025-01-27T09:55:40.000+01:00",{"title":1758},"animation-scripts","posts/animation-scripts",[1779],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"vXJ-zH6b4x1N7EsozHrYDdgj8kw2uJGotb7i_OSXrdE",{"id":1782,"title":1783,"authors":1784,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1786,"meta":1787,"navigation":15,"path":1798,"published_at":1799,"seo":1800,"slug":1801,"stem":1802,"tags":1803,"__hash__":1805,"uuid":1788,"comment_id":1789,"feature_image":1790,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1791,"updated_at":1792,"custom_excerpt":1793,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1794,"primary_tag":1795,"url":1796,"excerpt":1793,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1797},"ghost/posts:animation-inspiration.json","How To Break Free from Creative Blocks: Animation Inspiration For 2026",[1785],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🏋️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Consistent practice is key for animators\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>But what if you find yourself out of ideas? Sitting at your desk, sketchbook in hand, ready to work on your portfolio but faced with total creative block.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Having a list of animation prompts can initially seem like a solution, but it's not a sustainable method―generating ideas is a muscle one needs to train!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether you know it or not, your life is an endless source of inspiration for animation. You just need a bit of know-how and some practice.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we break free from the constraints of static lists to provide you with dynamic strategies to cultivate a constant flow of animation ideas. We hope these creative techniques will help you in the long run!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"its-all-about-storytelling\">\u003Cstrong>It's All About Storytelling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A great animation comes from a great story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation, after all, is a medium of storytelling, whether a short clip or a full-length feature.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before putting pencil to paper (or stylus or tablet), think about the stories you want to tell. What inspires you? What stories have stuck with you through the years? What themes are you drawn to?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your story ideas will be as unique as your perspective, but the key is to let them reveal themselves naturally through thoughtful contemplation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can't always force ideas to come to you, but you can always put all the good luck on your side with discipline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here are a few ways to go about it:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-fan-fiction\">\u003Cstrong>1. Fan Fiction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Think about when children draw their favorite characters from TV shows or movies. They add their own imaginative touches―new outfits, sidekicks, or even missions to accomplish.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This childlike creativity is a powerful tool.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With fan fiction, you can experiment with storytelling and animation techniques, all while connecting with other fans in the community.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider starting with a character you resonate with and ask yourself, \"\u003Cstrong>What if?\u003C/strong>\" What if your favorite hero had to face their greatest fear? What if two characters from different universes met? The possibilities are endless.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A great example is \"\u003Cstrong>Legend, a Dragon Ball Tal\u003C/strong>e\" produced in 2022 by animator Agent Mystery Meat (The New Challenger Productions). It features the classic Dragon Ball characters, with the animator's unique take on the art style and an original plot.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcwhjCMYFfL2VbIndksIJkO2ZM0g6TkXUczVX7ItocoO50m4NA6jPm0oSa-7criZ2rSXDj3VAgHGEyzTBr7x0M7oARbUcXIPpkx168nPi0xG_6ihTrvukVkSuQz4IEv6vf3aRTyrg?key=_vb9Zsdr4pgEXJ2WtnaL9Txn\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"408\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Anime edits and anime music videos are also popular fan-made creations that are great for learning video and audio editing while developing an audience on social media.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-get-the-basics-right\">\u003Cstrong>2. Get The Basics Right\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another way to get animation ideas is to go back to the foundations of the craft.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's not about achieving technical perfection with the basics, like animating a ball bounce, but deeply understanding and integrating the language and processes that define the world of animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, the 12 principles of animation teach you how to infuse your characters with emotion and personality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You could start by practising each principle individually in small projects. For example, animate a simple character using exaggeration to emphasize their feelings and see how a slight change can impact the animation. As you experiment and practice, your understanding of these principles will naturally expand, and they will begin to inform and inspire new ideas.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, creativity is a muscle, and muscles need fuel to function and grow. Consuming art and seeking new experiences is essential. Watching different animation and art styles opens your eyes to the myriad ways of storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Passive consumption is not the way, though. You need to engage with what you consume, whether it's through analysis, reproduction, or creation. Ask yourself why a particular animation style is effective. How does a specific animation technique convey emotion or motion?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sampling animations also develops your own taste. What do you like, don't like, or wish to see more of.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Start a creative journal where you jot down specific scenes from animations that inspire you. Write about why they made an impact—was it the way the character moved, or perhaps the interplay of color and shadow? By documenting your thoughts, you sharpen your analytical skills and create a repository of ideas from which to draw.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you get the principles, you want to look into\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-animation-process/\"> \u003Cu>how animators work, the technical terms they use, and their processes\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/\"> \u003Cu>look at our blog\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to learn more about the entire animation process. You can also participate in animation communities or forums or watch behind-the-scenes documentaries of your favorite animations to see how those concepts are translated into action.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Understanding the '\u003Cstrong>why\u003C/strong>' and '\u003Cstrong>how\u003C/strong>' behind a process unlocks your ability to innovate and reapply those ideas in your work.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-the-introspective-way\">\u003Cstrong>3. The Introspective Way\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Some stories are found within: explore what you want to contribute to the world!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You could, for example, solve a problem through animation. If you are passionate about environmental issues, create an animated short that illustrates the impact of plastic pollution on modern society. Humans are visual animals: what you make visible raises awareness and inspires change more engagingly than any amount of debating.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcKit56y8xbHsi70qz1VzRyfU2lnRa7DKX3z6kEHnirWaDrkXAwEesfmDqIJi8k2k5MjN5tYJpUYCE_0h0U9E4nMtMDVQP--jHRZ4_0qvwSjQMhWv7nhjZfzNrlJaq49wBCTkn9Vw?key=_vb9Zsdr4pgEXJ2WtnaL9Txn\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"531\" height=\"347\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Waltz with Bashir, Ari Folman\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Adapting a beloved manga, comics, or novel is also\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-build-an-animation-portfolio/\"> \u003Cu>a great way to showcase your animation skills\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. You can pick a less popular but intriguing and copyright-free story, like a classic fable or myth, and reinterpret it with a modern twist or set it within a different cultural context.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Incorporating autobiographical elements into your work is another way to get the ball rolling. If you had a profound personal experience, why not animate it? There is always an audience for personal stories.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-document-dont-create\">\u003Cstrong>4. Document, Don't Create\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Many powerful animations aren't created from scratch and simply reflect daily life, its joys, and its struggles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you're learning to animate facial expressions―instead of starting with a blank slate and trying to design a character from scratch―you could document your process by filming everyday expressions around you. Capture yourself or friends showing various emotions and use those as direct references to animate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Share your progress as you follow tutorials or tackle new courses and hobbies. It doesn't have to be about animation: you can simply combine interests to learn more about both.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Say you're learning history, mathematics, or playing badminton―anything can become an interesting animation subject.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/youtube-animation-channel/\"> \u003Cu>Look up explainer videos on YouTube\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and see how animations are used to convey complex ideas and skills.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach helps chart your growth and provides a learning experience others can benefit from. Think of it as a visual diary chronicling your journey.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Becoming a teacher of what you learn is a sure way to solidify new concepts in your mind while forging a tangible connection with viewers who appreciate your transparency.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-start-with-the-audience\">\u003Cstrong>5. Start With The Audience\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>For a more business-oriented approach, start with your prospective audience in mind: discover what people want to see and animate content that entertains or educates them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach can be particularly complementary for animators interested in the management side of an animation studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Understanding your audience is crucial because the content you create has to be both relevant and impactful to increase the probability of success.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can for example engage with communities or track trending topics across social media platforms.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdg-3vZ6q-X11KqgX5A394lWC8Ynad8JyiSeXHhXsgmX0P8Db6L346h60l6-PD1SjoYmnGx1UanH-aNo2pl9Jgbs-pXvTC0BPdOy9JowS-C0oWY3iOHGWG-5uAwOW-sx2_OdqOFXA?key=_vb9Zsdr4pgEXJ2WtnaL9Txn\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"418\" height=\"344\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Google Trends on the trend “anime”\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Keep in mind however that the most successful animation studios manage to align their creative vision with their audience's interests. You don't have to please your audience at all costs to be successful. Again, you create your own audience.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are many ways to find inspiration for your next animation: from simple practice exercises to deeply personal experiences, all you need is an exciting story you want to tell! Start from there, take baby steps, and eventually, you'll learn all you need.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your journey doesn't end with an idea, though: animations require action to turn an abstract thought into a full-fledged production. Begin by conceptualizing your story and imagining the world you want to bring to life. From there, write a script, break this script down into manageable scenes, and create a storyboard. Get funding, assemble a team, and share your story with the world.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1788,"comment_id":1789,"feature_image":1790,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1791,"updated_at":1792,"custom_excerpt":1793,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1794,"primary_tag":1795,"url":1796,"excerpt":1793,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1797},"36a3a9f2-fe7d-47af-adaa-f4d33e1627f0","6774d4140262320001308e90","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1512314889357-e157c22f938d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDZ8fGlkZWFzfGVufDB8fHx8MTczNTU5OTY0MHww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-01-01T06:35:16.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:03:49.000+01:00","Discover how to break free from creative blocks and find inspiration for your animations. From storytelling techniques to documenting everyday life, this guide is packed with actionable strategies to keep your ideas flowing and elevate your craft.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-inspiration/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@alterego_swiss?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">AbsolutVision\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-inspiration","2025-01-20T09:55:19.000+01:00",{"title":1783},"animation-inspiration","posts/animation-inspiration",[1804],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"OXkggZwR91hIs9_9D5i00Z61Ma_AM0NgMCzgLLMKlco",{"id":1807,"title":1808,"authors":1809,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1811,"meta":1812,"navigation":15,"path":1823,"published_at":1824,"seo":1825,"slug":1826,"stem":1827,"tags":1828,"__hash__":1830,"uuid":1813,"comment_id":1814,"feature_image":1815,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1816,"updated_at":1817,"custom_excerpt":1818,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1819,"primary_tag":1820,"url":1821,"excerpt":1818,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1822},"ghost/posts:rendering-explained.json","Rendering Explained (2026): The Key to Stunning 3D Animation",[1810],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">ℹ️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">\u003Cb>\u003Cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Animation rendering is the process of generating the final 2D visual output from a 3D scene\u003C/strong>\u003C/b>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>The rendering engine in your digital content creation tool takes all the elements you've created—3D models, textures, lighting, and special effects—and translates them into a series of images or videos you can watch or share.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This guide explores why rendering is a cornerstone of modern animation, how it's done through various techniques, and the challenges that make it a critical stage in production.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>Why Rendering?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-animation-process/\">\u003Cu>All 3D productions include rendering\u003C/u>\u003C/a> as part of their animation pipeline. Not just before delivery but also throughout the entire process in an iterative cycle to gather feedback and perform edits: a well-honed rendering workflow is key to avoiding delays in big production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>However, rendering is not limited to converting 3D models into images. It also includes 2D computer-generated images and visual effects (VFX). For example, animators use rendering to create water simulations or for 2D interpolation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With new technologies, rendering allows animators to create hyper-realistic graphics―a feat that was once only possible with expensive, time-consuming hardware. It has now become more accessible for independent filmmakers and small animation studios to achieve cinematic-quality results with free, open-source tools like Blender and a $2,000 laptop.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For all these reasons, animators need a basic understanding of what rendering entails to make the most of the creative features enabled by modern digital content creation tools.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"render-passes\">\u003Cstrong>Render Passes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Digital content creation tools break down models and scenes into separate layers for greater control and readability.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>During rendering, each of these layers corresponds to a single pass, and manipulating these passes allows animators to create various effects by combining different rendering techniques.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, the background could be composed of a layer with a gradient color and another with a generated cloud texture. The character in the foreground would have different layers for each body part, texture, shaders, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By isolating these layers, animators can focus on separate details without disturbing the work of others, and adjustments can be added at later stages.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You'll then have shadow passes to add depth by defining contours and suggesting space for the whole scene, as well as highlights to illuminate surfaces and key areas.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"rendering-techniques\">\u003Cstrong>Rendering Techniques\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As we just mentioned in the last section, rendering is not a single technique. Different techniques bring different pros, cons, and artistic values―rendering shaders will be vastly different from rendering character hair in real-time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You'll, however, need to understand the following basic techniques:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Raytracing\u003C/strong> - Raytracing simulates the path of light as it interacts with objects to create accurate reflections and shadows. Its complexity comes at a high computational cost and requires high processing power.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scanline\u003C/strong> - Scanline rendering is a fast algorithm to identify what surfaces can be seen from a particular angle by processing images row-by-row or line-by-line instead of polygon-by-polygon or pixel-by-pixel. It's a preferred method for real-time applications where speed is crucial over photorealistic accuracy.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Radiosity\u003C/strong> - Radiosity focuses on accurately simulating diffused lighting between surfaces by capturing subtle inter-surface light interactions. It's ideal for scenarios needing soft, ambient lighting effects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rasterization\u003C/strong> transforms 3D models represented as polygons into pixels or dots for display. While faster, it may lack the sophisticated lighting effects achievable with raytracing.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>This list is non-exhaustive, but it will give you an idea of how rendering works. An animator knows each layer has its own rendering techniques to achieve specific results.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"rendering-resolution\">\u003Cstrong>Rendering Resolution\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Resolution is the number of pixels in an image.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Higher-resolution images offer a clearer and more detailed quality but require more processing power and storage space.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The choice of resolution dramatically affects the viewer's experience, so productions aim for the highest resolution possible. For example, animators would choose an 8K resolution to ensure every minute detail is visible on a big screen. But if your animation is viewed on smartphones, a 1080p resolution is more efficient.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This decision impacts the rendering process tremendously since you need to render 8,294,400 pixels for 4K against 993,600 pixels for 1080p―more than eight times more pixels to render!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For this reason, it's common to work with lower resolutions during production to quickly get feedback on your animation―over long periods, each minute saved not rendering scenes rapidly adds up.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/01/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1348\" height=\"705\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2025/01/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2025/01/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2025/01/image.png 1348w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source : \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://notrianglestudio.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" target=\"_blank\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">NoTriangle Studio\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"rendering-engines\">\u003Cstrong>Rendering Engines\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Choosing a rendering engine depends on project-specific requirements. Animation studios and freelancers rely on various rendering engines: some are optimized for hyper-realistic environments, while others handle non-photorealistic styles or real-time rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The choice of rendering engines is sometimes limited by your DCC tool.\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/\"> \u003Cu>Take Blender, for instance.\u003C/u>\u003C/a> The open-source 3D editor has several rendering options: the Cycles engine for raytracing, FreeStyle for non-photorealistic rendering, and EEVEE for real-time. Unreal Engine, on the other hand, has a completely different (but similar) set of rendering settings. Depending on your team of animators, the studio will have to pick the rendering engine they are most familiar with.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A crucial consideration in the rendering process is understanding the roles of CPUs (Central Processing Units) and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). Blender's Cycles engine allows animators to use one, the other, or both.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The CPU is a general-purpose processor that can handle a wide range of computational tasks. The GPU is designed to perform rapid matrix computation, which is ideal for the kind of parallel processing tasks required in rendering. GPUs can significantly speed up rendering times, so GPU-based engines are often used in workflows that demand quick turnarounds. They are also key for rendering photorealistic graphics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Choosing between a CPU or GPU rendering engine often depends on the nature of your project, the hardware at your disposal, and the quality versus speed compromise you're willing to make.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"real-time-vs-non-real-time-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>Real-Time vs Non-Real-Time Rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another thing to understand is the difference between real-time and non-real-time rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Real-time rendering is the near-instantaneous creation of images as events happen within a virtual environment. Think of it as the technology that powers video games or virtual reality experiences, where objects and characters appear and respond seamlessly as the user interacts. This form of rendering is especially useful during development when you need immediate feedback on a change in your 3D model.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Non-real-time rendering pre-calculates the images or frames before they are viewed. This method is used during the delivery phase for high-end animations where the quality of visuals is a priority. The process can take anywhere from minutes to days, depending on the level of detail and photorealism aimed for in the final output.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"render-farms\">\u003Cstrong>Render Farms\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now that you know how rendering works, you might have an idea of the amount of computer power you need to create an animated movie―far beyond the capability of a single computer or even a few high-end workstations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is where render farms come into play.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">\u003Cu>A render farm is a high-performance computer cluster\u003C/u>\u003C/a> designed specifically to tackle the demanding computational workload of rendering 3D scenes. These farms consist of numerous interconnected computers, often called nodes, working collaboratively to convert 3D models, textures, lighting, and animations into final high-resolution images or frames that make up the movie.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation teams use render farms because they significantly reduce the time to render these frames. Why invest tens of thousands of dollars into high-end machines for a one-off project when you can just lease it for a hundredth of the price?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once an animation is ready to be rendered, the scenes are divided into smaller tasks. These tasks are then distributed among the available nodes in the render farm. This distribution is managed by specialized software that oversees the load balancing across the farm. Each node receives its assigned task and independently processes the frames of the animation. This decentralization allows multiple frames to be rendered simultaneously. As nodes complete their tasks, the rendered frames are collected and assembled back into the sequence or shot that forms part of the final animation. The rendered frames are then subjected to rigorous quality checks to ensure they meet the desired visual standards.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Render farms are the backbone of large-scale animation productions and an essential tool that democratizes the ability to create high-end visual effects, making ambitious projects feasible even for smaller studios.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rendering is a necessary step to turn ideas into shareable animations. It's a highly technical job that greatly impacts the output quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As an animator, mastering rendering is key to pushing the boundaries of what you can create. In larger studios, pipeline management, and rendering optimization are especially important to scale a team's efforts. Even at an individual scale, making the best of rendering previews changes your productivity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Make sure to experiment with your DCC tool's rendering settings, or try out a render farm for a few dollars.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1813,"comment_id":1814,"feature_image":1815,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1816,"updated_at":1817,"custom_excerpt":1818,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1819,"primary_tag":1820,"url":1821,"excerpt":1818,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1822},"5ab51201-f8ac-4518-ac1c-a2baef21422f","6774cc7d0262320001308e65","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1685222325356-c9ef9bc2fb7b?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDM1fHxyZW5kZXJpbmd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzM1NzA4NjA4fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2025-01-01T06:02:53.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:40:03.000+01:00","Rendering transforms 3D models into stunning 2D visuals, bringing animated worlds to life. Dive into the key techniques, tools, and processes that make this essential step in animation production possible.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rendering-explained/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@leo_gogh_22?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Leonardo Martínez\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/rendering-explained","2025-01-13T09:55:46.000+01:00",{"title":1808},"rendering-explained","posts/rendering-explained",[1829],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"RxMJ7l45Pn8zJacdejsV18exXhzVadh2Uyo5OKRpVEc",{"id":1832,"title":1833,"authors":1834,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1836,"meta":1837,"navigation":15,"path":1848,"published_at":1849,"seo":1850,"slug":1851,"stem":1852,"tags":1853,"__hash__":1855,"uuid":1838,"comment_id":1839,"feature_image":1840,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1841,"updated_at":1842,"custom_excerpt":1843,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1844,"primary_tag":1845,"url":1846,"excerpt":1843,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1847},"ghost/posts:animation-for-beginners.json","Animation for Beginners: Your Ultimate Getting-Started Guide For 2026",[1835],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🤔\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Have you ever dreamt about working in animation?\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Maybe you’ve grown up watching cartoons and anime, and now you have your own ideas to bring to life. Or perhaps you want to create ads for your business. Maybe you’re a teacher looking to liven up your lectures, or an artist eager to experiment with a new art form.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>No matter where you come from, animation is for everyone—\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>you just need to get started!\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you’re unsure where to begin, you’re in the right place. This article covers the essentials, from understanding different animation types to mastering core principles. By the end, you’ll have a roadmap to guide you as you set out to animate your stories.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"understanding-different-animation-types\">\u003Cstrong>Understand\u003C/strong>ing\u003Cstrong> Different Animation Types\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One common misconception is that you must be an accomplished artist to create animations. While drawing skills are key to getting your wildest ideas out there, they are not prerequisites―animation is more about storytelling than photorealism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When people think of traditional animation, they often imagine \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/what-is-2d-animation/\">\u003Cu>2D animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a>―creating hand-drawn images sketched on paper or digitally rendered with software. Motion graphics also fit into this category, frequently used for explainer videos, infographics, and even some mobile applications. 2D animation can involve characters or abstract visual effects created on a two-dimensional plane with something as simple as Microsoft Paint or pen and paper.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-animation-process/\">\u003Cu>3D animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a> uses digital modelling to allow creators to build three-dimensional models in a virtual space. Although some familiarity with modelling tools is beneficial, many assets are ready to use, allowing even beginners to dive into this medium. 13-year-old teens leverage popular game engines like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) to create animated shorts and even full-length films!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Claymation uses sculptures out of materials like clay or plasticine and then photographing them frame by frame to create motion. This style gained popularity with films like \"\u003Cstrong>Wallace & Gromit\u003C/strong>\" and \"\u003Cstrong>The Nightmare Before Christmas\u003C/strong>\". Stop-motion animation can also employ other materials such as paper cutouts or even household objects. For instance, many creators use LEGO bricks to create engaging and imaginative films, a technique often referred to as \"brickfilm.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/the-main-types-of-animation/\">\u003Cu>Understanding these types of animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a> lets you decide which path to start, and you need very little when you have a big imagination. Animation can be created using virtually any medium!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"start-with-the-12-principles-of-animation\">\u003Cstrong>Start With The 12 Principles Of Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once you've picked a medium and started playing around with it, you'll probably want to level up the quality of your projects. The 12 principles of animation is a popular framework used in art schools to create more convincing animations using simple (yet difficult to master) techniques:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Squash and Stretch\u003C/strong> - To give the illusion of weight and volume as objects move. Think of a bouncing ball: it squashes when it hits the ground and stretches as it lifts off.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Anticipation\u003C/strong> - Prepare the audience for an action to improve its impact—for example, a character drawing back their leg before kicking a ball.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Staging\u003C/strong> - The presentation of a scene so it's unmistakably clear using camera angles and composition as you would in a film to highlight what's important.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Straight-Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose\u003C/strong> - Straight-ahead action uses drawing frame-by-frame from start to finish, while pose-to-pose uses keyframes. Combining both offers fluid and controlled movement.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Follow Through and Overlapping Action\u003C/strong> - This principle makes movement more natural. When a character stops, body parts can continue to move—a scarf in the wind, for instance.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Slow In and Slow Out\u003C/strong> - Refers to the acceleration and deceleration of movement, like a car gaining speed or coming to a halt smoothly.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Arc\u003C/strong> - Natural actions follow an arched trajectory. Whether it's a pendulum swing or a character's head turn.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Secondary Action\u003C/strong> - Adds depth by supporting the main action. For example, a character walking might be swinging its arms or whistling a tune.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Timing\u003C/strong> - Proper timing makes the physics of your animation believable: fast motions for quick actions like a punch and slower timing for gentler motions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Exaggeration\u003C/strong> - Emphasizing actions or emotions. For example, a character's surprise with enlarged eyes and a dramatically open mouth for comedic effect.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Solid Drawing\u003C/strong> - Refers to the form and weight of the characters. Even in 3D, you must ensure your figures have depth and dimension.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Appeal\u003C/strong> - Lastly, characters must be engaging. Appeal doesn't mean cute or pretty but interesting and well-designed.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>A great way to work on applying the 12 principles to your animation can be to start with a reference video: identify key poses, draw in-betweens for smooth transitions, and add details to improve quality.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"animation-is-an-art\">\u003Cstrong>Animation Is An Art\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once you learn these fundamentals, you'll find it's only the tip of the iceberg. Animation is an art form that rewards continuous learning and development. For example:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Consider learning to draw. You just need a sketchbook to start. Then, a graphic tablet can be a valuable tool for colorizing, editing, and creating animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Experiment with different software: programs like Adobe After Effects, Blender, and Toon Boom offer various 2D and 3D animation features depending on what you aim for.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Learn more about the animation process, from scripting and storyboarding to rendering and production management.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Building your skill set not only refines your technique but also opens pathways to a professional career in animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Like exercise, the key is to progressively take on harder challenges.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In 2024, there are plenty of online communities to share your progress while keeping yourself committed, and you can find all sorts of tutorials on YouTube and other social media platforms.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"you-dont-need-money-to-start\">\u003Cstrong>You Don't Need Money To Start\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The beauty of animation lies in its accessibility: you don't need to invest heavily in gear like graphics tablets or expensive software when free tools like \u003Cstrong>Krita\u003C/strong> for 2D animation or \u003Cstrong>Blender\u003C/strong> for 3D offer robust starting points.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to avoid falling into the procrastination trap by endlessly studying or buying costly courses. While education is vital, practical experience is irreplaceable. Walt Disney honed his skills through evening classes and correspondence courses—far from today's digital learning resources―but quickly shared his work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether working solo or collaborating with a team, managing a project from idea to delivery is crucial to learning how to overcome creative challenges. It doesn't mean you need to complete a 1-hour feature film to consider yourself an animator: just take baby steps and don't wait to share your work!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is for everyone, regardless of background or experience. Start where you are with the tools available and grow from there, one creative challenge at a time. The journey should feel as rewarding as the destination, but you must still walk the talk.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Financially speaking, the animation industry is constantly evolving and offering plenty of opportunities for skilled animators. If you're a student, don't hesitate to join an animation program because there are many job prospects available that make this field not just a passion but also a viable career path. You also don't need to work for a studio to make a living, it’s never been easier to just build your own and use distribution channels like Instagram or Tiktok to acquire work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For those who are considering a career switch later in life, there's an abundance of resources aimed at helping you make the transition smoothly: online courses, workshops, and boot camps can offer you the skills needed. Even if animation is a hobby you wish to pursue more casually, there's a wealth of free and affordable resources to guide your learning journey further.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1838,"comment_id":1839,"feature_image":1840,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1841,"updated_at":1842,"custom_excerpt":1843,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1844,"primary_tag":1845,"url":1846,"excerpt":1843,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1847},"65268101-1e74-405f-a155-acb6d83b430a","6746bf97a8ea760001536e79","https://images.unsplash.com/flagged/photo-1572609239482-d3a83f976aa0?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDIwfHxjb21wdXRlciUyMGFuaW1hdGlvbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MzI2OTAxMTZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-11-27T07:43:35.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:14:04.000+01:00","Animation is for everyone, from storytellers and marketers to teachers and hobbyists. Our beginner’s guide covers animation types, essential tools, and the 12 principles of animation, providing a roadmap to help you bring your ideas to life.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-for-beginners/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@moniz437?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Chauhan Moniz\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-for-beginners","2025-01-06T09:55:04.000+01:00",{"title":1833},"animation-for-beginners","posts/animation-for-beginners",[1854],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"sDyNA45VNmLxNeryG_iUFA2ceb3Rsa2-AqciSShfD4o",{"id":1857,"title":1858,"authors":1859,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1861,"meta":1862,"navigation":15,"path":1873,"published_at":1874,"seo":1875,"slug":1876,"stem":1877,"tags":1878,"__hash__":1880,"uuid":1863,"comment_id":1864,"feature_image":1865,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1866,"updated_at":1867,"custom_excerpt":1868,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1869,"primary_tag":1870,"url":1871,"excerpt":1868,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1872},"ghost/posts:animation-layout.json","Animation Layout (2026): Crafting the Foundation of Immersive Scenes",[1860],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎭\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Animation isn't just about characters—it's about the worlds they inhabit and how we, as viewers, experience them. \u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Just like directors of photography, layout artists orchestrate everything from the angle of a shot to the flow of action within a scene. Animators then use layouts to plan the visual skeleton of animated worlds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article explores the work of layout artists. \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-layout-in-animation\">\u003Cstrong>What Is Layout In Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\">\u003Cu>Storyboards\u003C/u>\u003C/a> resemble a comic strip that outlines the storyline. They offer a glimpse into the plot and highlight where key moments occur within a scene. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life/\">\u003Cu>Animatics\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, on the other hand, turn these static frames into animation previews.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The layout is another intermediate stage that expands on storyboards and animatics by meticulously planning the logistics of each frame – camera angles, staging, and the introduction of backgrounds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Imagine animating a zoom on a forest: the layout artist is the one who decides the angle from which you view the towering trees, the path that wanders through the foliage, and how light filters through the leaves.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-layout\">\u003Cstrong>Why Layout?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The layout guides the viewer's eyes to focus on elements that drive the story forward, creating a visual hierarchy. For example, during an action scene, the layout artist manipulates elements to lead your gaze from a hero racing through crowded streets to the villain lurking in the shadows, sharpening the narrative's tension and dynamism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A well-crafted layout enhances the story's emotional weight. For a lonely character in a vast desert landscape, a layout could emphasize the space around the character to amplify feelings of isolation and vulnerability. Far from a simple visual choice, it's a story-driven decision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consistency throughout scenes is also crucial for maintaining narrative flow. If a character picks up an object with their right hand in one scene, you expect them to hold it in the subsequent scenes. The layout ensures details like this remain consistent.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-camera\">\u003Cstrong>1. Camera\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Camera work within animation layout focuses on the frame's perspective, which is as critical as in live-action filmmaking. By emulating real camera behaviours like motion blur, depth of field, and focal length adjusted by 3D software, layout artists can create authentic cinematographic experiences.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A thoughtful camera layout serves multiple purposes: it establishes mood, suggests narrative depth, and conveys subtle emotional cues, like the creeping push-in from a wide shot to a close-up of a character's face.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Layout artists spend time experimenting with their DCC tool to understand the features of virtual cameras. They try common techniques like panning, tilting, and tracking to see how they affect the storytelling.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>They practice setting up scenes with different focal lengths. A wide-angle lens can give a scene a broader sense of space and context, whereas a telephoto lens can isolate elements and focus the viewer's attention on specific details.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The depth of field in scenes guides the viewer's attention. You can keep the background blurry while focusing on a character to emphasize emotional reactions or reverse it to showcase the environment's significance.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-composition\">\u003Cstrong>2. Composition\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Layout artists break down storyboards and animatics, turning initial sketches and sequences into layouts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Composition in animation layout refers to the strategic arrangement of visual elements within a frame. It's the art of balancing subjects in a way that guides viewers' attention, maintains visual interest, and supports narrative intent.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Effective composition can turn a chaotic scene into a coherent visual story: in a battle scene where chaos reigns, good composition could direct the viewer's eye to critical characters amidst the frenzy.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Layout artists start with basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles to represent characters and major elements. This approach helps them pre-visualize spatial relationships and action flows, making sure each element occupies the right space relative to others. For example, if you're setting up a conversation between two characters, simple shapes can help you quickly decide their placement and interactions in the frame.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>They can also practice sketching small, quick thumbnails to test multiple composition ideas rapidly.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The Rule of Thirds is a foundational tool for composition: you divide your frame into a grid with two vertical and two horizontal lines. Placing key elements at the intersections or along these lines can create more balanced and engaging compositions. For example, positioning a character's face at an intersection can naturally draw the viewer's attention.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Layouts also use leading lines to guide the viewer's eye through the scene. They can be natural elements like roads, rivers, or even how characters are posed. In a chase scene, you might use a leading line created by a winding path to draw viewers' attention toward the character being pursued.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>It's important to maintain a clear focal point by reducing clutter around it. You can achieve this by using color contrast, blurring background details, or adjusting the lighting. In a scene in a crowded marketplace where the protagonist needs to stand out, a layout artist could use brighter colors or more defined lines for the protagonist.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-staging\">\u003Cstrong>3. Staging\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Staging refers to characters and objects' position, scale, and angle within a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's the difference between an audience passively viewing a scene and becoming emotionally engaged. The subtle tilt of a character's head or the looming shadow cast by an ominous object can reveal critical story plots.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Slight changes in scaling and perspective can dramatically alter a scene's emotional tone: a high-angle shot makes a character appear vulnerable compared to a low-angle shot to convey power.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Layout artists change the position of characters, adjust the lighting, or modify the camera angle and observe how each variation impacts the scene. For example, repositioning a character from the background to the foreground to see how it shifts the focus.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Another technique is to look at a scene in silhouette to check if the emotion and action read clearly without facial features or details.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-setting\">\u003Cstrong>4. Setting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The setting establishes the scene's time, place, and mood through lighting, set dressing density, prop variation, and architectural uniqueness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The setting dictates how a scene feels: a dimly lit alley cluttered with debris sets a vastly different tone than a sunlit meadow.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>A base grayscale shader helps strip away the distraction of color, allowing the artists to focus on how lights and shadows affect the mood of a scene.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Layout can also have a varying density of set dressing and props to shape the scene's atmosphere: a cluttered, dense set can create a sense of chaos or intimacy, while a sparse setup suggests loneliness or cleanliness.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Unique architectural features define the setting's personality: exaggerated lines, distinct shapes, or unusual materials make the setting memorable.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Adjusting lighting to frame essential areas guides the viewer's eye and evokes specific emotions. Same with different light sources―e.g. a soft diffused light for tranquillity or harsh directional light for tension.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-consistency-clarity\">\u003Cstrong>5. Consistency & Clarity\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Consistency and clarity in animation layout involve maintaining visual continuity across shots to make each transition natural and logical.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider a scene transition where a character walks from one room to another. Without consistent lighting, camera angles, and character scale, the sequence would feel jarring, disrupting the viewer's immersion.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>It's commonplace to document specific guidelines for each scene to act as a reference, including preferred camera angles, lighting conditions, and character positioning.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>After choosing camera angles that best fit the tone and action of a scene, layout artists maintain these angles when appropriate to avoid disorienting the audience.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The light source and intensity also have to remain consistent within a scene unless a significant reason demands variation, like a change in time of day or dramatic impact.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Layout artists pay attention to character sizes in relation to their environment. Clear character turnaround sheets help with consistency.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>They frequently revisit sequences in animatic form to spot and address inconsistencies.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The layout of a scene is key to creating engaging stories. From camera work that mirrors real cinematography to carefully crafting settings that anchor audiences in imaginary worlds, layout sets the stage for every animated masterpiece.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But it's not the final production step—far from it! Once the team completes, it moves on to secondary animations, adding details, textures, secondary props, and so forth, in an iterative loop before post-production and delivery. You can \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/\">\u003Cu>read more about it on our blog\u003C/u>\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1863,"comment_id":1864,"feature_image":1865,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1866,"updated_at":1867,"custom_excerpt":1868,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1869,"primary_tag":1870,"url":1871,"excerpt":1868,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1872},"dc87fbd9-99f4-4766-b066-9a4e86926056","6746bc7fa8ea760001536e52","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1503095396549-807759245b35?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHN0YWdlfGVufDB8fHx8MTczMjY4OTI0M3ww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-11-27T07:30:23.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:22:00.000+01:00","Animation layout is the foundation of immersive storytelling, guiding camera angles, staging, and composition to create visually engaging scenes. Discover how layout artists craft the worlds of animation and bring stories to life with precision and creativity.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-layout/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@kyleunderscorehead?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Kyle Head\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-layout","2024-12-30T15:34:23.000+01:00",{"title":1858},"animation-layout","posts/animation-layout",[1879],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"56-p-dwHXVbXaAg2xjSLPsnBGigmH7LBOcICLwzq4yw",{"id":1882,"title":1883,"authors":1884,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1886,"meta":1887,"navigation":15,"path":1898,"published_at":1899,"seo":1900,"slug":1901,"stem":1902,"tags":1903,"__hash__":1905,"uuid":1888,"comment_id":1889,"feature_image":1890,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1891,"updated_at":1892,"custom_excerpt":1893,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1894,"primary_tag":1895,"url":1896,"excerpt":1893,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1897},"ghost/posts:character-shape-language.json","Character Shape Language (2026): Designing Personalities Through Geometry",[1885],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">😴\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Close your eyes and picture a character as a simple black silhouette—completely stripped of color and detail.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Can you still identify who it is?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This magic lies in the power of shape. The most iconic characters all originate from mere outlines and are instantly recognizable even in their simplest form.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This concept, known as shape language, is not just an artistic choice but a tool to weave stories.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we study different basic shapes and how to use them for storytelling, using examples from famous animations. By its end, you'll have a general idea of what to look for in your next \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-color-palettes/\">\u003Cu>character design\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and perhaps useful references to learn more about shape language!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-shape-language\">\u003Cstrong>What's Shape Language?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Shape language uses psychological and emotional associations we have with different shapes. It is the art of using familiar geometric forms to convey a character's essence, personality, and role within a narrative. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Take, for example, the work of Genndy Tartakovsky, the creative genius behind \u003Cem>Dexter's Laboratory\u003C/em> and \u003Cem>Samurai Jack\u003C/em>. Tartakovsky expertly uses basic geometries to telegraph character traits: Samurai Jack's sleek, angular design speaks to his righteousness and determination, whereas Dexter's boxy form highlights his squareness, orderliness, and methodical nature. This brilliant use of shape language makes his characters both instantly recognizable and deeply memorable.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-shape-language\">\u003Cstrong>Why Shape Language?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Shape language is as crucial to character design as color.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, it tells a story. Just as words form sentences, shapes build narratives that audiences can follow visually. Po from Kung Fu Panda has round shapes to tell us he is warm and friendly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It reveals personality. Designers can suggest subtleties of character traits. You can instinctively tell who is a bad guy and who is a hero. In The Lion King, Scar is designed with angular, sharp edges and narrow features to communicate his villainous nature, while Mufasa's large, round, and robust shapes emphasize his strength and benevolence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, it contributes to good character design with visually cohesive and expressive characters. In Pixar's \"Incredibles,\" each family member's shape reflects their superpower, like the blocky, solid build of Mr. Incredible suggests his strength, and the slim, elongated design of Elastigirl showcases flexibility and agility.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's have a look at common shapes to learn how animators use them.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"line\">\u003Cstrong>Line\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A filiform, or thread-like, character shape often denotes weakness, elegance, or comedic value. Take Luffy from \u003Cem>One Piece\u003C/em> for example. His elongated form suggests a carefree and flexible nature, aligning perfectly with his adventurous spirit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lines in character shapes are also key to conveying emotional tones and physical traits.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In terms of line direction, a horizontal line suggests calmness and stability to depict tranquil and grounded characters or settings. Totoro from \u003Cem>My Neighbor Totoro\u003C/em> has a round, horizontal orientation to give a sense of calm and stability while symbolizing the peaceful nature of the forest spirit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Vertical lines, in contrast, express power, growth, or ambition, suitable for characters that embody strength or upward mobility. The tall, vertical stature of Superman, along with his iconic upright flying pose, conveys his strength and morality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Diagonal lines, charged with dynamism and unrest, indicate change and development, adding tension and excitement to a scene. Think of Spider-Man swinging through the cityscape. The diagonal lines formed by his body as he moves through the air echo how he constantly evolves to adapt to the challenges he faces.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"circle\">\u003Cstrong>Circle\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The circle is frequently used to imbue characters with a friendly and approachable vibe. The round edges imply safety, softness, and welcoming nature, so characters with circular features often come across as amiable and open-hearted.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Circles also symbolize unity and wholeness and are changeable, allowing for a range of emotions from joy to surprise.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Baymax from \u003Cem>Big Hero 6\u003C/em> has a circular design that immediately communicates his role as a nurturing and protective healthcare robot. His round form emphasizes his harmlessness, and his soft, squishy quality makes him infinitely huggable and endearing to audiences. When Baymax is weaponized to fight crime, the contrast with the shape adds depth to the character and subverts the audience's expectations for drama.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"square\">\u003Cstrong>Square\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Squares and rectangles are synonymous with stability, strength, and reliability. These shapes portray characters with solid, dependable, and supportive characteristics, while they can also hint at stubbornness or heavy-handedness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider Sulley from \u003Cem>Monsters, Inc.\u003C/em> His broad, rectangular stature underscores his robustness and dependability as Monstropolis' top scarer. Yet, despite his formidable frame, his character arc reveals a softness, balancing his physical presence with emotional depth.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"triangle\">\u003Cstrong>Triangle\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Triangles introduce a sense of dynamism to character design: with their sharp angles and directional points, triangles can signify danger, unpredictability, and movement. The sharpness also suggests an edge or cunning, making them ideal for characters that evoke caution or intrigue.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In The Lion King, Scar's triangular design contrasts Mufasa's squared design. His angular features underscore his menacing and calculating nature, reinforcing his role as a villain in a visual language that speaks volumes before he even utters a word.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"spirals\">\u003Cstrong>Spirals\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Spirals are fascinating shapes often used to symbolize cycles of life, creativity, and growth. They provide a dynamic flow, mimicking natural patterns found in everything from galaxies to seashells and storm systems.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The spiral is artistically explored in works like Junji Ito's \u003Cem>Uzumaki,\u003C/em> where it symbolizes chaos and an uncontrollable force of nature. The Uzumaki family symbol in \u003Cem>Naruto\u003C/em> represents the ongoing cycles of life and personal growth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Spirals are especially common for eye designs. In One Piece, Sanji's eyebrows are spiral-shaped.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Japanese animation often relies on spiral eye patterns to symbolize strong wills or commanding presences, while Western cartoons only use them to imply unconsciousness or confusion.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"shape-synergy\">\u003Cstrong>Shape Synergy\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While individual shapes carry distinct meanings, blending shapes allows for intricate character designs that harmoniously reflect multifaceted personalities. Characters are rarely just squares or circles. The genie in Disney's Aladdin has a swirling, smoke-like lower body to underscore his magical and fluid nature, while his muscular upper body conveys strength and confidence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Different characters can also have similar or contrasting shapes to denote their relationships. In a character team like the Powerpuff Girls, each character embodies unique shapes that correlate with their personalities, but they look like a cohesive unit together.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Same with synergy between character shapes and background designs. Legendary animator Paul Grimault uses vertical elements to introduce awe and height, as seen in the towering structures of \u003Cem>The King and the Mockingbird,\u003C/em> to contrast with the characters and obtain a surrealist feel.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"break-the-rules\">\u003Cstrong>Break the Rules\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While traditional symbolism holds significant power, there's an undeniable allure in breaking the rules to surprise and intrigue viewers. By subverting expectations, animators add layers of complexity to make characters more memorable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Spongebob Squarepants' square body humorously hints at rigidity and steadfastness, contrasting with his carefree and joyous personality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But before you can effectively break the rules, you need to thoroughly understand traditional symbolism and design principles. Knowing the norms allows for a mindful rupture that feels deliberate and impactful rather than accidental. It's a powerful tool to encourage viewers to change their assumptions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While subverting expectations can add intrigue, maintaining harmony in your composition is key. You can, for example, break conventional form but still use the golden ratio to ensure visual appeal.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Shape language is an essential element of character design, so make sure to think with shapes during your initial sketches! We covered basic shapes, but there are many more out there you can use for different effects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a powerful visual tool that, when combined with \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-color-palettes/\">\u003Cu>thoughtful color design\u003C/u>\u003C/a> and consideration of character personality and the story they inhabit, contributes to creating unforgettable characters. Just as shapes guide the structure, colors add depth and emotion, resulting in a harmonious.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you want a final reference, Les Shadoks is a great example of pushing shape language to its limits. The series uses simple, geometric shapes to craft its unique character and world designs, predominantly featuring ovals, triangles, and rectangles. This minimalistic approach demands that each form communicates beyond its basic structure, making every character instantly recognizable and emotionally resonant through exaggerated and abstracted silhouettes. The stark, often absurd lines and shapes capture the essence of the characters' whimsical and nonsensical world, proving that complexity, including colors, is not necessary to achieve rich storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1888,"comment_id":1889,"feature_image":1890,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1891,"updated_at":1892,"custom_excerpt":1893,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1894,"primary_tag":1895,"url":1896,"excerpt":1893,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1897},"7353a738-e6bb-497f-b577-ae75cfa1d20d","6746b4b3a8ea760001536e37","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1508700193932-2293b4385ab9?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHNpbG91ZXR8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzMyNjg3NjM1fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-11-27T06:57:07.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:29:28.000+01:00","Shape language uses geometric forms like circles, squares, and triangles to convey personality, emotion, and narrative roles in character design. \n\nLearn how animators use this powerful tool to craft iconic characters and elevate your own designs.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-shape-language/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@nseylubangi?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Nsey Benajah\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/character-shape-language","2024-12-23T15:34:02.000+01:00",{"title":1883},"character-shape-language","posts/character-shape-language",[1904],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"1_ATBPFAdgLEHtYuNNYDfvwVSdHqMTgVEy7vxlygZ2Y",{"id":1907,"title":1908,"authors":1909,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1911,"meta":1912,"navigation":15,"path":1921,"published_at":1917,"seo":1922,"slug":1923,"stem":1924,"tags":1925,"__hash__":1927,"uuid":1913,"comment_id":1914,"feature_image":1915,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1916,"updated_at":1917,"custom_excerpt":1544,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1918,"primary_tag":1919,"url":1920,"excerpt":1544,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-dec24.json","Build in Public: December 2024 Update",[1910],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in! 🚀\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"kitsu-updates-%F0%9F%A6%8A\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Updates 🦊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’re continually adding new and exciting features to Kitsu. Here are some of the highlights from the past few months:\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"notification-management-enhancements\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Notification Management Enhancements\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We’ve introduced several updates to Kitsu’s notification system, including the ability to mark notifications as read or unread, new filters for sorting notifications, and a cleaner design with comment previews. These changes make it easier to manage and prioritize project updates.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"vue-3-migration\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Vue 3 Migration\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We’ve migrated Kitsu’s frontend framework to Vue.js 3, unlocking performance improvements, better code maintainability, and modern features to ensure a smoother and more future-proof experience for users.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"japanese-language-support-app-and-documentation\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Japanese Language Support: App and Documentation\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We’re excited to announce that Kitsu now supports Japanese translations across both the app and its documentation! This update ensures a more seamless experience for our Japanese-speaking users, making it easier to navigate the platform and access resources in their native language.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"infrastructure-updates-%F0%9F%92%BD\">\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure Updates 💽\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"singapore-datacenter-opened\">\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Singapore Datacenter Opened\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We recently opened a new data centre in Singapore! This expansion is part of our ongoing efforts to enhance performance and reliability for users in the Asia-Pacific region. By reducing latency and improving data access speeds, the new data centre ensures a smoother and faster experience for Kitsu users in this part of the world.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"improved-region-management\">\u003Cem>Improved Region Management\u003C/em>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Internally, we’ve enhanced our ability to migrate users between data centre regions. This improvement optimizes how we serve media, ensuring users benefit from the best connection speeds and lowest latency based on their location.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"events-%F0%9F%8E%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Events 🎫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>This December, the team traveled to Japan for an exciting opportunity to meet with some of the most influential studios and professionals in the animation, VFX, and gaming industries. The trip was a chance to strengthen connections, share insights, and explore how Kitsu can support studios in their creative journeys. Some highlights include:\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"siggraph-asia-2024\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>SIGGRAPH Asia 2024\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>SIGGRAPH Asia proved to be a standout event, attracting attendees from some of the most renowned companies in the industry, including \u003Cstrong>Weta\u003C/strong>, \u003Cstrong>Meta\u003C/strong>, \u003Cstrong>Roblox\u003C/strong>, \u003Cstrong>Square Enix\u003C/strong>, and \u003Cstrong>Capcom\u003C/strong>. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>It was an incredible opportunity to connect with top-tier professionals, share insights, and explore how Kitsu can help studios streamline their workflows. The enthusiasm and creativity we encountered were truly inspiring, and we’re excited to see where these conversations lead in the future.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"tokyo-trip-building-connections-with-renowned-studios\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Tokyo Trip: Building Connections with Renowned Studios\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>During our trip to Tokyo, we had the privilege of meeting with 12 renowned studios, including industry leaders like \u003Cstrong>Toei\u003C/strong>, \u003Cstrong>Khara\u003C/strong>, and \u003Cstrong>Mappa\u003C/strong>. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>These discussions were both insightful and productive, as we explored shared challenges and common needs within the animation and VFX industries. It was inspiring to hear about their workflows and exchange ideas on how Kitsu could help address their unique requirements.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/12/IMG_2680.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/12/IMG_2680.jpg 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/12/IMG_2680.jpg 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/12/IMG_2680.jpg 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2024/12/IMG_2680.jpg 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">✨Captured a moment with one of our favorite Japanese animation icons, Doraemon! 🎥✨\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"next-year\">\u003Cem>Next Year\u003C/em>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We’re gearing up for an exciting start to the new year! Keep an eye out for us at the following events:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>PIDS\u003C/strong> (Enghien, France): A key gathering for the animation and VFX industry.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>FMX\u003C/strong> (Stuttgart, Germany): One of the most influential conferences for animation, effects, and immersive media. \u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"finance-%F0%9F%92%B0\">\u003Cstrong>Finance 💰\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Strong Performance\u003C/strong>: Our income for 2024 has already surpassed last year’s total.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Increased Revenue\u003C/strong>: We’ve seen consistent growth as more studios adopt Kitsu.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Healthy Cash Balance\u003C/strong>: We’re maintaining a strong cash reserve to support future developments.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You can check out our public financial metrics below:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">CGWire - Metrics\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">This webpage shows the KPI of the company. We made them public because we are part of the Open Company movement. Transparency is important to build trust. Let us know if you want to see additional information.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://cg-wire.com/favicon.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Metrics\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/_nuxt/logo.4d5a2d7e.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"communication-%F0%9F%97%A3%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Communication 🗣️\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Podcast Sponsorships\u003C/strong>: We’re in discussions with the Enoben and Callipeg podcasts for a new sponsorship session to expand our outreach and connect with a broader audience in the animation industry.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"studios-productions-%F0%9F%8F%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Studios & Productions 🏫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Over the past three months, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming several top-tier organizations to the Kitsu family. From renowned animation and game studios to leading educational institutions, we’re thrilled to support their creative journeys.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here’s the full list of new additions:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Game Studios\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://metacoregames.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Metacore\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://studiomdhr.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Studio MDHR\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.bigcompany.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Big Company\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://8849.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">8849 Studio\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.puydufou.com/france/en/must-see-france?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Puy du Fou\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://brainypixel.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Brainy Pixel\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Education Institutions\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.isart.com/montreal/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">ISART Montreal\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.isart.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">ISART Digital\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.iim.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">IIM Digital\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.3is-international.com/education/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">3is Education\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"closing-notes-%E2%9C%8D%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Closing Notes \u003C/strong> ✍️\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As 2024 comes to an end, we’re taking a moment to reflect on an incredible year, From welcoming new clients to implementing exciting updates, it’s been a privilege to see Kitsu play a part in so many inspiring projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Looking ahead to 2025, we’re eager to continue supporting your creative journeys. Thank you to everyone who uses Kitsu and shares in our mission to make animation and VFX production smoother and more collaborative.\u003C/p>\u003Cp> Here’s to an exciting new year ahead—wishing you all the best for 2025!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Cp>If there are any specific needs you’d like us to address in Kitsu, let us know—we’re always listening! 👂\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. 💬\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/contact?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Contact Us\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1913,"comment_id":1914,"feature_image":1915,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1916,"updated_at":1917,"custom_excerpt":1544,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1918,"primary_tag":1919,"url":1920,"excerpt":1544,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"1bf26b28-1c1b-461d-8e2e-fc4bae6ffc63","675fbb46a5395900017821ae","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/12/buildinpublic_december_2024.png","2024-12-16T06:31:50.000+01:00","2024-12-18T14:07:15.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-dec24/","/posts/build-in-public-dec24",{"title":1908},"build-in-public-dec24","posts/build-in-public-dec24",[1926],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"X25qJErjimVtLpoWqb2cIe22hcwxvhPPFbb2__qtT1M",{"id":1929,"title":1930,"authors":1931,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1933,"meta":1934,"navigation":15,"path":1945,"published_at":1946,"seo":1947,"slug":1948,"stem":1949,"tags":1950,"__hash__":1952,"uuid":1935,"comment_id":1936,"feature_image":1937,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1938,"updated_at":1939,"custom_excerpt":1940,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1941,"primary_tag":1942,"url":1943,"excerpt":1940,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1944},"ghost/posts:smear-frames.json","(2026) How Smear Frames Enhance Animation",[1932],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">ℹ️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">A smear frame is a single frame in an animation sequence that depicts motion through the exaggeration or distortion of an object or character.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Let's look at an example from \u003Cstrong>The Simpsons\u003C/strong>:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-15.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"852\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/image-15.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2026/03/image-15.png 852w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Unlike standard frames that might show a clear picture of a character at a specific point in time, a smear frame blurs these distinctions, presenting a visual interpretation of motion that guides the viewer's eye across the screen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Another example, if you recall the fast-paced antics of characters like Road Runner or Bugs Bunny in classic \u003Cstrong>Looney Tunes\u003C/strong>, those swift movements are often animated with the help of smear frames to smoothly transition from one point to another within a split second.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-animators-use-smear-frames\">\u003Cstrong>Why Animators Use Smear Frames\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The most common use of smear frames is to simulate motion blur. This technique mimics the effect created by a camera when capturing fast movement, and it adds a realistic touch to animations. For instance, when an arrow is shot from a bow, a smear frame might depict its flight with a stretched appearance, hinting at its rapid journey across the screen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While smear frames originated in traditional 2D animation, their impact isn't confined solely to this medium; they are prevalent in 3D animation as well. For example, animators in animated films like \"\u003Cstrong>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse\u003C/strong>\" use smear frames to maintain a comic book feel.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Smear frames emphasize an object's motion path, seamlessly blending transitions between poses or actions. Characters performing acrobatics, like somersaults or spinning kicks, often use smear frames to highlight fluidity and grace, capturing the audience's imagination.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, multiple frames can be combined into one smear frame to condense action. This is particularly useful in fast sequences to capture critical elements without overwhelming the viewer with too many individual frames.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-when-to-use-a-smear-frame\">\u003Cstrong>1. When To Use A Smear Frame\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While they inject energy into scenes, their effectiveness relies on strategic placement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Smear frames are best during rapid movement or transition moments, like a character lunging forward, an item being thrown, or exaggerated comedic actions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In fighting animations, each swing of the fist or blade is accentuated with a smear frame to portray speed and aggression.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But it's important to maintain consistency—the technique should remain fluid throughout the scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators also avoid overuse, as excessive smears can clutter visuals and confuse the viewer.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-two-smear-frame-techniques\">\u003Cstrong>2. Two Smear Frame Techniques\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animators work with a sequence of frames shown in rapid succession. Motion blur is achieved by simulating what happens when the camera's shutter stays open for a duration while capturing multiple positions of a moving object within that single frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There are two types of smear frames:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Elongated in-between\u003C/strong> - This technique elongates the subject to bridge the gap between key poses over one or two frames. Some animations in Naruto Shippuden are famous for their exaggerated smear frames:\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Multiples\u003C/strong> - Here, animators duplicate parts or the entirety of the subject along its motion path while adding a slight blur. Here is one from Looney Tunes:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>In 2D animation, smear frames rely on stretching, warping, or multiplying elements within a scene. Balance is key to make sure the smears enhance rather than overwhelm the action. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Modern VFX and photo editing software often include motion blur settings to digitally simulate the smear frame effect via algorithms, giving animators new tools to achieve the desired effect with greater control and efficiency.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Using smear frames in 3D animation involves manipulating the 3D models themselves or through technical effects such as adjusting the mesh. Characters and objects can be stretched or distorted to match the speed and style of 2D smear frames. Animators can also multiply meshes or integrate motion blur to achieve the desired illusion.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-movement-breakdown\">\u003Cstrong>3. Movement Breakdown\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While smear frames and in-betweening occur during movement breakdown, their roles differ significantly. In-betweening focuses on creating smooth transitions through evenly spaced, accurate frames. Smear frames, on the other hand, are more about exaggerating motion to convey speed and dynamism at key points. Both techniques complement each other: while in-betweening ensures consistency, smear frames add randomness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>During breakdown, the creation of smear frames usually goes as follows:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Identify the motion\u003C/strong> - First, identify the keyframes between which the fast motion occurs. These could be anything from a character throwing a punch to a ball being kicked. Smear frames are particularly useful in actions that need to convey speed.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Plan the timing\u003C/strong> - Determine where the smear should occur in the movement. Smears typically fall between two extremes or key poses in an action. For instance, if a character is quickly turning their head, the smear would occur between the start and end of the head turn.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sketch the smear frame\u003C/strong> - Begin by sketching the object or character in the distorted state using the techniques mentioned earlier (duplication, stretching, or motion lines).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use exaggeration\u003C/strong> - Don't be afraid to go over the top with exaggeration. Smear frames are not about realism―but about conveying energy and speed. For example, when animating a character's punch, extend the arm to appear longer than it actually is.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>In-between frame placement\u003C/strong> - Place your smear frame between two keyframes. It can be a single frame in a 24 fps animation, just enough to provide a brief glimpse to enhance the motion.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Test with timing\u003C/strong> - Test the animation to see how it flows once your smear frame is in place. Adjust the timing if necessary.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animators are illusionists, and smear frames are a prime example of this. Smear frames add an illusion of speed by playing a simple trick on our eyes, and the result is memorable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this technique is becoming less common with software features to mimic motion blur, but it’s an integral part of what makes vintage, old-school animation great. New animation productions rely on smear frames to give a retro look, or simply to add a sense of surrealism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you want more examples of surprising smear frames, check out the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Smearframes/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>r/smearframes subreddit\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. Note that you can also use video players like VLC Media Player to view videos frame by frame to catch smear frames in the wild.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1935,"comment_id":1936,"feature_image":1937,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1938,"updated_at":1939,"custom_excerpt":1940,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1941,"primary_tag":1942,"url":1943,"excerpt":1940,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1944},"1b5efe42-2b94-4031-9cb2-5ccce8f607fe","6746b0bca8ea760001536e18","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1429857950654-539591eef320?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fG1vdGlvbiUyMGJsdXJ8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzMyNjg1OTAxfDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-11-27T06:40:12.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:41:40.000+01:00","Smear frames are the secret to creating fast, dynamic motion in animation. This article explores how animators use them in 2D and 3D work, with tips to bring energy and speed to your scenes.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/smear-frames/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@danist07?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Danist Soh\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/smear-frames","2024-12-16T14:54:30.000+01:00",{"title":1930},"smear-frames","posts/smear-frames",[1951],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"b8PHfHof6RDF8J1LphLd2IHuu5FkIiYok-rJfgIgKZ4",{"id":1954,"title":1955,"authors":1956,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1958,"meta":1959,"navigation":15,"path":1970,"published_at":1971,"seo":1972,"slug":1973,"stem":1974,"tags":1975,"__hash__":1977,"uuid":1960,"comment_id":1961,"feature_image":1962,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1963,"updated_at":1964,"custom_excerpt":1965,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1966,"primary_tag":1967,"url":1968,"excerpt":1965,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1969},"ghost/posts:stepped-animation.json","(2026) The Art of Stepped Animation: Bringing Key Poses to Life",[1957],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎥\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Stepped animation refers to \"step mode\" on animation software.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>An animation is a series of frames. In step mode, animators focus on \"key poses\" or keyframes, capturing important moments of positions. In this mode, animations do not transition smoothly from one frame to another. Instead, they jump from one key position to the next. The in-between frames are left unrefined or omitted entirely.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach allows animators to clearly define the most crucial moments of movement or expression without the distraction of constant fluidity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, consider a character preparing to jump. In step mode, the key poses would include a crouch, a jump, and a landing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In contrast to stepped animation, spline mode involves smooth transitions between poses, with in-betweens generated automatically via interpolation. Spline animation is production-ready and used for final animations.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-stepped-animation\">\u003Cstrong>Why Stepped Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Step mode allows animators to overview an action and its pacing before committing to more detailed work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Key poses are the most important elements of a movement. By concentrating on these keyframes, animators can simplify their workflow to focus on the most impactful actions. There is no transition between keyframes, so when you hit play, the software displays each pose sequentially as if flipping through a series of drawings before diving into more complex inbetweening to smoothen the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Stepped animation also helps develop a basic sense of timing: with clear keyframes, you can easily test how long each pose is held and the rhythm of the overall animation. This method allows for quick iterations: if a pose feels too slow or fast, you can adjust the timing parameters without worrying about how it affects the in-betweens.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-key-frames\">\u003Cstrong>1. Key Frames\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animators begin by deciding the action's starting point and endpoint―the initial and final keyframes. For example, if you were animating a character that waves, you might start with the arm down and end with the arm fully raised.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We would then use your animation software to create keyframes at these points. Most programs allow the precise specification of frame numbers to provide clarity in the editing timeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to control the timing between keyframes to achieve the desired movement. The time between keyframes is crucial: if a character snaps their fingers, you can space the frames close to give a sense of a sudden movement or further apart to emphasize it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After placing keyframes, we usually play back the animation until it feels right, looking for any unintended motions or inefficiencies in timing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While the focus of step mode is on the keyframes that define distinct movements, subtle adjustments in the poses can add depth. You can, for example, consider incorporating slight anticipations or follow-through animations at certain keyframes for better results.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you take a bouncing ball as an example, you could end up with something like this:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Key Frame 1\u003C/strong>: The ball is at its highest point.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Key Frame 2\u003C/strong>: The ball is halfway down to the ground.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Key Frame 3\u003C/strong>: The ball touches the ground.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Key Frame 4\u003C/strong>: The ball is at its lowest point (compressed).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Key Frame 5\u003C/strong>: The ball returns to the initial height.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdW02zi9telPjDOADrB3Au-oq_zeJv47yCVag7iRp4we_CHzIVcorW1EU_affKBTAY7nR6DnlqAaAK5SQQLJuNHX5HocqSDc14U8BqIoS4kq7oNRlmRfOETZa3Lh2l1-VfURdNMOUiURFnlzjhPN3wlZgkR?key=FWj1XlzybXOodEra6azNbA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"580\" height=\"363\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: AngryAnimator.com\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-storyboarding-animatic\">\u003Cstrong>2. Storyboarding & Animatic\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The selected keyframes are used during pre-production for storyboards and animatics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\">\u003Cu>Storyboarding is creating a visual representation of a sequence of actions\u003C/u>\u003C/a> or events in the form of a series of images arranged in the order they will appear. It's a blueprint to plan scenes, transitions, and key actions before moving into the animation phase.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A storyboard clarifies the sequence of keyframes for stepped animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfzl-IyWRwQVFIj5jd-TbqtRHlO2JFmjpfhjZ_ASxbUHHQoJZ9JpLHvsuPd6jfRqi0QNvtVI6OBHRFTckuWahjTIX-TLBnQF4Za_tBeCyMdvRVQVw9q3ouWC8PhXSTQNRyei5dP8LCaHvWch65XsupyJMc?key=FWj1XlzybXOodEra6azNbA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"616\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Wallace And Gromit\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>An animatic is a preliminary version of an animation combining static images from storyboards with a timeline, sound, and sometimes voiceover to offer a clearer vision of how the story unfolds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Both help avoid costly revisions during later stages of production, providing a structure that simplifies the decision-making process for animators. This is particularly important in stepped animation―where there are no transitions between poses―to understand how these keyframes relate to one another.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-switching-to-spline-mode\">\u003Cstrong>3. Switching To Spline Mode\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As animators begin production, spline mode will slowly replace step mode.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The main challenge when working with stepped animation is getting a feel of how timing will translate into the final rendered movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you switch from stepped to spline, the interpolation creates a smoother movement that may not have the desired energy. While your brain can fill in the gaps during the stepped stage, the computer's interpolation can create a smoother but less impactful motion. If a character jumps, the snappy ascent created in stepped mode can become a lagging glide with interpolation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For this reason, it's important to frequently switch between spline and step mode during production to obtain the desired result.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In digital content creation software, there's often a simple command or option to convert your stepped keys to spline. This action will change the interpolation type, allowing the software to generate intermediate frames.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd0ObRVuOnlLQ5WiOtCsPNfmX18K0twN7UDRxeHWqTmm-9JEiuZKS4wxGbeZQ8Nc9WbxZVyxzvYSCYm5ASe2IlYtOxf8Jh65Ut8k3YspGxpe0FbzSmNOS43woZBy6MsHzT9PUt-aoE-t54d-r-bD9LGmrKs?key=FWj1XlzybXOodEra6azNbA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Wobbe Koning on YouTube\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Animators then play back the animation frequently after making adjustments in iterative steps.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Another key element to take into account between step and split mode is the interpolation curve and algorithm.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-interpolation\">\u003Cstrong>4. Interpolation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Interpolation is a mathematical process determining intermediate values between two values depending on an evolution curve. In interpolation mode, the computer generates in-between frames by mathematically calculating the motion along the trajectory established by the keyframes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Rather than manual drawing or image creation for each frame, interpolation can automate the creation of in-between frames based on an animation sequence's defined start and endpoints.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Different interpolation curves/algorithms bring different results.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes, you need a linear evolution. The frames change at a constant speed. For example, a car on a highway would have its wheels turn at the same speed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In other situations, you might want the interpolation to get faster toward the end to make a punch more impactful or the beginning of the movement if you animate a sprinter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators inspect the motion curves in their DCC software's graph editor. This step is critical because, despite the automatic interpolation, you will likely need to refine the curves to reclaim that sense of snappiness that might have been lost going from step to spline mode.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXf31yL4--hQ-qLESuun7nwSEpyEK_YpvGqNGqty6aH_eTY1hdW9qJgIp18Cg3jkFtZ6U8TJGOWKZ2U8UQ6MMXE27_kmt62FQRlelhYtPBwYjAScqEld4yIaPSqdvhRkVfufGFdVNdu8q840qNOpbi19bd_V?key=FWj1XlzybXOodEra6azNbA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: 3D Blender Tutorials by ianscott888 on Youtube\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>By concentrating on keyframes and leaving in-betweens until later, animators can refine the flow of their animations. This technique forms the groundwork for more intricate details using spline animation, where interpolation creates smooth transitions. As the animation progresses from the structured jumps of stepped mode to the fluidity of spline, the careful balance of timing and motion is preserved.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1960,"comment_id":1961,"feature_image":1962,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1963,"updated_at":1964,"custom_excerpt":1965,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1966,"primary_tag":1967,"url":1968,"excerpt":1965,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1969},"6e42db03-1461-4812-a323-83ba63fe422a","672aef7a6d9acc0001dddaa5","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1549816198-3c2704fdf06f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDQyfHxjaGFyYWN0ZXJ8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzMzOTI0NTQ1fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-11-06T05:24:26.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:58.000+01:00","Stepped animation allows animators to highlight essential movements by focusing on keyframes first, saving the finer details for spline animation later. Discover how this approach, using step mode in digital content creation tools, streamlines workflow and perfects timing for impactful animation.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stepped-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@feymarin?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Fey Marin\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/stepped-animation","2024-12-11T14:49:59.000+01:00",{"title":1955},"stepped-animation","posts/stepped-animation",[1976],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"hMK8PsmpTsLOBRZsIXjEKSzHHo8kD2MYaKaCa3jTu9s",{"id":1979,"title":1980,"authors":1981,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":1983,"meta":1984,"navigation":15,"path":1995,"published_at":1996,"seo":1997,"slug":1998,"stem":1999,"tags":2000,"__hash__":2002,"uuid":1985,"comment_id":1986,"feature_image":1987,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1988,"updated_at":1989,"custom_excerpt":1990,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1991,"primary_tag":1992,"url":1993,"excerpt":1990,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1994},"ghost/posts:animation-laptops.json","Choosing the Best Laptop for Animation: A Complete Guide (2026)",[1982],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💻\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Most animation work happens on a computer, from digital content creation tools to planning.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Choosing one can feel overwhelming considering all the available options: laptop, tablet, PC build, pre-built tower, refurbished computer... the list of terminals just never ends.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Though most professional animators use a dedicated PC build for the processing power, laptops can be mandatory during studies, while you're on the road, or while doing presentations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But even, how does one go about picking a laptop? What to look for? Where?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we guide you through technical and usage specifications to take into account. We won't give you specific laptops to buy since the market changes daily, and you'll probably find better deals researching yourself, but we'll tell you what to look for and prioritize your choices.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, let's look at the main criteria for choosing a laptop.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"613\" height=\"398\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/11/image-6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-6.png 613w\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: 4WinKey\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"criteria\">\u003Cstrong>Criteria\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are three main criteria you need to consider when choosing a laptop.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, your chosen operating system (OS) significantly impacts your animation tools and workflows. Different animation software has specific OS requirements. Windows is widely used in the animation industry thanks to its compatibility with a broad range of software. MacOS is favored among many creative professionals, especially those using software like Final Cut Pro and Motion. While less common for laptops, Linux systems can be a viable option for animators who are comfortable with open-source software like Blender.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The type of animation you intend to work on also dictates the specifications you should prioritize in a laptop. For 2D animation and motion graphics, you can often get away with less robust hardware. Tablet-like laptops with a stylus can also be used for 2D animation. If you're focused on 3D animation, the requirements become more demanding.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, your budget is often the determining factor. Setting a clear budget lets you target machines that provide the best value for your desired features. As you'll read in this guide, however, there are solutions to get by with cheap laptops while you save up.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"understanding-laptop-specifications\">\u003Cstrong>Understanding Laptop Specifications\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If you're not a computer nerd, it can feel difficult to understand what you need to look for in the endless laptop options available to you.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For an animator, you only need to focus on four specs:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>CPU & RAM\u003C/strong> - The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is often referred to as the brain of your laptop. For animation tasks, a powerful CPU can handle multiple tasks simultaneously when rendering complex animations. Aim for at least an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5. Intel i7, i9, or AMD Ryzen 7 and 9 mean more processing cores and threads, significantly speeding up rendering times. A minimum of 8Go of Rapid Access Memory (RAM) is advised to handle more in-memory operations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>SSD\u003C/strong> - Solid State Drives (SSDs) are essential for a smooth animation experience because they handle all the file storage. Unlike traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), SSDs offer significantly faster read and write speeds, which means quicker load times for your animation software and faster file access. Look for laptops with at least 512GB SSDs; however, 1TB or more is advisable for handling large animation files and applications.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>GPU\u003C/strong> - Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are about 50 to 100 times faster than CPUs at rendering animation, but they are also the most expensive part of a laptop. Nvidia GPUs are usually the go-to GPUs for 3D rendering, but you can also have AMD or Intel GPUs.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Screen resolution\u003C/strong> - Screen resolution is another important spec that can greatly impact your animation workflow: a higher resolution means better clarity and color accuracy, allowing you to see finer details in your animations. Full HD (1920 x 1080) display is standard. 4K (3840 x 2160) display is better for more accurate color grading but also impacts battery life.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXct0x3uzBiob4txe5ek_Mkyb_nJPYcy7pd3wC1mgAt2dqE-fxphCDjWS-FxyTodFBIyTmmp4pLOTBRnLUHOEOlzRnA2ep1f-17SckSJGmgBXnXinOLz_ktScGEytuJUkqcia3ODUrocY3ypoHP_b8e014k?key=bDBc3RwqJv352PgTyU9KOw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"391\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: iD Tech\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"graphic-tablet-support\">\u003Cstrong>Graphic Tablet Support\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Sometimes, you can stumble upon laptops offering touch screens, like this one:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe7yS94W2DggSNarDK3y1KWUVwnm8do6rsfNA9FabQgoUjPLkya5DMRh3yOPTmPO4mzFgKrZIOHRgZjM13IhSOojPHMvEzb8AFu-tC6NCcXn-0RQiEH6ts5UDqVYAzpgaxi8LaB9aFuFkboaP4Z3Yln85E?key=bDBc3RwqJv352PgTyU9KOw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Forbes\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>However, they often result in a significant price hike without providing an ideal drawing experience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead, it’s wise to invest in a quality graphic tablet, which offers superior precision and control. Graphic tablets are essential for animators, so they’re well worth using.  Just make sure the laptop you choose has the necessary ports (USB-C, USB-A, etc.) to support your graphic tablet.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"solutions-for-low-budgets\">\u003Cstrong>Solutions for Low Budgets\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If your budget is tight―less than $500―don't despair! There are solutions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you mainly use Adobe products, you can use their web-based platform. Thanks to cloud rendering, even a $300 laptop can smoothly run Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, or even Adobe After Effects—no need to purchase expensive machines. As a student, chances are you'll have access to cheap Adobe licenses, too!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For 3D animations, you can\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\"> \u003Cu>use render farms\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to handle intense rendering tasks without needing high-end GPUs. A render farm is simply a managed service where you can upload 3D assets to render, and the result is delivered to you via the web interface. The pricing depends on your usage (e.g., 1 hour of rendering for $0.008), but it can be quite cheap: Ranch Computing offers 50% discounts for students on non-commercial projects, for example.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you have a powerful PC built at home, you can also consider remote desktop solutions to use it remotely from your laptop.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Using these solutions, even $200 Chromebooks can be a supplementary device for lighter animation work and administration tasks.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-about-macos\">\u003Cstrong>What About MacOS?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>MacBooks and Mac Minis remain popular among animators despite their higher price points. With macOS, you gain access to a robust ecosystem of creative tools optimized for artistic tasks, offering seamless hardware-software integration.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>MacBook Pros deliver exceptional performance and battery life, making them an attractive option for animators on the go, while Mac Minis provide desktop-level performance in a compact form factor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>However, owning a Mac is far from mandatory—even if you aspire to work at Pixar (they’ll provide a laptop, no worries).\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"consider-refurbished-laptops\">\u003Cstrong>Consider Refurbished Laptops\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Opting for refurbished laptops can provide cost-effective alternatives without compromising on quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Not only do refurbished laptops help reduce electronic waste, but they also offer substantial savings and reliable options with warranties and certified checks.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>At 50-80% discounts, it could be a no-brainer! Don't forget to ask your school/university if they also have any laptop lending programs.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"picking-a-laptop\">\u003Cstrong>Picking A Laptop\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Now you know everything about picking a laptop, it's time to shop:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Create a spreadsheet and add eight columns: title, OS, CPU, GPU, SSD, screen resolution, asking price, and shopping URL\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Go through refurbished laptop websites like Dell Refurbished, Backmarket, or Amazon Renewed\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Go through more traditional e-commerce websites or IT shops\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Rank all the options listed in your spreadsheet by price\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Look for responsible financing options (pay in 3 times, low-interested credit card loan, etc.) (disclaimer: no financial advice, be responsible)\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>And voilà! \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Selecting a laptop is an important step in your journey as an animator, but there’s no need to overthink it or break the bank. Start by understanding operating system compatibilities, assessing the requirements of your animation projects, and working within your budget constraints.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By focusing on key specifications like CPU performance, storage capacity, GPU power, and screen resolution, you can narrow down the ideal machine for your needs. Even on a tight budget, options like cloud-based rendering and refurbished devices offer cost-effective alternatives without compromising quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If possible, consider building a PC instead of purchasing a more expensive laptop, as this often provides better performance for your money. Plus, a PC is easy to upgrade over time, allowing it to serve you well for years to come.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":1985,"comment_id":1986,"feature_image":1987,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":1988,"updated_at":1989,"custom_excerpt":1990,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":1991,"primary_tag":1992,"url":1993,"excerpt":1990,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":1994},"e6411267-b657-4574-a0c3-dee97f1320fe","672b11a46d9acc0001dddaca","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1515378960530-7c0da6231fb1?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDExfHxsYXB0b3B8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzMwODE3NTU4fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-11-06T07:50:12.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:03:50.000+01:00","Choosing the right laptop for animation can be daunting with so many options and specs to consider. This guide breaks down the essentials—from CPU power to screen resolution—to help you find the best laptop for your animation needs, even on a budget.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-laptops/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@christinhumephoto?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Christin Hume\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-laptops","2024-11-21T10:00:50.000+01:00",{"title":1980},"animation-laptops","posts/animation-laptops",[2001],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"eIN4iDG-4RUZQvpJmZAX4dII7rRvVesE6QYSfTv2Nrs",{"id":2004,"title":2005,"authors":2006,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2008,"meta":2009,"navigation":15,"path":2020,"published_at":2021,"seo":2022,"slug":2023,"stem":2024,"tags":2025,"__hash__":2027,"uuid":2010,"comment_id":2011,"feature_image":2012,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2013,"updated_at":2014,"custom_excerpt":2015,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2016,"primary_tag":2017,"url":2018,"excerpt":2015,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2019},"ghost/posts:character-color-palettes.json","Creating Character Color Palettes (2026): Tips and Techniques for Animators",[2007],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎨\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Color is a powerful communicator, especially when it's used in character design.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>In fact, great character design is almost inseparable from its color palette: take your favorite character, change the colors, and it’s as if you have an entirely different character.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>How do animators come up with great color palettes, then? There are a few principles to follow, and the rest is creative genius. Only experience can bring the latter, but we can learn about the former today: in this article, we explore color theory and best practices to help you easily develop character color palettes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, let’s understand what color theory is.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-color-theory\">\u003Cstrong>What is Color Theory?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Color theory studies how colors interact, how they can be combined, and how they affect emotions and perceptions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At its core, color theory encompasses concepts such as the color wheel, color harmony, and the psychological effects of color. The color wheel organizes hues to demonstrate their relationships, including primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. This foundational tool allows animators to select colors that complement each other or create contrast, guiding the viewer's emotional response.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's say we pick a color palette for a heroic knight. Our primary colors could be blue and gold: blue for trust, loyalty, and calmness, and gold for wealth, success, and optimism. This combination suggests strength and reliability, positioning the knight as a noble character.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-characters-need-a-color-palette\">\u003Cstrong>Why Characters Need A Color Palette\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Color plays a significant role in conveying emotions and themes: it sets the tone for a character's personality and helps the audience quickly identify their emotional state. It's\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\"> \u003Cu>a fundamental aspect of character design\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A character designed with cool, muted tones might suggest melancholy or introspection.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A character experiencing growth could start with darker colors and gradually transition to lighter, more vibrant hues to represent their development.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A distinctive color palette makes characters more recognizable and memorable to the audience. Iconic palettes, like Naruto's orange, yellow, and blue, create strong associations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In animation, color palettes also serve as a tool for world-building: they reflect the tone and style of the world in which the characters exist. For example, in \u003Cem>Avatar: The Last Airbender\u003C/em>, the colors associated with each Nation (Earth, Water, Fire, Air) not only represent the elements but also reflect their cultural identities.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-copy-what-works\">\u003Cstrong>1. Copy What Works\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One of the easiest ways to develop character color palettes is to study successful characters from existing media—be it animations, video games, or films—to understand how their color choices enhance their personality, role, and story. Many established characters already apply principles of color theory like harmony, contrast, and complementary colors. Learning from these examples helps you apply these concepts effectively in your own palette.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Define your character\u003C/strong> - Write a detailed list of bullet points that describe your character: role/archetype (hero, mentor, sidekick, antagonist), occupation (mage, warrior, scientist, merchant), age (child, young adult, middle-aged, elder), skills (powers, combat abilities, intelligence, charm) and core attributes (heroic or villainous, joyful or melancholic).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Research reference material\u003C/strong> - Use platforms like Pinterest or art databases to find character designs that align with your list. Search specifically for color palettes used in similar roles or archetypes (old wise man, queen, warrior, joker, etc.): James Bond is typically clothed in neutral and dark colors to signal sophistication and authority, while characters like Mario use bright primary colors to convey energy and friendliness.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Analyze and adapt\u003C/strong> - Consider what color schemes are most prevalent among characters that fill similar roles or share traits with your character. Choose hues that resonate with your character's traits while modifying them to create something original. For example, if you notice wise mentors have earthy tones, but your character has an adventurous edge, you could pair deep greens with vibrant golds to create a more dynamic palette.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create a cohesive palette\u003C/strong> - Outline a color palette that reflects your character's description while ensuring visual harmony with primary, secondary, and highlight colors for details. A guardian character could have, for example, a palette of deep blue (trust), silver (wisdom), and bright gold (valor).\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-use-color-symbolism\">\u003Cstrong>2. Use Color Symbolism\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Color symbolism is using colors to represent certain ideas, emotions, or values within the context of storytelling and character design.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each color can trigger specific feelings or imply particular traits and roles. Red is often associated with passion, danger, or power. Blue usually signifies calmness, trustworthiness, or sadness.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character roles and relationships\u003C/strong> - Consider your characters' status and relevance within the story. They often symbolize specific archetypes, so their color palettes should reflect their roles. A princess might wear soft pastels or rich jewel tones to indicate elegance and status. This differentiation in the palette is not arbitrary―it supports the narrative by cueing the audience about character dynamics. If you wish to create a more nuanced character, like a general with a surprisingly gentle side, you could play with lighter shades or softer tones in their palette to highlight these hidden traits.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Socioeconomic indicators\u003C/strong> - Color also codifies socioeconomic status. In many stories, characters from privileged backgrounds wear brighter, high-contrast colors to signify wealth, while those from less affluent backgrounds wear more monochromatic hues to reflect their struggles. This visual disparity immediately communicates their respective social standings.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cultural and religious associations\u003C/strong> - Colors often carry specific, sometimes different, meanings across different cultures and religions, and these associations provide depth to your character design. In Western cultures, white symbolizes purity, often linked to weddings, while in some Eastern cultures, it may represent mourning. Incorporating these cultural nuances enriches a character's background and ties in beautifully with your world-building. In a fantasy world, you can create your own fictitious meanings. For example, suppose your animation features a culture that reveres nature. In that case, green tones might symbolize nobility, while earth tones could indicate a character who is more grounded or of lesser status.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Break the rules\u003C/strong> - Don't be afraid to experiment with color combinations. Start with a basic palette and then adjust based on the evolving narrative. You could have a villain disguised as a pure white knight (e.g., Griffith from the Berserk anime). Queen Elza from Frozen has a cold, icy color palette despite being portrayed as deeply caring and self-sacrificing.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-leverage-color-palette-generators\">\u003Cstrong>3. Leverage Color Palette Generators\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A color palette generator helps users create harmonious color combinations. With appropriate layers in your digital content creation software, generators allow you to explore various color schemes quickly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also use generators to keep track of your chosen colors and keep your designs consistent:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Popular tools like Adobe Color, Coolors, and Paletton work similarly:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Start with a base color\u003C/strong> - Use your character's primary trait to determine a base color. Input this color into the palette generator to create a foundational palette.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Explore different color schemes\u003C/strong> - Use the various options provided by the generator to explore different color schemes: experiment with complementary colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel to create visual tension or analogous colors that sit beside each other for a more harmonious look.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Test the palette in context\u003C/strong> - Once you've generated a few palettes, apply them to test sketches of your character. This contextual application reveals how the colors interact with one another in practice.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Document your palette\u003C/strong>: Document your chosen palette with HEX, RGB, HSL, or CMYK values for easy reference during the animation process.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-find-inspiration-from-around-you\">\u003Cstrong>4. Find Inspiration From Around You\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Finding inspiration from the environment around you means observing nature, architecture, fashion, and everyday life to extract colors that resonate with your characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It adds a sense of realism and relatability to your designs, grounding them in a world that audiences connect with: the real world is rich with color variations to create unique and nuanced palettes rather than relying solely on common tropes.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Photo to color palette\u003C/strong> - Try finding or taking photos of striking color combinations that catch your eye―anything from a vibrant street mural to the subtle shades of a sunset. Make a library of your favorite photographs and organize them based on themes or emotions to serve as a quick reference when you need inspiration.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Study nature and surroundings\u003C/strong> - Spend time outdoors and observe how colors interact in various environments. Notice how greens in a forest differ in shade and hue depending on the time of day or weather conditions. Recording these observations helps you understand how to mix colors effectively. You can also create mood boards by selecting images from magazines, online sources, or your own photography.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pay attention to fashion and interior design\u003C/strong> - Examine current fashion trends or interior design palettes. Designers often draw color choices based on cultural influences, seasonal changes, or emotional themes. Analyze why certain combinations work and how they convey feelings.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-dont-forget-lighting\">\u003Cstrong>5. Don't Forget Lighting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In animation,\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation/\"> \u003Cu>lighting is a fundamental element\u003C/u>\u003C/a> that dictates visibility, mood, atmosphere, and visual storytelling. It includes dealing with natural light, artificial sources, and their interplay with color and shadows.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Colors can appear different based on lighting conditions. A character's vibrant hue may look muted in a darkened room under bright daylight. The type of lighting can evoke various emotional responses, and selecting your character's color palette with this emotional context in mind helps reinforce the intended mood of a scene. Strategic lighting enhances or diminishes aspects of a character's design, allowing you to guide the viewer's eye toward crucial features or away from unnecessary details.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Experiment with color temperature\u003C/strong> - Start by determining the color temperature that reflects your character's mood. Create a few sketches using warm, cool, and neutral light palettes. Observe how these choices influence the perception of your character's colors. For example, use soft, golden lighting for a romantic or nostalgic character and bright, icy blue for a more aloof or mysterious persona.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use color grading tools\u003C/strong> - Digital animation software often includes color grading tools that allow you to adjust lighting effects virtually to see how colors react to different lighting scenarios.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Test your palette in diverse lighting scenarios\u003C/strong> - Create a set of character designs using your preliminary color palette, and then render these designs with different lighting setups to identify how your color choices hold up in varied environments. You might find vibrant hues in one light setting muted or clash in another, prompting necessary revisions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Incorporate shadows and highlights\u003C/strong> - Light and shadow create depth in your character designs, so choose colors that can be lightened or darkened effectively.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-account-for-the-environment\">\u003Cstrong>6. Account For The Environment\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Consider the environment in which your characters will exist: the colors you choose for your characters must work with the backgrounds and other elements of your animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The environment encompasses everything from background scenery to other characters. Each element has its own color palette, which can complement or clash with your character designs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you select colors in isolation, you risk creating a disjointed visual experience that detracts from your storytelling. By designing your character colors with their environment in mind, you can better establish the visual hierarchy within your scenes: main characters should stand out. In contrast, secondary characters or background elements can be subtler, creating a dynamic yet balanced composition.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Design in context\u003C/strong> - Always incorporate your character designs within their intended environments and avoid designing characters in isolation. Draft color schemes while clearly viewing the backdrop and other elements that will appear alongside your characters.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Establish character roles\u003C/strong> - Consider the role of each character. For example, the main player character should have the most eye-catching colors, using bold shades and contrasts that naturally draw attention. Secondary characters would have slightly muted tones, while background characters wear even more subdued colors.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use visual references\u003C/strong> - Create a montage of your character variations in your preferred graphics editor. Take a background illustration and overlay the different character designs on top to provide a visual reference.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Test contrast and readability\u003C/strong> - Make sure your character designs are easily distinguishable from the background. An effective way to do this is to test your designs against monochrome background variations. If a character blends into the scenery, adjust the palette until it stands out sufficiently while maintaining the desired aesthetic harmony.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>It's not uncommon to change character clothes and accessories to match a new environment or a different group of characters in the same scene:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In animation, the thoughtful selection and application of color transcend artistic preference; it’s a key narrative pillar. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>By understanding and leveraging color theory, tapping into established palettes, using color symbolism, and drawing inspiration from the world around us, animators can build characters that resonate deeply with audiences. Integrating tools like palette generators alongside considerations for lighting and environment ensures that a character’s colors not only captivate the viewer but also enhance the impact of their story.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about the animation process \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":2010,"comment_id":2011,"feature_image":2012,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2013,"updated_at":2014,"custom_excerpt":2015,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2016,"primary_tag":2017,"url":2018,"excerpt":2015,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2019},"f5a1699f-9158-4679-9ff1-5585c37ff285","6731a758284220000111e573","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1495996278086-d589e29619ea?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDQwfHxjb2xvciUyMGNoYXJhY3RlcnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MzEzNzQ2MzF8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-11-11T07:42:32.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:28:17.000+01:00","Color is a powerful tool in character design, setting the tone for personality and making characters instantly recognizable. This article dives into color theory and essential principles animators use to create impactful color palettes, from symbolic choices to practical tips for harmonious design.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-color-palettes/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@mettyunuabona?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/character-color-palettes","2024-11-14T09:36:36.000+01:00",{"title":2005},"character-color-palettes","posts/character-color-palettes",[2026],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"phlaxlcSkenGCSGY-ptS3XSmP5nN1_RakHT10sfN8WE",{"id":2029,"title":2030,"authors":2031,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2033,"meta":2034,"navigation":15,"path":2046,"published_at":2047,"seo":2048,"slug":2049,"stem":2050,"tags":2051,"__hash__":2053,"uuid":2035,"comment_id":2036,"feature_image":2037,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2038,"updated_at":2039,"custom_excerpt":2040,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2041,"primary_tag":2042,"url":2043,"excerpt":2040,"reading_time":377,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2044,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2045},"ghost/posts:what-is-2d-animation.json","(2026) What is 2D Animation?",[2032],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🖌️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">2D animation is the illusion of movement in a two-dimensional space.\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>2D animation involves the manipulation of flat images or drawings along a horizontal and vertical plane to create an illusion of depth, whereas 3D animation has an additional axis for depth and volume where characters can be rotated, light can be applied from any angle, and environments can be rendered with realistic textures.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While both forms of animation share the common goal of storytelling through movement, the skill sets and the creative approaches differ significantly. Even in 2D animation alone, it's important for new animators to try different styles to understand which ones resonate with them:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Computer Animation\u003C/strong>: Animators use digital tools to create characters, props, and environments. For example, using software like Adobe Animate allows for the creation of frame-by-frame animations and the manipulation of 2D assets in a timeline.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Stop Motion\u003C/strong> - In this technique, the animator photographs physical objects and characters in incremental movements to create a seamless motion when played in sequence. Classic examples are the beloved characters Wallace and Gromit or films like Coraline. The tactile nature of stop motion provides a unique aesthetic.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Motion Graphics\u003C/strong> - Motion graphics blend graphic design and animation in commercial settings for advertisements, title sequences, or explainer videos. They include animated text, logos, and icons to emphasize brand identity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Whiteboard Animation\u003C/strong> - This style mimics the effect of a marker drawing on a whiteboard, usually paired with a voiceover for explanatory purposes. It's often used for educational content because it keeps the viewer engaged through visual storytelling.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rotoscope\u003C/strong> - Animators trace live-action footage frame by frame to create realistic animations. It has historical relevance, with early examples found in films by Max Fleischer and more contemporary applications in productions like \"A Scanner Darkly.\"\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Though all these 2D animation styles are different, they go through a similar creative process. Each phase requires specialized expertise, and thus a new animator will strive to understand the differences in picking a vocation.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-concept-development\">\u003Cstrong>1. Concept Development\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges/\">\u003Cu>Concept development\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is about brainstorming and refining ideas to establish a clear vision for an animation production―the themes, character designs, and overall visual style. It requires a deep understanding of storytelling and visual communication.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Understanding the target audience during concept development allows animators to craft narratives that resonate, and a solid concept helps streamline the production process by reducing reworks later in the pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Brainstorming Sessions\u003C/strong> - The director gathers the team for collaborative sessions to encourage free thinking and idea generation using techniques like mind mapping or word association to explore potential themes and characters.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Research\u003C/strong> - A deep dive into relevant topics to identify trends, gather inspiration, and understand audience preferences. Producers might, for example, analyze successful animations for insights into storytelling and character dynamics, while illustrators might work on mood boards for concept designs.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scriptwriting\u003C/strong> - Writers prepare a preliminary script to convey the story's dialogue, action, and important milestones. This script is a reference point for animators and voice actors alike, so it usually takes a long time to get right.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-character-design\">\u003Cstrong>2. Character Design\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\">\u003Cu>Character design\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is the process of creating the visual appearance, personality, and unique traits of a character for animation―translating concepts and narrative intentions into a distinctive visual form, including everything from the character's shape, color palette, and clothing to the details of their facial expressions and body language.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Characters drive the narrative, so effective design helps communicate the story's themes, motivations, and emotional arcs. A character with exaggerated features may represent innocence or comedy, while a more refined design could convey sophistication or seriousness.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Research and Concept Development\u003C/strong> - Character designers begin by understanding the context and purpose of their character: researching the character's background, role in the story, and the project's themes. They also consider the character's age, environment, and relationships to contextualize the design.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sketching\u003C/strong> - They then start with rough sketches to explore different possibilities, experimenting with shapes, sizes, and different poses through multiple iterations to refine ideas. The key is to explore and be creative.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character Profiles\u003C/strong> - A character profile outlines personality traits, likes and dislikes, fears, and aspirations. This document guides design choices and ensures consistency in portrayal.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color and Style Exploration\u003C/strong> - A color palette reflects the character's personality and the overall tone of the animation. Warm colors may evoke friendliness, for example.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Refinement and Finalization\u003C/strong> - Once a design is selected, we refine the character by paying attention to small details that can enhance the design, like textures in clothing or unique features like scars or accessories. The designer creates a final turn-around sheet to guide animators on how the character looks from different angles.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Pencils, sketchbooks, and markers are timeless tools for concept artists because they allow freehand experimentation. But it's now common to use software tools like Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, or Krita to manipulate colors, shapes, and layers easily.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"447\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Nilah Ate The Blog\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-storyboarding\">\u003Cstrong>3. Storyboarding\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\">\u003Cu>Storyboarding creates a series of images\u003C/u>\u003C/a> displayed in sequence to previsualize a scene. Each frame in a storyboard represents a specific moment in the narrative and serves as a blueprint for the animation to define essential elements like composition, movement, and timing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A storyboard allows animators to see how their story unfolds visually before investing time in the animation process. It provides a clear picture of the narrative flow and helps identify potential issues early.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a vital communication tool among team members to make sure everyone has a unified understanding of the project.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Script Analysis\u003C/strong> - Storyboard artists analyze the script to identify key scenes, actions, and dialogues. They consider the emotional tone and target audience to ensure the storyboard aligns with the intended message.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Thumbnail Sketches\u003C/strong> - Before diving into detailed drawings, they create small thumbnail sketches that outline each major scene to focus on composition, camera angles, and the arrangement of characters and backgrounds. Sketches are kept simple to make quick changes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scene Breakdown\u003C/strong> - Artists determine the sequence of events within each scene: transitions, character movements, and key actions that drive the narrative.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Adding Dialogue and Annotations\u003C/strong> - The team often includes dialogue text, sound cues, and any essential notes regarding the action in each frame for the animators to understand character intentions and emotional delivery.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Revisions and Feedback\u003C/strong> - Storyboarding is an iterative process, like most animation phases, so it's important to share the storyboard with team members to gather feedback and make revisions to enhance the clarity of the storyboard.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Many animators still prefer using pen and paper for storyboarding.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/11/image-1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-1.png 700w\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: James Novy\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-animatic\">\u003Cstrong>4. Animatic\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>An animatic is a preliminary version of an animation that combines artwork and audio to create a moving storyboard. It's a draft that showcases how the animation unfolds visually with rough animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>An animatic helps identify issues with composition and staging before more resources are committed to full animation. It provides a clear visual layout that can highlight potential problems in framing scenes. By previewing actions and transitions between scenes, creators can also tweak dialogue and visual gags for maximum impact.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storyboarding integration\u003C/strong> - The artists start with traditional storyboards that outline each scene in the animation and import them into video editing software for animation, like Toon Boom Harmony.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Audio integration\u003C/strong> - Animators record basic voiceovers, dialogues, and sound effects to add life to the storyboard and help set the pacing for visual sequences.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Timing setup\u003C/strong> - The animation team establishes the timing for each shot by assigning duration to each storyboard panel, syncing the visuals with the audio.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Movement and transitions\u003C/strong> - Motion is key in animatics—even if it's just simple pan and zoom effects on still images. Visualizing how scenes will transition and create a dynamic viewing experience helps animators during the production phase.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"672\" height=\"189\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/11/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-2.png 672w\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Dream Farm Studios\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-animation-production\">\u003Cstrong>5. Animation Production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-1-the-contracts/\">\u003Cu>Animation production\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is the core process of turning concepts into animated content.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is where the bulk of the work occurs. Animators use traditional hand-drawn or 2D digital animation methods to create the actual frames that will animate the characters and scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Toon Boom Harmony is one of the most widely used software programs for 2D animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It allows you to import your storyboard images or create animatics. It supports various formats, enabling you to work seamlessly with hand-drawn or digital artwork from graphic tablets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators use different layers to separate elements like characters, backgrounds, and UI. This organization makes it easier to manipulate, colorize, and animate each component later in production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can set durations for each scene, adjust frame rates, and create smooth transitions that align with the audio tracks. You can change the audio timing directly on the timeline, like in any video editing software.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Alternatives include OpenToonz, Adobe Animate, and Moho, among others.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1121\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/11/image-3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/11/image-3.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-3.png 1121w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Toon Boom Harmony\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-vfx\">\u003Cstrong>6. VFX\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/vfx-artist-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>Visual Effects (VFX) encompass a wide range of techniques\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to create or enhance imagery that's less convenient to draw: motion blur, lighting, texture, fire, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Layering and compositing\u003C/strong> - Animators manipulate multiple layers of animation to create depth: animated characters with backgrounds but also VFX elements like smoke, fire, or magical sparks to increase detail levels.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Creating particle effects\u003C/strong> - A common task is designing and animating particle effects like rain, snow, or explosions using physics engines.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animating special effects\u003C/strong> - Effects like glow, distortion, and transitions can also enhance the quality of movement animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rendering\u003C/strong> - Like 3D animation, VFX animations require a rendering step to adjust output settings for quality and delivery format. For resource-intensive rendering like crowd animation, animators can rely on rendering farms. It's a highly technical step that sometimes requires specialized expertise.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>One of the most widely used tools for VFX in 2D animation is Adobe After Effects. You can use it to adjust opacity, blend modes, and layer styles to create compositions and take advantage of built-in effects like particles, lights, and camera motion. Using presets streamlines the animator's workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-5.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1004\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/11/image-5.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/11/image-5.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/11/image-5.png 1004w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: 3D Art\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-sound-design\">\u003Cstrong>7. Sound Design\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>Sound design\u003C/u>\u003C/a> is about creating, recording, editing, and generating audio elements. It encompasses everything from dialogue and sound effects to ambient sounds and musical scores.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The right music or sound effects can evoke laughter, fear, sadness, or excitement to impact how viewers connect with the animation directly.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Foley\u003C/strong> - Foley artists find or create sound effects (SFX) and ambient sounds. They complement musicians creating musical scores to set the tone of a scene and make the animated universe come alive.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Recording\u003C/strong> - When predetermined sounds aren't available, animators often record their audio, capturing voiceovers or unique sound effects. Voice artists play a key role there.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sound editing\u003C/strong> - When sounds are sourced or recorded, they must be edited for clarity, volume, and alignment with the animation―cutting, layering, and adjusting sound elements to ensure they sync perfectly with the visuals.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Mixing\u003C/strong> - Mixing balances different audio tracks — dialogue, sound effects, and music to create a cohesive and engaging auditory experience. Proper mixing ensures that no single element overpowers another.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sound design implementation\u003C/strong> - The edited and mixed sounds are integrated into the animation software by adjusting levels, adding spatial effects, and fine-tuning the audio.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-supervision-management\">\u003Cstrong>8. Supervision & Management\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>2D animation is a team effort. Supervision and management refer to the organizational and leadership processes that guide an animation project from inception to completion―overseeing various teams, ensuring that creative and production goals align, and maintaining a cohesive workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Supervisors are responsible for various activities, from creative direction to administrative oversight, to ensure production meets deadlines, budgets, and quality standards. Because animation projects involve multiple specialists, they also help with cross-functional collaboration. A systematic approach to resource distribution provides each team member with what they need to succeed without unnecessary waste. Animation production often operates on tight schedules, so a supervisor keeps track of progress and facilitates adjustments to keep the project on track.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a full-time job:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Project planning\u003C/strong> - Establishing a project timeline and setting milestones to divide tasks among various teams and determine how those tasks will fit together.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Team management\u003C/strong> - Engaging with team members to motivate and inspire creative output with regular check-ins and feedback sessions to maintain team morale and create alignment.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Creative oversight\u003C/strong> - Supervisors often review and approve storyboards, character designs, and animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Problem-solving\u003C/strong> - As projects unfold, challenges arise. Supervisors must be adept at identifying issues early and implementing solutions, whether they are related to workload, creative discrepancies, or technical difficulties.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Budget management\u003C/strong> - Keeping track of financial expenditures can make or break a production, so the project must remain within budget constraints while achieving high-quality outputs.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Pipeline trackers like Kitsu\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, which also help with asset management and reviews, keep the animation team agile while respecting project constraints.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are countless opportunities in 2D animation, with various techniques, roles, and a vast array of unique projects to explore. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s why gaining experience across different areas can be incredibly valuable before choosing a specific path. With the rise of mainstream anime and the growing use of motion graphics in marketing, 2D animation is as relevant as ever—so dive in and explore!\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about creating 2D animations, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":2035,"comment_id":2036,"feature_image":2037,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2038,"updated_at":2039,"custom_excerpt":2040,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2041,"primary_tag":2042,"url":2043,"excerpt":2040,"reading_time":377,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2044,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2045},"356ccf80-0dea-48b6-9665-65cbb217c439","6724955c348d5600018648ae","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1620928572438-075c466c48da?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEwfHxjYXJ0b29ufGVufDB8fHx8MTczMDQ1NDA1MXww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-11-01T09:46:20.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:45:32.000+01:00","Explore the art of 2D animation, where movement and storytelling come to life through techniques like computer animation, stop motion, and motion graphics. From concept to final output, this post breaks down the key stages that make each project unique and engaging.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/what-is-2d-animation/","Explore the art of 2D animation, where movement and storytelling come to life.","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@venczakjanos?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">János Venczák\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/what-is-2d-animation","2024-11-04T00:20:09.000+01:00",{"title":2030},"what-is-2d-animation","posts/what-is-2d-animation",[2052],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"jvEvNLiy2sgNOen_gmx0ZaOv8zIdwCMPUTFy1rtCxYA",{"id":2055,"title":2056,"authors":2057,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2059,"meta":2060,"navigation":15,"path":2072,"published_at":2073,"seo":2074,"slug":2075,"stem":2076,"tags":2077,"__hash__":2078,"uuid":2061,"comment_id":2062,"feature_image":2063,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2064,"updated_at":2065,"custom_excerpt":2066,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2067,"primary_tag":8,"url":2068,"excerpt":2066,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2069,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":2070,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2071},"ghost/posts:how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life.json","How Animatics Bring Stories to Life (2026)",[2058],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Imagine you’re creating an animated film. 🎥 How fast could you draw one frame? 24 frames? 1,000? Even a 10-second animation can take hours, if not days, of meticulous planning to get just right. 🖌️⏳\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s why \u003Cstrong>it’s crucial to see how your ideas play out before diving into full-blown production\u003C/strong>. This is where \u003Cstrong>animatics\u003C/strong> come in. 💡\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we’ll explore what animatics are, their benefits, and the steps required to create one. 🚀\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-an-animatic\">\u003Cstrong>What's An Animatic\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>You're probably already familiar with storyboarding.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Storyboards map out the visual ideas. They are static sequences of images that outline scenes' visual structure and composition, focusing on the overall flow and critical events. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>They are more straightforward and easily modified by design, typically used in early planning. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Animatics take those static images and add rough animation\u003C/strong>―timing, camera movement, and sometimes sound to create a project preview. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>They bring several advantages before the production stage.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/10/image.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Information Transformation Services\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-use-animatics\">\u003Cstrong>Why Use Animatics?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, \u003Cstrong>producing fully animated scenes is resource-intensive\u003C/strong>, so animatics save time and money by identifying potential issues regarding pacing, composition, sound design, etc., early in the process to avoid costly retakes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's also \u003Cstrong>a precious tool for project management\u003C/strong>: animatics give a clearer sense of how long each scene will take to produce and how much it will cost, helping producers allocate resources more effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animatics serve as \u003Cstrong>a communication tool for different departments\u003C/strong> involved in production (e.g., directors, animators, sound designers) because everyone can see the same rough cut and provide feedback. Likewise, test audiences or stakeholders can review animatics to gather early feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The process of creating animatics involves several key steps:\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-concept-and-planning\">\u003Cstrong>1. Concept and Planning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>First, \u003Cstrong>animators thoroughly review the script\u003C/strong>. It's essential to finalize and thoroughly vet the script as it is the foundation for the animatic. Any inconsistencies or unresolved elements in the script lead to confusion later, so clarifying these aspects is crucial.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The script is then broken down into key scenes, shots, and sequences\u003C/strong> essential to the narrative. By outlining these elements, the animator can create an organized framework that highlights the flow and progression of the story. This breakdown determines which parts of the script to use in the animatic and how they will connect throughout the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's also important \u003Cstrong>to define the visual style of the animatic\u003C/strong>: sketchy drawings, simple line art, or even more detailed designs, depending on the project's requirements or the preferences of the creative team. The chosen visual style should effectively convey the project's tone while considering the need for clarity in communication during the animatic's production.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-storyboarding\">\u003Cstrong>2. Storyboarding\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Storyboarding comes before creating animatics. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges/\">\u003Cu>The first step is to draw rough, static panels that capture the essential scenes\u003C/u>\u003C/a> of the narrative. They can be simple but focus on conveying each scene's main actions, emotions, and transitions. Artists usually sketch out characters, backgrounds, and important props, for example. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd8zmxXehV1uGPoJe-L1J9bfLMM-SJUe8tGEfu4q9zYwO_ZXGAmWfIFgXYPPLk0ZxmAMDH9rdrzt7FPmpOSRYIy0pqEccUNtAFR-rAksjn0ii9BiE_r_K3oKnlT-lhDUiaqy95wV1x_eQY6bWl8tpwh1C4?key=fjgt6L2pn1Jt0uptFkYHcQ\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"312\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Ci>\u003Cem class=\"italic\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Screen Rant\u003C/em>\u003C/i>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>It's important to \u003Cstrong>include camera notes\u003C/strong> to guide the creation of the animatic―camera angles, zooms, pans, and movements. A storyboard isn't just a collection of drawings: it's a dynamic guide that informs how to frame and present the scenes, allowing animators to visualize the actions and how the audience will perceive those actions through the lens of a camera.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Revisions\u003C/strong> involve altering the pacing of scenes, adjusting character placements, or fine-tuning camera movements to communicate the intended story effectively. \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-organizing-the-animatic-timeline\">\u003Cstrong>3. Organizing the Animatic Timeline\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>An animatic timeline helps animators to visualize its pacing\u003C/strong> and flow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, you transfer your storyboard frames into editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, or Toon Boom Harmony. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>You save your storyboard frames as image files (typically in formats like JPEG or PNG) and then upload them. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The next step is to \u003Cstrong>arrange them in the correct narrative order\u003C/strong>. This sequence should closely follow the script and any scene breakdowns you've created during pre-production. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider how long it takes to display each storyboard frame on-screen to create an engaging animatic.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/image-3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/image-3.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/10/image-3.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-3.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Studio Binder\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-rough-animation-and-timing\">\u003Cstrong>4. Rough Animation and Timing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>This is where the nitty-gritty part begins.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, \u003Cstrong>you animate fundamental movements\u003C/strong>: camera actions like pans and zooms and character movements and transitions between scenes. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>It'll help preview how scenes flow together.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You then \u003Cstrong>experiment with the duration of each shot\u003C/strong>. Adjusting the timing of various elements is essential to maintain the narrative's pacing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can, for example, extend or shorten scenes to create the desired emotional impact or ensure there is enough time for dialogue to resonate: try extending a scene to build tension or shortening it to heighten excitement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Using reference footage to get an accurate sense of timing can be incredibly helpful, especially for complex sequences.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/image-4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/image-4.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/10/image-4.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-4.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Darvideo Animation Studio\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-audio-integration\">\u003Cstrong>5. Audio Integration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Audio integration enhances storytelling by conveying emotions and actions. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's common to \u003Cstrong>use a scratch track first\u003C/strong>—a temporary voiceover recorded with placeholder dialogue―to effectively sync the animated sequences with the animatic. Since the final audio may not yet be available, scratch tracks serve as a helpful reference for pacing, character interactions, and emotional beats within the storyline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also \u003Cstrong>incorporate rough sound effects, ambient sounds, and background music\u003C/strong> into the animatic to add depth to the visuals, allowing the creators to evaluate how sound interacts with the animated elements. For example, adding sound effects for actions like footsteps, doors closing, or environmental sounds helps establish the setting. Similarly, a preliminary music score using stock music can guide the emotional tone of the piece.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The next step is to \u003Cstrong>fine-tune the timing of these audio elements\u003C/strong> to align them perfectly with the on-screen actions and visual cues. It could be changing the timing of dialogue delivery to match character mouth movements or syncing sound effects with specific moments in the animation, for example.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-don%E2%80%99t-rush-things\">\u003Cstrong>6. Don’t Rush Things\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Even though animatics are supposed to be simple to make, you still need to \u003Cstrong>consider it as an iterative process\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Begin with a rough draft. Schedule regular review sessions with cross-functional teams. Actively solicit feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you work through iterations, gradually refine keyframes and transitions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Annotate your animatic to highlight areas that need attention or those where you have introduced significant changes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Do not get rigidly attached to an initial idea, and be prepared to pivot: the creative vision takes precedence over everything else!\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-final-polishing\">\u003Cstrong>7. Final Polishing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animators must carefully \u003Cstrong>review and fine-tune not just the character movements but also the transitions between scenes and any camera movements\u003C/strong> that play a critical role in storytelling. Things like adjusting the audio levels, trimming clips for better pacing, or recording new lines if needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The animatic is locked in its final form, meaning no further changes are made until production begins. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>This finalized version is a critical guide for the production team\u003C/strong>, making sure that everyone involved in the project has a clear vision of the story and the direction in which it is heading.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1028\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/image-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/10/image-2.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2024/10/image-2.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Source: Electric Egg\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animatics represent \u003Cstrong>a powerful bridge between static storyboards and complete animations\u003C/strong> by incorporating rough animations, and timing and audio elements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Creative teams can use them to pre-visualize their projects, identify potential issues, and refine elements before a more costly production phase begins. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you present the final animatic to your team, highlight important scenes, transitions, and character movements that will be pivotal to the final product. \u003Cstrong>This is when the animatic becomes the definitive blueprint for the entire production.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎥\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about creating 3D animations, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":2061,"comment_id":2062,"feature_image":2063,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2064,"updated_at":2065,"custom_excerpt":2066,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2067,"primary_tag":8,"url":2068,"excerpt":2066,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2069,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":2070,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2071},"621b9ba4-4b5a-40ab-bb33-d9ed3376308e","67048f34f3e59f0001331a3d","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1663255033463-bb14897cd8ff?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDQ3fHxhbmltYXRpY3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3Mjg0MDMyMjh8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-10-08T03:47:32.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:30.000+01:00","Creating an animated film? Even a 10-second animation takes hours to plan. Animatics help refine animations without the high cost. Learn all about how animators use and create animatics in our latest post!",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life/","Learn how animatics help refine animations without the high cost.","Creating an animated film? Even a 10-second animation takes hours to plan. Learn how animatics help refine animations without the high cost.","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@umeshsonii?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Umesh Soni\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life","2024-10-29T18:11:41.000+01:00",{"title":2056},"how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life","posts/how-animatics-bring-stories-to-life",[],"W52w9-67sjTMXWFDUZF8EJGZrmUwfYVR4IYa8Mdkgrg",{"id":2080,"title":2081,"authors":2082,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2084,"meta":2085,"navigation":15,"path":2096,"published_at":2097,"seo":2098,"slug":2099,"stem":2100,"tags":2101,"__hash__":2102,"uuid":2086,"comment_id":2087,"feature_image":2088,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2089,"updated_at":2090,"custom_excerpt":2091,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2092,"primary_tag":8,"url":2093,"excerpt":2091,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2094,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":2094,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2095},"ghost/posts:the-art-of-lip-syncing-in-animated-films.json","(2026) The Art of Lip Syncing in Animated Films",[2083],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🗣️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">I used to play a game as a child: whenever I watched my favorite cartoon, I would try mimicking the characters' mouth and lip movements to see if the voice matched what was being drawn. The noises just cracked me up.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>I later learned that the human face has 43 muscles that control facial expressions like smiling, smirking, and frowning.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Imagine how hard it would be to model in a 3D DCC tool!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>Without going that far, animators use various techniques to create the illusion of talking characters. \u003Cstrong>This process is called lip-syncing\u003C/strong>. 🎙️✨\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explore how lip-syncing works and how it enhances storytelling in animation. I hope it helps you improve your drawings! 🎨📚\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-lip-syncing\">\u003Cstrong>What's Lip Syncing?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Lip-syncing is about matching the mouth movements of animated characters to spoken dialogue or sound.\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because there is much more going on in your face when you say a word, lip-syncing also considers the character's eyes, cheeks, teeth, and chin, among other facial aspects!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a complex task, but essential to creating engaging animations for several reasons.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-lip-syncing\">\u003Cstrong>Why Lip Syncing?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Dialogue is a central part of the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Synchronizing a character's lip movements with dialogue makes them \u003Cstrong>feel more lifelike\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>How a character moves their mouth while speaking—whether smiling, shouting, whispering, or being sarcastic—\u003Cstrong>conveys their personality, mood, and intent\u003C/strong> to communicate subtle dialogue that text alone cannot capture.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Studios that take the time to synchronize lips with speech well demonstrate attention to detail. For example, you expect hyper-realist 3D animated movies like Avatar to spend a bigger part of their budget on lip-syncing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But basic lip-syncing wouldn't appear out of place in a show like South Park.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Poorly synced lip movements distract and pull the viewer out of the experience if it doesn't match the level of realism.\u003C/strong> This is why animators who take care of lip-syncing have a process and best practices.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-preparing-the-dialogue\">\u003Cstrong>1. Preparing the Dialogue\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before everything else, you need to \u003Cstrong>get the dialogue right\u003C/strong>. Every word, tone, and inflection the characters will express throughout the animation must be agreed upon.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Voice actors then record their lines\u003C/strong>, adding the emotional nuances that bring their characters to life. For example, a character's happiness would be reflected in a higher pitch tone, with distinctive diction and pacing. Recording sessions allow for multiple takes and delivery variations to pick the best ones. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The recorded dialogue is edited for quality and timing\u003C/strong>. Sound engineers remove unnecessary noises, awkward pauses, and inconsistencies that could distract or disrupt the listening experience. The result is a clean audio track that animators can use as the primary reference point for animators during the lip-syncing process.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-timing-and-analysis\">\u003Cstrong>2. Timing and Analysis\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The first step is \u003Cstrong>to break down the audio track into individual sounds known as phonemes\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Phonemes represent the smallest units of sound in speech, like the vowels and consonants \"A,\" \"B,\" and \"S.\" Each phoneme corresponds to a specific mouth shape.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators \u003Cstrong>create a precise timeline for the animation,\u003C/strong> marking key points in the audio where each sound occurs. Often, this is done frame by frame to allow animators to synchronize visual transitions with the audio accurately.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Determining how many frames will be dedicated to each phoneme is essential. For example, a prolonged vowel sound might require more frames than a quick consonant, ensuring that the rhythm of the animation matches the rhythm of the speech.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To facilitate the animation process, animators develop a \u003Cstrong>phoneme chart\u003C/strong> that illustrates the relationship between phonemes and their corresponding mouth shapes, known as visemes. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Visemes\u003C/strong> represent the visual equivalents of phonemes, showcasing the different mouth positions required for various sounds. Depending on the level of realism you want, you don't need to draw all phonemes. Some sounds result in similar mouth movements:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This phoneme chart is a valuable guide for consistent mouth movements throughout the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A \u003Cstrong>dialogue analysis\u003C/strong> complements the technical breakdown of phonemes and visemes. Animators examine speech's natural cadence and emotional delivery―inflections, pauses, and intonations―to enhance lip-syncing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Many animated productions have \u003Cstrong>soundtracks in multiple languages\u003C/strong>. Having well-executed lip-syncing—particularly through flexible or standardized mouth movements—significantly eases this process.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-initial-mouth-shapes\">\u003Cstrong>3. Initial Mouth Shapes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animators begin by sketching out the basic contours of the mouth movements within the framework of the character's speech. The focus is on \u003Cstrong>defining key frames\u003C/strong>—key points in the animation timeline where the mouth adopts positions for significant phonetic sounds. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, if a character says the word \"cat,\" the animator would identify the key mouth shapes for the sounds \"k,\" \"a,\" and \"t\" before working on a transition between these sounds. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Key poses are linked to specific facial expressions and emotional states of the character, so a character expressing excitement would have more exaggerated mouth shapes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Timing is critical\u003C/strong>. Animators go back and forth to open and close the character's mouth at the precise moments corresponding to the spoken audio. A character who speaks quickly and with enthusiasm would have faster mouth movements to match their speech.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-inbetweening\">\u003Cstrong>4. Inbetweening\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animators introduce \u003Cstrong>intermediate frames to bridge keyframes\u003C/strong>. This inbetweening technique smoothens the transitions between key expressions: the movement of the lips appears less choppy and more lifelike.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Nowadays, it’s more common to use \u003Cstrong>digital interpolation\u003C/strong> to generate these frames: an algorithm just takes care of deforming the mouth from one state to another. Learn more about interpolation \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/physics-and-mechanics-principles-in-animation/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">in our dedicated article\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lip-syncing does not occur in a vacuum; it is connected to the character's full range of expression. \u003Cstrong>Facial and body animation\u003C/strong> integrated with lip movements are synchronized with the spoken dialogue and harmonized with the character's facial expressions, head movements, and body language. If a character expresses joy while speaking, the lip sync should reflect that emotion―e.g., a smile and a relaxed posture.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-editing\">\u003Cstrong>5. Editing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Even slight delays or misalignments between the lip movements and the spoken words can break the illusion, so \u003Cstrong>animators adjust frames and tweak the speed of movements\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Adjusting visemes to \u003Cstrong>integrate more subtle phonemes\u003C/strong> can take the animation quality further, so it can make sense if the budget allows it to emphasize the clarity of sounds and refine jaw movements to create a more believable speech pattern.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because animation is \u003Cstrong>an iterative creative process\u003C/strong>, it's not uncommon to share feedback and do retakes on a daily basis.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>6. Rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Rendering generates the final animated frames\u003C/strong> that incorporate lip sync, character movements, background elements, special effects, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a resource-intensive process, depending on the scene's complexity and the desired output's quality. High-quality renders take much longer to produce but improve the visual appeal of the animation. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is why teams must schedule rendering times appropriately to allow for high-resolution outputs where necessary while avoiding bottlenecks in production schedules.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To minimize wait times\u003C/strong>, animation studios rely on advanced animation pipelines to manage their assets and \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">\u003Cu>render farms\u003C/u>\u003C/a>―clusters of powerful computers used to render animations efficiently.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-audio-and-animation-integration\">\u003Cstrong>7. Audio and Animation Integration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The final audio syncing\u003Cstrong> re-aligns the animation with the final audio track\u003C/strong>, taking into account any last-minute changes in timing that may have occurred during production. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the \u003Cstrong>compositing phase\u003C/strong>, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>animators focus on creating a cohesive scene\u003C/u>\u003C/a> where lip-syncing works harmoniously with special effects, lighting, and other animation elements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Audio scrubbing\u003C/strong> is one of the most effective techniques for ensuring precise phoneme alignment. The sound engineer plays the audio file frame by frame to inspect how well the lip movements correspond to the dialogue. By meticulously analyzing each phoneme and comparing it with the corresponding mouth shapes, animators can identify any discrepancies in lip-syncing.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-qa-and-final-delivery\">\u003Cstrong>8. QA and Final Delivery\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>During the Quality Assurance phase, \u003Cstrong>animators meticulously examine the animation frame by frame\u003C/strong> to verify that the lip-syncing is consistent across various shots.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the QA process is complete, the project moves to the final delivery phase. The entire scene—including the meticulously synced lip movements—is rendered in its highest quality. This final render is an opportunity to \u003Cstrong>polish the animation for its intended release format\u003C/strong>: television, film, or digital platforms. Lip-syncing for different release languages can also happen here.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's also prudent to conduct a final review of the animation under various viewing conditions—different screen sizes and settings—to ensure that the lip-syncing appears seamless in any context.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Lip-syncing is key to breathing life into characters.\u003C/strong> From dialogue preparation and phoneme analysis to the final touches in QA, animators ensure that every mouth movement aligns accurately with the speech to help audiences connect deeply with the characters and story.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎥\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about creating 3D animations, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":2086,"comment_id":2087,"feature_image":2088,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2089,"updated_at":2090,"custom_excerpt":2091,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2092,"primary_tag":8,"url":2093,"excerpt":2091,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2094,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":2094,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2095},"07c77faf-bf35-4f83-bf58-c7b6b3e99dda","67049968f3e59f0001331a83","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1505682614136-0a12f9f7beea?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDExfHxzcGVha2luZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3Mjk2NzIyOTd8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-10-08T04:31:04.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:44:00.000+01:00","What makes animated characters’ dialogue look real? Our latest article dives into the art of lip-syncing, exploring how animators match mouth movements with dialogue. From dialogue prep and phoneme analysis to keyframes, rendering, and QA, discover the process behind lifelike animation.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/the-art-of-lip-syncing-in-animated-films/","Discover how animators create lifelike characters with lip-syncing, from dialogue prep to phoneme analysis, keyframes, and rendering.","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@clemono?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Clem Onojeghuo\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/the-art-of-lip-syncing-in-animated-films","2024-10-22T18:09:09.000+02:00",{"title":2081},"the-art-of-lip-syncing-in-animated-films","posts/the-art-of-lip-syncing-in-animated-films",[],"iuOcWNS8EP8zWfSoghSEyaguvretjb6vBLAW45Zyd24",{"id":2104,"title":2105,"authors":2106,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2108,"meta":2109,"navigation":15,"path":2119,"published_at":2120,"seo":2121,"slug":2122,"stem":2123,"tags":2124,"__hash__":2126,"uuid":2110,"comment_id":2111,"feature_image":2112,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2113,"updated_at":2114,"custom_excerpt":2115,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2116,"primary_tag":2117,"url":2118,"excerpt":2115,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:customer-story-tant-mieux-prod.json","Customer Story: Tant Mieux Prod",[2107],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"a-few-words-about-tant-mieux-prod\">A few words about Tant Mieux Prod\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.tantmieuxprod.net/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Tant Mieux Prod\u003C/a> was born with the goal of producing 13 short movies from young Directors who had just left school. Initially, only a single session was scheduled. But the success was so great that they were able to do it every year for ten years. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>This led them to produce other movies with two criteria in mind: demanding and for children. They started with the Tobie Lolness series, one of the most acclaimed French productions. And, they now have two feature films and another series in pre-production. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-7.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1750\" height=\"1347\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/image-7.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/image-7.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/10/image-7.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-7.png 1750w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"tant-mieux-prod-and-kitsu\">Tant Mieux Prod and Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Tristan, Production Director, worked on the Tobie Lolness TV series, a 26x26' project with high-quality standards. It is a series based on the story of the eponymous novel where little characters living in a big tree fight to keep their host alive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This three-year production involved four different studios and required tight collaboration between all stakeholders. This is why they chose Kitsu for their project. In this interview, Tristan will tell us how they used the solution to make tracking and collaboration as smooth as possible for Tobie Lolness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.france.tv/enfants/neuf-douze-ans/tobie-lolness/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Watch the full TV Series\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/tristan-mercier-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-tools-did-you-use-before-kitsu\">What tools did you use before Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Like many studios, we used Google Sheets or Excel spreadsheets at the beginning of production or for smaller productions. As soon as the number of artists increases or the production is outsourced to one or more studios, it becomes necessary to use a collaboration platform like Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-did-you-hear-about-our-solution\">How did you hear about our solution?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>I first discovered Kitsu at Cube Creative for tracking the series \"De Gaulle à la plage.\" I quickly noticed that Kitsu had been adopted by the studios I was used to working with. I enjoyed it and notice the benefits brought by the solution. It sounded natural to use for Tobie Lolness.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"did-you-have-any-preconceived-notions-before-using-it\">Did you have any preconceived notions before using it?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Having used other asset managers or production tracking software, discovering a new tool naturally raised some questions. Performance, cost, and platform usability were the main concerns, but Kitsu proved to be up to our expectations.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.03.40.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1250\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.03.40.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.03.40.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.03.40.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.03.40.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-has-changed-in-the-way-you-work-since-using-it\">What has changed in the way you work since using it?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Our internal communication and communication with remote studios have been simplified. We can discuss a specific asset or task without exchanging 10 emails. If we have any doubts, we can rely on what is indicated on the platform. It serves as a kind of history log.\u003Cbr>We would likely find it hard to go back to more traditional production tracking methods.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-features-have-had-the-most-impact-on-your-workflow\">What features have had the most impact on your workflow?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Personally, the feature I use the most is the filter on the asset page, which allows me to quickly get an overview of specific elements to adjust everyone's schedules.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1188\" height=\"864\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/image-6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/image-6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/image-6.png 1188w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-are-the-advantages-of-using-kitsu\">What are the advantages of using Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The concentration of information on a single platform is very useful for tracking the production of all visual elements.\u003Cbr>With the rise of remote work and various studios operating remotely, there is a large volume of assets being moved from one server to another. Kitsu allows us to eliminate any doubt about who/when/where the latest version of an asset was made.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"you%E2%80%99ve-worked-in-multiple-studios-how-did-you-organize-yourselves-to-facilitate-collaboration\">You’ve worked in multiple studios. How did you organize yourselves to facilitate collaboration?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>For the series \u003Cem>Tobie Lolness\u003C/em>, in addition to the lead studio \u003Cem>Tant Mieux Prod\u003C/em>, \u003Cem>Waooh!\u003C/em>, \u003Cem>Caribara Annecy\u003C/em>, and \u003Cem>Fost Angoulême\u003C/em> also contributed to the creation of the series' visual elements. Each studio had its own needs and working habits. We agreed together on the steps, tasks, and statuses we would use in the production. The creation of statuses is customizable, and in addition to the common statuses shared by all studios, each one could customize its own tasks.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.05.49.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1250\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.05.49.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.05.49.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.05.49.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---22.05.49.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"do-you-think-a-tool-like-kitsu-was-key-in-achieving-your-quality-objectives\">Do you think a tool like Kitsu was key in achieving your quality objectives?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>I’m not sure if Kitsu helps us reach our goals, but it’s undeniably a great tool to track them.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"can-you-give-us-some-metrics-on-the-time-you%E2%80%99ve-saved-using-kitsu\">Can you give us some metrics on the time you’ve saved using Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>This is a hard metric to quantify, but for production roles and heads of departments who validate shots or assets, it’s undeniably a great tool for everyone to gain a certain level of independence and speed.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"kitsu-in-two-words\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu in two words?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Autonomy and collaboration!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---21.56.37.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1250\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---21.56.37.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---21.56.37.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---21.56.37.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2024/10/Capture-d--cran-2024-10-09---21.56.37.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Thank you Tristan for this customer story! It's great that you were able to share insights about your studio and your experience with Kitsu. At CGWire we are proud to have helped you with the Tobie Lolness project. We wish you the best for your next productions!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2110,"comment_id":2111,"feature_image":2112,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2113,"updated_at":2114,"custom_excerpt":2115,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2116,"primary_tag":2117,"url":2118,"excerpt":2115,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"1ecd51e7-0033-4779-87ca-383c417fa44f","67041babf3e59f00013319c9","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/10/tobie-lolness-1.jpg","2024-10-07T19:34:35.000+02:00","2024-10-11T11:48:24.000+02:00","Tobie Lolness TV series, a 26x26 project, involved four different studios and required tight collaboration between all stakeholders. This is why they chose Kitsu for their project. ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/customer-story-tant-mieux-prod/","/posts/customer-story-tant-mieux-prod","2024-10-11T11:21:10.000+02:00",{"title":2105},"customer-story-tant-mieux-prod","posts/customer-story-tant-mieux-prod",[2125],{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"_pmeysDUCK6dIuXB2fAoWhhw9hj59q_hQXHcOsNQ_1k",{"id":2128,"title":2129,"authors":2130,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2132,"meta":2133,"navigation":15,"path":2145,"published_at":2146,"seo":2147,"slug":2148,"stem":2149,"tags":2150,"__hash__":2151,"uuid":2134,"comment_id":2135,"feature_image":2136,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2137,"updated_at":2138,"custom_excerpt":2139,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2140,"primary_tag":8,"url":2141,"excerpt":2139,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2142,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":2143,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2144},"ghost/posts:how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation.json","How Light Shapes Emotion in Animation (2026)",[2131],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">💡\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Though often unnoticed, light is a character of its own. 🌇\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>And so is darkness. 🌃\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>In Disney's \"The Lion King\", the warm glow of a sunrise signals new beginnings with the birth of Simba, while the eerie shadows of a moonlit night in A Nightmare Before Christmas build mystery and romance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In animation, \u003Cstrong>light isn't just a means to see―it is the very language of the story that guides emotions\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explore the creative process behind lighting in animation. From the scene's look to the color nuances polished in post-production, you'll discover how each beam, shadow, and color choice plays a pivotal role in storytelling. \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"whats-lighting\">\u003Cstrong>What's Lighting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Lighting in animation refers to simulating light properties\u003C/strong>―reflection, refraction, shadows, etc.―in a scene to alter the visual storytelling. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lighting sets the tone and mood of a scene. Different lighting techniques evoke emotions like tension, happiness, sadness, or fear to create an atmosphere. For example, soft, warm lighting creates a cozy and inviting scene, while harsh, stark lighting suggests a feeling of discomfort or suspense.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lighting also guides the viewer's eye towards the most essential elements of a scene. Characters, actions, and important details must stand out from the background, and good lighting design emphasizes the focal points and maintains visual hierarchy to make it easier to follow the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Shadows, highlights, and gradients enhance the perception of three-dimensional space within a two-dimensional medium by simulating the physical interactions of light with objects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The lighting process starts in pre-production, during \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges/\">\u003Cu>the concept development phase\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-look-development\">\u003Cstrong>1. Look development\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Look development focuses on defining the project's visual style, including lighting. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Identifying key scenes\u003C/strong> that would benefit from specific lighting effects or atmospheres implies understanding the animation's narrative, mood, and tone, which can only be achieved by thoroughly reviewing the script and storyboards. For example, a dramatic confrontation may call for stark contrasts and deep shadows. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Creating color palettes or mood boards\u003C/strong> is beneficial for visualizing the intended lighting schemes for various scenes or sequences. These tools are visual guides throughout production, outlining color palettes and light intensity. A mood board, for example, may include images that represent the desired emotional impact of a scene to influence lighting choices.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Research is also a critical aspect\u003C/strong> of this creative process. Understanding different lighting conditions—like the time of day or weather effects—decides how to best illuminate scenes: a stormy night would require darker values and dramatic lighting to evoke tension.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A solid grasp of real-world lighting principles\u003C/strong> is necessary. Studying how light interacts with surfaces, casts shadows and defines form will allow animators to create believable and immersive environments. In 3D animation, shaders play a pivotal role in texturing, and animators can rely on them to handle complex lighting effects.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-lighting-tests\">\u003Cstrong>2. Lighting Tests\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Once you have a clear vision, the next step is to \u003Cstrong>conduct test renders\u003C/strong>―low-resolution renders to evaluate how different lighting setups affect the overall appearance of the scene. You can experiment with various light sources like point, directional, and ambient lights to see how they interact with the animation's textures, colors, and forms. For example, simulating the interplay of light and shadows on a character's face can dramatically alter the viewer's perception.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A lighting rig\u003C/strong> is a configuration of lights strategically set up in a scene to achieve cohesive illumination and shadow play by adjusting intensity, color temperature, and position to explore how different setups evoke distinct atmospheres. A character in a bright, happy environment may be best served by soft, diffused lighting. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Like most tasks in animation, \u003Cstrong>incorporating iterative feedback\u003C/strong> is key throughout the process. Review renders with a critical eye and regularly gather inputs from peers or directors to fine-tune the lighting.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-scene-preparation\">\u003Cstrong>3. Scene Preparation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Pre-production is now over, and it's time to establish the digital environment according to the layouts specified by the layout artists. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>These layouts are blueprints detailing the scene's spatial arrangement of characters, props, and backgrounds. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lighting artists translate these layouts into \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/working-with-multiple-digital-content-creation-tools/\">\u003Cu>their digital content creation software\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to visualize how lighting will interact with 3D models. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Take, for example, a scene set in a forest; the layout must reflect the depth of trees, the positioning of characters, and the associated props to ensure that lighting effects convincingly enhance the atmosphere.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The lighting must consider both the objects' proximity and the angles of interaction to maintain realism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Different lights, like key, fill, and rim, must be strategically positioned\u003C/strong> within the scene to create the desired mood and tone. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Key lights are the primary illumination source, while fill lights soften shadows and add depth. Rim lights can create a separation between characters and their backgrounds, enhancing depth perception and the overall composition.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Adjusting intensity, color, and shadow properties to fit the scene's environment best is crucial. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Advanced lighting tools like High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI) maps can provide more realistic environmental lighting depending on the project requirements. \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>4. Rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Like during pre-production, conducting multiple test renders using low-resolution settings is essential to quickly iterate and refine their lighting setups without \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">\u003Cu>the time-consuming burden of high-resolution renders\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Providing test frames or sequences for review\u003C/strong> by the director and other stakeholders is also important to avoid re-rendering. These reviews should highlight different aspects of the lighting, including the mood, atmosphere, and character visibility. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The consistency and continuity of lighting across shots and sequences is fundamental\u003C/strong> to maintaining a coherent visual narrative. Careful attention must be paid to the lighting conditions in each frame, especially when transitions occur between scenes or characters move between different environments. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>As the project nears its end, you'll \u003Cstrong>set up the final render settings\u003C/strong> for production-quality outputs like optimizing resolution, anti-aliasing settings, and color depth to ensure the final product meets the highest visual fidelity standards. \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-post-production\">\u003Cstrong>5. Post-production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The post-production process largely includes closely \u003Cstrong>collaborating with the compositing team\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Various render passes must be integrated into the final frames, such as diffuse, specular, shadow, and ambient occlusion, to allow flexibility in adjusting the lighting effects and ensure that each element is in harmony with the overall scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Compositing software is essential for fine-tuning the final image. Visual artists can improve the initial lighting effects by adding layers of subtle highlights or shadows to add depth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Working with colorists\u003C/strong> is also key to achieving the desired color balance and contrast. A well-executed color grading process can unify the lighting across various scenes while giving a production a signature tone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, the team \u003Cstrong>reviews final renders for any lighting inconsistencies\u003C/strong> or technical issues in the post-production pipeline. Maybe a complex render didn’t finish correctly, or a key light suddenly jumped from one end of the scene to the other. This quality control process safeguards the animation's outcome.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Lighting in animation is about more than just illuminating a scene―\u003Cstrong>it's about creating an immersive world that speaks to the emotions and story at its core!\u003C/strong> Every step, from look development to post-production, plays a key role in bringing stories to life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Next time you watch an animated film or series, pay attention to the lighting artists' work and how the light influences a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🎥\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about creating 3D animations, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":2134,"comment_id":2135,"feature_image":2136,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2137,"updated_at":2138,"custom_excerpt":2139,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2140,"primary_tag":8,"url":2141,"excerpt":2139,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2142,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":2143,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2144},"2a193261-f79d-462d-a8eb-62ae340cb8de","6704940cf3e59f0001331a5f","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1517886877123-e4a01ac527ac?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE0fHxsaWdodHN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzI4MzUzNDk4fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-10-08T04:08:12.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:36:18.000+01:00","Lighting can make or break an animation. It’s not just about visibility—it’s about storytelling. Subtle shifts in light shape emotions, set the mood, and highlight key moments.\n\nIn our latest article, we dive into the full lighting process, from concept to final render. ",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation/","In our latest article, we dive into the full lighting process, from concept to final render. ","Lighting can make or break an animation. In our latest article, we dive into the full lighting process, from concept to final render. ","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@zhangkaiyv?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">zhang kaiyv\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation","2024-10-08T17:58:28.000+02:00",{"title":2129},"how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation","posts/how-light-shapes-emotion-in-animation",[],"3p5EEjk3K-jmzKtJIexSTReps8Hytf9WwUCX5QnPgXY",{"id":2153,"title":2154,"authors":2155,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2157,"meta":2158,"navigation":15,"path":2171,"published_at":2172,"seo":2173,"slug":2174,"stem":2175,"tags":2176,"__hash__":2178,"uuid":2159,"comment_id":2160,"feature_image":2161,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2162,"updated_at":2163,"custom_excerpt":2164,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2165,"primary_tag":2166,"url":2167,"excerpt":2164,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2168,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":2169,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2170},"ghost/posts:3d-animation-process.json","A Deep Dive into the 3D Animation Process (2026)",[2156],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">🤔\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">Have you ever wondered how characters like Elsa from Disney's Frozen or Joy from Pixar's Inside Out 2 seem so life-like on screen?\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>3D animation \u003C/strong>is the process of \u003Cstrong>creating moving images in a digital, three-dimensional environment\u003C/strong>, and it's quite complex! It's common for animation studios to have dozens of employees, each 3D artist specializing in one part of the animation pipeline or another. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Unlike traditional 2D animation, 3D animation uses computer-generated models designed with height, width, and depth to simulate realistic motion and physics. Artists then manipulate these models using keyframes or motion capture to bring them to life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But that's not all there is to it! Here is a breakdown of how 3D animations come to life.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-concept-storyboarding\">\u003Cstrong>1. Concept & Storyboarding\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Concept development\u003C/strong> is the very first phase of the process, where concept artists, writers, and directors conceive the core idea, story, and characters. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cu>They brainstorm and sketch rough ideas\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, exploring visual styles, themes, and character designs to ensure the concept aligns with the story’s vision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The team visualizes the story through a script and then \u003Cstrong>storyboards a series of sequential drawings\u003C/strong>, much like a comic strip, that map out the flow of the story scene by scene. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Storyboarding helps the production team visualize the film’s structure, camera angles, character positions, and timing of key moments. It’s the blueprint for the production to plan shots, scenes, and transitions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Production―the execution phase where animators create 3D assets―starts from there.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-modeling-texturing\">\u003Cstrong>2. Modeling & Texturing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In 3D modeling, \u003Cstrong>artists define the characters, objects, and environments in a virtual 3D space\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>3D modelers and texture artists work closely with concept artists to ensure they faithfully translate the designs created in the pre-production phase.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They use \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\">\u003Cu>specialized software like Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max to build 3D models\u003C/u>\u003C/a> from polygons―the building blocks of 3D models used to form the shapes of objects in the animation. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Models can range from simple, low-poly designs to complex, highly-detailed creations, depending on the animation’s needs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The next step is to apply textures to give them their final look.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Texturing is about \u003Cstrong>applying 2D images (textures) onto the 3D model\u003C/strong> and adjusting how light interacts with the surface to create realism or stylization. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Texture artists take plain 3D models and add color, patterns, and surface details like skin, fabric, metal, or wood, depending on the object's representation. \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-rigging\">\u003Cstrong>3. Rigging\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rigging is \u003Cstrong>creating a digital skeleton or framework within the 3D model\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Just as a human skeleton allows the body to move, a rig gives the 3D model the necessary structure to animate. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rigging-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>Rigging artists build this underlying system\u003C/u>\u003C/a> using joints, bones, and controls, allowing animators to manipulate and pose the model in various ways. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>This skeleton determines how different parts of the model move―bend, stretch, and perform actions realistically or as stylized as required.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The 3D model is then attached to the rig. This step, known as skinning,\u003Cstrong> ensures that the surface of the model (the \"skin\") follows the rig's movements correctly\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The model will deform naturally when the rig moves, meaning bending limbs, facial expressions, or other animations will look smooth and believable—poor skinning results in unnatural or distorted movements.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-animation\">\u003Cstrong>4. Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>3D animators bring the previously rigged models to life by \u003Cstrong>manipulating them to create motion, expressions, and gestures according to scripts and storyboards\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>They can use keyframe animation, where major poses are set at specific frames, and the software automatically fills in the motion between them, or more rarely with frame-by-frame animation, where each frame is manually adjusted. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators focus on bringing out the characters' personalities and making their movements feel natural, dynamic, and in sync with the scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Motion capture (or \"mocap\") is used in productions aiming for realistic human movement: real actors perform actions while wearing suits with sensors that capture their movements. These movements are then transferred to the 3D model.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-lighting\">\u003Cstrong>5. Lighting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Lighting artists specialize in creating the ideal lighting setup for each scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>They use virtual lights within the 3D environment to mimic real-world lighting effects like sunlight or indoor lighting\u003C/strong>―not only to make the characters and objects visible but also to enhance the scene's mood, depth, and texture. Whether it's a bright, cheerful day or a dark, ominous night, the lighting choices significantly influence how the audience experiences the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lighting artists typically position light sources, adjust brightness, and fine-tune shadows and reflections to influence a scene. \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-camera-work\">\u003Cstrong>6. Camera Work\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/camera-work-in-animation/\">\u003Cu>Virtual cameras frame and capture the action\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, much like in live-action filmmaking. Camera or layout artists typically perform this role to make the visual storytelling more engaging and cinematic, but also to guide the audience’s focus.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Camera artists place and adjust virtual cameras within the 3D environment to capture the scenes\u003C/strong> while ensuring the framing, composition, and movement effectively tell the story. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>They pay attention to camera angles, determine the distance from characters or objects, and decide whether the camera will be static or move dynamically within the scene. \u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>7. Rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In the rendering phase, rendering artists or technical directors generate the final images or frames of the 3D animation by combining all previous elements—lighting, textures, camera angles, and models. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Rendering converts the 3D scene into 2D images\u003C/strong> that the audience will ultimately see. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Depending on the scene's complexity—number of characters, level of detail, lighting effects, etc.—\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">\u003Cu>rendering can be highly time-consuming\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, often requiring powerful computers and render farms (clusters of powerful computers used to process animation) to process the frames efficiently. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each frame must be rendered individually, with animations typically running 24 to 30 frames per second.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-post-production\">\u003Cstrong>8. Post-Production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The rendered animation is polished in post-production by editing, adding visual effects (VFX), compositing, sound design, music, and final color grading. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The animation must be visually cohesive and aligned with the original vision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>Compositing artists\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003Cstrong> are responsible for merging the rendered frames with other assets\u003C/strong> like background effects, visual effects (VFX), and, if necessary, live-action footage. Compositors also adjust layers, color correct, and add effects like depth of field or motion blur.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once all the frames and effects are ready, \u003Cstrong>the editing team assembles the shots into a coherent sequence\u003C/strong>. Editors focus on timing, pacing, and smooth transitions between scenes to enhance the flow of the story.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In parallel with the visual work, \u003Cstrong>sound designers and audio engineers add sound effects, music, and dialogue to the animation\u003C/strong>. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">\u003Cu>Sound design brings another dimension\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to the final product, enhancing emotional beats, adding depth to the environment, and immersing the audience fully into the world, whether it's a subtle background noise, a powerful musical score, or the sync of character voices.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-final-output\">\u003Cstrong>9. Final Output\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The completed animation must be in a file format suitable for its intended distribution platform\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This task involves adjusting the resolution, frame rate, bit rate, etc., to optimize visual quality. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The resulting exported file undergoes a review to catch any mismatches in colors, audio sync, or other critical aspects before it is deemed ready for delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>From initial concept to final output, each stage of the 3D animation pipeline contributes to crafting immersive, lifelike experiences. Whether the detailed modeling or the final touches in post-production, the process is highly technical and creative.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This overview offers insight into the key steps involved in 3D animation productions. Still, there is usually a lot more behind the scenes: from pipeline managers taking care of all aspects of the production pipeline to supervisors going back and forth between multiple studios, 3D animation productions are complex.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The 3D animation process is also not linear either: it's highly iterative, with multiple rounds of feedback and re-modeling needed to achieve the director's desired results.\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-callout-card kg-callout-card-yellow\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-emoji\">📽️\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-callout-text\">To learn more about creating 3D animations, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">consider joining our Discord community\u003C/a>! We connect with over a thousand experts who share best practices and occasionally organize in-person events. We’d be happy to welcome you!\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/community?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Join Our Discord Community\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":2159,"comment_id":2160,"feature_image":2161,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2162,"updated_at":2163,"custom_excerpt":2164,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2165,"primary_tag":2166,"url":2167,"excerpt":2164,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":2168,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":2169,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2170},"3b27853a-1b1a-4f7f-a4f3-33fccccb68fe","66fcc7a620627d00018c5131","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1547194936-28214bd75193?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE1fHxjb21wdXRlciUyMGFuaW1hdGlvbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3Mjc4NDMwODF8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-10-02T06:10:14.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:04:11.000+01:00","Have you ever wondered how characters like Elsa from Disney's Frozen or Joy from Pixar's Inside Out 2 seem so life-like on screen? Here is a breakdown of how 3D animations come to life.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-animation-process/","Have you ever wondered how characters like Elsa from Disney's Frozen seem so life-like on screen?","Have you ever wondered how characters like Elsa from Disney's Frozen or Joy from Pixar's Inside Out 2 seem so life-like on screen?","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@ion66574?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Ion (Ivan) Sipilov\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/3d-animation-process","2024-10-02T17:05:37.000+02:00",{"title":2154},"3d-animation-process","posts/3d-animation-process",[2177],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"9e1zLqQd3m3qOCKJGg2teaI89TowYYrM63IM755JaUg",{"id":2180,"title":2181,"authors":2182,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2184,"meta":2185,"navigation":15,"path":2194,"published_at":2195,"seo":2196,"slug":2197,"stem":2198,"tags":2199,"__hash__":2201,"uuid":2186,"comment_id":2187,"feature_image":2188,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2189,"updated_at":2190,"custom_excerpt":1544,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2191,"primary_tag":2192,"url":2193,"excerpt":1544,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-september-2024-update.json","Build in Public: September 2024 Update",[2183],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our latest CGWire and Kitsu update! Over the past three months, we’ve been hard at work, and we’re excited to share all the progress, new features, and improvements we’ve made. Let’s dive in! 🚀\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"kitsu-updates-%F0%9F%A6%8A\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Updates 🦊\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We’re continually adding new and exciting features to Kitsu. Here are some of the highlights from the past few months:\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>1 - \u003Cem>Team Schedule Assignment Improvements\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>You can now drag and drop unassigned tasks directly into the team schedule, making task assignments quicker and more efficient.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>2 - \u003Cem>Link People to Studios\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>You can now link team members to specific studios or sites, improving organization and collaboration while providing better insights.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>3 - \u003Cem>Breakdown Page Improvements\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>We’ve added column resizing, hide/show options, and search saving to the Breakdown page for a more customizable and streamlined workflow.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cstrong>4 - \u003Cem>SAML Authentication Support\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>We’ve added SAML-based authentication, enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) integration for easier and more secure access to Kitsu, with centralized user management and improved security.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>5 - \u003Cem>Asset Library\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>We introduced the Asset Library, allowing you to easily import and reuse assets across productions, simplifying asset management and improving workflow efficiency.\u003C/p>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"infrastructure-updates-%F0%9F%92%BD\">\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure Updates 💽\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>We now support\u003Cstrong> Single Sign-On (SSO)\u003C/strong> to streamline and simplify the login process for users. This integration allows teams to access Kitsu securely and effortlessly using their existing credentials, enhancing both convenience and security.\u003Cbr>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We’ve been steadily enhancing the ability to synchronize data between \u003Cstrong>two separate Kitsu instances\u003C/strong>. This requires some additional configuration on the hosting infrastructure side to ensure seamless performance. If this setup is something you’re interested in, feel free to reach out!\u003Cbr>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We’re continuously working to make Kitsu more \u003Cstrong>robust\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>reliable\u003C/strong>. Recent improvements have strengthened the app’s performance and stability, ensuring that it can handle increasing workloads with ease.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"events-%F0%9F%8E%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Events 🎫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The past few months have been quieter on the event front, as we’ve been focused on preparing for \u003Cstrong>SIGGRAPH Asia\u003C/strong> in Tokyo 🇯🇵 We’re looking forward to meeting with Japanese studios—some for the first time—and showcasing what we’ve been working on.\u003Cbr>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>In addition to SIGGRAPH Asia, we’ll also be attending \u003Cstrong>RADI/RAF\u003C/strong> in Angoulême 🇫🇷 and the Blender Conference in Amsterdam 🇳🇱, so we hope to see some of you there!\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"finance-%F0%9F%92%B0\">\u003Cstrong>Finance 💰\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Our cash balance is looking healthy as we head into the next quarter.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>While the upcoming quarters tend to be a bit quieter as the end of the year approaches, we’re well-prepared for what’s ahead.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You can check out our public financial metrics below:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">CGWire - Metrics\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">This webpage shows the KPI of the company. We made them public because we are part of the Open Company movement. Transparency is important to build trust. Let us know if you want to see additional information.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://cg-wire.com/favicon.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Metrics\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/_nuxt/logo.4d5a2d7e.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"communication-%F0%9F%97%A3%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Communication 🗣️\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>We’ve been making strides in our communication efforts. This includes running an ad campaign at \u003Cstrong>Cartoon Forum\u003C/strong>, securing front-page spots on \u003Cstrong>Ecran Total\u003C/strong> and the first page of \u003Cstrong>Animation Magazine\u003C/strong>.\u003Cbr>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Additionally, we’re excited to announce a collaboration with \u003Cstrong>Andrew Lawrence\u003C/strong>, a former Autodesk and Ftrack support expert, who will now be managing our corporate communications to further strengthen our outreach and engagement.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"studios-productions-%F0%9F%8F%AB\">\u003Cstrong>Studios & Productions 🏫\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Over the past three months, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming several top-tier organizations to the Kitsu family. This includes \u003Cstrong>Redefine\u003C/strong>, one of the leading animation studios in India, \u003Cstrong>The Trailer Farm\u003C/strong> part of the Keywords video game studio, and \u003Cstrong>Rubika\u003C/strong>, one of the most prestigious animation schools in France.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here’s the full list of new additions:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://redefine.co/redefine-originals/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Redefine Originals\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://thetrailerfarm.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">The Trailer Farm\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.motionadrenaline.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Motion Adrenaline\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://rubika-edu.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Rubika\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://campus.ina.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">INA\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ynov.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Ynov\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Chr>\u003Ch2 id=\"closing-notes-%E2%9C%8D%EF%B8%8F\">\u003Cstrong>Closing Notes \u003C/strong> ✍️\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In the coming months, we will stilll be focusing on the \u003Cstrong>Vue 3\u003C/strong> migration (the framework behind Kitsu) and \u003Cstrong>advanced scheduling\u003C/strong> features, along with other exciting new features. If there are any specific needs you’d like us to address in Kitsu, let us know—we’re always listening! 👂\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. 💬\u003C/p>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-card kg-button-card kg-align-center\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/contact?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" class=\"kg-btn kg-btn-accent\">Contact Us\u003C/a>\u003C/div>",{"uuid":2186,"comment_id":2187,"feature_image":2188,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2189,"updated_at":2190,"custom_excerpt":1544,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2191,"primary_tag":2192,"url":2193,"excerpt":1544,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"0e478936-d70d-444c-aca6-8e5fdee6c6ec","66f1365a8074950001095318","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/09/buildinpublic_september_2024.png","2024-09-23T11:35:22.000+02:00","2026-03-26T09:54:50.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-september-2024-update/","/posts/build-in-public-september-2024-update","2024-09-24T10:33:42.000+02:00",{"title":2181},"build-in-public-september-2024-update","posts/build-in-public-september-2024-update",[2200],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"4WbUw9DucwgOwr40PYk3KdH9IBhc7vPLfIyWuwxKBbE",{"id":2203,"title":2204,"authors":2205,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2207,"meta":2208,"navigation":15,"path":2218,"published_at":2219,"seo":2220,"slug":2221,"stem":2222,"tags":2223,"__hash__":2225,"uuid":2209,"comment_id":2210,"feature_image":2211,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2212,"updated_at":2213,"custom_excerpt":2214,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2215,"primary_tag":2216,"url":2217,"excerpt":2214,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":734},"ghost/posts:working-with-multiple-digital-content-creation-tools.json","(2026) Working With Multiple Digital Content Creation Tools",[2206],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>From character design to rendering, animators use many software tools in their everyday work. But with so many options, choosing the right one can feel like navigating a labyrinth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Truth is, there's no single perfect tool: each program has its own strengths and weaknesses. Wouldn't it be better to be able to leverage any tools depending on their advantages or animators' personal preferences?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With the right production pipeline, this is a possibility. In this article, we explore four key points to take into account when designing your pipeline for multiple DCC tools: creating a single source of truth, using a review engine, rendering, and versioning.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-use-multiple-tools\">\u003Cstrong>Why use multiple tools\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Studios rely on a vast arsenal of digital tools, but it's common for project teams to agree on using a single digital content creation tool―Maya, Blender, Unity, etc. However, allowing the use of multiple DCC tools brings several benefits.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, it fosters agility. Each animator can use whatever tool they prefer and leave the integration phase to the production pipeline using standard file formats. They can be productive from day one and keep the same pace throughout the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Not only is it good for productivity, but having a range of accepted tools expands the potential talent pool you can hire from. Studios can attract artists with specific skill sets honed in different software, allowing them to assemble a dream team perfectly equipped to tackle the project's unique demands.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This approach isn't without challenges, of course. Compatibility issues can arise, forcing artists to jump through hoops to import or export files between programs. Maintaining a consistent visual style across various tools can also be tricky, requiring meticulous planning and communication.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Despite this, when you have the right production pipeline to help you streamline workflows, the pros can outweigh the cons. Let's see how.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-creating-a-single-source-of-truth\">\u003Cstrong>1. Creating a single source of truth\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Let's say each animator uses their favorite 3D graphics tool. How do we combine each asset together to create scenes? How do we preserve rigging information? What about editing? We need to maintain consistency and avoid information silos.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To make things simpler, the pipeline should include a single source of truth (SSOT): a central repository that stores all your project's critical information, acting as the definitive reference point for all teams to eliminate the pitfalls of scattered data―redundant files, outdated versions, and wasted time spent chasing down the latest iteration. While your animation software is dedicated to creating and editing assets, a dedicated SSOT acts as a central hub for storing asset versions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To set this SSOT,  you can use asset managers like \u003Ca href=\"https://ayon.ynput.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Ayon\u003C/a> or \u003Ca href=\"https://prism-pipeline.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Prism Pipeline\u003C/a>. They will allow you to manage file locations and versioning via any software. If you want to go further and build a file asset library for future reuse, we recommend you to look at \u003Ca href=\"https://das-element.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">dasElement\u003C/a>, a full system to browse and organize all your files. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, with a production tracker like \u003Ca href=\"https://cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Kitsu\u003C/a>, you can import asset information from any content creation tool to build the project's creative asset library and keep a history of all artistic decisions and deliveries.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-review-engine\">\u003Cstrong>2. Review engine\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In animation, the creative process is rarely linear: ideas evolve, revisions are made, and constant back-and-forth between creation and review is essential for crafting a polished final product. This iterative nature demands a robust system for seamlessly transitioning between editing software and feedback sessions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Traditionally, this might involve exporting files, sending them to reviewers, and then waiting for feedback before returning to the editing software. This disrupts workflow and creates bottlenecks, especially when everyone uses different DCC tools―different formats, conventions, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's where a production tracker is required. It acts as a central hub for delivery previews and validations. It allows reviewers to provide detailed feedback directly on top of the animation itself. This feedback can then be easily integrated back into the editing software via asset managers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Production trackers are software agnostic, so they can be integrated with any software. Which allows for the review of any deliveries, whatever the source software is.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-versioning\">\u003Cstrong>3. Versioning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As your assets get refined, keeping track of different versions becomes crucial to track changes or revert to previous versions if necessary.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The challenge will be to export results in formats supported by your target DCC.  Maintaining a consistent file format is also a good option for cross-integration between tools. Popular formats like FBX or USD, facilitate smooth data exchange between most animation software. By using a standard format, you avoid compatibility issues and ensure assets can be readily imported and manipulated in different applications. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>With asset managers, you can manage different versions of your working files, whether they are Blender models, Maya animations, or Unity scenes. Platforms keep track of each iteration, allowing you to see the history of changes and easily revert to a previous version if needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once your working files are exported to the right place, you will be able to build your scenes with the right version of any elements involved in a shot context. You will also be able to change elements easily every time a new version is published.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>4. Rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Coordinating rendering tasks across multiple DCC tools can also be a headache. Each software has its own rendering engine, settings, and output formats, making it is challenging to maintain a consistent look across scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is why most studios use a scene assembler like Mercenaries Guerilla for instance or SideFX Solaris. If you set proper versioning of your files, because most render farms can support different setups and rendering software you should be able to render any scene initially built with various software. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>From your pipeline, you can easily set an efficient iteration loop: export deliveries, assemble scenes, render them, push the result to the production tracker, and send feedback from the review engine. Then, your team will create new versions and run the process again.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-software-setup\">\u003Cstrong>5. Software setup\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another challenge you will face is managing the different software installed on artist machines. It is very important to keep consistent software versions used by the artists, or you will end up with a pipeline nightmare. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The most common solution is to rely on:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Ghost images of your installations to set new machines in a glimpse\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Package managers like \u003Ca href=\"https://rez.readthedocs.io/en/stable/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Rez\u003C/a> to organize all your software and libraries\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A firm policy about the available versions\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>It will contribute to the artist's experience. They will enjoy you making things clear from the beginning.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Using multiple digital content creation tools can contribute significantly to your success. You unlock a wider creative toolbox and enhance your team's ability to bring your vision to life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>However, it comes with a cost: it requires setting up a stronger pipeline. It will require setting up an asset manager and a production tracker as the glue that holds everything together. They will be needed to link every building step together and track and review all the work done.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the end, using multiple software to get the most out of them will require particular discipline. You will need to document and prepare your pipeline: to explain the rationale behind the choice and select the right file formats to ensure proper compatibility between the different software you use. Once you build your stack, we recommend modifying your software list as little as possible to avoid extra work and unexpected situations during production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you do your homework, using many different software will be seamless, and your team's creativity will be unleashed. Setting clean and innovative pipelines is always a challenge, but it will make teams happy, which is worth the effort!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Come say hi in\u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem> \u003Cu>our Kitsu Community Discord of 1500+ \u003C/u>\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>\u003Cu>animation/VFX professionals\u003C/u> and share your tips!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2209,"comment_id":2210,"feature_image":2211,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2212,"updated_at":2213,"custom_excerpt":2214,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2215,"primary_tag":2216,"url":2217,"excerpt":2214,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":734},"dbbfb141-bdcf-49df-9f19-506063db70d7","66a7cb4713c4750001ef394d","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1639815188508-13f7370f664a?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDI4fHxjb25uZWN0fGVufDB8fHx8MTcyMjI3MjU5NHww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-07-29T19:03:03.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:05:08.000+01:00","From character design to rendering, animators use many software tools in their everyday work. But with so many options, choosing the right one can feel like navigating a labyrinth.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/working-with-multiple-digital-content-creation-tools/","/posts/working-with-multiple-digital-content-creation-tools","2024-08-17T20:40:14.000+02:00",{"title":2204},"working-with-multiple-digital-content-creation-tools","posts/working-with-multiple-digital-content-creation-tools",[2224],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"k-3PLpScWbxPCLSqRFUYI3cjsXNOTwontkWJJSEr3xA",{"id":2227,"title":2228,"authors":2229,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2231,"meta":2232,"navigation":15,"path":2243,"published_at":2244,"seo":2245,"slug":2246,"stem":2247,"tags":2248,"__hash__":2250,"uuid":2233,"comment_id":2234,"feature_image":2235,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2236,"updated_at":2237,"custom_excerpt":2238,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2239,"primary_tag":2240,"url":2241,"excerpt":2238,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-june-2024.json","Build In Public: June 2024 Update",[2230],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! This post will teach you everything we did during the past three months.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cem>1 - Cross-production statistics\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We added the capability to check project progress from the project list page to facilitate the management of multiple projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>2 - Day-off Management\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Artists can now add their days off from their to-do list page. This is reflected in your schedules for better load management.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>3 - Multiple Studios\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can now link people to different sites or studios. The main Kitsu pages can now be filtered for a given studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>4 - Entity Chats\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Running discussions around assets or shots right into Kitsu is now possible. You can have casual conversations without impacting the task status.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>5 - Shared Filters\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can share your filters to make your team's onboarding easier. They will have prepared views on a project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We added the capability to synchronize ongoing data between two different Kitsu instances. It required some additional configuration on the hosting infrastructure side. If you are interested in this kind of setup, let us know.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Events\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We participated in the Annecy MIFA event. We received positive feedback and met new leads for Kitsu hosting. We noticed that the industry is still super active, and everyone is doing their best to make it thrive again.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Finance\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Our cash balance is in good shape. While the market seems to be recovering, we have expanded into new industries (video games, commercials) and continued working with several active 2D studios, such as Fost or Madlab.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To secure things further, we applied for and received two grants. They will allow us to keep adding features to Kitsu regularly while doing our sales and marketing efforts.\u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://metrics.cg-wire.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We made several ads in the main magazines distributed during the Annecy MIFA: Animation Magazine, European Animation Magazine, and Écran Total. The Annecy MIFA is one of the year's most important events, so we made sure to have the best coverage while having one of the major booths in the technology section.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>On a different note, we decided to post our changelogs on Twitter/X. It's easier to follow news on this platform than on Canny.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Studios and productions\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>During the last 3 months, we have had several newcomers. It's exciting to see the project expanding in other areas than animation. Find the list below:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Pole Nord - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.polenord.studio/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.polenord.studio/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Creative Seeds - \u003Ca href=\"https://creativeseeds.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://creativeseeds.fr/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Impossible Objects - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.impossible-objects.co/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.impossible-objects.co/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Factory Fifteen - \u003Ca href=\"https://factoryfifteen.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://factoryfifteen.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Remembers - \u003Ca href=\"https://remembers.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://remembers.fr/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Atelier VFX - \u003Ca href=\"http://ateliervfx.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">http://ateliervfx.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Amopix - \u003Ca href=\"http://amopix.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">http://amopix.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To conclude\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions. During the upcoming months, we will work on the Vue 3 migration (underlying framework used by Kitsu) and advanced scheduling, among other upcoming features. Let us know if you have specific needs you would like to see addressed in Kitsu!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2233,"comment_id":2234,"feature_image":2235,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2236,"updated_at":2237,"custom_excerpt":2238,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2239,"primary_tag":2240,"url":2241,"excerpt":2238,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"676492a4-8b1b-4223-b602-209c64507d3d","6676ff970a3d4900014435e4","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/06/buildinpublic_june_2024.png","2024-06-22T18:45:11.000+02:00","2024-06-25T01:26:19.000+02:00","Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! This post will teach you everything we did during the past three months.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-june-2024/",2,"/posts/build-in-public-june-2024","2024-06-24T13:27:44.000+02:00",{"title":2228},"build-in-public-june-2024","posts/build-in-public-june-2024",[2249],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"C-xnuD7X8dPTyGSNHTdlXl6qBBybgElOS_r4AQdH3tg",{"id":2252,"title":2253,"authors":2254,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2256,"meta":2257,"navigation":15,"path":2267,"published_at":2268,"seo":2269,"slug":2270,"stem":2271,"tags":2272,"__hash__":2276,"uuid":2258,"comment_id":2259,"feature_image":2260,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2261,"updated_at":1444,"custom_excerpt":2262,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2263,"primary_tag":2264,"url":2265,"excerpt":2262,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2266},"ghost/posts:physics-and-mechanics-principles-in-animation.json","Must-know Physics And Mechanics Principles Used In Animation (2026)",[2255],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Animation is a reflection of the real world: it has to be just realistic enough to be believable, but also engaging and entertaining. Spider-Man’s movements are inspired by real-life parkour and breakdancing to make his web-slinging feel grounded and dynamic. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>To achieve this, animators use basic physics and mechanics principles they can bend for a more stylized look. In this article, we go through a few examples of physics and mechanics principles to better put words on animation techniques to create more engaging stories. \u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-body-mechanics\">\u003Cstrong>1. Body Mechanics\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Bringing your characters to life requires understanding how real bodies move.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Body mechanics are the foundations of animating realistic actions like walking, running, and climbing stairs. For example, idle animations show characters standing and breathing subtly. You can choose any pose, neutral or action-oriented, and design it to loop seamlessly for a continuous effect. Other cycles and loops where the first and last keyframes are identical create the illusion of continuous movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Other body parts like hair, clothes, or even inanimate objects might require dynamic simulations using physics principles. For example, to simulate flowing hair or billowing fabric, enhance the believability of secondary movements (a cape fluttering in the wind), or breathe life into props (fall, bounce, collide, etc.).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For speech animation, a phoneme represents a specific mouth shape associated with a particular vowel or consonant sound. By mastering phonemes, you can create realistic lip movements that perfectly match your character's dialogue.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfmh7szja65dXpTNw1I3NqJjqWlqkWOEre2kR_PUATu_zw5G9V0w3h3Kt9nHKAgBPz16APcum-OeBwcr13Bz7Q-0fBwjViTZazr2JFNiNAJgu1mHXzJx14Ptjeqf9dVYa9_7u-L6_hPktMHZ2remH2LsFKm?key=wGN05F489POzdh7HFSn1cg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1440\" height=\"638\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Source: Blender Artists\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-timing-and-spacing\">\u003Cstrong>2. Timing and Spacing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is not merely the art of drawing cool poses: timing and spacing are equally important to create believable movement, whether it's a powerful jump or a slow walk.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Think of timing as the number of frames dedicated to each action. It controls the speed of your animation. Fewer frames create a faster motion, while more frames slow things down. Imagine a bouncing ball: the higher the bounce, the more frames you'll need to show its peak and descent smoothly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Frame rate (FPS) refers to the number of images displayed per second. It's the foundation on which timing is built.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Spacing refers to the distance an object moves between frames. It works hand-in-hand with timing to create the illusion of weight and speed. Wider spacing between frames suggests faster movement, while smaller spacing creates a slower, more deliberate action.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also combine timing and spacing with motion blur to simulate the blurring of objects during rapid movement. Imagine a fast-moving car – our eyes perceive a blur, not a series of crystal clear frames.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-weight-and-mass\">\u003Cstrong>3. Weight and Mass\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>By understanding the difference between weight and mass, and how 3D software translates these concepts into animation tools, you can make informed decisions about how your objects move. While weight and mass are often used interchangeably, they hold distinct meanings.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Mass is the amount of matter an object contains. It's a constant value regardless of gravity. Imagine a massive boulder on Earth versus the moon – it has the same mass, but its weight differs due to varying gravitational forces.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Weight is the force exerted on an object due to gravity. A heavier object experiences a greater gravitational pull, making it require more force to move and stop.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>3D animation software doesn't directly store weight or mass data for objects. However, it offers tools to mimic their effects on movement:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation Curves\u003C/strong> - By adjusting animation curves, you control how an object accelerates, reaches peak velocity, and decelerates. Slower curves for heavier objects create a sluggish, delayed response, while sharper curves for lighter objects depict quick changes in direction.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Force Fields\u003C/strong> - Some software allows applying forces like gravity or wind to objects. These forces influence the object's movement, mimicking how weight and external forces affect real-world objects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Physics Simulations\u003C/strong> - Advanced software offers physics simulations that take into account factors like mass, gravity, and friction. These simulations can create highly realistic movements, but require careful setup and can be computationally expensive.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Pay close attention to how objects of different weights behave. While grounding your animation in a sense of physical reality is important, you'll often benefit from slight exaggerations.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-inertia-momentum-and-force\">\u003Cstrong>4. Inertia, Momentum, and Force\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Inertia, momentum, and force form the foundation of how objects move in the real world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Imagine a bowling ball rolling down a lane. It keeps moving even after it leaves the bowler's hand. This is inertia in action. Inertia is an object's tendency to resist changes in its state of motion. An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion (at a constant speed and in a straight line) unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. Inertia helps us depict weight and gradual stops. A character running won't come to a halt instantly. They'll skid a bit, their body continuing to move forward even as their feet come to a stop.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfUzHbz1NDC8yZNwvtoFPfEzr5rGEcOP9vXKTUtLyR873-Nrgpr_iqAEyTQDGiPt6xiRDadHhVZ_V2-qSPVa_7KwxoAWWkHgDvFOE9SXNAcKIJm9jC43ZjobIvZrI2wa-aykFiXSAG6xizii_4ZMjpH_qan?key=wGN05F489POzdh7HFSn1cg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"774\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Source: Dreamstime.com\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Momentum is the mass of an object times its velocity. Simply put, it's a measure of how much \"oomph\" a moving object carries. A heavier object or one moving faster will have greater momentum. A character throwing a punch transfers momentum from their body to their fist, resulting in a powerful impact. Likewise, a car with high momentum will take longer to stop than a bicycle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Force is anything that causes an object to accelerate. It's the push or pull that disrupts an object's inertia and changes its state of motion. For example, friction between a shoe and the ground is a force that slows down a running character. A strong force applied to a character will result in a faster or more dramatic change in movement, while a weak force might lead to a subtle sway or wobble.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. This is Newton's Third Law of Motion. When a character throws a punch, their arm exerts a force forward (action). In reaction, the character's body experiences an opposite force pushing them back slightly. A character swinging a sword should experience a slight recoil as the blade connects with an object.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-center-of-gravity\">\u003Cstrong>5. Center of Gravity\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The force that keeps our characters grounded (and makes them fall when they lose balance) is gravity. The Center of Gravity (CoG) is that special point where all the object's weight is perfectly balanced. As animators, we constantly consider the CoG to ensure our characters move realistically and maintain proper balance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The position of the CoG significantly impacts how your animated character interacts with gravity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When the CoG falls directly within the base of support (think of the area where your character's feet touch the ground), they'll stand firmly balanced. We call this stable equilibrium. This is the typical pose for a character at rest.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If the CoG shifts outside the base of support, your character becomes unbalanced and starts to tip. This can be used for dynamic actions like leaning into a turn or falling over. By understanding how the CoG moves with different poses, you can create natural-looking weight shifts and falls.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-squash-and-stretch\">\u003Cstrong>6. Squash and Stretch\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Squash and stretch involves exaggerating the way objects deform during movement, creating a sense of weight, flexibility, and humor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When a bouncy ball hits the ground, it squashes downwards momentarily before stretching back up. This squash and stretch is what we amplify in animation. We might squash a character down as they jump, then stretch them out in mid-air, all while maintaining their overall volume. This exaggeration is what breathes life into the movement.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-green-screen-chroma-key\">\u003Cstrong>7. Green Screen / Chroma Key\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Let's say you animate a character swimming through a coral reef. Instead of building a miniature reef set, a green screen allows you to film your character in front of a green backdrop. During editing, this green background is replaced with the vibrant underwater scene you envisioned.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdp_3vZIuY5XbYM97M1JQDVswcx3G7pivCPDnLpfqkd1hC1bDVWyiUcYDQbI8q-xAreAvQBVU6DRpG9CJo__fIxWNZQqy_1gOeG99wJG10POKAHgRwGWZ7H4gZphhQFi94CS7TbQS4XYZDRGGRsnn33Wq_v?key=wGN05F489POzdh7HFSn1cg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"664\" height=\"840\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Image by Wikipedia\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But why green? The magic lies in color differentiation. Green typically doesn't clash with the color range used for characters or objects. This allows digital creation software to easily isolate the filmed element (your character) from the green background: you can just load the animation sequence, adjust the chroma key to identify the green background color, and replace the green background with something else.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Understanding physics and mechanics principles is essential for creating believable and engaging animation. They provide the foundation for realistic movement, weight distribution, and interaction with the environment. By mastering these concepts, animators can breathe life into their characters and tell compelling stories.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But animation isn't just about following cold, hard physics principles: it's an art form that thrives on creativity and expression. Animators often employ artistic license by subtly (or not so subtly) exaggerating movements or squashing and stretching objects to enhance character traits, evoke emotions, or inject humor. This artistic twist, grounded in a solid understanding of physics, is what separates a robotic imitation from a truly captivating animated performance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to come say hi in\u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem> \u003Cu>our Discord community of 1000+ \u003C/u>\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>\u003Cu>animation professionals\u003C/u> and share your tips!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2258,"comment_id":2259,"feature_image":2260,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2261,"updated_at":1444,"custom_excerpt":2262,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2263,"primary_tag":2264,"url":2265,"excerpt":2262,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2266},"32582b9d-7bdb-40b6-9dcb-46b0b8ff8ee3","6671fb82ab09a1000107da2e","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1718536669027-4ebd2b932ece?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8YWxsfDR8fHx8fHwyfHwxNzE4NzQ2MDE1fA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-06-18T23:26:26.000+02:00","Animators use basic physics and mechanics principles they can bend for a more stylized look. In this article, we go through a few examples of physics and mechanics principles to better put words on animation techniques to create more engaging stories.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/physics-and-mechanics-principles-in-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@parisbilal?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Paris Bilal\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/physics-and-mechanics-principles-in-animation","2024-06-19T10:39:57.000+02:00",{"title":2253},"physics-and-mechanics-principles-in-animation","posts/physics-and-mechanics-principles-in-animation",[2273,2274],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"64875aac7093d20001dbafe6","JE0ojmjUgAN5SqJP-QTeYU07Ps0vkU1taeR_dQxnOZw",{"id":2278,"title":2279,"authors":2280,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2282,"meta":2283,"navigation":15,"path":2295,"published_at":2296,"seo":2297,"slug":2298,"stem":2299,"tags":2300,"__hash__":2302,"uuid":2284,"comment_id":2285,"feature_image":2286,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2287,"updated_at":2288,"custom_excerpt":2289,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2290,"primary_tag":2291,"url":2292,"excerpt":2289,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2294},"ghost/posts:engaging-animation.json","Techniques To Create More Engaging Animations In 2026",[2281],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction\">\u003Cstrong>Introduction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>You pour your heart and soul into crafting an animation, only to find the final result feels... well, a bit bland. It moves, it looks alright, but the spark is missing. The sequence needs some more work, maybe some suggestions from colleagues or a supervisor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Inversely, look at your favorite animated show, and try to notice what makes it so attractive you don’t feel time passing. Is it the plot, the voice acting, the music, the depicted emotions?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explore 16 animation techniques to make your work more engaging. It usually doesn’t take much to get it right, but the devil is in the details, and a single edit can make your animation memorable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This list isn’t exhaustive, so don’t hesitate to share more with us in \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>our Discord community of 1000+ animators\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. Without further ado, let’s dig in!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-overlapping-action\">\u003Cstrong>1. Overlapping Action\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Take a character jumping. In real life, the legs push off first, then the torso lifts, and finally, the head follows. Overlapping action replicates this by animating different body parts at slightly offset timings. Some parts initiate the movement (leading the action), while others react with a delay (following the action).\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXe3SW25VtrtomdJ7k3OzdThKU0CtQ5CEgEyMc_b7RqPxQVeUjH_pdZX0aaClYrczjgwYUtsT4YJP4a94qYdot1zQfENLQOE-vV83VJ4poF-r_IO6gGrDkOYwZ5-qQWJk4g3KcSAeq7MAItCXXlZvP5beK1t?key=uzxSnDJSAdmuIOsXchZl3A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Source: animost.com\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Overlapping action mimics the way our bodies move. By animating body parts with independent timing, you create a sense of weight, momentum, and fluidity that static, perfectly synchronized movements lack. It can be used to emphasize a character's emotions and intentions. A character with a lagging arm after throwing a punch conveys exhaustion, while exaggerated hair flicks during a run showcase excitement.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Identify the Leading and Following Parts\u003C/strong> - Break down the action into its core components. Which body part initiates the movement? Which parts react with a delay due to inertia or weight?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Stagger the Timing\u003C/strong> - Animate the leading part first, followed by the parts that react in sequence. For example, in a jump, animate the legs pushing off the ground before the torso rises.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Consider Weight and Momentum\u003C/strong> - Heavier body parts will naturally lag behind lighter ones. Use this principle to create a sense of physicality.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-snappy-animation\">\u003Cstrong>2. Snappy Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Snappy animation is a technique that injects dynamism into your characters by creating a strong contrast between slow and fast movements. Imagine your character striking a powerful pose, holding it for a beat, and then transitioning quickly and decisively into the next action. This \"snap\" between poses grabs the viewer's attention and emphasizes the impact of the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The sharp contrast between slow and fast movements keeps the audience hooked. They're drawn in by the anticipation building during the held pose and then surprised and delighted by the snappy transition. Snappy animation allows for a more exaggerated portrayal of emotions. The held poses become moments for the character to express their feelings clearly, while the snappy transitions emphasize the intensity of those emotions. By emphasizing key poses, snappy animation makes the action easier to follow for the viewer. The audience can clearly see what's happening on screen without getting lost in a blur of movement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Snappy animation can be found in a variety of styles, from classic cartoons like Looney Tunes to modern anime. Look for moments where characters hold a powerful pose after a punch or strike a dramatic silhouette during a jump. These quick transitions between poses are hallmarks of snappy animation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-breaking-joints\">\u003Cstrong>3. Breaking Joints\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Have you ever wondered why cartoon fight scenes can feel so much more dynamic than their live-action counterparts? It's because of a technique called \"breaking joints\"―exaggerating the bend and movement of limbs to create a more visually appealing animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Breaking joints essentially means pushing the natural range of motion for a limb or joint during animation. This can involve extreme bends, stretches, and twists that wouldn't be possible in real life. Instead of a standard arm extension when a character throws a punch, the animator might exaggerate the elbow bend and forearm twist to create a powerful and exaggerated arc.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-fish-eyes\">\u003Cstrong>4. Fish Eyes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another technique to consider is the fish-eye pose, where the eyes are positioned further apart than usual.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The fish-eye pose is a powerful tool for comedic effect, surprise, or even fear. It disrupts the natural eye placement, instantly grabbing the viewer's attention.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXckZnsOWuv4cOji19npXsxcInkLORzu8Ao4B0aAJwoPL3jPdzTmypzY4tE8plra23u3rTA1X3wdOrSDqwFoS2PXnQ2S98VnLMNC87O2ar4ejGte2PZQiRv_k495UzlFyjIadvK6q2T3l4o7KtCgUt0MRNLm?key=uzxSnDJSAdmuIOsXchZl3A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1194\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Source: Naruto\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-settle\">\u003Cstrong>5. Settle\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The final moments of an animation can be just as impactful as the grand opening: a well-executed settle, the brief animation frames used to ease an action into a rest pose, add a touch of realism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A bouncing ball wouldn't come to a complete stop instantly. There'd be a slight wobble and a final compression before it settles still. This subtle movement is what a settle captures in animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Abrupt stops look unnatural. Settles bridge the gap between movement and stillness, mimicking the inertia of real-world objects. A clear rest pose signifies the end of an action. Without a settle, viewers might be left confused about whether the movement has truly finished. This can be particularly important for fast-paced animations where clarity is key.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-overshoot\">\u003Cstrong>6. Overshoot\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Take the example of a bouncing ball again: as it hits the ground, it compresses slightly before launching back up. This momentary overshoot adds a sense of weight and responsiveness to the animation. Overshoot is the act of an animation element temporarily exceeding its final resting position before returning smoothly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As long as you keep it subtle, overshoot adds a touch of pep and energy to your animations. It conveys a sense of momentum and weight, making even simple movements feel livelier and more engaging.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-animation-layer\">\u003Cstrong>7. Animation Layer\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Think of animation layers like transparencies on an overhead projector. Your base layer lays the foundation, typically containing the main movement of your animation. Secondary layers are then added on top, introducing subtle details and flourishes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Imagine animating a dog fetching a frisbee. The base layer would show the dog running (primary movement). A secondary layer could be used for the dog's tail wagging (subtle, independent action). With layers, you can easily adjust the intensity of the wag or even swap it out for a panting animation – all without affecting the core running motion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Considering all the possible dimensions of an apparently simple movement adds depth to your animation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-moving-hold\">\u003Cstrong>8. Moving Hold\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Engaging animation doesn't just rely on flashy movement; it also needs moments of stillness that feel alive. This is where the concept of a moving hold comes in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A moving hold is a technique where a character appears to hold a pose, but with subtle, almost imperceptible movements. This slight animation keeps the character from looking frozen or lifeless.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, when a character clenches their fist, you could add a slight tremor in the hand to suggest simmering anger. The movement should be barely noticeable like slight breathing motions, weight shifts, or involuntary twitches, yet effective in conveying purpose.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-rhythm\">\u003Cstrong>9. Rhythm\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rhythm is the result of timing, spacing, and intensity:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Timing is the speed at which objects or characters move within a scene. Fast movements create a sense of urgency or excitement, while slower movements can build tension or emphasize a particular detail.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Spacing involves the distance between objects or characters throughout their animation. Wide spacing can create a sense of isolation or emphasize the scale of an environment, while closer spacing can build a feeling of urgency or connection.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Intensity refers to the power or force behind an action or gesture. A forceful punch will have a different rhythm than a gentle wave, and this difference can be used to convey a range of emotions and ideas.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Consider a scene of a character running towards a cliff edge. The animation might start with slow, deliberate movements as the character builds up speed, gradually increasing the timing and intensity to create a sense of urgency. Just before reaching the edge, there could be a dramatic pause, followed by a quick jump or desperate scramble for safety. Each element of this scene, from the initial slow build-up to the final burst of movement, contributes to the rhythm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Effective rhythm helps direct the viewer's attention to specific parts of the scene, ensuring they don't miss important details. Carefully timed pauses or slow build-ups can create suspense and anticipation for the next action. The rhythm of an animation can directly influence the emotions it evokes. A fast-paced, jerky movement might suggest fear or panic, while a smooth, flowing movement could portray calmness or grace.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"10-smear-frames\">\u003Cstrong>10. Smear Frames\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A smear frame is a duplicated or heavily stretched version of the previous or next frame, strategically inserted for just a single frame. This creates a blurred effect that emphasizes the swiftness of the action.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcdl7ai-dL-4UrL7YtkGLEwZYszBfCuzPCgg70SQUATDx0lIdnPikFXFQtCDXbkxD7ywU6t6lEX3aVR9f5A2QJItXhvwX4ReyuIo08j0WVh8m-WpxmG20mv2vQcyHvcN46X__65uGIsaNTNST308uEd34Wx?key=uzxSnDJSAdmuIOsXchZl3A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Source: The Simpsons\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Real-world movement isn't perfectly crisp. Our eyes perceive a blur during rapid motion. Smear frames mimic this natural blur. This technique truly shines when you want to showcase extreme speed or force. Imagine a superhero streaking across the screen or a powerful punch landing – smear frames can amplify the impact and make the movement feel more impactful.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"11-accents\">\u003Cstrong>11. Accents\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Just like actors emphasize key moments in a performance, animators can use accents to make specific parts of their animation truly shine. Accents are deliberate deviations from the standard animation style or pacing:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Exaggerated movements or expressions - Think wide-eyed surprise, a dramatic leap of joy, or a character's jaw dropping in disbelief.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Shifts in color or lighting - A sudden burst of brightness to highlight a key moment, or a character bathed in a different colored light to create a distinct mood.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Changes in animation style - A brief switch to a more cartoony style for a humorous moment, or a shift to a more detailed, realistic portrayal for dramatic emphasis.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>They act like a visual spotlight, ensuring the audience focuses on the accented moment while effectively communicating joy, fear, anger, or any other emotion you want viewers to feel. A well-placed accent can prevent the animation from becoming predictable and keep viewers engaged.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"12-attitude\">\u003Cstrong>12. Attitude\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Character attitude is the underlying emotional state and personality that guides a character's actions and reactions. It encompasses their confidence level, temperament, and overall approach to the situation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When viewers understand a character's attitude, they can empathize, anticipate, and connect with them on a deeper level.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Attitude drives a character's choices and reactions, propelling the narrative forward in a natural, engaging way.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you animate, you should always have a clear picture in mind of the type of attitude the character has to better perform the scene!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"13-silhouette\">\u003Cstrong>13. Silhouette\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While it might seem like a basic black-and-white image, a silhouette is used to check the clarity of a pose: by reducing the character to its essential form, you can easily identify if an action is readable or if the body language is conveying the intended emotion.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXde56gox9eV6DnhuFGDvSodj4dBwPI1uJh6dank8z4-TmTT47uQBWwzqm3iBdmGvrzbv0-_hqsevc1wbaOvEUTImehDKpCyasejpb_zCed79ZORYwuOaM8HreEuWIvmjT9dKgM8wJtQoc2ti0DUze44NpxT?key=uzxSnDJSAdmuIOsXchZl3A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Source: Animator Island\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"14-reference\">\u003Cstrong>14. Reference\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A reference is the use of live-action video footage shot specifically to inspire your animation: animators act out the scene themselves, film it, and then use that footage as a guide for their animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Live-action footage provides a wealth of information about human body mechanics, weight distribution, and how clothing interacts with movement. Studying references helps you create animations that feel natural and believable. They also allow you to capture key poses.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"15-balance\">\u003Cstrong>15. Balance\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Balance refers to the visual distribution of weight in your animation. Make sure it's believable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you draw a line through the center of your character, a balanced pose keeps most of the character's mass on one side of that line to create a sense of stability and prevent your characters from looking like they're about to topple over.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A well-balanced animation feels more natural and believable to the viewer. Even when characters are jumping or performing acrobatics, a sense of weight distribution helps us understand the forces acting on them. If a character is leaning too far in one direction, it can be unclear what they're about to do next.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"16-use-verticality\">\u003Cstrong>16. Use Verticality\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Our natural world is full of towering trees, majestic mountains, and sprawling landscapes. But in animation, relying solely on flat horizons can leave your scenes feeling, well, flat. By incorporating vertical elements, you create a sense of dimension and draw the viewer's eye into the frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Studio Ghibli, renowned for its breathtaking animation, is a master of using verticality: take a look at any Hayao Miyazaki film, and you'll see towering trees reaching towards the sky, characters traversing layered landscapes, and buildings that stretch upwards. This wasn't by accident. Miyazaki himself was heavily influenced by the work of French animator Paul Grimault, whose film \"Le Roi et l'Oiseau\" (The King and the Bird) is a prime example of how verticality can be used to create stunning depth in animation:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXc_ttHfpcrXipiI7s8hZzc5c-SiJoVkBs0c87wlGoCvPvMTc1C6tAmLt-5nTiLah9Mt0ATBh5BZFFG6yLG1DF27a2Vip0nEw2uTtrxYDQAyZ4EwuTtGHjKdselST1mdmXoSVBWaNo4fGwFri2ht-BYLhmKM?key=uzxSnDJSAdmuIOsXchZl3A\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Don't be afraid to fill the frame with elements like towering trees or buildings in the foreground or background. This creates a sense of layering and draws the viewer's eye deeper into the scene. Instead of a single-level landscape, create environments with different heights. Think rolling hills, bridges connecting elevated areas, or characters climbing structures. This adds complexity and visual interest. Use camera movements that pan upwards or downwards, showcasing the scale of your environment. Play with perspective to emphasize verticality.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>And that's a wrap. Hope you learned something!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Capturing the audience's attention is key, and it's often the subtle details that elevate an animation from ordinary to extraordinary.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Great animation takes inspiration from the real world. Whether it's the way a bird takes flight or the subtle shift in a person's posture that conveys nervousness, studying real-life movement helps imbue your animations with authenticity. This authenticity, in turn, fosters a connection with viewers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques, try new software, and push your creative boundaries. The more you practice, the more comfortable you'll become!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to come say hi in\u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem> \u003Cu>our Discord community of 1000+ animators\u003C/u>\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> and share your tips!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2284,"comment_id":2285,"feature_image":2286,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2287,"updated_at":2288,"custom_excerpt":2289,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2290,"primary_tag":2291,"url":2292,"excerpt":2289,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2294},"9fd71756-631f-4f51-97f6-7f06352b8f07","66644033adc9120001420e10","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1558368315-d44d7462073e?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDEwfHxwdXBwZXR8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzE3ODQ2MjM2fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-06-08T13:27:47.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:23.000+01:00","In this article, we explore 16 animation techniques to make your work more engaging. It usually doesn’t take much to get it right, but the devil is in the details and a single edit can make your animation memorable.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/engaging-animation/",10,"\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@eric_masur?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Eric Masur\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/engaging-animation","2024-06-08T13:33:07.000+02:00",{"title":2279},"engaging-animation","posts/engaging-animation",[2301],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"jB4iiHDzwHrD1eqaymPxe7hZ_RqwvvexkzxjhfeZMwQ",{"id":2304,"title":2305,"authors":2306,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2308,"meta":2309,"navigation":15,"path":2320,"published_at":2321,"seo":2322,"slug":2323,"stem":2324,"tags":2325,"__hash__":2327,"uuid":2310,"comment_id":2311,"feature_image":2312,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2313,"updated_at":2314,"custom_excerpt":2315,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2316,"primary_tag":2317,"url":2318,"excerpt":2315,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2319},"ghost/posts:camera-work-in-animation.json","Camera Work In Animation (2026): 10 Basic Techniques To Master",[2307],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As our invisible eyes, the camera in animation has an active role. By meticulously controlling its movement, animators achieve a variety of effects to engage the viewers―far beyond simply showing us what's happening on screen, it's a powerful storytelling tool often unseen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Camera animation guides our attention, drawing our focus to specific details or characters. It helps establish the vastness of a sprawling cityscape or the intimacy of a whispered conversation. Most importantly, camera animation plays a crucial role in setting the mood and tone of the story. A sweeping shot across a majestic landscape evokes a sense of awe, while a tightly framed close-up builds suspense or reveals a character's inner turmoil.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the following sections, we explore the various camera techniques employed in animation and how they contribute to creating engaging stories.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"camera-properties\">\u003Cstrong>Camera properties\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Just like a real camera, a virtual one has several key properties that animators manipulate to create specific effects and guide the viewer's eye:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Position\u003C/strong> - the camera's location in the 3D space of the animation. By moving the camera closer or farther away from the subject, animators control the size of objects in the frame.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rotation\u003C/strong> - rotating a camera allows animators to pan across a scene, reveal hidden details, or create a sense of dynamism by following a moving character.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Field of view\u003C/strong> - the width of the scene captured by the camera lens. A wide field of view encompasses a larger area, useful for establishing shots, while a narrow field of view zooms in, focusing attention on specific elements.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Focal length\u003C/strong> - Focal length essentially controls the perspective and distortion in the shot. By adjusting it, animators make objects appear larger or smaller within the frame, even without changing the camera's position. Different focal lengths also affect how background elements appear – a shorter focal length creates a more dramatic sense of depth, while a longer focal length compresses the background, making it seem flatter. By manipulating focal length, animators create a sense of focus, emphasize specific elements, or even subtly distort reality for a more stylized look.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Understanding and mastering these camera properties is how animators come up with the techniques in the next sections.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-camera-shake\">\u003Cstrong>1. Camera shake\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A camera shake simulates the jittery movement of a handheld camera, ranging from subtle tremors to full-on wobble.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators achieve camera shake by introducing small, rapid movements to the camera's position and rotation. These movements aren't random, but carefully crafted to create a sense of realism or stylization.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Imagine a scene where a character is running away from danger. The camera might shake slightly with each footfall, conveying the character's urgency and fear. As the danger gets closer, the shaking intensifies, mimicking the character's rising panic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A shaky camera during an action sequence throws the audience right into the heart of the battle, making them feel the chaos and intensity of the fight. In horror or suspenseful moments, subtle camera shakes build unease and anticipation, making viewers feel on edge. They can also be used for comedic effect, emphasizing a character's clumsiness or a lighthearted situation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-zoom\">\u003Cstrong>2. Zoom\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One of the most fundamental camera techniques is the zoom: by adjusting the focal length, a zoom alters the visual depth of field, creating a dynamic relationship between the subject and its surroundings.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Zooming in allows for a tighter focus on a character's expression, amplifying emotions like surprise, fear, or determination. It also draws the audience's attention to a specific detail within the scene. Inversely, zooming out broadens the perspective, to establish the setting or create a sense of awe by revealing a grander scale.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A classic example of the zoom's emotional impact can be found in the close-up zoom on Simba's face in \"The Lion King\" as he realizes the truth about his father's death. The zoom emphasizes Simba's grief and disbelief, drawing the audience into his emotional turmoil.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-pan\">\u003Cstrong>3. Pan\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The pan is a horizontal swivel, revealing more of the environment from left to right or vice versa. The camera itself stays locked in one spot, but its head smoothly turns.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Pans are incredibly versatile tools for animators. They can be used to establish a scene, showcasing its vastness or cluttered details. A slow pan across a breathtaking landscape evokes awe, while a frantic pan across a chaotic marketplace builds tension. Pans can also be used to follow a character's movement or track an object of interest, keeping the audience engaged in the action.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A classic example of a pan might be at the beginning of a scene. The camera pans across a sleeping character's room, slowly revealing the alarm clock that jolts them awake. This simple technique not only sets the location but also establishes the emotional tone of the scene.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-tilt-shot\">\u003Cstrong>4. Tilt shot\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A tilt shot is a camera movement where the viewpoint pivots up or down vertically, revealing more of the scene above or below the frame. It actively influences how the audience perceives the scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The direction of the tilt unlocks a range of emotional responses. Tilting upwards creates a sense of awe and wonder, emphasizing towering structures or a character looking skyward. Tilting downwards suggests vulnerability, dominance, or even chaos. For example, a scene tilting down from a powerful character looking down on a protagonist, or a tilt following a falling object to heighten the tension.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They can also be used for dramatic reveals or transitions. Tilting up might unveil a hidden threat lurking in the shadows while tilting down could introduce a new character entering the scene. Consider a scene where a lone character stands before a giant, menacing castle. A slow tilt upwards starting from the character's feet and ending at the castle spires effectively conveys the overwhelming scale and power of the obstacle.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-dolly-zoom\">\u003Cstrong>5. Dolly zoom\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A dolly zoom, also known as the vertigo effect, is a technique that combines camera movement with focal length adjustments to create a visually striking effect.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Imagine a camera mounted on a track. As the camera physically moves toward the subject (dolly-in) the lens simultaneously zooms out. Conversely, the camera can dolly away (move backward) while zooming in. This creates a sense of distortion where the background seems to stretch or compress, while the subject remains relatively the same size in the frame.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The dolly zoom is a powerful tool for manipulating the viewer's perception. A dolly-in with a zoom-out creates feelings of isolation or disorientation, perfect for suspenseful scenes, while a dolly away with a zoom-in makes the background feel overwhelming or claustrophobic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This technique is often used to highlight a character's emotional state or draw focus to a critical moment in the story. A classic example of the dolly zoom can be seen in Alfred Hitchcock's film Vertigo. As the character Scottie descends a staircase, the camera dollies in while zooming out, warping the background and amplifying his fear of heights.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While traditionally used in live-action films, the dolly zoom can be effectively recreated in animation using 3D software.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-truck-shot\">\u003Cstrong>6. Truck shot\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A truck shot involves moving the camera laterally, left or right, along a virtual track. Unlike a pan which swivels the camera without changing its position, a truck shot physically repositions the camera's viewpoint.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A truck shot is used to slowly unveil a scene, building anticipation or suspense. Imagine for example a truck shot to the right, starting on a closed door and gradually revealing a character standing triumphantly on the other side. Trucking alongside a moving character or object creates a feeling of speed and dynamism. It puts the viewer right in the action, like being in the passenger seat of a car speeding down a highway. Trucking across a vast landscape or a towering building effectively communicates its size and grandeur.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-pedestal-shot\">\u003Cstrong>7. Pedestal shot\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The pedestal camera technique raises or lowers the camera vertically on a fixed axis. Unlike a tilt, which changes the camera angle while remaining horizontal, the pedestal shot keeps the camera perfectly level as it moves.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A slow \"pedestal up\" shot dramatically reveals a towering skyscraper or a majestic mountain range, or introduces a character with authority. Inversely, a \"pedestal down\" shot on a character makes them feel small and powerless.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, in a scene where a lone astronaut stands on the surface of the moon, a slow pedestal up could reveal the vast emptiness of space, highlighting the astronaut's isolation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-arc-shot\">\u003Cstrong>8. Arc shot\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The arc shot, also known as a 360-degree shot or 360 tracking shot, is a camera technique where the viewpoint revolves around a subject in a curved path. Imagine the camera smoothly gliding on a circular track, capturing the scene from ever-changing angles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By circling a character, the arc shot keeps them in focus while revealing their surroundings and establishing them as the center of attention. The gradual reveal of an environment creates a sense of mystery, leaving the audience wondering what lies beyond the character's immediate frame. A slow arc conveys a sense of awe and wonder, while a faster, more erratic one might build tension or excitement.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For a classic example, look no further than the Matrix scene where Neo effortlessly dodges bullets while the camera elegantly circles him.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-follow-shot\">\u003Cstrong>9. Follow shot\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The follow technique keeps a character or object in the frame as the camera moves alongside it through panning, tilting, or even a combination of both movements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A well-executed follow shot puts the audience right in the heart of the action, making them feel the rush of adrenaline alongside the character. For example, seeing a character racing through a forest. Following a character as they walk with their head down communicates feelings of sadness or defeat, following an enthusiastic character skipping down the street portrays joy and excitement.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"10-fly-through-shot\">\u003Cstrong>10. Fly-through shot\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A fly-through shot takes viewers on a journey through a virtual space. The camera movement mimics the feeling of flying, swiftly moving forward while panning and tilting to reveal the environment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Soaring through a grand landscape, a bustling cityscape, or even a fantastical world is incredibly immersive. They efficiently introduce viewers to a new environment, giving them a quick overview of the space, but also build up excitement and tension, especially if it leads towards a specific destination or reveals a hidden element.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Pixar's A Bug's Life opening scene is a great example of a fly-through shot. The camera swoops through the grass, revealing the bustling ant colony.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>It's the subtle art of camera work that breathes life into these creations: more than just framing a shot, camera techniques are powerful tools to elevate a scene or rest the viewer's eyes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article explored the various camera angles, movements, and shot types that animators use. By understanding how these elements influence the viewer's perception, you can use them to evoke emotions, establish character dominance, and guide the audience's focus.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While the final product might appear effortless, effective camera work is a complex topic. Remember to incorporate camera techniques into your storyboarding process to plan out how each scene will unfold visually.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Take the time to learn the fundamental camera movements and angles, then experiment with innovative approaches!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're looking to start a collaborative project, don't hesitate to reach out on our \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Discord server\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to get advice from other studios who have already gone through the process!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2310,"comment_id":2311,"feature_image":2312,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2313,"updated_at":2314,"custom_excerpt":2315,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2316,"primary_tag":2317,"url":2318,"excerpt":2315,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2319},"82cd2f66-38a4-42cf-9bbd-9dd43d25797e","664dbf4c70d4320001284b2c","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1520904541532-f47ac41fec59?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGNhbWVyYSUyMG1vdmllfGVufDB8fHx8MTcxNjM3NTUzNXww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-05-22T11:47:56.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:27:50.000+01:00","As our invisible eyes, the camera in animation has an active role. By meticulously controlling its movement, animators achieve a variety of effects to engage the viewers―far beyond simply showing us what's happening on screen, it's a powerful storytelling tool often unseen.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/camera-work-in-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@sharegrid?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">ShareGrid\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/camera-work-in-animation","2024-05-22T12:59:53.000+02:00",{"title":2305},"camera-work-in-animation","posts/camera-work-in-animation",[2326],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"7vCk1wbyTh76GvRypaz8WuZheto778xOlU_pXCJfMxA",{"id":2329,"title":2330,"authors":2331,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2333,"meta":2334,"navigation":15,"path":2345,"published_at":2346,"seo":2347,"slug":2348,"stem":2349,"tags":2350,"__hash__":2352,"uuid":2335,"comment_id":2336,"feature_image":2337,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2338,"updated_at":2339,"custom_excerpt":2340,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2341,"primary_tag":2342,"url":2343,"excerpt":2340,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2344},"ghost/posts:how-to-build-an-animation-portfolio.json","How To Build An Animation Portfolio In 2026",[2332],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Looking for a job isn't often a pleasant experience. You get out of your comfort zone, reach out to strangers to ask for livelihood, overcome rejection, and \"sell\" yourself for acceptance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's not easy. Even more so in a competitive industry like animation: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects only 9,400 openings for special effects artists and animators each year!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Landing your dream job pushes you to stand out from the crowd, and it starts with a strong animation portfolio―a chance to showcase your talent, skills, and creative vision to potential employers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, you'll find some pointers to consider to optimize your efforts and maximize your chances while building a portfolio.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-need-a-portfolio\">\u003Cstrong>Why you need a portfolio\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Hiring managers sit through countless applications, and your portfolio is their window into your skills and experiences.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A portfolio packed with impressive work instantly grabs attention and increases your chances of securing a position. Resumes list your skills and experience, but a portfolio brings them to life: it visually demonstrates your abilities through your best animation projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a field brimming with talented people, a well-designed portfolio sets you apart. It shows initiative, dedication, and a professional approach to your craft. It's your chance to shine brighter. Your portfolio isn't just a collection of images; it's your narrative. Use it to explain the thought process behind your work, the challenges you tackled, and the unique solutions you implemented. This allows you to take control of the story and showcase your creativity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But keep in mind that building a portfolio isn't a one-time task. It's a continuous process that encourages you to reflect on your past projects. By revisiting your work, you can identify areas for improvement and track your artistic development. This self-reflection becomes a valuable tool to guide your career path, so even if you feel discouraged, remember that investing time in crafting a stellar portfolio is no wasted effort!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-breadth-and-depth\">\u003Cstrong>1. Breadth and Depth\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Think of your animation portfolio as a condensed version of your creative skills and experiences. It should demonstrate not only your technical skills in animation itself but also your sense of design and communication abilities:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation samples\u003C/strong> - Include projects that explore different animation styles, like 2D, 3D, or even stop-motion. Consider going beyond just the final product and include elements from the animation process like storyboards or character designs to give viewers a glimpse into your thought process. And don't forget to include demo reels of your best animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Visuals & design\u003C/strong> - A strong foundation in drawing is a cornerstone of animation, so include concept art, character sheets, and background design examples to demonstrate your visual storytelling abilities.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Textual content\u003C/strong> - Don't underestimate the power of clear communication! Briefly explain the concept and thought process behind each project in your portfolio to give context. Mentioning the software you used for each project also showcases your technical proficiency.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The web is full of\u003Ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/comments/vod2jq/great_portfolio_examples/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>portfolio examples\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, so don't hesitate to do some research and get inspiration from them!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/kV6VUQyCFQ9T1JijQ6Vd9E2Wu-Rnp9pUqGVWB4SHw2IvwTUNgtPQbQbxRZAoridjKhTY-RdF1Qb8O0vPXxrkf4EmH6V7H4YchN0bML1cerBjbvQ0WvgeBZ870EPoWLSHRjy5xGIpFTLQFmblfuOLTUs\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1243\" height=\"857\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Source: \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://amyjxu.me/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>amyjxu.me\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-dont-neglect-soft-skills\">\u003Cstrong>2. Don't neglect soft skills\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A successful animator also needs a strong foundation in soft skills―interpersonal qualities that allow you to thrive in a collaborative environment:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Collaboration\u003C/strong> - Animation is rarely a one-person show. Studios often rely on teams of animators, directors, and writers to bring a project to life, and highlighting your ability to work effectively with others is key. Include projects where you collaborated with other artists, like group assignments or freelance partnerships. This demonstrates your communication skills and ability to adapt to different working styles.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Problem-solving\u003C/strong> - Animation is a constant process of refinement and revision. Include projects where you faced challenges, overcame obstacles, or found creative solutions under pressure.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Time management\u003C/strong> - Deadlines are a crucial part of any animation project so suggest your ability to manage your time effectively and deliver high-quality work on schedule.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Entrepreneurial skills\u003C/strong> - Aspiring animators often take initiative by creating personal projects or pursuing freelance work to highlight their drive, self-motivation, and business sense. This is especially valuable if you're targeting freelance opportunities or smaller studios.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Technical know-how and creativity aren't everything: show your ability to contribute to a successful animation team!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>An example from Mandy Clotworthy, adding a dedicated page to show her directing skills:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/lGRBd3pQq8vTcrPwv2AnDmtu0m5rG3a7-fYQZY6Cqv4uh6AnujiFXKA7smlJ81-SuvMD-7vE3TFoqr5hwuM6qbi_E-IcpMHmaVryb2fkfHLSBoAI1g9dOTwYh9D364XqbcK4ZTcb3SltH3GcMWEudPA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1547\" height=\"828\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-presentation-tell-a-story\">\u003Cstrong>3. Presentation: tell a story\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is all about storytelling. Your portfolio needs to reflect that― think of it as a story showcasing your skills and experience:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Start strong, finish stronger\u003C/strong> - Hook viewers from the very beginning. Place your most impressive and polished pieces at the forefront. As they delve deeper, maintain a high standard, concluding with another impactful piece that leaves a lasting impression.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Thematic grouping\u003C/strong> - Organize your work by project, theme, or style. This creates a sense of connection and progression throughout your portfolio. For example, group together all the animations from a specific project, showcase your character design skills through thematically linked pieces, or highlight your versatility with contrasting styles.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Visual cohesion\u003C/strong> - Maintain a consistent visual style throughout. This can be achieved through a unifying color palette, a consistent font choice, or a standardized layout for each piece. Visual coherence creates a professional look and strengthens the overall impact of your portfolio.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/ueM-dHAVA6XFabNb0hKtYC79v81TNwECEvsjlOFMXOeQi_SyYQTggbFQaVDdEa5ZIzqHZDI3dttYB6ucCh1pnk1D2gLmJeYHayYzj6E0pGhZ7GbidLlstDEzwU391f1chvv7Fmg_tOlD251uBdaZG04\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"743\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Source: YukaiDu.com\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-tailor-your-portfolio\">\u003Cstrong>4. Tailor Your Portfolio\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Your portfolio shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all display of your talents: the key to landing that perfect animation job lies in showcasing the skills most relevant to the specific position!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Tailor your portfolio to impress potential employers:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Do your research\u003C/strong> - Before diving in, research the company you're applying to. Understand their company culture, values, and the types of animation projects they typically create. This research provides valuable context for highlighting the right aspects of your skillset. Also, take a close look at the job description: it's essentially a roadmap you can reverse-engineer to identify the specific skills and experiences they're seeking.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Customize your showcase\u003C/strong> - Now that you understand the company's needs, it's time to curate your portfolio accordingly. Don't be afraid to create variations that emphasize the skills most relevant to each job application. For example, if you're applying for a position focused on character animation, prioritize projects that showcase your character design and animation capabilities.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Clear call-to-action\u003C/strong> - Don't leave potential employers guessing! Make it easy for them to reach out by including a relevant call-to-action on your portfolio website: a prominent email address, a contact form, or even links to your social media profiles.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-share-your-work\">\u003Cstrong>5. Share your work\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Creating an animation portfolio is just half the battle. The next crucial step is getting your work out there for the world to see. After all, what good is a portfolio if you don't share it?\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Embrace the power of social media\u003C/strong> - Platforms like Instagram, ArtStation, or even LinkedIn can be fantastic tools to showcase snippets of your work, character designs, or eye-catching animation loops. Use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience within the animation community.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Build your own platform\u003C/strong> - Consider building a professional website dedicated to your animation portfolio to get complete control over the presentation and showcase your work in the best possible light.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Beyond the final frame\u003C/strong> - Don't just present the finished product! Animation is a journey, and people love to see the process behind the magic: share concept sketches, storyboards, or even short \"making-of\" videos to give viewers a deeper understanding of your creative approach.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Be prepared to share on the go\u003C/strong> - When attending industry events or networking opportunities, have a link to your online portfolio readily available. This could be a business card with a QR code or a website address you can easily share during conversations.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/LnYFWZzNN6c_SpmkO-jPTadhDkYeL9XWSjhBBbIEFNKugOSYYnOIYspitzL2-tWXHn3rYZhQtk5MMEOjUWHJyDe0CcgPiiCuY2Hu2cMos6gd-H4-8ou73DUv0yHd9rZmpetIklkm_Nh3G1Du_4_uQyI\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1204\" height=\"907\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Pro Tip: If you've worked with satisfied clients, consider including testimonials in your portfolio. This social proof builds trust with potential employers.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Your animation portfolio is a living document, so don't let it gather dust in a corner! Aim for quality over quantity when adding new projects, research companies you'd love to work for, and tailor your portfolio to showcase the specific skills they value. This targeted approach demonstrates not only your talent but also your understanding of their needs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your portfolio isn't just a one-way street. Regularly revisiting your work is a fantastic way to assess your own growth as an animator: identify areas where you can improve and dedicate time to honing those skills. Your strengths can also be a springboard for carving your own unique path in the animation industry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Finally, don't be shy about sharing your portfolio! \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>\u003Cu>Our Discord community\u003C/u>\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> is a vibrant space filled with aspiring and experienced animation people. Share your work, get feedback, and connect with others on their animation journeys. Remember, we're all in this together!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2335,"comment_id":2336,"feature_image":2337,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2338,"updated_at":2339,"custom_excerpt":2340,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2341,"primary_tag":2342,"url":2343,"excerpt":2340,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2344},"5ef07ed2-3907-4292-bc5c-d84ee79f1b9b","6641ead75f71d800018c7e82","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518516278006-4aca92806257?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDQ2fHxjb2xvcnN8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzE1NTk2MDM2fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-05-13T12:26:31.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:33.000+01:00","Landing your dream job pushes you to stand out from the crowd, and it starts with a strong animation portfolio―a chance to showcase your talent, skills, and creative vision to potential employers.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-build-an-animation-portfolio/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@rgaleriacom?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Ricardo Gomez Angel\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/how-to-build-an-animation-portfolio","2024-05-13T12:32:37.000+02:00",{"title":2330},"how-to-build-an-animation-portfolio","posts/how-to-build-an-animation-portfolio",[2351],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"u5nmMWdXlIS1-YSC-3MFRgi92uWPqVP4VLHytAKnyhk",{"id":2354,"title":2355,"authors":2356,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2358,"meta":2359,"navigation":15,"path":2369,"published_at":2370,"seo":2371,"slug":2372,"stem":2373,"tags":2374,"__hash__":2375,"uuid":2360,"comment_id":2361,"feature_image":2362,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2363,"updated_at":2364,"custom_excerpt":2365,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2366,"primary_tag":8,"url":2367,"excerpt":2365,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2368},"ghost/posts:reduce-rework-animation.json","Reducing Rework (2026): A Guide to Quality Assurance in Animation Production",[2357],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction\">\u003Cstrong>Introduction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is a captivating dance of creativity and technical challenges with many moving parts, and even the smallest misstep can lead to a major fumble: an oversight during pre-production or production can snowball into costly rework, project delays, and ultimately, a less-than-stellar final product that disappoints both clients and audiences.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is where quality assurance (QA) steps in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>QA goes beyond simply fixing errors after they occur―it's a proactive strategy that focuses on identifying and mitigating potential issues throughout the entire animation pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By understanding the power of QA and leveraging best practices, animation studios can unlock a new level of efficiency and create productions that consistently impress. In this guide, we explain how production trackers like Kitsu help adopt such best practices.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-quality-assurance-in-animation-production\">\u003Cstrong>Why Quality Assurance in Animation Production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Imagine pouring months of meticulous work into crafting a breathtaking animation sequence, only to discover the 3D model is missing a key detail. A structured QA process can prevent even minor errors from slipping through the cracks, leading to significant benefits:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Reduced Rework\u003C/strong> - Catching errors early means less time and money spent fixing them later.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Improved Efficiency\u003C/strong> - Streamlined workflows with clear communication channels minimize delays and wasted resources.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Enhanced Creativity\u003C/strong> - Artists can focus on their creative vision with the confidence that technical aspects are under control.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Client Satisfaction\u003C/strong> - Delivering high-quality work on time fosters strong client relationships, builds trust, and increases the studio's reputation.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>QA is rarely a single process, though. It's a multifaceted approach that involves a combination of tools, techniques, and best practices. For the sake of simplicity we divide it into four, non-exhaustive key areas: task management, workflow optimization, real-time monitoring, and communication and collaboration.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-task-management\">\u003Cstrong>1. Task Management\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The first step to quality assurance is to assign, track, and monitor tasks throughout the production pipeline. This offers several benefits:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Clear task ownership and accountability\u003C/strong> - Production trackers assign tasks to specific individuals, making it clear who is responsible for each step. This prevents confusion and ensures everyone focuses on their assigned work, minimizing the risk of errors due to overlaps or misunderstandings.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Improved time management\u003C/strong> - Deadlines and milestones help teams prioritize tasks and manage their time effectively. This reduces the risk of last-minute changes and revisions, which often lead to rushed work and a higher chance of errors.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Visibility and awareness\u003C/strong> - All team members have access to project progress, task assignments, and discussions within the tracker. This transparency fosters a sense of shared accountability, encouraging everyone to take ownership of their tasks and contribute to maintaining high-quality standards, reducing the likelihood of individual errors impacting the overall project. When you allow team members to raise concerns or identify potential issues early on, you facilitate proactive problem-solving and prevent minor issues from escalating into major roadblocks that require extensive rework.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-workflow-optimization\">\u003Cstrong>2. Workflow Optimization\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Production trackers offer a visual representation of the entire production pipeline, highlighting areas where tasks pile up or progress slows down. This allows studios \u003Cstrong>to identify bottlenecks\u003C/strong> where work gets stuck, causing delays and potential rushed work that often leads to errors and rework.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, you can compare the time spent on different stages of the production pipeline to identify bottlenecks and areas that require optimization.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once bottlenecks are identified, studios can analyze them to understand the root causes. This might involve redistributing tasks, implementing new technologies, or adjusting communication protocols to reduce the likelihood of errors and the need for rework.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Production trackers also provide \u003Cstrong>a clear overview of task dependencies\u003C/strong> to enable efficient allocation of tasks based on skill sets and availability, preventing bottlenecks and delays that could lead to rushed work.  \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Production trackers can also be used \u003Cstrong>to define and standardize workflows for different stages of the animation process\u003C/strong>. This ensures everyone follows the same guidelines and procedures, minimizing inconsistencies that could lead to errors and the need for revisions.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-real-time-monitoring\">\u003Cstrong>3. Real-Time Monitoring\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Pipeline trackers also produce a plethora of log data that can be used to monitor more specific aspects of the project and respond accordingly.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Early detection and intervention\u003C/strong> - Real-time updates provide immediate visibility into the progress of individual tasks and the overall project, but it also allows for early detection of any deviations from the planned workflow, potential delays, or emerging errors. With real-time alerts and notifications, production teams can intervene and address issues promptly before they snowball into larger problems. This proactive approach prevents the need for extensive rework later in the production process, saving time and resources.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Faster iterations\u003C/strong> - With automated checks, you can enable continuous quality control throughout the production pipeline, encouraging regular reviews and revisions. Instead of relying on sporadic checks or post-production reviews, teams can monitor key quality parameters in real-time, ensuring adherence to standards and identifying any potential issues early on instead of waiting for the entire process to complete, leading to smaller, more manageable rework needs.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Data-driven decisions\u003C/strong> - This data allows studios to make informed decisions about resource allocation, ensuring that teams have the appropriate expertise and capacity to handle their assigned tasks effectively.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-communication-and-collaboration\">\u003Cstrong>4. Communication and Collaboration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Last but not least, communication is key to prevent rework. Animation is a collaborative process, and clear communication is essential to ensure everyone is on the same page creatively speaking.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Centralized communication\u003C/strong> - Production trackers provide a centralized asynchronous communication platform for all, eliminating the need for scattered emails, messages, or phone calls. This central platform ensures everyone has access to the latest information and updates, reducing confusion and miscommunication, a frequent source of rework. This allows them to discuss tasks, assets, and share updates:\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Real-time feedback\u003C/strong> - Integrated features like annotation tools allow for real-time feedback exchange. Team members can provide immediate feedback on work-in-progress, enabling quick course corrections.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Improved version control\u003C/strong> - Trackers also integrate version control features so that everyone works on the latest version of assets. This eliminates confusion and discrepancies arising from working on outdated versions, minimizing the need for rework due to conflicting edits or modifications.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The best part? Kitsu integrates all popular digital creation tools, so you can keep using your favorite software and still benefit from all these features.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Minimizing rework is crucial for ensuring efficiency, meeting deadlines, and delivering high-quality content. Quality assurance practices are the bedrock of a smooth production process, preventing errors that can snowball into costly rework later in the pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Production trackers have emerged as powerful tools in the QA arsenal, offering features that promote clear communication, streamlined workflows, and real-time monitoring. By facilitating collaboration, providing early error detection, and enabling data-driven decision-making, production trackers empower animation studios to significantly reduce rework and deliver exceptional results.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As the animation industry continues to evolve, embracing a culture of proactive QA, facilitated by effective production trackers, will be paramount for studios seeking to streamline production, optimize resources, and consistently deliver high-quality animations for their audiences.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're looking to start a collaborative project, don't hesitate to reach out on our \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Discord server\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to get advice from other studios who have already gone through the process!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2360,"comment_id":2361,"feature_image":2362,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2363,"updated_at":2364,"custom_excerpt":2365,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2366,"primary_tag":8,"url":2367,"excerpt":2365,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2368},"21a18a40-26f2-4e3b-9e04-e245c3b173f7","663902243940400001f0ecf9","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516321318423-f06f85e504b3?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHF1YWxpdHklMjBhc3N1cmFuY2V8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzE1MDMxNjA2fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-05-06T18:15:32.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:49.000+01:00","Animation is a captivating dance of creativity and technical challenges with many moving parts, and even the smallest misstep can lead to a major fumble: an oversight during pre-production or production can snowball into costly rework.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/reduce-rework-animation/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@johnishappysometimes?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">John Schnobrich\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/reduce-rework-animation","2024-05-06T23:55:14.000+02:00",{"title":2355},"reduce-rework-animation","posts/reduce-rework-animation",[],"oM-9OJLtY86ZA8Fs3WI0o2Yj_Vi70_iKoeYAoN28WWo",{"id":2377,"title":2378,"authors":2379,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2381,"meta":2382,"navigation":15,"path":2393,"published_at":2394,"seo":2395,"slug":2396,"stem":2397,"tags":2398,"__hash__":2401,"uuid":2383,"comment_id":2384,"feature_image":2385,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2386,"updated_at":2387,"custom_excerpt":2388,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2389,"primary_tag":2390,"url":2391,"excerpt":2388,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2392},"ghost/posts:animation-asset-security.json","Protecting Your Animation Studio’s Assets (2026): Security and Compliance",[2380],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction\">\u003Cstrong>Introduction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation feels like magic. But behind the scenes, a complex network of people, processes, and software known as the animation pipeline fuels this magic by handling a treasure trove of intellectual property (IP), including original character designs, storyboards, and the intricate animation sequences that form the heart of the final product.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The very nature of the animation pipeline, with its collaborative workflows and reliance on digital assets, creates a unique set of security challenges: protecting these valuable IP assets from unauthorized access, leaks, or malicious attacks is crucial for studios of all sizes. This article dives into the security landscape of the animation industry―vulnerabilities, best practices, and emerging technologies that animation studios can leverage to secure their work.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-security\">\u003Cstrong>Why Security\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Clients entrust studios with their creative vision and confidential information. But original animation productions also generate a lot of sensitive data: character designs, storyboards, 3D models, animation sequences, and even sometimes proprietary software. \u003Cstrong>Protecting these assets isn't just about protecting the studio's creative efforts―it's a critical business imperative.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Without robust security measures, animation studios become vulnerable to data breaches: malicious actors can exploit weaknesses in security systems to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, leading to the theft of intellectual property, financial data, and even personal information of employees and clients. \u003Cstrong>The consequences can be devastating in terms of financial losses, reputational damage, and even legal repercussions.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Fortunately, the technology is already there to drastically reduce risks.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-access-control\">\u003Cstrong>1. Access Control\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Access control acts as the gatekeeper, regulating who can access what and at what level.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Authentication\u003C/strong> - Just as a physical key unlocks specific doors, user authentication ensures that only authorized individuals can access a system or information. This typically involves verifying a user's identity through credentials like usernames, passwords, or multi-factor authentication.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Authorization\u003C/strong> - Once a user is authenticated, authorization determines the level of access they have within the system―read access, write access, admin, etc. This is where role-based access control (RBAC) comes into play.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Role-based access control\u003C/strong> - RBAC assigns different permission levels to individual users based on their roles within the studio. For instance, an animator might have access to their specific animation files and storyboard revisions, while a project manager might have broader access to manage project timelines and resources. This granular control ensures that users only have access to the information and functionalities necessary to perform their duties, effectively minimizing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-encryption\">\u003Cstrong>2. Encryption\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Data, even when protected by access controls, is still vulnerable during transmission and storage. This is where encryption steps in by transforming sensitive information into an unreadable format. Encryption adds an extra layer of protection, making it significantly more difficult for unauthorized individuals to gain access to sensitive information, even if they manage to bypass other security measures.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Encryption in transit\u003C/strong> - Animation studios often collaborate with remote teams or outsource specific tasks. This necessitates the secure transfer of sensitive data across networks. Encryption in transit scrambles data as it travels between systems, ensuring that even if intercepted by unauthorized individuals, it remains unreadable and unusable. For instance, Kitsu, our production tracker, uses HTTPS to transmit data securely over the internet.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Encryption at rest\u003C/strong> - Even when data is not actively being transferred, it needs robust protection in the event of a leak. Encryption at rest encrypts data while it's stored on servers, hard drives, or any other storage medium. This ensures that even if an attacker gains access to the storage device, the data itself remains inaccessible without the appropriate decryption key. \u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The effectiveness of encryption hinges on the strength of the encryption algorithms employed. Studios should opt for industry-standard algorithms that utilize complex mathematical formulas to make data virtually impossible to decipher without the decryption key. Additionally, regular rotation of encryption keys further enhances security by mitigating the risk of compromise even if a key is somehow compromised. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can rely on third-party products as we propose at CGWire and ask for media encryption if you don't want to manage that part. Kitsu can encrypt assets using AES-256, a widely recognized encryption standard.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-audit-trail\">\u003Cstrong>3. Audit Trail\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Access control and encryption form the backbone of a secure environment while audit trails act as the vigilant eyes―monitoring and recording user activities in the form of logs. These detailed logs play a crucial role in enforcing security and fostering accountability.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Logging of user activities\u003C/strong> - Audit trails meticulously record and document all user activities within the production tracker. This includes actions like accessing specific files, modifying project details, or making changes to user permissions. By capturing a comprehensive timeline of user activity, audit trails provide valuable insights into who did what, when, and how. This is useful for post-mortem analysis, compliance, and security investigations, but also for alerting in case of unauthorized access.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Traceability and accountability\u003C/strong> - In the unfortunate event of a security breach or suspicious activity, audit trails offer a clear trail for investigation. By analyzing the logs, security personnel can identify the source of the activity, trace the sequence of events, and determine the individuals involved. This facilitates accountability by enabling studios to identify and address any unauthorized or malicious actions.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-secure-integration\">\u003Cstrong>4. Secure Integration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The digital landscape rarely operates in isolation: animation studios often integrate their digital creation tools with various other software applications, such as rendering engines, asset management systems, and collaboration tools. These integrations allow for a seamless flow of data between different systems at the price of introducing new security considerations:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>API security measures\u003C/strong> - APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) act as the bridges that enable communication and data exchange between different software applications. To ensure the security of these connections, API key management is crucial: secure key generation, storage, rotation, authorization, etc.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Secure data exchange protocols\u003C/strong> - Beyond API security measures, studios should also ensure that the protocols used for data exchange are secure and reliable. For example, HTTPS encrypts communication between applications and SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) for secure file sharing.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-alerting\">\u003Cstrong>5. Alerting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As we saw in the audit trail section, real-time monitoring of assets, systems, and user activity allow animation studios to proactively identify potential security breaches, technical faults, or unauthorized access attempts. But monitoring alone isn't enough: it's crucial to have a robust alerting system that notifies security teams of any suspicious activities or anomalies in real-time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Automated alerts triggered by suspicious events or anomalies give security teams the opportunity to take swift corrective actions, minimizing the impact of a security incident:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Establish Clear Thresholds\u003C/strong> - Define critical thresholds for different performance metrics and security indicators like unusual network traffic, unauthorized login attempts, or changes to essential assets. Alerts should be triggered when these thresholds are crossed.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Focus on Actionable Alerts\u003C/strong> - Alerting systems should be designed to generate clear, actionable alerts that help security teams prioritize and respond effectively. Avoid excessive alerts that could lead to \"alert fatigue\" by false positives. Prioritize alerts based on severity using a system that distinguishes between critical, high, medium, and low-risk events.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Test and Refine Regularly\u003C/strong> - Regularly test and refine your alerting system to ensure its effectiveness. Adapt thresholds and configurations as needed to minimize false positives and ensure meaningful alerts.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Centralize Monitoring and Alerting\u003C/strong> - Instead of scattering your tools everywhere, consider a centralized platform to aggregate data from various systems and provides a consolidated view of alerts and security events.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Have a Clear Response Plan\u003C/strong> - Develop and document detailed procedures for investigating and responding to various types of alerts, including roles, responsibilities, and escalation processes for effective incident resolution.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-disaster-recovery-and-backup\">\u003Cstrong>6. Disaster Recovery and Backup\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While robust security measures go a long way in safeguarding assets, even the most well-prepared studios need a safety net in the face of unforeseen circumstances. This is where disaster recovery and backup plans become crucial.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Despite stringent security measures, accidents, technical glitches, or even natural disasters can lead to data loss. \u003Cstrong>Regular backups\u003C/strong> create redundant copies of essential data, including animation assets, project files, and production tracker information. These backups serve as a digital lifeline, allowing studios to recover lost data and resume operations swiftly. At CGWire, all data is backed up daily and stored in multiple locations to ensure its availability in case of a disaster.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Disaster recovery plans\u003C/strong> encompass a comprehensive strategy outlining the steps to be taken in the event of a major disruption: What are the most crucial data and systems that need immediate recovery in case of a disaster? What steps are involved in restoring data and systems from backups? Which communication channels to use for all stakeholders involved in the recovery process? How to minimize downtime?\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Behind the vibrant animations lies a crucial foundation – data security. Animation studios handle a wealth of data that needs protection.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Compliance with industry standards is not just a regulatory requirement; it is a commitment to fostering trust with clients and employees.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Production trackers equipped with robust security features play a critical role: from access control and encryption to monitoring, alerting, and disaster recovery, they empower studios to create a secure environment where innovation can flourish.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The animation industry is constantly evolving, and so too should its approach to security: AI poses new security challenges, studios are growing bigger and global, tools are increasingly used in cloud environments, etc. The call to action is clear: prioritize security in your animation studio. Invest in reliable production trackers with built-in security features, implement comprehensive security protocols, and embrace a culture of security awareness within your team! It's your studio's future at stake.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're looking for security best practices and advice on how to implement them, reach out to our Discord server to get advice from other studios that have already gone through the process!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2383,"comment_id":2384,"feature_image":2385,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2386,"updated_at":2387,"custom_excerpt":2388,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2389,"primary_tag":2390,"url":2391,"excerpt":2388,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2392},"63161fc4-9689-4946-802a-bc13ea77071d","661e99afce5ed70001ab41bd","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1584433144859-1fc3ab64a957?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE4fHxzZWN1cml0eXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MTMyODE1MDZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-04-16T17:30:55.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:03:45.000+01:00","The very nature of the animation pipeline, with its collaborative workflows and reliance on digital assets, creates a unique set of security challenges: protecting these valuable IP assets from unauthorized access, leaks, or malicious attacks",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-security/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@danny144?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Dan Nelson\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-asset-security","2024-04-16T17:38:25.000+02:00",{"title":2378},"animation-asset-security","posts/animation-asset-security",[2399,2400],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"NBJF8ZlDkKVOXw7Q-smgeRQkZJUcqrZUX7C8Nfxg_y0",{"id":2403,"title":2404,"authors":2405,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2407,"meta":2408,"navigation":15,"path":2417,"published_at":2418,"seo":2419,"slug":2420,"stem":2421,"tags":2422,"__hash__":2424,"uuid":2409,"comment_id":2410,"feature_image":2411,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2412,"updated_at":1024,"custom_excerpt":2413,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2414,"primary_tag":2415,"url":2416,"excerpt":2413,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2368},"ghost/posts:collaborative-animation-production.json","Collaborative Animation Productions: How Studios Can Join Forces Effectively In 2026",[2406],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>The animation industry sees a rise in collaborative productions where multiple studios join forces to tackle a single project. This approach is more and more common for big productions with films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023 - Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and Marvel Entertainment) or shows like Arcane (2021 - Fortiche, Netflix, Riot Games)―but also with independent animators joining forces on platforms like Youtube, Instagram or TikTok.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Working with other studios is not without difficulties, however. You'll need to navigate communication breakdowns and cultural differences, balance divergent creative visions while keeping your artistic integrity, and manage diverse workflows and production pipelines, not to mention the complexities of intellectual property rights.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Despite these hurdles, the potential rewards of collaboration are undeniable in fostering innovation. At Kitsu, we saw animation projects that would have never gotten off the ground without studios joining hands, and we wanted to record in this article the advantages, best practices, and tools to split work between several studios.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-collaboration\">\u003Cstrong>Why Collaboration\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Collaboration allows studios to share resources, expertise, and talent.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each studio brings its unique perspectives and creative styles to the table, transcending the limitations of a single studio's vision to offer something fresh and original.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Collaborative efforts can also significantly reduce financial risks and production time because studios can pool resources, distribute tasks based on individual strengths, and leverage existing infrastructure to streamline the production process―leading to faster completion and potentially lower overall costs by economy of scale.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, collaboration allows studios to tap into new audiences and markets. By partnering with studios in different regions, they gain access to new cultural insights and distribution channels, effectively breaking down geographical barriers and expanding their global footprint. This not only benefits the studios in the short term but also opens doors for new content to reach a wider audience.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-clear-scope-task-division\">\u003Cstrong>1. Clear scope & task division\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before embarking on any collaborative venture, all participating studios must have a clear understanding of the project's scope: the overall vision, budget, target audience, and desired outcome.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the bigger picture is established, it's crucial to divide tasks in a way that leverages each studio's strengths. Establishing defined roles and responsibilities for each studio is vital to eliminate confusion and foster accountability: who will oversee which part of the animation process? Who handles marketing and distribution? Defining these roles upfront prevents potential conflicts and redundant tasks, and ensures everyone is on the same page.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is where a detailed production schedule comes in, outlining key milestones, deadlines, and dependencies. A production tracker like Kitsu allows teams to define animation tasks so that both animators and supervisors from all studios are on the same page:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/3m4T4LXPUy_VZjM5xWaKFc3f5srgyXM0KX3VEHeew3KwKasLohvz8FMkYKVtggRo8oDVIRvQnOSIcKFSAWaLoTygxSJH1xpbtO-GzaJzdwmnbCnkLqBSK9e3RsjPdNGnjHHgRlSaTebdw9QKw2bpacw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1438\" height=\"809\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Beyond individual tasks, collaborating studios need to agree on the creative direction, storyboards, and style guides to create a unified aesthetic and ensure all contributions seamlessly blend into the final product.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Similarly, developing a detailed budget helps maintain smooth workflow and financial transparency. A budget ensures all studios are aware of financial limitations and resource allocation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-transparent-communication\">\u003Cstrong>2. Transparent communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Clear and open communication is the pillar of any successful collaboration, and it's no different in a multi-studio environment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Establishing a shared communication platform between studios is the first step. With Kitsu you can follow the productivity of your artists, anticipate when someone encounters difficulties using productivity goals to make sure no one is blocked, and leave annotations on scenes and assets. This is great for asynchronous communication, combined with a messaging platform like Slack or Discord:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To bridge the physical and cultural divides, fostering cross-studio teams can be beneficial. Composed of representatives from each participating studio, these teams serve as communication centerpoints to facilitate information exchange and foster a collaborative spirit. For smaller teams, real-time collaboration tools like video conferencing and instant messaging platforms allow for immediate problem-solving, brainstorming sessions, and progress updates. This immediacy fosters a sense of connection and reduces the risk of misunderstandings due to delays in communication.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While the tools are important, a strong communication plan acts as the foundation. This plan can include communication protocols (async vs sync channels), frequency of meetings, and designated points of contact. Another important element of a communication plan should cover collective reviews.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-collective-reviews\">\u003Cstrong>3. Collective reviews\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Implementing regular feedback loops between studios is essential―setting up consistent check-ins, sharing progress reports, and actively soliciting feedback throughout the production process. By fostering open dialogue and addressing concerns promptly, studios can prevent issues from snowballing and ensure everyone feels heard and valued.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Collective reviews offer a platform for feedback sessions, where each studio can provide constructive criticism and insights into the work of others. This exchange of perspectives allows for the identification of potential weaknesses, exploration of alternative approaches, and ultimately, an improvement in the overall quality of the project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once again, Kitsu is a real life saver here thanks to its review engine: you can build playlists to review all your shots and assets sequentially, schedule review sessions to gather your team, and preview historical versions of your deliverables.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Collaborative work inevitably encounters moments of disagreement, and collective reviews provide an avenue for conflict management. Through open dialogue and respectful exchange of ideas, studios can navigate differences, find common ground, and ultimately reach solutions that benefit the project as a whole. Make sure to \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\">\u003Cu>read our blog on effective feedback and conflict resolution\u003C/u>\u003C/a> to get this right―conflicts can also kill a project before it's even finished, after all.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-pipeline-management\">\u003Cstrong>4. Pipeline management\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Mastering pipeline management is essential to ensure the various studios contributing to the project are in sync, ensuring a smooth flow of information and assets between studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The biggest hurdle in collaborative pipeline management lies in reconciling different digital creation tools: each studio may utilize its own preferred software for animation, modeling, or texturing. This creates a compatibility challenge, making it difficult to seamlessly share and integrate assets between studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To prevent this, an asset manager like Kitsu acts as a central storage hub where all studios can access, collaborate on, and share project assets in a standardized format, making it a single source of truth for all project-related information. This eliminates compatibility issues and ensures everyone is working with the latest version of each asset.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Asset managers offer features like version control, allowing studios to track changes made to assets and revert to previous versions if necessary. This fosters transparency and accountability, minimizing the risk of confusion and ensuring everyone remains on the same page:\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-data-security-and-privacy\">\u003Cstrong>5. Data security and privacy\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Collaboration raises crucial questions about data security to safeguard sensitive information.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's important to define intellectual property ownership rights and usage when dealing with original characters, storylines, and concepts to protect the creative contributions of each studio. To avoid future disputes, studios should establish clear data ownership and usage agreements before embarking on a collaborative project. These agreements clearly define who owns the data generated (e.g., animation assets, storyboards), how it can be used, and under what circumstances. Additionally, they should outline any restrictions on data sharing or redistribution.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Again, production trackers and asset management tools like Kitsu are key to exchange sensitive information like storyboards, character designs, or 3D assets. This includes implementing encryption to scramble data in transit and at rest, ensuring only authorized users can access it, and planning for data leaks or storage errors. Check out our dedicated article on \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-security\">\u003Cu>best practices to secure animation assets for more information\u003C/u>\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-coordinated-marketing\">\u003Cstrong>6. Coordinated marketing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>One of the key benefits of collaboration is unlocked by extending it during post-production to marketing and distribution activities:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Share marketing and distribution strategies to tap into different audiences and distribution channels.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Highlight the collaborative effort through joint crediting and promotion with co-branded trailers or joint social media campaigns to pique the audience's curiosity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Celebrates the unique collaboration behind it with behind-the-scenes featurettes showcasing the combined creative process.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Seeing more animators and studios working together instead of competing is exciting to witness: this collaborative approach not only fosters groundbreaking creative endeavors but also allows studios to expand their reach and explore new markets―literally creating new worlds. As the animation industry evolves, collaboration is poised to become an increasingly more common strategy to drive studio profits up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By acknowledging the challenges and implementing best practices in areas like communication, pipeline management, and data security, studios can leverage the strengths of this approach. A tool like Kitsu can help you manage the complexity of a multi-studio production, from task division to asset management, and ensure a smooth collaboration.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're looking to start a collaborative project, don't hesitate to reach out in our \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Discord server\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to get advice from other studios who have already gone through the process!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2409,"comment_id":2410,"feature_image":2411,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2412,"updated_at":1024,"custom_excerpt":2413,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2414,"primary_tag":2415,"url":2416,"excerpt":2413,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2368},"2a38f81b-40da-48ff-a596-5351f7e7b0a3","660c3936beca4f0001879097","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516321497487-e288fb19713f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fGNvbGxhYnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3MTIwNzcyNDR8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-04-02T18:58:30.000+02:00","The animation industry sees a rise in collaborative productions where multiple studios join forces to tackle a single project. This approach is more and more common for big productions but also with independent animators.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/collaborative-animation-production/","/posts/collaborative-animation-production","2024-04-02T19:02:17.000+02:00",{"title":2404},"collaborative-animation-production","posts/collaborative-animation-production",[2423],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"OqdHQ0KypRzNQjn9ta0qqUICw-I8mYfQFFreH9PEYS4",{"id":2426,"title":2427,"authors":2428,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2430,"meta":2431,"navigation":15,"path":2441,"published_at":2442,"seo":2443,"slug":2444,"stem":2445,"tags":2446,"__hash__":2448,"uuid":2432,"comment_id":2433,"feature_image":2434,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2435,"updated_at":2436,"custom_excerpt":2437,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2438,"primary_tag":2439,"url":2440,"excerpt":2437,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-march-2024-update.json","Build In Public: March 2024 Update",[2429],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! In this post, you will learn everything we did during the past three months.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Recently, we noticed a surge of studios using Kitsu, with many projects running simultaneously instead of just a few big projects. That's why we added features that were more adapted to this case.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>1 - Cross-production task list\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can now list tasks throughout the studio. It allows you to track the load and the progress of a whole department or a single person.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>2 - Kanban view\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For artists, it may be convenient to manage their tasks through a kanban view. It fits better with the agile culture\u003Cstrong>,\u003C/strong> making things more user-friendly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>3 - Calendar view\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To better understand their schedule, artists can now see all their tasks in a calendar. It's pretty convenient to see if some tasks overlap with others or personal duties.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>4 - Single Entity page revamp \u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Asset, shot, sequence, and episode pages were a little bit messy. We made things clearer by showing all sections clearly and using the whole screen for each of them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>5 - Token script\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Until this addition, scripters should connect via a user to the API. It's not convenient to do neutral automation. It's now possible to have an API token to connect to Kitsu, allowing the management of this access independently of a user.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We spent most of our time on strengthening our infrastructure by setting up more backups and automation. It will allow you to recover your installation faster depending on any issue that happens.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Events\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Past months were pretty quiet on our side from an event perspective. Our tech team went to FOSDEM to sharpen their skills. On the production side, we will be at FMX. If you pass by there, we would be glad to meet you! We will have the same booth near the food. You can't miss us :).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Finance\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As usual, we updated our finance charts. You can check them via the dedicated URL below. The animation market is still pretty calm. It has impacted our revenue significantly. Fortunately, we were able to start working on a new feature film and a new TV series, and we onboarded many short film agencies. We are also making progress with mobile video game companies. So, we are on the path to finding growth again.\u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://metrics.cg-wire.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We will still publish detailed articles on our blog. We encourage you to read them to sharpen your production skills! We also did a technological watch of upcoming AI tooling. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Studios and productions\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>We were glad to welcome many newcomers. It's exciting to see the project expanding in other areas than animation. Find the list below:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Supercell - \u003Ca href=\"https://supercell.com/en/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://supercell.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Uniko - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.uniko.com.es/?lang=en&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.uniko.com.es/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Unagi - \u003Ca href=\"https://studio-unagi.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://studio-unagi.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Pixelblue - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.pixelblue.ca/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.pixelblue.ca/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Abduct Studios - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.abduct.studio/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.abduct.studio/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Illogic Studios - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.illogicstudios.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.illogicstudios.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>RITCS - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ritcs.be/nl?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.ritcs.be/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Nikopicto - \u003Ca href=\"https://nikopicto.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://nikopicto.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Werlenmeyer - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.werlenmeyer.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.werlenmeyer.com/\u003C/a> \u003Cbr>Naive - \u003Ca href=\"http://naive.se/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">http://naive.se/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>PluffyFX - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@danbull?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.youtube.com/@danbull\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Signos - \u003Ca href=\"http://www.signos.com.co/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">http://www.signos.com.co/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Bus Group - \u003Ca href=\"https://bus.group/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://bus.group/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>WarriorsVFX - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.warriorsvfx.com.br/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.warriorsvfx.com.br/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To conclude\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions. We will work on entity chats, project templating, and scheduling features, among other upcoming features. Let us know if you have specific needs you would like to see addressed in Kitsu!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2432,"comment_id":2433,"feature_image":2434,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2435,"updated_at":2436,"custom_excerpt":2437,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2438,"primary_tag":2439,"url":2440,"excerpt":2437,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"d32d0bc1-724d-4d7c-8b55-70135ed98d04","66018149754f8d0001ee1504","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/03/buildinpublic_march_2024.png","2024-03-25T14:51:05.000+01:00","2024-03-26T12:58:04.000+01:00","Welcome to our Quarter update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! In this post, you will learn everything we did during the past three months. ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-march-2024-update/","/posts/build-in-public-march-2024-update","2024-03-26T12:28:39.000+01:00",{"title":2427},"build-in-public-march-2024-update","posts/build-in-public-march-2024-update",[2447],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"FlOE6vTfTn4MNZA7YWI1-NjbLVuM5eqsV39ZG6S6kC0",{"id":2450,"title":2451,"authors":2452,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2454,"meta":2455,"navigation":15,"path":2466,"published_at":2467,"seo":2468,"slug":2469,"stem":2470,"tags":2471,"__hash__":2473,"uuid":2456,"comment_id":2457,"feature_image":2458,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2459,"updated_at":2460,"custom_excerpt":2461,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2462,"primary_tag":2463,"url":2464,"excerpt":2461,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2465},"ghost/posts:maximizing-animation-revenue-streams.json","Maximizing Revenue Streams (2026): Diversifying Your Animation Studio’s Offerings",[2453],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>slug: \"maximizing-animation-revenue-streams\"\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction\">\u003Cstrong>Introduction\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The animation industry is experiencing a golden age: from feature films and television shows to video games and streaming services, there's a skyrocketing demand for high-quality animated content. This is a fantastic opportunity for animation studios if you can handle the unique challenge of managing a growing number of projects simultaneously and efficiently.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article explores the importance of diversifying revenue streams and provides actionable tips to help studios achieve financial success. We'll dive into various strategies studios can implement to expand their offerings, juggle creative vision, tight deadlines, and resource allocation across diverse projects, and navigate the ever-evolving animation market.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-work-on-multiple-productions\">\u003Cstrong>Why work on multiple productions\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Maintaining \u003Cstrong>a steady flow of work keeps teams engaged\u003C/strong>. Skills can go underutilized as studios move through different phases of the production pipeline, while working in waves, with smaller projects in different stages keeps everyone involved. While one team finalizes a 3D animated commercial, another one can dedicate time to storyboarding and character design for an upcoming 2D animated series.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By taking on projects in various genres, \u003Cstrong>studios expand their reach and appeal to a broader audience\u003C/strong>. This not only attracts new clients but also establishes them as versatile players in the industry. A studio known for creating action-adventure films could for example decide to produce a heartwarming children's show, showcasing their ability to cater to different markets while attracting families and young viewers. \u003Cstrong>Diversity fosters innovation\u003C/strong>: working on projects with distinct styles and requirements pushes creative boundaries.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Working with other studios can also foster a cross-exchange of ideas and resources, \u003Cstrong>paving the way for co-productions\u003C/strong> benefiting everyone involved creatively and financially.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Inversely, it's worth noting that \u003Cstrong>taking on too much can be detrimental\u003C/strong>: spreading resources too thin can lead to burnout and compromised quality. One must find the right balance between keeping teams engaged and leaving room for down time to foster creativity. To do so, consider the following strategies and tactics.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-prioritization-based-on-deadlines-and-client-needs\">\u003Cstrong>1. Prioritization based on deadlines and client needs\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Effectively prioritizing tasks is necessary to not drown in multiple projects running concurrently.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Real-time progress tracking\u003C/strong> - Use tools like production trackers to get real-time updates on each project's progress. It'll allow you to keep your communication with clients proactive, keep them informed and foster trust. Studios can identify potential bottlenecks early on and adjust course to prevent delays that could impact deadlines and client satisfaction.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Creating project pipelines\u003C/strong> - Develop clear project pipelines outlining the specific steps involved in each project's lifecycle. This visual representation helps identify dependencies between tasks and ensure a smooth flow of work with well-defined priorities. Create detailed timelines for each project, factoring in task durations, resource availability, and client expectations. This ensures that deadlines are realistic and achievable, minimizing last-minute scrambling. In Kitsu, for example, you can create custom workflows for each project, ensuring that each task is completed in the right order and on time:\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Monitoring progress across different projects\u003C/strong> - A tool like Kitsu allows studios to centralize information for all ongoing projects to provide a holistic view. By constantly monitoring progress across projects, studios can identify areas needing additional focus or adjustments in resource allocation to move forward efficiently.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/03/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1860\" height=\"1291\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2024/03/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2024/03/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2024/03/image.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2024/03/image.png 1860w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-resource-management-and-allocation\">\u003Cstrong>2. Resource management and allocation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Task management is one thing, but you also need to make sure to assign the right people and tools to the right tasks at the right time.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cross-training and versatility\u003C/strong> - Cross-functional teams represent a powerful approach to break down departmental silos and leverage the diverse expertise of team members across various disciplines. Investing in cross-training enables team members to contribute to a wider range of projects, increasing overall flexibility and adaptability. This allows the studio to strategically allocate resources based on fluctuating project demands.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Using specialized tools\u003C/strong> - As we previously mentionned, production trackers help visualize resource availability, identify potential conflicts, and ensure optimal utilization of personnel and equipment across projects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Agile project management\u003C/strong> - Employing an agile project management approach allows for flexible scheduling and adjustments as needed. By breaking down projects into smaller, manageable tasks that are regularly reviewed, teams can adapt to unforeseen changes or client requests without derailing the entire workflow.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Continuous communication and collaboration\u003C/strong> - Kitsu allows teams to collaborate together effectively, either through asynchronous communication channels like comments and annotations, or through in-person reviews thanks to the review engine. This ensures that everyone is on the same page while giving more independence to each animator to maximize both individual and team contributions:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>One of the most important aspects of working on several projects at once is to empower team members with the autonomy and resources needed to complete their assigned tasks effectively, by setting clear expectations regarding deliverables, deadlines, and communication protocols. \u003Cstrong>If you make it easy for them to do their job, it'll be easier for them to work on multiple projects at once\u003C/strong> because each task will have clear context, input and expected output.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-reusable-assets\">\u003Cstrong>3. Reusable assets\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Pre-made assets like character rigs, backgrounds, props, or animation sequences can be easily repurposed across multiple projects to save significant time and effort instead of reinventing the wheel with every new production.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Plan for reusability\u003C/strong> - From the outset, design assets with reusability in mind. Consider modularity, generic themes, and adaptability for maximum flexibility across different projects. Create a well-organized and searchable asset library to make it easy for teams to find and reuse existing assets.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Meticulous documentation\u003C/strong> - Document each asset clearly, including how it was made, intended uses, and any variations available. This information will help teams understand the potential applications of each asset.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Version control\u003C/strong> - Implement a robust version control system to track changes to assets and ensure that the latest versions are always used. This prevents teams from using outdated or incorrect assets.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Quality over quantity\u003C/strong> - Focus on creating a core set of high-quality, versatile assets rather than a huge collection of niche pieces. This ensures that the assets have broad use cases and can be adapted to fit a variety of needs.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Kitsu can act as a centralized repository for all your assets, independently of the digital creation tool used to create them.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-specialization-strategies\">\u003Cstrong>4. Specialization Strategies\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A studio specializing in creating explainer videos can efficiently onboard new animators familiar with the specific software and techniques required. Niching down brings a host of benefits:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Identify your niche\u003C/strong> - Focus on mastering 2D, 3D, stop-motion, or another specific animation style, genre, or target audience. A popular Youtube channel like Kurzgesagt makes huge numbers by focusing on motion graphics and educational content, for example.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Specialization leads to standardized processes\u003C/strong> specific to your niche, saving time on project setup. Deep expertise translates to quicker turnaround times and to more projects. A studio specializing in 2D character animation can create pre-built templates for character rigs and animation cycles, allowing them to focus on the creative aspects of new projects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Attract ideal clients\u003C/strong> - Become known as the \"go-to\" studio for your chosen niche to make finding clients easier. For instance, a studio renowned for its stop-motion animation for children's content can partner with educational channels and toy companies.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Command premium rates\u003C/strong> - Standing out as a leader in your specialized field allows you to charge higher fees while reducing competition. For example, a studio specializing in complex 3D creature animation will have more leverage for negotiation than a studio without this deep expertise in a bid for a horror movie.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Remember: specialization isn't about limiting options―it's about strategic growth. By focusing your expertise, you make it easier to find clients, hire, and work on multiple projects in parallel.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-diversification-strategies\">\u003Cstrong>5. Diversification Strategies\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Inversely, diversification allows studios to tap into new markets and experiment. By carefully considering their strengths, new audience opportunities, and strategic partnerships, studios can responsibly broaden their offerings:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Expand within your core competency\u003C/strong> - A 2D animation studio could explore different styles (hand-drawn, vector, or motion graphics alongside their existing skillset), formats (shorts, series, features), or target audiences (from kid animation to young adults).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Strategic partnerships & acquisitions\u003C/strong> - Collaborate with studios offering skills that enhance your own, or partner on larger or diverse projects to leverage combined expertise and resources. Examples: Studio C, specializing in 2D animation, partners with Studio D, known for 3D animation, to co-produce a hybrid animated film. Studio E acquires a smaller studio with sound design expertise, expanding its service offerings.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Offer additional services\u003C/strong> - A studio specializing in pre-production could provide concept art, storyboarding, scriptwriting, or animatics. Another studio could expand into post-production, offering editing, sound design, color correction, or VFX. Studios can also leverage original characters or content for merchandise and licensing deals.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Invest in team development\u003C/strong> - Equip your team with new skills and software capabilities, or undertake small projects in new styles or techniques to build expertise and attract new clients.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Diversification isn't random expansion, it's supposed to empower you to build a more resilient business by creating new revenue streams and expanding your reach.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>For animation studios, navigating the content boom requires a multi-modal approach. Maximizing revenue streams goes beyond operational efficiency: studios must be proactive and strategic in their approach. Embracing multiple productions allows for exploration, increased productivity, and financial stability. And it doesn't imply taking several projects from A to Z all by yourself―less can be more.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In any case, a production tracker like Kitsu is key to stay afloat in a sea of projects. It helps you keep track of progress, streamline your production pipeline, manage your assets, and keep your team in sync, no matter how many projects you're working on at once.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're interested in learning more about how studios work on multiple projects, make sure to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>join our Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> and ask away! We're more 1000+ experts in the animation industry, and we're always happy to help\u003C/em>.\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2456,"comment_id":2457,"feature_image":2458,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2459,"updated_at":2460,"custom_excerpt":2461,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2462,"primary_tag":2463,"url":2464,"excerpt":2461,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2465},"c22092c3-e32c-4167-8981-fd4479e507e2","660168ea754f8d0001ee14e8","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1579621970795-87facc2f976d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fGZpbmFuY2V8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzExMzY4NTIxfDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-03-25T13:07:06.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:38:39.000+01:00","This article explores the importance of diversifying revenue streams and provides actionable tips to help studios achieve financial success. ",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/maximizing-animation-revenue-streams/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@micheile?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">micheile henderson\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/maximizing-animation-revenue-streams","2024-03-25T13:27:46.000+01:00",{"title":2451},"maximizing-animation-revenue-streams","posts/maximizing-animation-revenue-streams",[2472],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"cYdgolEtxbs-9fU1ptzI9yPmQPYMmBdJQdmtAS3V1GA",{"id":2475,"title":2476,"authors":2477,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2479,"meta":2480,"navigation":15,"path":2491,"published_at":2492,"seo":2493,"slug":2494,"stem":2495,"tags":2496,"__hash__":2498,"uuid":2481,"comment_id":2482,"feature_image":2483,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2484,"updated_at":2485,"custom_excerpt":2486,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2487,"primary_tag":2488,"url":2489,"excerpt":2486,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2490},"ghost/posts:data-analytics-in-animation-studio-management.json","Data Analytics in Animation Studio Management (2026)",[2478],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Data analytics is often overlooked by animation studios. As the animation industry continues to evolve in a digital age, understanding the importance of data analytics becomes increasingly crucial for studios aiming to stay competitive and deliver captivating content to audiences worldwide: behind the scenes lies a treasure trove of production data waiting to be mined for valuable insights.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This article delves into the significance of data analytics in animation production, shedding light on why its potential is often overlooked and why it should be embraced as a vital tool for success. From performance tracking and cost optimization to audience insights and predictive analytics, the benefits of leveraging production data are deep and far-reaching.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-data-analytics-for-management\">\u003Cstrong>Why Data Analytics for Management:\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The incorporation of data analytics in animation studio management is a strategic move driven by the need for precision and efficiency. The intricate nature of data collected by production trackers offers a wealth of insights that, when harnessed effectively, can empower studios to make informed decisions, identify cost-saving opportunities, and maximize revenue.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation studios deal with a multitude of data points, ranging from project timelines to resource allocation and rendering processes. The sheer complexity of this data necessitates advanced analytics tools to derive meaningful patterns and trends. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>By leveraging analytics, studios can gain a comprehensive understanding of their production processes, enabling them to optimize workflows, minimize bottlenecks, and enhance overall project management.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The traditional approach of relying solely on artistic intuition is gradually being replaced by data-driven decision-making, offering a more strategic and efficient path to success. This transition from a subjective decision-making process to an objective, data-driven approach not only improves operational efficiency but also positions studios to thrive in an increasingly competitive industry.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-what-data-to-measure-and-how\">\u003Cstrong>1. What Data to Measure and How\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation studios must first identify key metrics to measure.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"time-management\">\u003Cstrong>Time Management\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Task duration for time estimates\u003C/strong> - Understanding the time required for each task and sprint is essential for accurate project planning. Data analytics can provide valuable insights into the historical performance of animation teams, allowing studios to set realistic deadlines and allocate resources optimally. By analyzing past project data, studios can identify patterns in task completion times, helping them make more informed decisions on project timelines and resource allocation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rendering time \u003C/strong>- Rendering is a resource-intensive process in animation production, often requiring substantial computing power. Data analytics can streamline rendering processes by analyzing rendering times, identifying inefficiencies, and optimizing the allocation of rendering resources. This not only reduces production costs but also enhances overall project efficiency, allowing studios to deliver high-quality animations within tighter deadlines.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"budget\">\u003Cstrong>Budget\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Budget and cost data\u003C/strong> - Monitor budget allocations and actual expenditures for each project. Analyzing cost data helps studios identify areas where expenses can be optimized, leading to better financial management.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"workload-distribution\">\u003Cstrong>Workload distribution\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Resource utilization\u003C/strong> - Track the utilization of human resources, including artists, animators, and other team members. This can help in identifying underutilized or overburdened resources, allowing for more balanced workloads.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Task dependencies\u003C/strong> - Understand the dependencies between different tasks in the production pipeline. Identifying task dependencies helps in planning and prioritizing activities to avoid bottlenecks and delays. In the same vein, knowing when assets are ready for a given shot is pretty useful.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"quality\">\u003Cstrong>Quality\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Quality metrics\u003C/strong> - Measure and track the quality of the animation output. This can include client satisfaction scores, feedback from stakeholders, and adherence to quality standards. Monitoring quality metrics ensures that the final product meets or exceeds expectations. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Error rates\u003C/strong> - Keep track of errors or rework required during the production process. High error rates may indicate areas that need process improvement, additional training, or better tools.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"productivity\">\u003Cstrong>Productivity\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Workflow efficiency\u003C/strong> - Evaluate the efficiency of the overall workflow, from project initiation to completion. Identify areas where processes can be streamlined or automated to improve overall efficiency and reduce production time. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Team productivity\u003C/strong> - Measure the productivity of individual team members and the team as a whole. This can include completed tasks per unit of time, meeting deadlines, and overall project throughput. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Turnaround times\u003C/strong> - Track the time it takes to complete specific milestones or phases of a project. Analyzing turnaround times helps in setting realistic expectations for clients and stakeholders.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-generating-data-with-a-production-tracker\">\u003Cstrong>2. Generating data with a production tracker\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>You’ll need metadata from your digital creation tools to compute the aforementioned metrics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Metadata is a rich source of information included in digital content creation and monitoring tools providing additional context and insights into various aspects of the production pipeline. The most efficient way to generate and query such metadata is to use a production tracker like Kitsu:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Kitsu allows your studio to store your production data in a single place. You can synchronize your data across different digital creation tools and run custom scripts when events occur to automate most actions in your pipeline. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>The ability to collaborate remotely across the globe leads to better decisions and faster deliveries: you get information in real-time so you can assign tasks and send directives accordingly to make your team more productive. The data is stored securely and is always accessible to your team and pipeline so that everyone stays on the same page. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>We provide software integrations with popular tools like Blender, Unreal Engine, or Harmony, as well as developer tooling to facilitate cross-communication between your tools, allowing artists to stick to their favorite workflows. \u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://kitsu.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#getting-started\">\u003Cu>You can start with Kitsu for free\u003C/u>\u003C/a> without the need for a consultant, intensive training, or technical know-how. All you need to start generating data is to start tracking your production assets and tasks using Kitsu, and Kitsu will take care of collecting everything.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-extracting-data\">\u003Cstrong>3. Extracting data\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are two ways to extract data from Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first one is to go to a stats page and export the report as a .csv file. For example, with the asset stats page, you can quickly get an overview of the progress of your production: \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/S2zXPdcXr5QtLdmuDp_MYzmElygyn1Rqe53FtYes3nu5tE972WStxgK-zOIykwUOBzhL6cXu1QCxBxyOFd8rMYFHBDvfn3N_QIBXwJlBjCfj2WXNyPppmvWwCxWqa39loZqKSp6FYmU0Gs5gGieLL-U\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1335\" height=\"448\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Kitsu also exposes an HTTP API that allows you to centralize and access all your production data. This method is preferred for data analytics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Building a movie involves a lot of data: assets, shots, casting, task assignments, file locations, etc. All this information is shared among all the departments. This data contains important metadata for analytical processes, for example:\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"assets\">\u003Cstrong>Assets\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>General Metadata -\u003C/strong> Includes creation dates, descriptions, and information about the artists or teams responsible for each asset. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Versioning Information -\u003C/strong> Maintain metadata on different versions of a project or asset. Versioning information is crucial for tracking changes, understanding the evolution of a project, and ensuring that the latest versions are used in production. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Historical Metadata -\u003C/strong> Retain historical metadata for assets and projects. This includes changes made, contributors involved, and any significant events during the production process. Historical metadata provides a comprehensive audit trail for analysis and learning from past experiences.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"tasks\">\u003Cstrong>Tasks\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Production metadata -\u003C/strong> Capture metadata related to each production, like start and end dates, project type, genre, and associated clients or stakeholders. This information helps in categorizing and organizing projects for better management and reporting.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Workflow Stage Metadata -\u003C/strong> Track the current stage of each task or asset in the production workflow. Understanding where each element is in the pipeline helps in managing timelines, identifying bottlenecks, and ensuring a smooth production process.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Collaboration Metadata -\u003C/strong> Capture metadata related to collaboration like comments, annotations, reviews, and feedback from team members or clients. Collaboration metadata provides insights into communication patterns, issue resolution, and the overall collaboration dynamics within the team.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"extracting-kitsu-data-with-the-api\">\u003Cstrong>Extracting Kitsu data with the API\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://api-docs.kitsu.cloud/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Kitsu’s REST API\u003C/u>\u003C/a> provides central storage for all your data that can be queried from anywhere using your favorite programming language:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/2AMmijdDeqgeiy10z-LUIZGg_z7yiI8X_R_GqyrzueNoIGz7HCaJPuck6FmYtGn7kTAA0FMcJg4bj7gNpb6Awl6hMeaYI4RLtDpYB16_G9yLjifspoKsGo4sPYmmBKMZ8IOb3LTs7XRQQL_9YDV1Tqg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"759\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>For example, if you want to measure the turnover time for a given task, you can query the \u003Cem>/actions/tasks/{task_id}/time-spents\u003C/em> endpoint to get the time spent on a given task. You can then aggregate tasks over a given week to get a feel of the workload your team can accomplish in a week worth of sprints.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-data-visualization\">\u003Cstrong>4. Data visualization\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Kitsu already offers \u003Ca href=\"https://kitsu.cg-wire.com/production-report/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cu>a wide range of charts, graphs, and tables for visualizing pipeline data\u003C/u>\u003C/a> by default without any extra action required: \u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>News feed to see all the task status changes minute by minute\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Sequence stats with pie charts to know exactly the state of the whole production in a single page.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Gantt charts and calendar views to visualize timelines.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Daily quota to tell if your animators are productive or not.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Casting management https://www.cg-wire.com/casting-management\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/ETF05VswmaNTKrDd9W09Je8C5rxk30HXbev5yPTNHerSxFTBvpY52I_IKtNzvlcbkYB8DbnjTz0ZW4r_NHfnpJqiQeZnvMOpAzQjEEECA3I2E7zthsTNpEu86B-teCnGguSwcU_aB598uKMhf4oNCq8\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1423\" height=\"886\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>However, there are several other options for data visualization when a view isn’t available.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A simple way to visualize data is to use spreadsheets like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. Just export your Kitsu data in CSV via the available export buttons or in JSON via the API and import this data in your spreadsheet.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can then clean or transform the data before generating your own reports.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Feel free to contact us if you need help!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In conclusion, the integration of data analytics into animation studio management is a big paradigm shift in the industry: the data complexity of animation productions is transformed into strategic advantages, enabling studios to make informed decisions, streamline processes, and ultimately enhance their competitiveness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By focusing on key metrics, animation studios can unlock the full potential of their data and pave the way for a more efficient and prosperous future. Production trackers like Kitsu are instrumental in becoming a data-driven studio. While the change can feel overwhelming, the jump is worth the deal. Having complete control over your data will propel your production to new heights. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join us on Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> if you want to discuss the future of creative pipelines or just want to hang out with 1000+ animation experts from all over the world!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2481,"comment_id":2482,"feature_image":2483,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2484,"updated_at":2485,"custom_excerpt":2486,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2487,"primary_tag":2488,"url":2489,"excerpt":2486,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2490},"dbbd0d70-9ece-4b98-998c-a529930aa640","65f02fcc8ce6770001258c87","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1483736762161-1d107f3c78e1?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMyfHxkYXRhfGVufDB8fHx8MTcxMDIzOTk2Nnww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-03-12T11:34:52.000+01:00","2026-03-26T09:58:58.000+01:00","As the animation industry continues to evolve in a digital age, understanding the importance of data analytics becomes increasingly crucial. Behind the scenes lies a treasure trove of production data waiting to be mined for valuable insights.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/data-analytics-in-animation-studio-management/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@tofi?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Tobias Fischer\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/data-analytics-in-animation-studio-management","2024-03-12T11:38:37.000+01:00",{"title":2476},"data-analytics-in-animation-studio-management","posts/data-analytics-in-animation-studio-management",[2497],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"Q5rt_BhtCw_CZtX9hvIpaqH09B5ZP0_ia5P-1cRMBJk",{"id":2500,"title":2501,"authors":2502,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2504,"meta":2505,"navigation":15,"path":2516,"published_at":2517,"seo":2518,"slug":2519,"stem":2520,"tags":2521,"__hash__":2523,"uuid":2506,"comment_id":2507,"feature_image":2508,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2509,"updated_at":2510,"custom_excerpt":2511,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2512,"primary_tag":2513,"url":2514,"excerpt":2511,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2515},"ghost/posts:artificial-intelligence-in-animation-state-of-the-art-february-2024.json","Artificial Intelligence in Animation: state of the art February 2024",[2503],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Artificial Intelligence (AI) was on everyone’s lips in 2023, but we all have yet to know what’s in store for 2024 and what it entails for animation studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Few topics are as divisive as AI. On one hand, you find outraged artists whose artworks are being illegally ingested by algorithms. On the other, a new wave of creators leveraging AI for self-expression or monetary gains.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whatever your opinion is, we found it essential to give the animation industry an overview of available tools, as well as their practical use cases and how they might affect your job as an animator: not only will this article help you find ways to differentiate yourself from generic AI art, but also how to incorporate it as another tool in your toolset when it’s relevant.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The following list is non-exhaustive but tries to cover all the steps of the production process, from concept art to rendering. Feel free to send us your recommendations!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-text-generation\">\u003Cstrong>1. Text generation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The first and most mediatic use of AI is text generation: using artificial intelligence to automatically write text based on an initial prompt―you give it a few words, and it will generate a full text based on what it has learned from a large corpus of data. Large language models can complete a variety of general and specialized tasks for animation studios:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scriptwriting ideation\u003C/strong> - To provide suggestions for scene or character descriptions, generate dialogue, or even propose ideas for plot twists.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scene descriptions\u003C/strong> - Generate detailed scene descriptions to help animators visualize scenes, determine camera angles, and establish the overall mood of an animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character backstories\u003C/strong> - By specifying key traits, animators can play with different character nuances to create more well-rounded and compelling personas.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wvTd8njx-ETQhnsMwFkjCoPNIfwgf_cpk-iVm3YM_GxGLidzybLsS4z9zl0rV6T_7InVmlaK2LRcwz3omv4xp8lX8s5b7-TPZosTr9_PN3FS_6a__cLWh5vMNHASFuYsQPIIPk6luVlwI-B9opfvqRU\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1520\" height=\"906\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.perplexity.ai/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Perplexity AI\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>ChatGPT\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-gemini-ai/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Gemini\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-image-generation\">\u003Cstrong>2. Image generation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Text isn’t the only format AI can play with. Perhaps the most controversial technology of 2023, image generation models like DALL·E and MidJourney use advanced neural networks to generate images from textual prompts or from another image:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Concept art\u003C/strong> - An animation studio can quickly produce a variety of concept art\u003Cstrong>,\u003C/strong> exploring different design possibilities for a new project from just a script―or at least a textual description.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/79QQNAPxFSazsU67TTKE47nuLbFucOXqrW4XSIT7jhZlTTK1-Jl89CM2q67V_iym-T3rEPpPCw0jeOj-ncdGEU1ETTasluJ95nMllcF73Uh4o9SQ2_TLXmpiKfZbQLRGqqzPBvhSUiT2OUnaGttXZn4\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"834\" height=\"599\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Turn shapes into complete illustrations\u003C/strong> - Midjourney can understand a rough sketch and turn it into a complete illustration.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character and environment design\u003C/strong> - AI-generated images can be used as a starting point for character design or to explore different ideas for environments and layouts, providing a visual reference for animators to build upon.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texture generation\u003C/strong> - There are already specialized models like Dream Textures (Blender plugin) for generating textures, which can be used for characters, objects, or environments.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wFDBKTIWq6Dtc8b6tFY_WzuRdxbBMiGpR2_x-7WM4N09dKHKv0q0Xf6pXmahaeJamG2OarKQkVDNdqMtJCXEXt4yFJgjp_iweilKu0LhaU_8QybCLurkuL6mo0QeSgSiQlzmZokMAnw-uAFRin8ViAU\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"127\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Example of texture generation using Dream Textures (Blender)\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Combined with text generation, it’s possible to generate entire concept books with little effort. This is obviously huge for small studios or indie animators wanting to pitch concepts to producers at little to no cost.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://artisticrender.com/dream-textures-ai-texture-generator-for-blender/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Dream Textures\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://legacy.midjourney.com/showcase/recent/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Midjourney\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://openai.com/dall-e-3?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Dalle3\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-upscaler\">\u003Cstrong>3. Upscaler\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>AI upscalers enhance the resolution and quality of images or videos without manual intervention.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Faster and cheaper rendering\u003C/strong> - Studios need to meet tight deadlines and deliver content fast, but rendering is often the main bottleneck in the feedback loop: AI upscalers can take low-quality renders and output high-quality previews comparable to regular renders in a fraction of the time.\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/jarrellmark/ai_upscaler_for_blender?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#ai-upscaler-for-blender\"> \u003Cu>Blender upscaler\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, for example, can render a similar quality image down from 37 minutes to 5 minutes (86.5% faster):\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/oDluygZ66Z75GHT3qib8vb8LM2DEX1buNWZmiEEnLrMrW336K_zobc34kQUSFwYi1ONuS7jKibJQCIxC65FK6gwdxVyBwPQ52CwRwt560fUD0f0xWMGsTk-LzXSnh0SIkW7dNWvH0xtOiqjCBDiBjcc\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"889\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Add realism\u003C/strong> - Upscalers like Photoshop Upscaler or Magnific AI can quickly add details to any render to make it look more detailed and/or realistic. This is especially useful when you need to quickly add details to a scene or to create photo-realistic characters from low-resolution images.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/vAVOY3pwRLS65yWgpREfSroemFHJONFksPpCSoqvrrlisuWe9ozfT-x7B0LuMKFq6G2oa-4_f9rfMZh7hmMLcvrSWdQUCQJ0-oHQYMqRaTOS48dOMfCz1zk-Cshs-6QG0X3e9Ip_gq2DeZIUxS9vVsY\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"944\" height=\"806\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/jarrellmark/ai_upscaler_for_blender?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#ai-upscaler-for-blender\">\u003Cu>Blender upscaler\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/photography/discover/image-upscale.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Photoshop upscaler\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://magnific.ai/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Magnific AI\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-model-generation\">\u003Cstrong>4. Model generation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The technology is moving so fast we are going a step beyond images: there are already proofs of concept to turn a picture from your phone into production-ready 3D assets.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Automated asset creation\u003C/strong> - A production needs a lot of assets, and creating them is often a tedious and time-consuming process. AI can generate 3D models from images, enabling animators to focus more on adding details and polishing the final result.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/GG-Ta1ifFtO7NN-WD0imA3i-Q53KUAApZz2emM9w7UfK4QOCkX6_bSC1iRMmstjGYAijCMRzcSdizUPF4CBDHL2-kN_YpwaOYtsEQvgnTIYfHiJT3mO4zxA32PQMXxe31bUi1rpHRNIkIZf2bOdwI-I\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"483\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character customization and variation\u003C/strong> - AI-driven 3D model generation facilitates character customization by automatically generating variations in appearance, clothing, and accessories.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Procedural animation\u003C/strong> - For complex environments or large crowds, AI can generate diverse 3D models and animations procedurally at scale much more efficiently:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hqqq6LIhRb8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Create a Crowd Simulation in Blender Using AI Generated Models - Blender Tutorial\">\u003C/iframe>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/02/stability-ais-latest-tool-uses-ai-to-generate-3d-models/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Stable 3D\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/3d-ar/campaign/pricing.html?sdid=JVLHVY6X&mv=search&mv2=paidsearch&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAqY6tBhAtEiwAHeRopa4H7iHlU_3HjA3OuFW5qx4ZSGKxdrBtvbrylZdCnAOsVSXMyM6YvhoC2LsQAvD_BwE&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Adobe Substance 3D\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqqq6LIhRb8&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Create a Crowd Simulation in Blender Using AI Generated Models\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-video-generation\">\u003Cstrong>5. Video generation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Enter a prompt and an optional image, and the AI will generate a video for you!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you can generate images, you can also generate videos. But the main technical difficulty at the moment is to generate consistent frames at scale. The technology is still in its infancy, but it’s already possible to generate short videos with a few seconds of footage that can be used for \u003Cstrong>storyboarding\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, you’ve perhaps seen viral clips of the Carrot Saga on Tiktok or YouTube, making millions of views:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/UROWs9HTsbk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"The Carrot Saga | Part 1 - The Fall of the Broccoli Empire\">\u003C/iframe>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Adobe Firefly\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://3dvf.com/la-recherche-sur-l-ia-generative-chez-adobe-video-radi-raf-2023/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Generative AI at Adobe (French)\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://stability.ai/news/stable-video-diffusion-open-ai-video-model?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Stable Video Diffusion\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://pika.art/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Pika Art\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UROWs9HTsbk&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>The Carrot Saga (AI animation)\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cu>Sora\u003C/u>\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-real-time-rendering\">\u003Cstrong>6. Real-time rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Real-time rendering is the process of generating animation frames in milliseconds for direct display. Rendering is traditionally a computationally-expensive task, but AI-powered rendering can provide near-immediate results for a variety of tasks:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/-IWPDt4_jjU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Real time Rendering Performance Breakthrough Boosted by AI   DLSS 3 Supported in D5 Render\">\u003C/iframe>\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pre-visualization\u003C/strong> - Real-time rendering provides animators with immediate feedback on movement, expressions, and interactions to create more engaging characters and environments.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Interactive storytelling\u003C/strong> - With real-time rendering, animation studios can create interactive narratives where user choices dynamically influence the storyline. AI algorithms contribute to rendering alternate scenes, characters, and outcomes, providing a more immersive experience for audiences.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Collaborative prototyping\u003C/strong> - Real-time rendering is invaluable in the prototyping phase, enabling animators to quickly test different visual styles, lighting setups, and camera angles. Artists working on different aspects of a project can see immediate updates, fostering a more efficient collaborative workflow.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNyIp73zva8&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Real-Time AI Rendering with ComfyUI and 3ds Max\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.d5render.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>D5 Render\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQWzzACUbw0&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Real-time ray tracing by Nvidia\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://kesen.realtimerendering.com/sig2023.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Published papers on real-time rendering\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-keyframe-animation\">\u003Cstrong>7. Keyframe animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Keyframe animation is a technique that involves creating a sequence of frames to define the start and end points of a movement. An AI tool like Cascadeur can save animators countless hours:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/R3pJ2HHFaTo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Cascadeur - AI-Assisted Keyframe Animation Software\">\u003C/iframe>\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Automated interpolation\u003C/strong> - AI-assisted interpolation is another method to generate the frames between keyframes. From a few poses, Cascadeur can generate realistic motion animations, including keyframes and secondary motion.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rig generation\u003C/strong> - Cascadeur can also auto-generate rigs for complex 3D models.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://cascadeur.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Cascadeur\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-rotoscopic-animation\">\u003Cstrong>8. Rotoscopic animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rotoscopic animation is a technique that involves tracing over live-action footage to create realistic animations. AI can assist animators in the rotoscoping process while providing a variety of benefits:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/e818LgnJ9rI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Revealing How CodeMiko Is Made\">\u003C/iframe>\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Vtuber\u003C/strong> - Combined with real-time rendering, AI-assisted rotoscope animation can be used to create virtual avatars for live streaming or other video content.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Automatic frame detection\u003C/strong> - AI algorithms can automatically detect key frames in live-action footage, streamlining the initial phase of the rotoscoping process. This reduces the manual effort required for frame-by-frame tracing.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Tracing assistance\u003C/strong> - AI can assist animators by automating certain tracing tasks like outlining characters or objects.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://live3d.io/vtuber_maker?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>VTuber Maker\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-image-recognition\">\u003Cstrong>9. Image recognition\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Image recognition is the process of identifying and classifying objects within images. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/cKQc3uKYI5x81TPlKMGcCWH9Zx2zhCycqnYKw2J0RjZliCiIY4mXiX2Fa8IGkkSSg1HIix1trB5QACARX3GP-EJ32SPmToOQqThaIf_jYb97uteWKjhsf0yzG2Dhw-roD6x67kVuC_UShQZ4wFsLLCc\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"607\" height=\"456\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scene breakdown and analysis\u003C/strong> - AI algorithms can analyze complex scenes, automatically identifying and categorizing elements like characters, objects, backgrounds, and lighting conditions. This feature simplifies the scene breakdown process, providing a detailed analysis of each frame and facilitating a more efficient understanding of the visual components within a scene for faster reviews.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Annotations\u003C/strong> - Combined with text generation tools, AI can automatically annotate storyboards with descriptions or notes to simplify the communication between different teams involved in the animation process, ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of the intended visual and narrative elements in each preview frame.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Facial recognition and expression analysis\u003C/strong> - Animators can leverage motion tracking for realistic animations. This is how Vtuber avatars implement lip-syncing or hand-syncing.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Quality control and error detection\u003C/strong> - AI can be employed for quality control―automatically detecting anomalies, errors, or inconsistencies within images to ensure a higher level of accuracy in the animation process and help studios identify and rectify issues early in the production pipeline.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://openai.com/gpt-4?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>GPT4 With Vision\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://roboflow.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Roboflow\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"10-voice-acting\">\u003Cstrong>10. Voice acting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>AI-assisted voice acting involves generating or enhancing voice performances for animated characters or other audio content.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Text-to-speech synthesis\u003C/strong> - AI can convert written text into spoken words with natural-sounding intonation and expression. Animation studios can use TTS for quick prototyping, generating placeholder voiceovers, or experimenting with dialogue variations before engaging human voice actors.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Voice cloning and replication\u003C/strong> - AI can analyze and replicate a specific voice actor's style, tone, and nuances―effectively cloning voices. This feature is useful for maintaining consistency across projects or creating additional lines of dialogue without requiring the original voice actor's availability.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Multilingual voice generation\u003C/strong> - AI-powered voice generation can produce speech in multiple languages, offering flexibility for global audiences: animation studios can easily localize content, ensuring that characters speak authentically in different languages without the need for extensive manual voice recording.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Links and references\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://elevenlabs.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>ElevenLabs\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://platform.openai.com/docs/models/tts?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>OpenAI Text-to-Speech\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>AI is already transforming the animation industry, and it will continue to do so in the coming years. While it’s still in its early days, we can already see the potential of AI for animation studios, from concept art to rendering and distribution.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For animation artists, AI is a powerful tool to streamline the production process and allow for more creativity regardless of your initial skills. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s important to remember that AI is not a replacement for human creativity but another tool in the animator’s toolkit, providing new ways to express ideas and bring them to life: we can expect in the near future a new wave of one-person animation studios, but also more partnerships between studios, and of course more projects thanks to the decrease in labor costs. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least AI platforms will have to deal with author rights and find the right fit to be widely spread among productions. The art generation cannot thrive without the acknowledgment of artists. Once these aspects are cleared, creativity will benefit from this new technology for the pleasure of our eyes!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join us on Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> if you want to discuss the future of creative pipelines or just want to hang out with 1000+ animation experts from all over the world!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2506,"comment_id":2507,"feature_image":2508,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2509,"updated_at":2510,"custom_excerpt":2511,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2512,"primary_tag":2513,"url":2514,"excerpt":2511,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2515},"2d40e247-f494-478f-aea2-1b1a5bbd9d2f","65d4a90d9836da000132f531","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1678390210450-22bd7664dc05?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMyfHxBcnRpZmljaWFsJTIwaW50ZWxsaWd8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzA4NDM4NTU1fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-02-20T14:28:45.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:26:23.000+01:00","Few topics are as divisive as AI. On one hand, you find outraged artists whose artworks are being illegally ingested by algorithms. On the other, a new wave of creators leveraging AI for self-expression or monetary gains.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/artificial-intelligence-in-animation-state-of-the-art-february-2024/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@gabimedia?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Gabriel Vasiliu\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/artificial-intelligence-in-animation-state-of-the-art-february-2024","2024-02-21T15:39:57.000+01:00",{"title":2501},"artificial-intelligence-in-animation-state-of-the-art-february-2024","posts/artificial-intelligence-in-animation-state-of-the-art-february-2024",[2522],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"Y-7ePycciSbc9UGIPUFlKxhNxxZa6tFJO9fPqLaYQFg",{"id":2525,"title":2526,"authors":2527,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2529,"meta":2530,"navigation":15,"path":2541,"published_at":2542,"seo":2543,"slug":2544,"stem":2545,"tags":2546,"__hash__":2548,"uuid":2531,"comment_id":2532,"feature_image":2533,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2534,"updated_at":2535,"custom_excerpt":2536,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2537,"primary_tag":2538,"url":2539,"excerpt":2536,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2540},"ghost/posts:animation-crunch-time.json","How To Avoid Crunch Time: A Perspective On Animation (2026)",[2528],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>It’s 9PM. The cold glow of the computer screen is reflecting off your tired eyes as your stomach is screaming for help. One last edit before you call it a day. When was the last time you had proper, uninterrupted sleep? The animator next to you fell at her desk, using the pile of storyboards as a cushion. The deadline is next week. You’re two-third of the way there. How did you get there in the first place? The exhaustion overwhelms you and you grab a snack and one last cup of coffee. You finally send the edit. Your supervisor is wired and sends some minor edit requests minutes later as you’re about to leave. The cycle will go on tomorrow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Crunch time is a necessary reality of the animation industry. During the production of the animated film Legend of the Guardians, \u003Ca href=\"https://brendanbody.blogspot.com/2011/06/week-in-crunch-part-1.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Brendan Body describes in his blog\u003C/u>\u003C/a> that crunch time wears you out, but it’s also “an exciting time” where things move fast and you get to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Beyond the cliché of “animation crunch time is bad!”―no amount of prevention is 100% foolproof against the entropy of life―this article aims at highlighting tools and best practices to avoid crunch time \u003Cem>culture\u003C/em>: crunch time as an expected part of work, rather than a happy accident to strive for what’s best.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But first what’s a crunch time culture, exactly? And how is it different from accidental crunch time? \u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-is-animation-crunch-time-culture\">\u003Cstrong>What is Animation Crunch Time Culture?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Crunch time culture in animation, or simply \"crunch culture,\" refers to a work environment where animators are required to work extended hours, often for weeks or even months, to meet tight deadlines and complete projects. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>While crunch time can be unavoidable due to unforeseen circumstances,  it has unfortunately become somewhat normalized in some studios that perpetuate a culture where working long hours is expected during the final stages of a project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In an animation studio facing a looming deadline for a feature film, a regular 9-to-5 schedule can dramatically shift over weeks: what begins as a manageable workload on the first week becomes a cascade of revisions and unexpected changes, pushing the animators into longer hours by the second week. As the release date remains fixed, the studio unofficially normalizes overtime during the third week, and by the fourth week, animators find themselves working 10 to 14-hour days, including weekends, to meet the deadline.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-it-counterproductive\">\u003Cstrong>Why is it Counterproductive?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Crunch time in animation, marked by high stress levels, burnout, and urgency, is counterproductive due to its adverse impact on both the quality of work and the well-being of the animation team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When animators are under intense pressure to meet tight deadlines, \u003Cstrong>the focus often shifts from delivering a polished, high-quality product to simply meeting the project's schedule\u003C/strong>. The toll on mental health during crunch time results in \u003Cstrong>diminished creativity\u003C/strong>, as the team becomes more concerned with completing tasks quickly―that will require none or fewer revision rounds―rather than exploring innovative approaches to animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Extended work hours and relentless pressure not only stifle creativity but also \u003Cstrong>increase the likelihood of errors in the final product\u003C/strong>: rushed production leads to cutting corners by  overlooking details, inconsistencies, and animation glitches that may have been avoided with a more reasonable timeframe. The quality of the work suffers, and the intended impact of the animation may be lost on the audience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Continuous exposure to crunch time not only jeopardizes the current project but also contributes to \u003Cstrong>burnout\u003C/strong> among animators―physical and emotional exhaustion with long-term consequences for both individuals and studios. High turnover rates become a common result, disrupting the continuity and efficiency of subsequent projects: it’s a vicious circle. If the individual suffers, the team will as well. If more people quit, hiring might become more arduous for the studio in the future.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While crunch time may be viewed as a cost-cutting measure, the negative repercussions on the animators' health and the decline in the quality of their work ultimately \u003Cstrong>undermines the sustainability of the studio\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For all these reasons, it’s absolutely essential to leverage crunch time as a last-resort measure, rather than a habit. To guide you on this path, we listed best practices that, from experience as a software production tracker company helping hundreds of studios from all over the world, will help your team to develop a smooth, predictable workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-effective-planning\">\u003Cstrong>1. Effective Planning\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In an ideal scenario, crunch time would be an anomaly and projects would smoothly progress according to a well-thought-out plan. To achieve this, meticulous planning and strategic execution are imperative.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All projects start with the creation of a timeline encompassing clear goals and milestones. In an animation project, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems/\">\u003Cu>those are usually straightforward\u003C/u>\u003C/a>: you begin with concept development, then pre-production, production, and post-production. Depending on \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/the-main-types-of-animation/\">\u003Cu>the desired type of animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a>, each phase can be broken down in departments with clear deliverables that can be estimated from experience. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>As per Parkinson's Law, work tends to expand to fill the time available―defining realistic deadlines is essential to maintain a consistent pace. But the sheer scope of work, coupled with strict deadlines, often leads to a rushed development process, inevitably culminating in crunch time, so balance is required: avoid over-promising, but also under-delivering\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One of the primary contributors to crunch time is the failure to conduct a thorough analysis of project requirements. Breaking down tasks into manageable units is a fundamental step to mitigate this risk, but estimates are notoriously hard to get right.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To sidestep this pitfall, developers must prioritize tasks based on dependencies and critical paths. In the digital age, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>project management tools like Kitsu\u003C/u>\u003C/a> play a pivotal role in tracking progress and identifying potential bottlenecks. By providing real-time insights into the development process, they empower teams to stay on top of their tasks, ensuring the project remains on course and that deviations are promptly addressed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, crunch time often stems from a lack of managerial oversight over the development timetable. To counteract this, it is important to enlist the expertise of individuals experienced in the animation production process. This is why a production tracker like Kitsu is built for collaboration by design. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>While time management is traditionally seen as the responsibility of supervisors, one must view it as a collective effort: the entire team must be engaged in the process, understanding and adhering to the established timelines. It is essential to acknowledge and work within the team's capabilities by communicating properly to prevent unrealistic expectations.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-communication-and-transparency\">\u003Cstrong>2. Communication and Transparency\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Open communication and transparency are vital because they foster trust, collaboration, and realistic project planning―key ingredients to avoid crunch time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It involves keeping team members informed about project goals, timelines, potential obstacles, and expectations. Not just by holding meetings but also by proactively sharing regular updates on any changes to the project scope with both the team and upper management and encouraging the use of asynchronous communication channels to make progress, like team messaging platforms or specialized tools like Kitsu's review engine―creating an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing concerns or proposing alternative solutions without additional friction. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Creative and technical challenges are commonplace. Animation films often look different during the early stages of their development process because changes affecting the development timeline are inevitable, although hard to predict precisely. A budget should always account for such changes, regardless of their exact nature. In any case, addressing these challenges as a team is key to overcoming them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With Kitsu you can follow the productivity of your artists and anticipate when someone encounters difficulties using productivity goals to make sure no one is blocked:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The same goes for a delay in the release date. Whether you're talking to a publisher or a fanbase, you're all part of the same team―it's better to face a temporary disappointment than to end up with a half-baked product.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-investment-in-resources\">\u003Cstrong>3. Investment in Resources\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Providing the necessary tools and resources ensures animators can work efficiently without preventable delays.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Technological improvements happen every year so it’s important to regularly assess the hardware and software needs of the animation team and invest accordingly to decrease little by little the probability of crunch time. Take render farms for example.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It can also be valuable to schedule time for training sessions to ensure the team learns new tools or for teammates to explore new opportunities, but it’s more efficient short-term to encourage animators to use their preferred digital creation tools. A tool like Kitsu allows teams to centralize assets across different sources like Blender, Unreal, etc. and automatically keep everyone in sync. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finding ways to integrate a variety of tools in your workflow greatly improves how you adapt to change and ultimately protects you from delays.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-flexibility\">\u003Cstrong>4. Flexibility\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Creating an agile culture to adapt to changes is another way to avoid resorting to a crunch culture.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Plans are often too rigid. Instead of going through it linearly, agile methodologies embrace flexibility using iterative processes―enabling teams to deliver value incrementally while continuously refining and improving their approach. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead of making a plan once during pre-production and accumulating time debt until it’s too late to avoid crunch time, teams can assess the project's progress on a weekly basis and adjust priorities accordingly. Using a production tracker to estimate efforts based on past iterations, the process can be data-driven to remove any unrealistic guesswork. Kitsu allows you to compare time estimates to actual task durations:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Embracing risk also implies developing contingency plans to mitigate possible disruptors.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-employee-well-being-initiatives\">\u003Cstrong>5. Employee Well-being Initiatives\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Last but not least, animation is creative work: rest is key to recovery but also productivity! Prioritizing the well-being of the animation team involves implementing initiatives that support mental and physical health as well as a healthy work-life balance. If there is no recovery period after crunch time, fatigue accumulates and increases the likelihood of another crunch time. Recovery policies include:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>A flexible working hours policy to accommodate different working preferences\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Encourage the use of vacation days.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Establish clear boundaries for after-hours communication, ensuring employees can disconnect from work when not at the office. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>If employees are sick, the studio should encourage them to stay at home to reduce productivity loss while they’re at work and avoid spreading the illness to other team members in the office.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Provide mental health resources and support, such as counseling services or workshops. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>Limit overtime budgets.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Recognize and reward the team for achieving milestones without resorting to crunch time.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Kitsu generates timesheets for all team members to know how they fill their day, if they took a day off, and more importantly, if they are working over time:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When bad working conditions become systemic, unions can protect workers from hurting practices. Crunch time is often leveraged as a way to squeeze more costs out of passionate artists―you work more without extra pay, for the sake of the project’s success. Unions can balance labor law exemptions by bringing legal expertise, social awareness, and solidarity. \u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation crunch time may have become an unfortunate norm in the industry, but it's essential for studios to recognize the detrimental effects it can have on both the quality of work and the well-being of their team: \u003C/p>\u003Cp>the animation industry is relatively small, and your reputation, both as an animator or a studio, can easily get tarnished by backward practices like crunch time culture.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Creating a serene work environment not only benefits your animators but also your studio’s profitability―it’s been scientifically proven that \u003Ca href=\"https://fherehab.com/learning/stress-enemy-of-creativity?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>stress is the enemy of creativity\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. And fortunately, the tools exist.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu is a production tracker that can drastically reduce the mental load of managing schedules and deliveries off your team, without disrupting their favorite workflow. Just add your tasks and link your assets from your favorite digital creation tools and you’re good to go! \u003Ca href=\"https://account.cg-wire.com/signup?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>The best part? It’s free to try!\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join us on Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> if you need additional resources for your creative projects or want to hang out with 1000+ animation experts from all over the world!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2531,"comment_id":2532,"feature_image":2533,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2534,"updated_at":2535,"custom_excerpt":2536,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2537,"primary_tag":2538,"url":2539,"excerpt":2536,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2540},"e32e0017-6501-4500-a74b-7e3c53921c1c","65c212e793799c000165f6c6","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1495427513693-3f40da04b3fd?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fHN0cmVzc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3MDcyMTc3MDN8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2024-02-06T12:07:19.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:52:45.000+01:00","This article aims at highlighting tools and best practices to avoid crunch time culture: crunch time as an expected part of work, rather than a happy accident to strive for what’s best.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-crunch-time/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@nikkotations?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">nikko macaspac\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-crunch-time","2024-02-06T12:15:20.000+01:00",{"title":2526},"animation-crunch-time","posts/animation-crunch-time",[2547],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"90l5pp7vKzEK_ZJuyt_ruqV-az6sHJUX3VUt3iCQWH4",{"id":2550,"title":2551,"authors":2552,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2554,"meta":2555,"navigation":15,"path":2566,"published_at":2567,"seo":2568,"slug":2569,"stem":2570,"tags":2571,"__hash__":2573,"uuid":2556,"comment_id":2557,"feature_image":2558,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2559,"updated_at":2560,"custom_excerpt":2561,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2562,"primary_tag":2563,"url":2564,"excerpt":2561,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2565},"ghost/posts:the-top-9-animation-blogs-to-level-up-your-knowledge.json","(2026) Best 9 Animation Blogs To Level Up Your Knowledge",[2553],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Reading blogs on animation might not sit right with you in 2023 when you have a plethora of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok accounts. But blogs are still a treasure trove of information that can provide both inside knowledge and industry overviews you shouldn't neglect.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Staying on top of the latest trends and techniques is important to stay relevant and competitive in the job market and keep your animation studio afloat. Unlike social media with a never-ending feed of content, blogs present more curated information by design: the key to success lies in diversifying your knowledge sources.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this blog post, we explore nine of the best animation blogs to help you broaden your horizons and become a better animator. Feel free to reach out if you've got good blogs to add to the list!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"animation-news\">\u003Cstrong>Animation News\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>First, you need a place to get unbiased information on the latest industry developments: box office hits, animation productions in the work, market insights, etc. That's where news websites come in.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-cartoon-brew\">\u003Cstrong>1. Cartoon Brew\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Cartoon Brew is a platform dedicated to curating the most recent and relevant news in animation. From studio mergers to the latest animation techniques, you'll find it all here.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it's worth a read\u003C/strong> - Cartoon Brew has a team of experienced writers and insiders who offer in-depth analysis and exclusive insights into the animation industry. Their coverage is comprehensive and up-to-date.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Apart from Cartoon Brew, there are a few other noteworthy animation news sources you should consider:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>CG Channel\u003C/strong> - for 3D animation enthusiasts\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animated Views\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation World Network\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation Magazine\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"for-beginners\">\u003Cstrong>For Beginners\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If you're just starting your journey as an animator, there are blogs that cater specifically to your needs and interests: resources for exercises and tips to help you build your skills and monetize them.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-i-want-to-be-an-animator\">\u003Cstrong>2. I Want To Be An Animator\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>This blog is a goldmine for beginners: it provides exercises, tutorials, and insights to help you start your animation journey.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Though the blog hasn't been updated in 3 years, it still offers timeless advice you'll surely find useful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it's worth a read\u003C/strong> - Chiara Porri is a professional character animator who shares her knowledge and experience on her blog. The lessons are personal yet anchored in the reality of the industry, making them easy to understand and apply in real-life scenarios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Examples of blog posts:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://iwanttobeananimator.wordpress.com/2020/05/31/tutorial-12-how-to-create-a-walk-cycle-in-15-steps/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>How to Create a Walk Cycle in 15 Steps\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://iwanttobeananimator.wordpress.com/2018/09/09/lesson-13-straight-ahead-and-pose-to-pose/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Straight-ahead and pose-to-pose animation\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://iwanttobeananimator.wordpress.com/2018/09/12/tips-4/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Applying for a job\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-animation-mentor\">\u003Cstrong>3. Animation Mentor\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Animation Mentor is an online animation school offering professional courses in 2D and 3D animation taught by industry experts working at major studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it's worth a read\u003C/strong> - The blog offers practical career advice and tips to help you become a better animator. It also features interviews with industry professionals working on big productions and students.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Examples of blog posts:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.animationmentor.com/blog/qa-with-spider-man-into-the-spiderverse-animator-nick-kondo/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Q&A with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Animator Nick Kondo\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.animationmentor.com/blog/animation-students-share-workflow-tips-and-career-advice/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Animation Students Share Workflow Tips and Career Advice\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.animationmentor.com/blog/animation-mentor-student-showcase-2023/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Animation Mentor Student Showcase 2023\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"learn-from-the-best\">\u003Cstrong>Learn from the Best\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are also blogs featuring the best in the industry sharing advice with fellow animators. They are not only a source of inspiration but also a way to learn inside knowledge on how to run animation productions more efficiently―from specific animation techniques to team management.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-concept-art-empire\">\u003Cstrong>4. Concept Art Empire\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Concept Art Empire features interviews with renowned artists in the animation industry but also more technical and career-oriented articles on concept art, 3D animation, and more.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it's worth a read\u003C/strong> - CAE is a great resource for animators to get inspiration, course reviews, and career advice from other animators.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Examples of blog posts:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://conceptartempire.com/become-a-concept-artist/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>How To Become A Professional Concept Artist\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://conceptartempire.com/david-trumble-interview/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Interview With Animation Story Artist David Trumble\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://conceptartempire.com/make-an-art-portfolio-site/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>How To Make Your Own Art Portfolio Website\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"5-tom-sito\">\u003Cstrong>5. Tom Sito\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Tom Sito's blog is a treasure trove of animation history where you can discover the roots and evolution of animation as an art form.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it's worth a read\u003C/strong> - The first issue of Tom Sito's blog dates back to 2006, and he's been posting regularly ever since. A Professor of Cinematic Practice at USC's George Lucas School of Cinematic Arts, Tom Sito is a veteran animator who worked on productions such as \"Who Framed Roger Rabbit,\" \"The Little Mermaid,\" and \"The Lion King.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Tom's blogs follow a format where he lists historical events as he stumbles upon them in his researches, so you'll sometimes find random facts like \u003Cem>\"1931- Happy Birthday Alka Seltzer! The fizzy tablet was invented by chemist Maurice Treener for the Dr. Miles Medicine Company of Indiana.\"\u003C/em>, but also interesting tidbits on animation history like \u003Cem>\"1988- The Walt Disney Company spun off a new production company named Hollywood Pictures. Like its sister Touchstone, it was created so Disney could release films with more mature subject matter like Mr. Holland’s Opus and The Sixth Sense.\"\u003C/em> and \u003Cem>\"1953- Ex- Esquire magazine art director and frustrated cartoonist Hugh Hefner published the first issue of Playboy Magazine.\"\u003C/em>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"6-john-kricfalusi\">\u003Cstrong>6. John Kricfalusi\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>John Kricfalusi, known professionally as John K., is a retired Canadian illustrator, animator, and voice actor. He is best known for creating The Ren & Stimpy Show.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it's worth a read\u003C/strong> - John K wrote and curated old school, Western-style animation techniques and tips on his blog. He also shares his thoughts on the animation industry and its evolution.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Examples of blog posts:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/animation%20lesson?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Character design: body and head\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/Ren%20and%20Stimpy?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Doodles from the Ren and Stimpy show\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/search/label/principles?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Animation principles\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"7-allan-mckay\">\u003Cstrong>7. Allan McKay\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Allan McKay is a VFX supervisor and technical director running a podcast interviewing VFX animation experts and leaders. The blog lists the podcast episodes, including transcripts, show notes, and additional resources.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it's worth a read\u003C/strong> - Not only the interviews are highly relevant to 3D animators, but the guests are also next level, including VFX artists and directors on major Hollywood productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Examples of blog posts:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.allanmckay.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cu>Pixar President Jim Morris\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.allanmckay.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cu>VFX Legend Richard Edlund — The History of STAR WARS\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.allanmckay.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cu>AI YouTube Channel Theoretically Media – Founder Tim Simmons\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"friends-of-cgwire\">\u003Cstrong>Friends of CGWire\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Last but not least, we need to mention our friends. We publish ads on a regular basis on these platforms so we didn't dare to mention them first. Still, they are among the best resources for VFX and animation!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"8-animation-magazine\">\u003Cstrong>8. Animation Magazine\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Similar to Cartoon Brew, Animation Magazine features the latest news of the animation industry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it’s worth a read\u003C/strong> - Animation Magazine is available online but also in print, unlike Cartoon Brew so the information is curated. Just read the monthly release and get up to date with everything going on in the industry in one go!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Examples of blog posts:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/12/poultry-in-motion-a-set-visit-to-chicken-run-dawn-of-the-nugget/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Behind the scenes of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/12/the-ballad-of-songbirds-snakes-vfx-supervisor-takes-us-inside-the-new-hunger-games-prequel/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Behind the scenes of Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/11/coming-attractions-30-new-animated-movies-to-track-in-2024/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>30 Upcoming Animated Movies in 2024\u003C/u>\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"9-before-and-afters\">\u003Cstrong>9. Before and Afters\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Befores & afters is an online magazine for VFX animators publishing case studies, technical insights, and podcast interviews.  \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why it’s worth a read\u003C/strong> - Ian Failes is a VFX artist with extensive experience writing for publications like fxguide, Cartoon Brew, VFX Voice, 3D Artist, or Rolling Stone. He’s also the author of Masters of FX and a podcast host at The VFX Notes. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Examples of blog posts:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://beforesandafters.com/2023/12/15/weve-got-more-with-habib-zargarpour-on-the-vfx-notes-podcast/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>Interview with Habib Zargarpour\u003C/u>\u003C/a> (Star Wars, The Phantom Menace)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://beforesandafters.com/2023/12/22/how-the-biggest-vfx-moments-in-ridley-scotts-napoleon-were-made/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>VFX breakdowns of Napoleon\u003C/u>\u003C/a> by Ridley Scott\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://beforesandafters.com/2023/12/21/check-out-savages-vfx-for-the-fight-scene-in-the-killer/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>VFX breakdown of The Killer\u003C/u>\u003C/a> by David Fincher\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/11/coming-attractions-30-new-animated-movies-to-track-in-2024/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"bonus-benjamin-cerbai\">\u003Cstrong>Bonus. Benjamin  Cerbai\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>If you like podcasts, check out \u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@BenjaminCerbai?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cu>our friend Benjamin Cerbai’s\u003C/u>\u003C/a>. It's all in French, but if you can translate it in any way, it's an invaluable source of knowledge for anyone doing 2D animation! His YouTube channel is full of videos on any subject related to animation, from tutorials to in-depth artist interviews.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>And that's a wrap: nine animation blogs we found interesting and worth a read to level up your animation skills and know-how of the industry. Remember that this list is non-exhaustive, and there are countless other valuable animation blogs out there. Feel free to reach out to suggest ideas!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>No matter how experienced you are as an animator, it's essential to develop a set of habits to keep you informed―whether it's books, blogs, or social media channels. Blogs are getting less popular, but they still offer a curated source of information that can help you stay on top of the latest trends and techniques while reminding you of the basics and the rich history of the industry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don't forget to check out CGWire's blog for everything related to animation production: we cover topics like animation production management, CG pipelines, animation software and more. Until next time!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join us on Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> if you need additional resources for your creative projects or want to hang out with 1000+ animation experts from all over the world!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2556,"comment_id":2557,"feature_image":2558,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2559,"updated_at":2560,"custom_excerpt":2561,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2562,"primary_tag":2563,"url":2564,"excerpt":2561,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2565},"3844b01d-3d59-43e6-935f-3cd2370bf40f","65804928e6322600015741d4","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1546074177-ffdda98d214f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fGJsb2d8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzAyOTA2MTc4fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-12-18T14:29:12.000+01:00","2026-03-27T11:09:48.000+01:00","In this blog post, we explore nine of the best animation blogs to help you broaden your horizons and become a better animator!\n",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/the-top-9-animation-blogs-to-level-up-your-knowledge/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@sincerelymedia?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Sincerely Media\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/the-top-9-animation-blogs-to-level-up-your-knowledge","2024-01-11T13:20:48.000+01:00",{"title":2551},"the-top-9-animation-blogs-to-level-up-your-knowledge","posts/the-top-9-animation-blogs-to-level-up-your-knowledge",[2572],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"tv75BvtmGcThTC3bjcDa_MEP5OnS7wLtiEr1-5m3Pek",{"id":2575,"title":2576,"authors":2577,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2579,"meta":2580,"navigation":15,"path":2590,"published_at":2591,"seo":2592,"slug":2593,"stem":2594,"tags":2595,"__hash__":2597,"uuid":2581,"comment_id":2582,"feature_image":2583,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2584,"updated_at":2585,"custom_excerpt":2586,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2587,"primary_tag":2588,"url":2589,"excerpt":2586,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-december-2023-update.json","Build In Public: December 2023 Update",[2578],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! In this post, you will learn everything we did during the past three months.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>We worked on customer orders again. The first order was a page to manage the concepts of your production. Aside from that, we added a some features to help you with your reviews. Let's see what we cooked for you!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>1. Concepts Page\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before your production, it's common to accumulate references that will help design your assets or your shots. That's why we added a page dedicated to it. You are now able to push any concept you want. Then, you can link them to assets and mark them as validated or rejected. It will help a lot to manage your brainstorming and will give references all along the way to your artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you to the Blender Studio for sponsoring this feature!\u003C/p>\u003Col start=\"2\">\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Playlist Timeline\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>You can now navigate through your playlist via a dedicated timeline. Thanks to the frame preview widget, you can easily find the shot you were looking for. Additionally, you can play playlist builds right from the UI, which allows you to check your transitions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>3. HDR Backgrounds For Your 3D Models\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you review a 3D model, it's common to check it in a dedicated environment. We integrated into Kitsu the capability to add a background to our model viewer. For that, you have to prepare a list of available backgrounds for your artists. Then, artists and supervisors can easily select a background to check their models.\u003C/p>\u003Col start=\"4\">\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Project Homepage\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>This simple feature was expected for a while by many of you. It's now there! You can select the first page displayed when you open a production, whether it's shots or assets.\u003C/p>\u003Col start=\"5\">\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Archive Main Elements\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Last, but not least, it's now possible to archive configuration elements such as task types or task statuses. It will help to make your UIs less cluttered.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We had the opportunity to set up our first multi-instance infrastructure. Things ran smoothly, and the migration worked as expected. We are proud of this innovation. Feel free to reach out to us if you are interested in this kind of setup.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Events\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We were in RADI at Angoulême, France, and at the Blender Conference, Amsterdam. Both events were very busy. We had the opportunity to meet many French users and were glad to see the Blender ecosystem thriving. We enjoyed seeing that much activity in both places. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Finance\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>As usual, we updated our finance charts. You can check them via the dedicated URL below. The animation market is very calm, so we noticed a little slowdown in our sales, but most of our customers are still working, so we were able to keep things afloat. \u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://metrics.cg-wire.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We will run a series of customer interviews that we will publish on our website. If you are interested in participating, feel free to contact us!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Studios and productions\u003C/strong> \u003Cbr>The animation and VFX market is almost on pause, but we were glad to welcome some newcomers! Find the list below:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>ImagoVFX - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.imagovfx.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.imagovfx.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>OVFX The Outlook Company - \u003Ca href=\"https://ovfxstudio.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">https://www.ovfx.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To conclude\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions. Among the upcoming features, we will work on token authentication and adding a Kanban view for artists. Then, we will work on some additions for studios managing many projects simultaneously. Let us know if you have specific needs you would like to see addressed in Kitsu!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2581,"comment_id":2582,"feature_image":2583,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2584,"updated_at":2585,"custom_excerpt":2586,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2587,"primary_tag":2588,"url":2589,"excerpt":2586,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"122d1090-b5fc-43d2-b81c-ebaf16a12c00","658193bce6322600015741eb","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/12/buildinpublic_december_2023-1.png","2023-12-19T13:59:40.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:39:44.000+01:00","Welcome to our Quarter update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! In this post, you will learn everything we did during the past three months.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-december-2023-update/","/posts/build-in-public-december-2023-update","2023-12-19T15:51:57.000+01:00",{"title":2576},"build-in-public-december-2023-update","posts/build-in-public-december-2023-update",[2596],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"or2uiJJLf3yBUMXLAuIwoh866k1l7ZGl3bp5Hk289bg",{"id":2599,"title":2600,"authors":2601,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2603,"meta":2604,"navigation":15,"path":2615,"published_at":2616,"seo":2617,"slug":2618,"stem":2619,"tags":2620,"__hash__":2622,"uuid":2605,"comment_id":2606,"feature_image":2607,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2608,"updated_at":2609,"custom_excerpt":2610,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2611,"primary_tag":2612,"url":2613,"excerpt":2610,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2614},"ghost/posts:how-to-design-animation-exercises-to-level-up-your-skill.json","How To Design Animation Exercises To Level Up Your Skills In 2026",[2602],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Even if you were to \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/youtube-animation-channel/\">\u003Cu>watch hundreds of Youtube videos\u003C/u>\u003C/a> on how to create animations, nothing beats hands-on practice: if you want to be an animator, just animate!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But getting into an exercise routine can be overwhelming. Maybe you don't know where to start or you're just too scattered to keep yourself consistent, or you don't feel very inspired by the exercises you found online. Experienced animators have all been there at some point, so don't sweat it: in this blog post, we give you short mindset tips to build your own exercise routine and help you level up your animation skills.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By the end of this article, you'll have a solid plan to follow.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"learn-by-doing\">\u003Cstrong>Learn by Doing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is a tacit skill: it can't be easily taught through words, you just have to do it! An exercise routine is particularly interesting to get yourself compounding results over time without feeling overwhelmed. Practice for 30 minutes every day―whether it's during lunch break, before bed time, or after school―and you'll improve by leaps and bounds in no time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But mindless repetition won't get you far―you need to ramp up difficulty. This is why instead of giving you homework in the form of a purposeless checklist of exercises, we want to give you a general roadmap to come up with your own workout plan! Understanding the principles of animation and focusing on applying them purposefully in each exercise by setting clear intentions for what you want to achieve is key to make consistent progress.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, exercise routines are not only essential for improving your skills, but also to keep your portfolio fresh and attractive to animation studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now you get the gig, let's dive straight into it.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-create-your-own-projects\">\u003Cstrong>1. Create Your Own Projects\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>First of all, you need just enough emotional attachment to keep you hooked. While learning how to animate a bouncing ball is important, it can also be pretty boring!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Go wild instead―by working on your own projects!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Taking on challenges that align with your interests and long-term goals is much better to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios and foster a deeper understanding of the animation process. We humans are emotional animals: we learn faster when we enjoy it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For instance, you can write a short 5-second script and try to animate it. Use your surroundings to find inspiration, and keep a notebook handy to record your thoughts when it strikes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you find yourself stuck, ask ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas with you: \"Hey, AI overlord. I want to learn to animate foxes. Give me short animation ideas please?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/5t2aUIMSBbHYTctdHhpyKpdMYCmwGCDDh8Hxei-Gs42Z5w3XIYdeb2p1-UqL8iIUeM-wVr3GjFFoGXFlNRa5EDLpvGm-62NIK7mUqaADruFc0cWccbtLr3AW7gSJ7XKrEypOX9gxOc9gN5CeXVZ1H68\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"455\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-work-with-others\">\u003Cstrong>2. Work with Others\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Join forces with fellow animators, artists, or even writers. Working in a team is the heart of all animation studios. It'll expose you to different perspectives, challenge you to adapt to various art styles, and enhance your problem-solving skills.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Even though collaboration is far from easy―\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/\">\u003Cu>conflicts are bound to happen one day or another\u003C/u>\u003C/a>―it's absolutely crucial to learn from others too because you can't gauge your progress without feedback!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And the best part is you don't need be in art school or work in a studio to find collaborators. You can find them all over the Internet: on Discord, Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, or even on Twitter / X. Just go out there and ask.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>(we run a Discord server for animation experts by the way,\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> \u003Cu>feel free to join us\u003C/u>\u003C/a>!)\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-storyboard\">\u003Cstrong>3. Storyboard\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>On particularly-busy days, schedule some time to create short storyboards!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/CLPsaCgnSt6ItVZcJEWPIktM7ePeYz3h4MFj01VcrDedcbEUIbGa7XmRj_uDhEZyu3WhlxqxWgqFeV9WR4utnmNUHlPoZKlTgeMDBC23-7lHf8KKWpXJf4zSV5BP1ePCG8cMt_I2NLkMd2bjiFAINRc\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\">\u003Cu>Storyboarding is an essential skill\u003C/u>\u003C/a> for animators to plan and visualize the sequence of images before diving into the detailed work. It's perfect when you don't want to go all the way to render a full blown animation, but it'll help you learn to quickly figure out how to frame, pace, and compose scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To become a professional implies learning to draw fast while getting the details right: character positions, design, and movement flow. A storyboard allows you to experiment with that, and all you need are a notebook and a pencil.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-context-matters\">\u003Cstrong>4. Context Matters\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Remember it's not just about what you animate but why: conveying emotions by telling a story. You need to understand and add context to your animation to give it depth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Imagine a character sitting alone at a park bench. She starts with a neutral expression, then slowly breaks into a warm, genuine smile. The animation isn't just about the mechanical movement of lips and cheeks to form a smile―it's about conveying the emotion of happiness and contentment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Part of your exercise routine could sometimes integrate scene breakdowns including notes on character acting (how the character reacts to various emotional triggers like joy, sadness, anger) and character interactions (movements involving two or more characters) but also more abstract animations to visualize emotions through shapes, colors, materials, and techniques.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-animation-specific-exercises\">\u003Cstrong>5. Animation-Specific Exercises\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>When you try to find animation exercices online, you'll read lists like \"animate a character walking in different styles\", \"animate a swinging pendulum\", or \"create an explosion effect\". But life is made up of hundreds of thousands of micro-interactions and you'll never have enough years to do them all, let alone all the possibilities offered to your imagination.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead, you need to view animations like puzzles to solve in your mind first:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Choose your favorite classic animation clips on YouTube, or real-life footages of a movement you want to reproduce, and watch them in slow speed mode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Break down each movement, keyframe by keyframe.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Start with the first keyframe and draw the important parts. If you animate an opening hand for example, you need to get the fingers and the palm right.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Repeat until completing a basic storyboard.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Getting a sense of the flow and what elements to pay attention to is what matters most in animation-specific exercices, but the learning process is always similar.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you gain more experience, breaking down movements will become second nature and you'll be able to animate anything you want.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-camera-movement\">\u003Cstrong>6. Camera Movement\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In filmmaking, the position and movement of the camera is another important aspect of storytelling. Animations are no different.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Experiment with camera animations like pans, zooms, tilts... whatever you find interesting while binge-watching Netflix or going to the theater!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-share-your-art\">\u003Cstrong>7. Share Your Art\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Last but not least, putting yourself out there is a crucial step in your journey as an animator.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As we previously mentionned, mindless repetition won't get you far: sharing your work not only allows you to showcase your skills but also opens the door to valuable feedback that can propel your growth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider platforms with existing animation communities: Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok, etc. You can also join CGWire's Discord to meet like-minded animators.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, build a portfolio―a website showcasing your best work, giving potential collaborators and employers a comprehensive view of your skills. It's important you own your own platform as well.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don't shy away from seeking feedback on your animations from people who aren't necessarily animation experts. Join online communities, forums, or social media groups dedicated to animation. Channels like Reddit's r/animation are great places to share your work and receive constructive feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation exercises are great to diversify your skill set and challenge yourself to grow as an animator. But it's essential to keep in mind that the goal is not to complete a checklist of exercises but to learn to apply the principles of animation to real-world scenarios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The core principle emphasized throughout is the importance of learning by doing but with intentional progression. 30 minutes of daily practice compound to 15 hours over a month. 180 hours over a year. If you think of creative ways to integrate these exercises into your quotidian rituals, you won’t even feel a thing! The best moment to start is now.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join us on Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> if you need additional help with exercise routine or just want to hang out with 1000+ animation experts from all over the world!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2605,"comment_id":2606,"feature_image":2607,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2608,"updated_at":2609,"custom_excerpt":2610,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2611,"primary_tag":2612,"url":2613,"excerpt":2610,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2614},"6aa9c344-310e-45d9-b290-75f02083930a","656dc1792bc5c200019260dc","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1608804375369-498a4b601e42?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE1fHxza2V0Y2glMjBhbmltYXRpb258ZW58MHx8fHwxNzAxNjk1NDA0fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-12-04T13:09:29.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:35.000+01:00","Getting into an exercise routine can be overwhelming. Maybe you don't know where to start or you're just too scattered to keep yourself consistent, or you don't feel very inspired by the exercises you found online. ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-design-animation-exercises-to-level-up-your-skill/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@groove328?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Andrey Novik\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/how-to-design-animation-exercises-to-level-up-your-skill","2023-12-05T09:22:01.000+01:00",{"title":2600},"how-to-design-animation-exercises-to-level-up-your-skill","posts/how-to-design-animation-exercises-to-level-up-your-skill",[2621],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"9GygL9FRJfkWNZi7DeNyiclCN6trLhGdcjQ9_3QxKIc",{"id":2624,"title":2625,"authors":2626,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2628,"meta":2629,"navigation":15,"path":2639,"published_at":2640,"seo":2641,"slug":2642,"stem":2643,"tags":2644,"__hash__":2646,"uuid":2630,"comment_id":2631,"feature_image":2632,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2633,"updated_at":2634,"custom_excerpt":2635,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2636,"primary_tag":2637,"url":2638,"excerpt":2635,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:prism-and-kitsu-integration-a-full-stack-for-your-production-workflow.json","Prism and Kitsu Integration: A  Full Stack For Your Production Workflow",[2627],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>The seamless integration of various tools and platforms has become necessary in the ever-evolving domain of animation and VFX productions. For efficient communication, every studio needs a production tracker and an asset manager. The former allows managing tasks and delivery validation, while the other takes care of files and creative tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The integration between Prism Pipeline, a popular asset management system, and Kitsu, our collaboration platform, plugs together the two main parts of a production pipeline. This way, it ensures a complete suite to manage your studio. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, let's see how this new stack can bring you new benefits and features!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"introduction-to-prism-pipeline-and-kitsu\">Introduction to Prism Pipeline and Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Before we explore the integration, I would like to give you a few words about Prism and Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"prism-pipeline\">Prism Pipeline\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Prism Pipeline is an open-source asset management system that has gained popularity for its versatility and user-friendliness. Designed to streamline the workflow of CG artists, it allows them to manage files and assets right from the DCC. \u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"https://prism-pipeline.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://prism-pipeline.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"kitsu\">Kitsu\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Kitsu, our collaboration platform, allows teams to track the progress of their projects in real-time, offering tools for assignments, data sharing, and reviews.\u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"cg-wire.com/kitsu\">https://cg-wire.com/kitsu\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-benefits-of-the-integration\">The benefits of the integration\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>To make it short, integrating Prism Pipeline and Kitsu will put your studio under steroïds. We will list below the main advantages it will bring to your studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>NB: As a side note, the Prism team made the Kitsu and Prism integration a paying plugin. So it will require extra bucks from your side to make it work.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"seamless-communication\">Seamless Communication\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The communication between different teams is streamlined: artists and managers can exchange information and feedback directly. Information can be sent right from DCCs or via the web platform. People can share data and information from anywhere. This means fewer errors and misunderstandings.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"managed-asset-management-lifecycle\">Managed Asset Management Lifecycle\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Prism offers you the framework to build and store your assets. From the Kitsu data, it will be able to organize all your files properly. When a scene is ready, Prism can push the playblasts generated from the scene into Kitsu. The Director will be able to perform reviews into Kitsu (or RV) and send the feedback right to the artist. Your asset lifecycle is under control.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"real-time-progress-tracking\">Real-Time Progress Tracking\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The integration allows for real-time progress tracking, with team members being able to monitor the status of various tasks and milestones directly within Kitsu. This facilitates better planning and resource allocation, ensuring that projects stay on track and within the stipulated timelines.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"enhanced-feedback-loop\">Enhanced Feedback Loop\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Supervisors and team lead can quickly provide feedback and approve assets directly within Kitsu or RV. They speed up the review process and ensure that feedback is implemented promptly and accurately. It allows us to perform more iterations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-the-integration-work\">How the integration work\u003Cbr>\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"kitsu-project-synchronization\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu Project Synchronization\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The first step is to create your production into Kitsu by listing all your assets, shots, and tasks. Then, you have to set up Prism on all artist's workstations. Once done, you can install the Kitsu plugin into Prism. It will sync your project with Prism installations. All additions done to your Kitsu project will be reflected in Prism.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/kitsu_prism_1.webp\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1501\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/11/kitsu_prism_1.webp 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2023/11/kitsu_prism_1.webp 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/kitsu_prism_1.webp 1501w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"file-management\">\u003Cstrong>File Management\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Prism will handle the file organization. With the Kitsu plugin activated, your file hierarchy will be created from the elements set into Kitsu. Your artists are ready to work by opening files matching Kitsu tasks. Prism is capable of using any CGI software to deal with your files. Each task can handle several files and multiple versions for each. You can use multiple tools to work on a task. It will cover all your needs to build any kind of scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1436\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/11/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2023/11/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/image.png 1436w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/image-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1433\" height=\"956\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/11/image-1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2023/11/image-1.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/image-1.png 1433w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"publishing\">\u003Cstrong>Publishing\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Once done, with a few clicks, you can generate a playblast for your review session. With the integration, Prism can create comments and publish the result into Kitsu by creating a new review revision.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1246\" height=\"1194\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/11/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2023/11/image-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/image-2.png 1246w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"get-feedback\">Get feedback\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Via Kitsu, Supervisors and Directors can provide feedback. This feedback can be pulled into Prism. That way, artists can stay in their tools while being aware of what is expected from their work or if it has been validated.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/kitsu_prism_4.webp\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1501\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/11/kitsu_prism_4.webp 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2023/11/kitsu_prism_4.webp 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/kitsu_prism_4.webp 1501w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"rv-integration\">RV Integration\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Last but not least, Directors can plug RV into the Kitsu playlists. Once the playlist is prepared into Kitsu, it can be downloaded to RV via Prism. All comments written in RV are sent to Kitsu and, that way, pushed to artists' Prism installations.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/kitsu_prism_7.webp\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1501\" height=\"844\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/11/kitsu_prism_7.webp 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2023/11/kitsu_prism_7.webp 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/kitsu_prism_7.webp 1501w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"full-illustration\">Full illustration\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Gaurav Mathur, Solutions Architect at Epic Games and former CG Supervisor at TheMill, presented a complete integration of both technologies. You will see how he set up an entire pipeline based on both technologies.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\">\u003Ciframe width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/MtXxnvgQYko?start=18452&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Unreal Fest Day 1 | Livestream 3\">\u003C/iframe>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The integration between Prism Pipeline and Kitsu constitutes a full project management set. By amalgamating asset management and collaboration functionalities, it brings all the features needed to create seamless communication into your productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These new capabilities are crucial when you work with several studios and with remote artists. Working with bigger distributed teams is now possible. With the Prism / Kitsu integration, scaling your studio has never been easier!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join us on Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> if you need additional help with creative project collaboration or just want to hang out with 1000+ animation experts from all over the world!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2630,"comment_id":2631,"feature_image":2632,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2633,"updated_at":2634,"custom_excerpt":2635,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2636,"primary_tag":2637,"url":2638,"excerpt":2635,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"1fa8e325-29b1-4863-b928-71f8e29a65a2","650b33d788d73200015d6d26","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/11/kitsu-prism.png","2023-09-20T20:03:03.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:54:26.000+01:00","The seamless integration of various tools and platforms has become necessary in the ever-evolving domain of animation and VFX productions. For efficient communication, every studio needs a production tracker and an asset manager. ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/prism-and-kitsu-integration-a-full-stack-for-your-production-workflow/","/posts/prism-and-kitsu-integration-a-full-stack-for-your-production-workflow","2023-11-29T12:03:58.000+01:00",{"title":2625},"prism-and-kitsu-integration-a-full-stack-for-your-production-workflow","posts/prism-and-kitsu-integration-a-full-stack-for-your-production-workflow",[2645],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"iF-A5z32TAby0uN3Y_t5bFUTFCCxI9H8c1rzt4ElGTY",{"id":2648,"title":2649,"authors":2650,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2652,"meta":2653,"navigation":15,"path":2664,"published_at":2665,"seo":2666,"slug":2667,"stem":2668,"tags":2669,"__hash__":2671,"uuid":2654,"comment_id":2655,"feature_image":2656,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2657,"updated_at":2658,"custom_excerpt":2659,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2660,"primary_tag":2661,"url":2662,"excerpt":2659,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2663},"ghost/posts:how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback.json","How To Give Efficient Animation Feedback (2026)",[2651],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>We've all been there. You pour hours of work into completing a task only for your team to give vague, contradictory, or harsh feedback upon sharing your progress. Your day is ruined. You go through it anyway and sleep on it. But the next day\u003Cem>,\u003C/em> your client praises you\u003Cem>,\u003C/em> and it's like the sun shines a little brighter: nobody likes bad feedback, but few animation studios teach the skills to provide it constructively.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is a mistake, because feedback is how you go from done to great.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we'll explore the importance of feedback in animation and offer valuable insights on how to provide constructive criticism, when to seek input, and how our production tracker tool Kitsu helps brighten the feedback process.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-why-feedback-is-key-in-animation\">\u003Cstrong>1. Why Feedback is Key in Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Animation is a collaborative effort where animators work together towards a common goal. Without open communication among team members, nothing can get done: everybody has their own roles, with their unique perspectives, and managing to combine these perspectives through continuous feedback is how great animation is born.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Unresolved issues, miscommunications, or constant revisions can quickly inflate production costs. If a mistake slips up in a 3D character model and you have to re-render the entire episode, you'll feel the pain. Constructive feedback ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, saving time and money in the long run.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But more importantly, bad feedback also reduces morale: when feedback is delivered in a negative way, we are less likely to go out of our way to improve. Our sense of accomplishment is tarnished, and the loop of bad feedback continues. Feeling part of a team and that our work is valued is how you create loyal, happy employees that will push the quality of your animation to its limits.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-how-to-give-constructive-feedback-with-non-violent-communication\">\u003Cstrong>2. How to Give Constructive Feedback With Non-Violent Communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As we mentionned, there are right ways and wrong ways to give feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \"sandwich\" approach (compliment-critique-compliment) is a common method: \"I like what you did, but this needs fixing. I really like what you did, though.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While this comes naturally to some, it can feel forced and insincere. It's easy to make up a \"compliment\" or forget it entirely to focus on the negative. Honesty is the basis of trust, and it requires a little bit more vulnerability to be honest about what you don't like.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Instead, we recommend using Non-Violent Communication (NVC) to provide more constructive, humane feedback. It is often advised to focus on the work, not the person, to keep your feedback objective and avoid interpersonal conflicts. The problem is, work IS deeply personal. An animator wants to be proud of their work, and it's hard not to take criticism personally. NVC is a method in 4 steps that takes into account this psychological aspect:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Observations - Explain what I sense that doesn’t contribute to my well-being. Example: \"I see that the character's eyes are not aligned.\"\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Feelings - Explain what feelings these observations causes me. Example: \"I feel frustrated because I put hours into designing this character.\"\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Needs - What I value in my work that causes these feelings in the first place. Example: \"I need to feel like my work is respected.\"\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Requests - What I would like to see happen that would make my job better. Example: \"Please pay closer attention to the design sheets.\"\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>The exchange goes both ways because it's important to get each other's perspective.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While you should always strive for positive, constructive suggestions, it doesn’t mean you should be afraid of conflicts. Instead of saying \"This is terrible,\" say \"This could be improved by...\". But encourage open dialogue by listening to the artist's perspective and addressing their concerns. Vague feedback is seldom helpful, so extra patience is required with collaborators who have trouble communicating how they feel.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When conflict arises, consent is key. If you're not sure how to proceed, ask for permission to take a decision. This ensures that the other person is included and their needs are met. For example, \"I think we should go with Tom's design. What should we add from yours to make it better?\"\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-when-to-seek-feedback\">\u003Cstrong>3. When To Seek Feedback\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While it may be tempting to pat your colleague on the back and seek feedback constantly, excessive interruptions cause frustration: it's crucial to strike a balance between refining your own work and allowing the team to make progress.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One solution to this dilemma is asynchronous feedback through tools like Kitsu. They offer the convenience of leaving comments and suggestions directly on the animation, allowing team members to review and respond at their own pace. Just leave a comment on the frame you want to discuss about and move on with your work. They'll get a notification and can reply when they're ready.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With versioning support, colloaboration tools like Kitsu ensure that feedback is tied to the specific iteration of the animation, reducing confusion and streamlining the revision process. You can easily compare versions to see what changed and why. It also allows you to work on something without waiting for feedback on another task.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-how-to-do-in-person-reviews\">\u003Cstrong>4. How to Do In-Person Reviews\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In-person reviews remain a valuable method for providing feedback. It's a great way to get everyone on the same page and discuss the animation as a team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Review the work thoroughly before the meeting so you can provide specific and informed feedback. Take notes and be ready to discuss your observations using the NVC methodology.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There are various techniques for conducting in-person reviews, like frame-by-frame analysis. Try different methods to see which suits your team's needs and ensure that everyone is on the same page.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For instance, Kitsu has a sync review feature that makes it easy to watch the animation together and leave comments in real time. This is a great way to get everyone's input, whether some people are working remotely or not.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-dont-forget-documentation\">\u003Cstrong>5. Don't Forget Documentation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Documenting feedback is often overlooked but is crucial for reference and future decision-making. It serves as a record of design choices, discussions, and agreements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether it's a simple spreadsheet, a project management tool, or integrated feedback platforms, having a centralized repository for feedback ensures that valuable information is never lost. You can add notes to frames, but you can also add actionable steps resulting from your feedback process to your task list. Tools like Kitsu are ideal to keep the history of the discussions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From experience, similar conflicts tend to arise from one production to the next, and having a record of how you resolved them in the past can save you a lot of time and frustration.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Feedback doesn’t have to be tedious. It should be part of an animation studio's work culture to seek excellence; feedback is valuable. The pain points are deeply human, but nothing is impossible to overcome with the right methodology.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>NVC combined with Kitsu features is a great start. NVC allows us to clearly identify the issues or areas that need improvement, considering the emotional aspect of giving and receiving feedback. Kitsu acts as a centralized repository for feedback, ensuring that everyone's contributions are never lost but also acted upon.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join us on Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> if you need additional help with creative project collaboration or just want to hang out with 1000+ animation experts from all over the world!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2654,"comment_id":2655,"feature_image":2656,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2657,"updated_at":2658,"custom_excerpt":2659,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2660,"primary_tag":2661,"url":2662,"excerpt":2659,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2663},"9d279b25-d0d1-4a65-b16d-2b097c59d5c3","6565afdde00728000153adf7","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1509909756405-be0199881695?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDExfHxmZWVkYmFja3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3MDExNjMyOTF8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-11-28T10:16:13.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:37:19.000+01:00","You pour hours of work into completing a task only for your team to give vague, contradictory, or harsh feedback upon sharing your progress. Your day is ruined. You go through it anyway and sleep on it. But the next day, your client praises you, and it's like the sun shines a little brighter.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@artbyhybrid?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Madison Oren\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback","2023-11-28T10:23:08.000+01:00",{"title":2649},"how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback","posts/how-to-give-efficient-animation-feedback",[2670],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"QyrYRuKLvZg50uM6TW5HhfaBMJuGuOYar1SkB7ZFGvI",{"id":2673,"title":2674,"authors":2675,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2677,"meta":2678,"navigation":15,"path":2688,"published_at":2689,"seo":2690,"slug":2691,"stem":2692,"tags":2693,"__hash__":2695,"uuid":2679,"comment_id":2680,"feature_image":2681,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2682,"updated_at":2683,"custom_excerpt":2684,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2685,"primary_tag":2686,"url":2687,"excerpt":2684,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-september-2023.json","Build In Public: September 2023 Update",[2676],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! This post will teach you everything we did during the past two months.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>After the summer break, the team was hands on making Kitsu better. Find below the main addition we did alongside the usual maintenance.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>1. Filter Groups\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can now group all your filters in folders. You were numerous to have a big list of filters. It will allow you to get things tidier and more efficient.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>2. Improved comparisons\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can now see the annotations of the compared version when doing comparisons. It will be easier to check if retakes were handled correctly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>3. Frame preview in the progress bar\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's possible to preview a frame right from the progress bar. Seeking in a shot or a sequence will be super fast.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We spend most of our time improving current installations and working on a particular dedicated setup with a single instance per project. If you are interested in multi-instances setup, please reach out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Events\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We went to the Cartoon Forum, where we got the opportunity to talk to many of you. It was interesting to observe the new trends for TV Series like science education. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The next stops for us will be the RADI-RAF in Angoulême and the Blender Conference. Feel free to reach us if you want to set up an appointment!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Finance\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As usual, we updated our finance charts, you can check them via the dedicated URL below. The summer was shy but still good. Our bank account balance is still high. \u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://metrics.cg-wire.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We ran a new ad campaign with modernized visuals. We decided to move from a descriptive ad to an inspiring ad. We ran it on two mediums:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Printed Magazines\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Écran Total: \u003Ca href=\"https://ecran-total.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://ecran-total.fr/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Animation Magazine: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.animationmagazine.net/magazine/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.animationmagazine.net/magazine/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Podcasts\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Ian Falles' Befores and Afters where Ian interviews VFX professionals: \u003Ca href=\"https://beforesandafters.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://beforesandafters.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Benjamin Cerbai's French Youtube channel where Benjamin teaches animation and interviews animation professionals: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@BenjaminCerbai?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://www.youtube.com/@BenjaminCerbai\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Studios and productions\u003C/strong> \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>The summer was quiet, but we still saw some newcomers. But, we noticed a significant increase in the downloads of our Docker trial image. It will reach 100k downloads soon, while it was sitting around 45k downloads three months ago. About our customers, we were able to welcome the following schools and studios:\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Atelier de Sèvres (France) - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.atelierdesevres.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.atelierdesevres.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Holybird (France) - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.holybird.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.holybird.fr/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Animaltank (Belgium) - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.animaltank.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.animaltank.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>MintCPH (Denmark) - \u003Ca href=\"https://mintcph.dk/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://mintcph.dk/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To conclude\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions. Among the upcoming features, we will work on adding features to manage concepts and still improve our schedule. Let us know if you have specific needs you would like to see addressed in Kitsu!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2679,"comment_id":2680,"feature_image":2681,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2682,"updated_at":2683,"custom_excerpt":2684,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2685,"primary_tag":2686,"url":2687,"excerpt":2684,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"a85f9082-0a9e-400e-9ef0-ea719f20972f","650e1a071812eb000180a3be","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/09/buildinpublic_september_2023.png","2023-09-23T00:49:43.000+02:00","2023-10-24T18:16:29.000+02:00","Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! This post will teach you everything we did during the past two months.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-september-2023/","/posts/build-in-public-september-2023","2023-10-04T00:20:55.000+02:00",{"title":2674},"build-in-public-september-2023","posts/build-in-public-september-2023",[2694],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"EpEetzAt5lWvskEKuhi2HzDQFSYN_tgltdNKeQ7CcRU",{"id":2697,"title":2698,"authors":2699,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2701,"meta":2702,"navigation":15,"path":2712,"published_at":2713,"seo":2714,"slug":2715,"stem":2716,"tags":2717,"__hash__":2719,"uuid":2703,"comment_id":2704,"feature_image":2705,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2706,"updated_at":2707,"custom_excerpt":2708,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2709,"primary_tag":2710,"url":2711,"excerpt":2708,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:together-we-are-all-winners.json","Together, We Are All Winners",[2700],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Next week will be a very special one for me. After seven years of hard work, I will take my first complete 1-month break, I will turn 41, and most of all, my first child will be born. As you can guess, it will be a massive shift for me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>I know you're not here to listen to my concerns, but this new step in my life is an opportunity to pause and reflect on what we did with CGWire and where we are heading.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First and foremost, for the first time, the project will grow by itself. Our team and I bootstrapped the project. So I can safely let it live on its own while I'm doing my parental leave. CGWire, led by \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/gw%C3%A9na%C3%ABlle-dupr%C3%A9-a335223?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Gwénaëlle Dupré\u003C/a>, will continue to fulfill our mission. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>But now, the question is, why build a resilient organization? What do we aim at? To understand our goals, let me first introduce you to five organizations that you may have heard about:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.miyu.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Miyu\u003C/strong>\u003C/a> (France): They do auteur animation movies. They won the Annecy Cristal Award for the best animation movie and the Palme d'Or for the best short film at Cannes. They have elevated animation to the rank of art.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.blender.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Blender Foundation\u003C/strong>\u003C/a> (Netherlands): They build Blender, a Free software to do high-end 3D in any form. They are used by artists all over the world. Their goal is to bring anyone the freedom to create.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@ElReinoInfantil?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>El Reino Infantil\u003C/strong>\u003C/a> (Argentina) They built the Hispanic YouTube channel with the most subscribers. They bring joyful and educative content through music videos to Spanish-speaking children worldwide.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://yuga.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Yuga Labs\u003C/strong>\u003C/a> (United States): They manage the most famous NFT collections and build creative IPs from them. They demonstrated that with blockchains, anyone can create and grow their creative brand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://zuru.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Zuru\u003C/strong>\u003C/a> (New Zealand/China): They build and distribute new toys and personal care products. Through innovative designs, they could thrive at a large scale in markets locked by major brands. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>While being fundamentally different and sharing distanced goals, these five organizations have three things in common:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>They challenge the status quo\u003C/li>\u003Cli>They move the creative space\u003C/li>\u003Cli>They use Kitsu\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>They all question the behemoths' reign and bring new ways of doing and sharing art. Contributing to their efforts and being part of the change they carry make us proud. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>When we started working on Kitsu, we designed it as a project management software for animation productions. We made it free and open source to allow anyone to benefit from our technology. Building a business model around it via hosting was hard, but it worked. \u003Cbr>The beauty in this is that over time, challengers, in any creative space, chosed Kitsu as their primary collaboration tool for their artistic work. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>With emerging technologies like real-time rendering or AI, making complex creative productions has never been so accessible. We are at the dawn of a new era where creators will be everywhere. Seeing new challengers will become more and more common. And to achieve their goals, they will need proper collaboration tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's why today, as a team and community, we must broaden our perspective. We should now see Kitsu as a whole infrastructure that allows anyone to build ambitious creative projects. Studios need to be able to work together and aggregate talents from anywhere. The communication has to be seamless, the iterations faster, and the collective intelligence maximized. It will allow them to build outstanding productions way beyond expectations. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>That way, we will foster a diversity of stories and points of view never seen before. By allowing studios and teams to work as distributed organizations, creators will be stronger and won't need to comply with a norm dictated by the giants. Better, they will be able to compete with them and create new narratives and dreams.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We are already supporting this with Kitsu, and we will go further by enabling more interactions between Kitsu instances and providing artists with their own spaces. Spaces that will connect to studio installations and thus help manage their relations with multiple studios, make the hiring smoother and facilitate remote work. The collaboration will be brought to the next level.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Federating teams and talents is our mission, and we will go further in that direction in the upcoming years. Because when we act together, we are all winners!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2703,"comment_id":2704,"feature_image":2705,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2706,"updated_at":2707,"custom_excerpt":2708,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2709,"primary_tag":2710,"url":2711,"excerpt":2708,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"863ae9f4-d4f8-4a2a-8c32-c25dc6388663","650cf8321812eb000180a236","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/09/website_illustrations_illustration_about_delivery_v1.png","2023-09-22T04:13:06.000+02:00","2023-10-24T18:18:45.000+02:00","Next week my first child will be born. This new step in my life is an opportunity to pause and reflect on what we did with CGWire and where we are heading.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/together-we-are-all-winners/","/posts/together-we-are-all-winners","2023-09-26T10:33:34.000+02:00",{"title":2698},"together-we-are-all-winners","posts/together-we-are-all-winners",[2718],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"JNfo52cBfTMr8qQ5GrizTU4pm0NjPDswQgfZjruOAxU",{"id":2721,"title":2722,"authors":2723,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2725,"meta":2726,"navigation":15,"path":2737,"published_at":2738,"seo":2739,"slug":2740,"stem":2741,"tags":2742,"__hash__":2744,"uuid":2727,"comment_id":2728,"feature_image":2729,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2730,"updated_at":2731,"custom_excerpt":2732,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2733,"primary_tag":2734,"url":2735,"excerpt":2732,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2736},"ghost/posts:how-to-manage-your-animation-production-budget.json","How To Manage Your Animation Production Budget (2026)",[2724],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Your budget is your animation studio’s lifeline: you need to take care of it because your team’s livelihood depends on it. In this article, we list 9 points to consider to make the most of your animation budget. These best practices originate from our own experience as well as our customers, so we hope you find them useful. In the last section, we also give you tips on how to raise more funds. Without further ado, let’s get straight into it!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-careful-project-management\">\u003Cstrong>1. Careful project management\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-much-cost-a-cgi-tv-show-52-episodes-of-12-mn/\">Your animation budget is proportional to the time required\u003C/a> to complete the production: careful project management is crucial to staying on time and on budget.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By defining the project scope, objectives, and timeline in advance, you can accurately estimate costs and prevent unnecessary expenses. \u003Cstrong>Good planning\u003C/strong> also helps avoid scope creep. Regularly tracking the budget against the plan provides early insights into any deviations, allowing for adjustments and successful delivery of the animation project within budget constraints. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>(Of course a production tracker like \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/production-tracker?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Kitsu is ideal to set tasks and manage expectations\u003C/a> :))\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PFQltPYMi0ZEyLVyoxxNA-otLl9CmoPUKBar7YGNNch3YzRqF7FfEz2dJADGoU3YxTZASocUyU4xt6hXLtg5fZQXw-ZChdYOgDq5ILhmRzFGpkBcAY1rb-l4NgSFPv6aCOCx6mGtqTpMDZ8vUVC60ZA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"361\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Proper feedback and communication loops\u003C/strong> are also key to decreasing both stress and costs: when you know exactly what needs to be done and when there is less guessing and overthinking. The artists talk to the supervisor, who talks to the director, generating data and increasing productivity. This allows production managers and accountants to do their jobs better, which in turn enables the artists to work better. As a result, the director can push the boundaries further, ensuring the data is up-to-date and accurate. This virtuous cycle leads to budget optimizations that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your team’s hourly rate is the main budget cost so it’s crucial to keep things flowing at all times. \u003Cstrong>A culture of transparency\u003C/strong> with all stakeholders can also come in handy to raise more funds as needed, as we’ll see in the last section.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-include-error-margins\">\u003Cstrong>2. Include error margins\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>10% of the budget should be allocated to risk management\u003C/strong>. Identifying potential risks during the planning phase allows for the creation of contingency plans reducing the likelihood of budget overruns due to unexpected challenges.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Including a margin for error is essential to maintain control over your animation project budget. No matter how well you plan, \u003Cstrong>unforeseen challenges and uncertainties can arise\u003C/strong> during the project's execution― These might include unexpected technical difficulties, long revisions, client feedback, or production delays. Incorporating a margin for error creates a financial cushion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>It also provides flexibility\u003C/strong> and room for adjustments without compromising the overall project quality or timeline. It allows you to handle unexpected costs or changes without having to scramble for additional funds or sacrifice important aspects of the project.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-avoid-retakes\">\u003Cstrong>3. Avoid retakes\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Retakes occur when parts of the animation need to be redone due to errors, revisions, or client feedback. Each retake consumes additional resources, including time, labor, and potentially new assets. These extra iterations can significantly increase production costs and cause delays.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Good planning\u003C/strong> is half the battle. \u003Cstrong>Effective communication\u003C/strong> with clients or stakeholders throughout the project can also minimize the need for retakes. By ensuring alignment on project goals, creative vision, and deliverables, you can avoid misunderstandings that may lead to costly revisions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Planning more time for pre-production\u003C/strong> also reduces the likelihood of retakes: thoroughly reviewing storyboards, animatics, and thumbnails can help identify potential issues early on, allowing for corrections before full production begins. Also, make use of adding comments and notes to remove guesswork.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Begin with the end in mind too\u003C/strong>: if you already know a character will only be shown for a split second with its back facing the viewer, you probably don’t need much details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s a good idea to \u003Cstrong>include retakes in your planning\u003C/strong> as they help make the production more flexible when a change arises. Just limit the number of retakes to a reasonable amount and price them accordingly to avoid going over budget.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-work-with-several-studios\">\u003Cstrong>4. Work with several studios\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If you outsource work, sending a request for proposal (RFP) to different animation studios is a strategic approach to gain insights into the different services, pricing structures, and capabilities available in the market. Comparing the proposals allows you to make informed decisions based on budget considerations: You can assess the cost estimates provided by each studio and select the one that aligns best with your financial constraints while meeting your project requirements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The competitive nature of the bidding process encourages studios to offer competitive pricing, potentially leading to cost savings for your animation project. The process also helps you gain a clear understanding of the services included in each proposal, preventing any hidden costs or surprises down the line. It ensures transparency and accountability from the selected studio, reducing the risk of unexpected budget overruns.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also work with several studios to leverage their unique strengths. Kitsu made several multi-studio collaboration works in the past by simply allowing directors to keep track of all deliverables in real-time. It doesn’t matter if the animator works in-house or not, as long as you are aligned on what needs to be done.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-use-a-render-farm\">\u003Cstrong>5. Use a render farm\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If you do 3D animation, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">using a render farm\u003C/a> is a cost-effective strategy. Rendering is a resource-intensive process that can be time-consuming and expensive when done on individual workstations. With a render farm, you can distribute rendering tasks across a network of powerful servers, significantly reducing the time needed to complete the rendering process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The accelerated rendering time allows you \u003Cstrong>to meet tight production schedules, avoid delays, and potentially save on labor costs\u003C/strong> associated with extended rendering periods.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Render farms also provide scalability, enabling you \u003Cstrong>to handle large-scale projects\u003C/strong> without the need to invest in expensive hardware upgrades. This flexibility ensures you can efficiently allocate resources as needed, avoiding under or overprovisioning.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-don%E2%80%99t-throw-more-people-at-a-problem\">\u003Cstrong>6. Don’t throw more people at a problem\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>More isn’t always better: adding more human power to a late project isn’t going to help if you run over budget and people delay each other’s work:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Adding more team members can require time and resources for training and onboarding, which can initially slow down the production process.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Larger teams lead to communication challenges and coordination issues, resulting in inefficiencies and reduced productivity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Increasing the workforce without proper planning can result in a lack of clear roles and responsibilities, leading to duplication of efforts or gaps in production.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A larger team requires increased managerial oversight, which can divert attention from the creative aspects of the project and impact its overall quality.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>More people means increased overhead costs like office space, equipment, and benefits, which can strain the project's budget.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Before hiring more people, \u003Cstrong>focus on effective team management, streamlined workflows, and optimal resource allocation\u003C/strong>. Once you get those right, hire more people if needed.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-use-stock-models\">\u003Cstrong>7. Use stock models\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A large portion of an animation budget goes toward modeling and rigging so using stock models can significantly reduce animation costs with pre-made, ready-to-use 3D models or character rigs that can be incorporated into your animation projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Stock models save time and resources that would otherwise be spent on creating custom models from scratch or hiring artists to design them. \u003Cstrong>They are typically more affordable\u003C/strong> compared to commissioning custom models, which helps keep the budget under control, but \u003Cstrong>they are also often high-quality\u003C/strong> and professionally designed, ensuring a polished look for your animation without compromising on the final output.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Animators can then focus more on the creative aspects\u003C/strong> of the project rather than spending excessive time on repetitive modeling tasks, using stock models as a base. This efficiency leads to faster production times and enables quicker project turnaround.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-keep-it-simple\">\u003Cstrong>8. Keep it simple\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Complexity in character and location design requires more time and resources to create, animate, and render: highly detailed and realistic elements demand more intricate modeling, texturing, and lighting, leading to extended production periods and increased costs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By \u003Cstrong>adhering to the 80/20 rule\u003C/strong>―focusing on the essential details that contribute to the narrative or visual appeal and avoiding unnecessary intricacies―you can allocate resources more efficiently.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Creating more characters will result in more models and more budget spending, so you also need to watch out for those. Prioritize what needs to be done to push the story forward, then work on nice-to-have details depending on the remaining budget. For an animated series, you can alternate between complex and simpler-to-make episodes to stretch your team workload over a longer period to avoid burnout.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-choose-the-appropriate-animation-style\">\u003Cstrong>9. Choose the appropriate animation style\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Using the right animation type is crucial for keeping your budget under control because different animation techniques have varying levels of complexity, time requirements, and costs associated with them with specific skill sets, tools, and resources needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/the-main-types-of-animation/\">Choosing an animation type\u003C/a> that aligns with your project's scope and budget\u003C/strong> constraints is essential. For example, 2D animation might be more cost-effective and faster to produce for certain projects compared to 3D animation, which typically demands more people with specialized skills.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"bonus-increase-the-budgethow-to-raise-more-funds-or-request-additional-funding\">\u003Cstrong>Bonus: Increase the budget -  How to raise more funds or request additional funding\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are often alternative income sources you can leverage to avoid running out of budget:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Crowdfunding\u003C/strong> through platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo can attract support from a broad audience.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Seeking \u003Cstrong>additional investors\u003C/strong> like individual backers, production companies, or studios, is another option.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Researching and applying for \u003Cstrong>grants, scholarships, or funding programs\u003C/strong> from government agencies, non-profits, or artistic foundations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Selling \u003Cstrong>pre-sale rights or licensing deals\u003C/strong> to distribution platforms or broadcasters\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Partnerships with brands\u003C/strong> for cross-promotion in exchange for financial support is another avenue\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Selling related \u003Cstrong>merchandise\u003C/strong> on platforms like Etsy or Teespring can generate additional income.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>When dealing with third-party entities like investors or organizations, remember to \u003Cstrong>showcase the value and potential of your animation\u003C/strong> \u003Cstrong>project with concrete data-driven evidence\u003C/strong>, and be prepared to provide detailed plans for how the additional funds will be used to complete the project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, Kitsu helps demonstrate the progress made since the initial investment and highlights achieved milestones, showing how investment has contributed to the project's advancement and the potential for further success with additional funding. You can also showcase the market potential, your financial projections based on your animation pipeline data, your team’s productivity, and your portfolio of past projects.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Managing an animation budget can feel overwhelming when your team depends on you, but having the right methods and tools drastically reduces risks. Plan and track your expenses as you go to keep things manageable: you can’t control what you don’t measure.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By applying best practices you will avoid most of the pitfalls and make sure that any situation can be managed. Your producer and your team will spend a better production and your studio will get higher margins. It will create a virtuous circle allowing you and your team to handle more ambitious projects.\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Make sure to \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">join us on Discord\u003C/a> if you need additional help with budget strategies or just want to hang out with 1000+ animation experts from all over the world!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2727,"comment_id":2728,"feature_image":2729,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2730,"updated_at":2731,"custom_excerpt":2732,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2733,"primary_tag":2734,"url":2735,"excerpt":2732,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2736},"500b883f-41a8-4af7-8618-7237413a984b","65002a6e6555a300018b6ba5","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1633158829585-23ba8f7c8caf?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fGJ1ZGdldHxlbnwwfHx8fDE2OTQ1MTE0NTZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-09-12T11:07:58.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:37:26.000+01:00","Your budget is your animation studio’s lifeline: you need to take care of it because your team’s livelihood depends on it. In this article, we list 9 points to consider to make the most of your animation budget!",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-manage-your-animation-production-budget/","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@towfiqu999999?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Towfiqu barbhuiya\u003C/a> / \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/how-to-manage-your-animation-production-budget","2023-09-12T11:40:59.000+02:00",{"title":2722},"how-to-manage-your-animation-production-budget","posts/how-to-manage-your-animation-production-budget",[2743],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"-ELHTRHBeg2LBiZQel7X4rganKL3jGpZ4K_yx_GKIpk",{"id":2746,"title":2747,"authors":2748,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2750,"meta":2751,"navigation":15,"path":2762,"published_at":2763,"seo":2764,"slug":2765,"stem":2766,"tags":2767,"__hash__":2769,"uuid":2752,"comment_id":2753,"feature_image":2754,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2755,"updated_at":2756,"custom_excerpt":2757,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2758,"primary_tag":2759,"url":2760,"excerpt":2757,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2761},"ghost/posts:youtube-animation-channel.json","Make Your Own Youtube Animation Channel In 2026",[2749],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>If you're an animator looking to make your mark on YouTube, you've come to the right place: this article will guide you through the essential steps to kickstart your animation channel.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-youtube\">\u003Cstrong>Why Youtube\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With an astounding 2 billion monthly users, \u003Cstrong>YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine\u003C/strong>. With billions of users actively engaging with the platform each month, the potential audience for your animated content is virtually limitless. Whether you're an aspiring animator or a seasoned animation studio, YouTube offers an incredible opportunity to reach out to viewers from around the globe. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pNe0ciYxgiYZCRPc3tIeZq1LT_lP0tW4-liB3Z7G6fJe6DFei1k6ZH4im1KB826G6qIQG1di7YzkOuuERd2G9IVvxQGREtilO3NtgnlJjsINl7Aftl3_SWyO99qHY7_WTvJ-x52HrolOvXZwgNS9i-c\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"579\">\u003Cfigcaption>A popular motion graphics channel like Kurzgesagt makes huge numbers\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Unlike traditional media, YouTube provides a level playing field for creators. \u003Cstrong>Getting started with YouTube animation is easy.\u003C/strong> You don't need elaborate equipment or a large team to produce engaging content. With a computer, animation software, and a passion for storytelling, you can embark on your YouTube animation journey from the comfort of your home. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iyfu1l61uAMU2Dz2A6-CsXHD0PrRSDUdgq_4B-f6KtMB4H0KbEqGHsidBlDz5CmdMbsgG_qRTh7LxHNLhjG2oV1pB-R2p216UBOitATouFa_ZUAhxHPJax0MP1Lkvm7quW3waD5BUU0nXV6NRIIMF7M\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"579\">\u003Cfigcaption>You don’t need fancy animation either―look at Casually Explained\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>YouTube serves as a compelling portfolio platform for animators.\u003C/strong> As you produce and upload your animations, your channel becomes a showcase of your evolving skills and creativity. This digital portfolio not only attracts potential clients or collaborators but also helps you build a loyal fanbase that eagerly anticipates your next animation. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BM4deoTFvsAWo3Aek175plg7EqEt41lAWH7orjV0HwORlskvIVy6LvVKOrXktS7q1wVQs3wQ4uSxDlD-gaJGg3JAplztoO9hrDolaRXPtjTvS6DxyDMWkHVMaKr_pD7PlaBW0k5vsJav7mhSKsnnui4\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"579\">\u003Cfigcaption>Gobelins Animation School is known for sharing animation shorts created by students\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"find-a-niche\">\u003Cstrong>Find a niche\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With countless creators vying for viewers' attention, setting your animation channel apart is crucial. Standing out as an animation YouTuber requires finding a niche that not only aligns with your passion but also offers differentiation and monetization opportunities.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A well-defined niche gives your channel a unique identity, making it more memorable and distinctive amidst the sea of videos. Embracing a niche allows you to cater to a specific audience, fostering a loyal community that shares your passion and interests.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider the following criteria to pick a niche:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Low competition\u003C/strong> - While it's essential to choose a niche that resonates with you, considering areas with relatively low competition increases your chances of gaining visibility and traction in the early stages.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Passion and interest\u003C/strong> - Explore animation topics or styles that genuinely excite you. Creating content rooted in your passion will not only keep you motivated in the long run but also result in more authentic and engaging videos that resonate with your audience.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Unique angle\u003C/strong> - Within your chosen niche, seek a unique angle that sets your channel apart. Whether it's through a distinctive animation style, innovative storytelling approach, or catering to an underserved audience segment, finding your own voice will make your content more compelling.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"understand-your-audience\">\u003Cstrong>Understand your audience\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Conduct thorough research to understand what kind of animation content is in demand and what your audience is looking for:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Identify needs and interests\u003C/strong> - Analyze the demands of your potential viewers. What are their preferences when it comes to animation content? Delve into their interests, pain points, and the kind of value they seek from your videos.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Hang where your people are\u003C/strong> - Understanding where your audience spends their time online is crucial. Whether it's popular animation channels, social media platforms, online forums, or other communities, being present where they are will help you engage with them effectively.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Study content consumption habits\u003C/strong> - Investigate the type of content your audience consumes regularly. Identify popular animation channels they follow and study trending topics to discern patterns that align with their preferences.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"pick-an-animation-style\">\u003Cstrong>Pick an animation style\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Various animation styles can captivate audiences in unique ways, so select the ones that best fit your content and artistic vision:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>2D \u003C/strong>- 2D animation is a classic and widely recognized style, known for its hand-drawn or digitally created characters and backgrounds. It offers a broad range of creative possibilities, from traditional frame-by-frame animation to modern vector-based techniques. 2D animation is versatile, making it suitable for storytelling, character-driven content, explainer videos, and even comedic shorts. Example:\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>3D \u003C/strong>- 3D animation brings characters and environments to life with depth and realism. It's commonly used in movies, TV shows, and video games, but it has also found a place on YouTube. 3D animation requires specialized software and skills, but it offers stunning visuals and the potential for immersive storytelling. Example:\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Stop Motion\u003C/strong> - Stop motion animation involves photographing real-life objects or models in incremental movements and then combining the images to create motion. This charming and tactile style is often used for quirky and inventive storytelling. Stop motion has a nostalgic appeal that resonates with audiences, and it can stand out amidst the digital sea of animations on YouTube. Example:\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Motion Graphics\u003C/strong> - Motion graphics animation focuses on typography, shapes, and graphical elements to convey information or tell a story. It's widely used for explainer videos, tutorials, and presentations. Motion graphics animation is clean, professional, and effective in engagingly delivering complex concepts. Example:\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Virtual YouTubers\u003C/strong> - or Vtubers, are animated characters controlled by real-life creators, often using motion-capture technology or real-time animation software. Vtubers have gained immense popularity for their ability to interact with the audience in real time and create unique personas that appeal to a wide range of viewers. Example:\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"research-content-ideas\">\u003Cstrong>Research content ideas\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Finding ideas for your animation videos isn't hard once you get used to it, but how do you tell which are good or bad? There are a few proven ways to find video ideas that people actually want to watch:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Youtube keyword research\u003C/strong> - Keywords are the compass that guides your content toward what users are actively searching for on YouTube. Conduct in-depth keyword research to identify popular and relevant terms related to your animation niche. Tools like Google's Keyword Planner, YouTube Autocomplete, and third-party keyword research tools can help you uncover high-demand keywords that can inspire your video topics and titles.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/WFx5LaGE3PjREOuJ_HZYInnuoT86g0D6cMRz6YaQ2I52pff99DPx5lTleDMnyj-QB9HTgMF-9IXkbtyliK4AuL-7PXk1sq11KSWuW910brwZcKUIpf8qrOYkhJPSqXwzqj7lC2qpERDFS7n82nDvB58\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"353\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Trending formats\u003C/strong> - Staying updated with the latest trends and formats on YouTube can give your channel a competitive edge. Keep an eye on trending animation styles, popular challenges, or emerging storytelling techniques that are gaining traction. By incorporating elements of trending formats into your content, you can attract new viewers and keep your existing audience engaged.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Jh9nFfGuk5oetgazcXqF2oPA8m2_50TcMW3Msgg_xGZhmoAJ8ZjRmyZH3lic1d8wo1ugW1sQwYpLOXSKV9migBN_i0KUC-ryhd2jsVPYaV3W1z9KZBMHbr3FrkRQ8c5SqMY24xXgla2nZhuW6xD-Z04\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"579\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Reverse-engineer competitors\u003C/strong> - Analyzing what your competitors are doing well can provide valuable insights for your content strategy. Study successful animation channels within your niche and see what kind of videos resonate most with their audience. While it's essential to maintain your unique voice and style, understanding your competitors' strengths can inspire new angles for your content and help you identify opportunities they might be missing.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Your existing viewers are an invaluable source of content ideas, so also pay attention to their comments and visual feedback (like, subscriptions) to gauge their interests. You can directly ask your audience for video suggestions through polls or community posts. Engaging with your viewers fosters a sense of community and shows them that you genuinely care about providing content they enjoy.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"scripting\">\u003Cstrong>Scripting\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The scripting phase involves thorough research and editing to craft quality content that can captivate your audience:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Keyword-powered outlines with ChatGPT\u003C/strong> - To kickstart your script, take advantage of ChatGPT's AI capabilities by inputting your relevant keywords. Let ChatGPT generate an outline that aligns with your chosen topic and animation style. This AI-generated outline can serve as a helpful foundation for your script, providing a framework to build upon.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Research and analysis\u003C/strong> - Before diving into writing, conduct comprehensive research on your chosen topic. Examine existing content on YouTube to understand what's already out there. Identify content gaps, opportunities, and unique angles you can explore in your script. This research will help you create content that stands out and offers something fresh to your audience.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>AI-assisted first draft\u003C/strong> - Using ChatGPT's capabilities, generate a basic first draft of your script. Leverage the AI-generated content as inspiration and reference points, but ensure you infuse your unique voice and storytelling style. The AI-generated draft serves as a starting point, helping you organize your thoughts and ideas.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Extensive editing\u003C/strong> - The magic of scripting lies in the editing process. Go through your first draft meticulously, refining sentences, enhancing clarity, and polishing the language. Ensure your script flows smoothly, maintaining a consistent tone and pace that resonates with your audience.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>As a rule of thumb, a 10-minute video corresponds to roughly 1500 words.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"production\">\u003Cstrong>Production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The production phase depends entirely on the type of animation you decide to go with. For example:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>2D\u003C/strong> - For traditional 2D animation, you'll need drawing materials such as paper, pencils, and lightboxes. Digital 2D animation requires animation software like Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, or OpenToonz. A graphics tablet can significantly enhance the precision and efficiency of digital 2D animation, allowing you to draw directly on the screen.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>3D\u003C/strong> - On top of tools to create 2D assets, you'll need 3D modeling and animation software like Autodesk Maya, Blender, or Cinema 4D. A powerful computer with ample RAM and a good graphics card is important for rendering, but you can also use a render farm.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Stop motion\u003C/strong> - For traditional stop motion, you'll need a camera or smartphone with a sturdy tripod. Additionally, clay, puppets, or physical objects are used to create the animation frames. Depending on the scale of your stop motion project, you might require specialized equipment like stop motion armatures or dedicated stop motion software.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Motion graphics\u003C/strong> - Motion graphics animation is primarily done using computer software like Adobe After Effects or Apple Motion. Similar to 2D animation, a graphics tablet can streamline the creation process for motion graphics.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Vtuber Animation\u003C/strong> - Creating Vtuber animation involves using real-time animation software such as Live2D or VTube Studio, which allows you to control your Vtuber avatar in real-time. To ensure smooth real-time animation, a computer with a good processor and a webcam is necessary.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>For more details, you can read the many articles available in this blog to get information about handling your animation production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"distribution\">\u003Cstrong>Distribution\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Publishing your animation on YouTube is just the beginning of your journey. To maximize your channel's reach and engagement, consider exploring various distribution channels:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Youtube shorts\u003C/strong> - YouTube Shorts is a feature that allows you to create vertical videos of up to 60 seconds in length. These bite-sized animations cater to users' shorter attention spans and are prominently featured on YouTube. By tapping into this format, you can attract new viewers and potentially gain more exposure for your animation channel.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Live streaming\u003C/strong> - Engage your audience in real-time by incorporating live streaming into your YouTube animation process. Live streams provide an opportunity to interact directly with your viewers, answer their questions, and even create animations on the spot based on their suggestions. This level of interactivity can foster a stronger connection with your audience and keep them coming back for more.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>In general, don't be confined to your channel and actively participate in relevant communities and platforms related to animation. Share your content in online communities on Reddit, Discord, or animation-focused forums to reach potential viewers who share an interest in your niche. Engage with the community by offering value and joining discussions.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"monetization-strategies\">\u003Cstrong>Monetization strategies\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Turning your passion for YouTube animation into a sustainable venture requires a monetization strategy. Animation creators have a plethora of business models to explore:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ads & affiliate marketing\u003C/strong> - The most traditional and accessible monetization approach is through YouTube's ad revenue. As your channel grows and meets eligibility requirements, you can enable ads on your videos. However, ad revenue alone might not suffice. Consider incorporating affiliate marketing by promoting products or services in your animation descriptions or related videos, earning commissions for successful referrals.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Paid freelance work\u003C/strong> - Leverage your animation portfolio to secure paid freelance projects outside of your YouTube channel. Offer animation services to clients, create animations for businesses, or collaborate with other content creators to expand your revenue streams beyond YouTube.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Merch\u003C/strong> - Create and sell merchandise related to your animations. This could include custom-designed t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, or even physical art prints. Merchandising not only generates revenue but also strengthens your brand and fosters a sense of community among your fans.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sponsorships\u003C/strong> - Platforms like Youtube and Patreon allow fans to support you through monthly subscriptions. Offer exclusive perks like behind-the-scenes content, early access to videos, or personalized shoutouts to entice your patrons. Seek sponsorships or brand partnerships relevant to your niche to earn additional income sources for your videos.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"growing-a-team\">\u003Cstrong>Growing a team\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As your YouTube animation channel gains traction and evolves into a thriving business, collaborating with talented individuals can elevate the quality of your content, enhance productivity, and open up new opportunities.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Start with your biggest pain points\u003C/strong> - Determine the specific roles and skill sets needed to complement your animation expertise. Consider roles such as animators, illustrators, writers, voice actors, editors, and project managers. Identify individuals who align with your animation style and share your passion for storytelling.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Leverage collaboration\u003C/strong> - Expand your network within the animation community and collaborate with other creators. Attend animation events, join online forums, and engage with social media communities. Building relationships with like-minded professionals can lead to potential team members or partnerships.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Hire contractors\u003C/strong> - Start by outsourcing certain tasks to freelancers before committing to permanent team members. This allows you to gauge their skills and cultural fit for long-term collaboration, but also learn management skills.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Foster a collaborative culture\u003C/strong> - Encourage open communication, feedback, and collaboration within your team. A positive and creative work environment will lead to better ideas, higher productivity, and a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Develop standard processes\u003C/strong> - Establish clear workflows and standard processes to streamline collaboration and project management. Having well-defined procedures ensures that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities, leading to smoother animation production.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>It will be the time to consider setting up a more complex workflow. Remember that \u003Ca href=\"https://cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Kitsu\u003C/a> can help you to build qualitative animation efficiently as a team!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The animation industry keeps growing, and Youtube represents an incredible opportunity for animators to reach new audiences: you just need to start!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Through this comprehensive guide we covered all the aspect to consider before launching a new channel. They will help you to avoid many pitfalls and reach quickly a wide audience. When you're done share the news on social media by tagging us, we will be glad to repost your work!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We encourage you to join our \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Discord\u003C/a> community made of animation experts! They will answer your questions on how to set your pipeline and your workflow for your Youtube channel!\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2752,"comment_id":2753,"feature_image":2754,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2755,"updated_at":2756,"custom_excerpt":2757,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2758,"primary_tag":2759,"url":2760,"excerpt":2757,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2761},"65d5f496-7891-4b7b-a244-a927aed1eff5","64f6fabaf740290001f72c42","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1637806631554-bcfe2c618058?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE3fHxZb3V0dWJlfGVufDB8fHx8MTY5MzkwODM0N3ww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-09-05T11:54:02.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:45:41.000+01:00","If you're an animator looking to make your mark on YouTube, you've come to the right place: this article will guide you through the essential steps to kickstart your animation channel!",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/youtube-animation-channel/","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@nuvaproductions?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Javier Miranda\u003C/a> / \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/youtube-animation-channel","2023-09-05T12:07:05.000+02:00",{"title":2747},"youtube-animation-channel","posts/youtube-animation-channel",[2768],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"VIqigbyxoovpCgDBNBXNobx0vBryZCkDSQcaaz4C30k",{"id":2771,"title":2772,"authors":2773,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2775,"meta":2776,"navigation":15,"path":2786,"published_at":2787,"seo":2788,"slug":2789,"stem":2790,"tags":2791,"__hash__":2793,"uuid":2777,"comment_id":2778,"feature_image":2779,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2780,"updated_at":2781,"custom_excerpt":2782,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2783,"primary_tag":2784,"url":2785,"excerpt":2782,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:getting-started-with-blender-rendering.json","Getting Started with Blender Rendering In 2026",[2774],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Blender rendering is the process of generating image or video output files from 3D scenes created in Blender. Rendering is a highly resource-intensive task because you need to simulate complex physics like light, materials, and other visual elements to produce a realistic result. And because a rendering mistake has a direct impact on the project, you need to understand the process well enough to match your technical requirements. At scale, rendering becomes even more challenging, to the point where it’s best outsourced to third-party providers who can offer better hardware.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For all these reasons, this article is a must-read if you want to optimize your rendering process: learn how to do basic rendering in Blender, choose a rendering engine, and scale as your animation studio grows! \u003C/p>\u003Cp>At CGWire, we’ve been working within the Blender ecosystem since before our creation in 2018, so we’re familiar with the challenges brought by the rendering stage. Make sure to share this article with your teammates to help optimize your studio’s workflow!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-to-render-animation-in-blender\">How To Render Animation In Blender\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rendering in Blender, no matter the input follows the same steps:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Set up your scene\u003C/strong> - Design your 3D models, set up lighting, camera angles, and any other elements you want to include in your animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Set your render settings\u003C/strong> - Navigate to the Rendering tab. Adjust the output resolution, frame range, frame rate, and other settings according to your requirements.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Configure the output format\u003C/strong> - In the Output Properties section of the Rendering tab, choose the output format for your animation. You can select image sequences (e.g., PNG, JPEG) or video formats (e.g., MP4, AVI). Specify the output path where Blender will save the rendered frames or video.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Choose the rendering engine\u003C/strong> - Blender offers two rendering engines: Cycles and Eevee. Cycles provides realistic, physically-based rendering, while Eevee is a real-time engine suitable for quicker previews. Select the desired engine from the Render Engine drop-down menu in the Render Properties section.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Check the animation playback\u003C/strong> - Use the Play button in the Timeline or Dope Sheet editor to preview your animation. Ensure that everything is moving as intended and make any necessary adjustments.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Start rendering\u003C/strong> - Once you are satisfied with your scene and animation, click the Render Animation button in the Render tab. Blender will start rendering each frame based on your settings. The rendering time will depend on the complexity of your scene, the chosen rendering engine, and your computer's performance.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Monitor the progress\u003C/strong> - You can monitor the progress of the rendering in the status bar at the top of the Blender interface. It will display the current frame being rendered and the estimated time remaining.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Save and review the output\u003C/strong> - Once the rendering is complete, Blender will save the rendered frames or video to the specified output path. You can then review the animation to ensure it meets your expectations.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>The rendering tab looks like this:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Depending on your project’s requirements or what you want to do with the renders, you’ll need to dive into more advanced features.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"blender-rendering-engines-eevee-vs-cycles\">Blender Rendering Engines: Eevee vs Cycles\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Eevee and Cycles are two rendering engines available in Blender with several differences in terms of features and use cases.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As always, the choice between Eevee and Cycles depends on your specific project requirements: if you need speed, interactivity, and real-time rendering, Eevee is an excellent choice for previews for example. But if you aim for high-quality, physically accurate renders to use in production, Cycles is the recommended option.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Of course, you aren’t forced to use one or the other throughout the whole project’s duration. You can combine each engine’s pros and cons to make the most of them:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rendering Speed\u003C/strong> - Eevee is a real-time rendering engine designed for fast rendering and interactivity. It utilizes your computer's GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to deliver quick previews and animations. On the other hand, Cycles is a path-tracing engine that focuses on producing realistic and physically accurate renders that generally take longer to render.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Output quality\u003C/strong> - Cycles is known for its ability to generate highly realistic images with accurate lighting, shadows, and reflections. It employs ray tracing techniques, which simulate the path of light rays as they interact with objects in the scene. Eevee, although not physically accurate like Cycles, can still produce impressive results with real-time shadows, reflections, and ambient occlusion.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>GPU vs CPU Rendering\u003C/strong> - While both engines can use GPU rendering, Eevee is designed explicitly for GPU acceleration and performs exceptionally well with compatible graphics cards. Cycles can use both CPU (Central Processing Unit) and GPU rendering but generally performs better with CPU rendering and complex scenes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Workflow and Interactivity\u003C/strong> - Eevee provides real-time feedback, allowing you to quickly iterate and make adjustments to your scene without waiting for lengthy renders. It's ideal for collaborative workflows with fast iteration loops like the one you can find in the animation industry. Cycles, although slower, is well-suited for final renders and achieving photorealistic results.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"use-viewport-render-workbench-engine-for-storyboarding\">Use Viewport Render (Workbench engine) For Storyboarding\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In the situation where you just want to quickly share snapshots of a scene for feedback, rendering is overkill. The Viewport Render mode provides a quick and interactive way to preview your scene without the need for a separate render. The viewport render isn’t as accurate as a final render, but it saves precious resources and only takes 5 simple steps:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Open your 3D scene in Blender\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Navigate to the area where you want to display the rendered view. By default, this is the 3D Viewport.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>In the top-right corner of the 3D Viewport, click on View then Viewport Render Animation\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Blender will start rendering the view in real time, using either the Workbench engine or the Eevee rendering engine. You will see the scene with materials, lighting, shadows, and other effects. The rendering will update in real time as you make changes to the scene, providing immediate feedback.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/f0YU30WPImeGqw6_a1GCNtG4ShDENq-7R4XeUOkQnaZNr_74yIqGV2Q0z6j4TUCXVyI-wNc-poYMQ1rEwBOkq2p37aXWwHcfZF_7BbZmQsAGQikmYo69qAzY52SUuryBfMM4oD0pu6wRyUt1HZzXkog\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"297\" height=\"77\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>While in the Viewport Render mode, you can navigate around the scene, manipulate objects, adjust lighting, and make other changes. The viewport will update the render accordingly, allowing you to preview the changes instantly.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5aCphsaEBQKqbe5xdiyjtsnhKzMtwvYrL3R9rKQCrDxoTQ9tVvj2aT9O8vA-y59Xq6BurCMQPeNAGduSAsncKvvAwdtwLfUckPv2VrAUzjjjYzwLgBieSiwV04jVKqCEpvsTdZqgJ5HcR-VcNNpQiY4\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"668\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>To exit the Viewport Render mode and return to the regular 3D Viewport, click on the dropdown menu in the top-right corner and select another shading mode, such as Solid, Wireframe, or Material Preview.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"using-a-blender-rendering-farm\">Using A Blender Rendering Farm\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Using a rendering farm for Blender rendering brings several benefits. First, \u003Cstrong>rendering your 3D models on your own machine is time-consuming and limited\u003C/strong> by your processing power. A render farm provides a solution by lending additional power, allowing your projects to be rendered in just minutes instead of weeks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Building your own render farm is not always a viable option\u003C/strong> because of how expensive it is: you’ll need costly hardware, hours spent configuring and maintaining it, and your electricity bills will grow. If you have a Render Wrangler on your team, it may be efficient because he will take full advantage of it. But in most cases, with a render farm service, it will be much easier to manage. You can scale up or down as needed without managing servers. Simply log in, upload your assets, and enjoy the simplicity.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/XRTIxKyD6zAcREE-ul4QDr2DvTD-VNvhnpoWwxO5w401g7McoK7qs-pzwaJ9vKzaHFNOdFi6k5FUh5vED6CV8n7PAdCNAXCcLAukK9BdNYDSULOf5eVBWfLu1rXiuBpv9IPO5xevDkqy0AZn1JHbOzo\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"521\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>You can then download the rendered frames as soon as they are ready:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/NbH3JSZZytC2DfO3zNTyJVuYdcAmlLRSlgHKM4JBHrujabgvwD1IKPZ7zTO20K9_Zz_tCSeaZww7YQzk7BJ7j9ULA8d43e-hVSQk_RupkPdsZvIIvfux3r3gDYBTdISEe9YR9AH2pHkI_nn3b7M8Ftg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"384\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Not only does a render farm accelerate processing time, but \u003Cstrong>it also increases rendering quality\u003C/strong>. You can just pick resolution settings to meet project requirements and get done with it. As the demand for more realistic 3D models increases, a render farm often becomes essential to keep rendering time low and stay competitive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Check out \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">our dedicated article to learn more about our rendering farm partner Ranch Computing\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"using-kitsu-to-keep-track-of-your-renders\">Using Kitsu To Keep Track Of Your Renders\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In an animation production with hundreds of assets to manage, rendering is no easy task. Instead of rendering each asset / animation one by one, you can use Kitsu Publisher to automatically share a preview for collaborative work without leaving your favorite digital content creation (DCC) tool―be it Blender, Unreal Engine 5, or Harmony.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu is a collaboration platform for animation studios to share the progress of their productions and validate deliveries. The Kitsu Publisher is a desktop application that connects DCC tools to Kitsu to automatically send render previews to your Kitsu workspace. All you need to do is install Kitsu Publisher and add it as a Blender plugin in a few minutes. You can \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/kitsu-publisher-next?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#readme\">read the official documentation to get detailed steps\u003C/a> depending on which operating system you use.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Not only does it allow you to skip the rendering task altogether if you just want to share previews to collect feedback, but it’s also a precious communication tool to keep track of all the assets you need to (re-)render for production and how to prioritize rendering tasks according to your teammates’ needs: no more back-and-forth and endless meetings!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Blender also has \u003Ca href=\"https://studio.blender.org/pipeline/addons/blender_kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">an official Kitsu plugin\u003C/a> to interact with Kitsu from within Blender, including features like rendering snapshots and thumbnails.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In conclusion, rendering with Blender offers a powerful way to bring your 3D scenes to life. While the multitude of options may initially seem overwhelming, it's important to remember that simplicity is key when starting out. Pick the most straightforward option and improve as you go!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>As the demand for collaboration and efficient workflow grows, it's crucial to explore alternative rendering methods. Moreover, it's a complex task that requires advanced skills at some point. That's why we encourage you to join our \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Discord\u003C/a> community made of pipeline and production experts!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2777,"comment_id":2778,"feature_image":2779,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2780,"updated_at":2781,"custom_excerpt":2782,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2783,"primary_tag":2784,"url":2785,"excerpt":2782,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"dff3acdd-158e-462b-89c0-255b82422eaf","64b5621940bf3f0001b4a137","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/07/pasted-image-0.png","2023-07-17T17:45:29.000+02:00","2026-03-24T05:12:02.000+01:00","Blender rendering is the process of generating image or video output files from 3D scenes created in Blender. Rendering is a highly resource-intensive task because you need to simulate complex physics like light, materials, and other visual elements to produce a realistic result. ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-blender-rendering/","/posts/getting-started-with-blender-rendering","2023-08-29T17:08:09.000+02:00",{"title":2772},"getting-started-with-blender-rendering","posts/getting-started-with-blender-rendering",[2792],{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"jflNqt8fLd49No_hVzvk0QD5polUy05Y4SXDa6Lug3g",{"id":2795,"title":2796,"authors":2797,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2799,"meta":2800,"navigation":15,"path":2811,"published_at":2812,"seo":2813,"slug":2814,"stem":2815,"tags":2816,"__hash__":2818,"uuid":2801,"comment_id":2802,"feature_image":2803,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2804,"updated_at":2805,"custom_excerpt":2806,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2807,"primary_tag":2808,"url":2809,"excerpt":2806,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2810},"ghost/posts:animation-books.json","Animation Books You Should Read In 2026",[2798],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>In any field, learning is essential. Growing skills is an essential part of all careers. Of course, we learn a lot by practicing but taking time to nurture the theory is important to perform better in any field. And animation is no exception. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>That's why we decided to help you with a list of the best book about the subject. Here is a non-exhaustive list of books we found useful, we hope you find them helpful too!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don't hesitate to send us your suggestions to add to this list, we would be glad to make it collaborative.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"1-the-animator%E2%80%99s-survival-kit-2002\">\u003Cstrong>1. The Animator’s Survival Kit (2002)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/08/71kRjj6sgUL._AC_UF1000-1000_QL80_-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The Animator's Survival Kit is a comprehensive guide covering various aspects of animation, including valuable insights into the art and techniques involved in the animation process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It offers practical advice and tips from an experienced animator, Richard Williams (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Pink Panther). It is considered a classic in the animation industry and is highly recommended for both beginners and seasoned professionals.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: fundamental principles of animation, understanding timing and spacing, creating believable and expressive characters, and mastering the principles of motion. \u003Cbr>It also provides solid advice regarding the animation pipeline and how to direct animators.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 9780571202287,0571202284\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2-acting-for-animators-2003-2017\">\u003Cstrong>2. Acting for Animators (2003-2017)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"Acting for Animators\" focuses on teaching animators the art of incorporating acting principles into their animation work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Bridging the gap between acting and animation helps animators create more compelling and realistic performances for their characters. By understanding acting techniques, animators can breathe life into their creations, making them relatable and emotionally engaging to the audience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: learning how to analyze and interpret a character's emotions and motivations, understanding body language and facial expressions to convey emotions effectively, and grasping the concept of character arcs and development throughout a story. \u003Cbr>The book provides guidance on conveying personality traits through animation and capturing the essence of a character's actions and reactions with examples from animated movies like Aladdin, The Jungle Book, and The Little Prince.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 978-1138669123\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3-starting-point-1979-1996-1996\">\u003Cstrong>3. Starting Point: 1979-1996 (1996)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"Starting Point\" is an autobiography of Hayao Miyazaki―one of the most renowned and influential figures in the world of animation―providing insights into Miyazaki's early life, his journey as an animator and director, and the founding of Studio Ghibli from Miyazaki himself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This book offers a unique opportunity to understand the mind behind some of the most beloved animated films in history from \"My Neighbor Totoro,\" and \"Spirited Away,\" to \"Princess Mononoke.\" Miyazaki's creative process, inspirations, and struggles are laid bare, giving readers a glimpse into the passion and dedication that goes into the making of his extraordinary works.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: an appreciation for Miyazaki's commitment to storytelling and his unwavering dedication to hand-drawn animation, even in the face of technological advancements. \u003Cbr>Readers will also learn about the importance of environmental and societal themes in his films, as well as his deep respect for nature and the human spirit. Additionally, the book offers valuable lessons on perseverance, artistic integrity, and the pursuit of excellence in one's craft.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 9781421505947, 2009012560\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"4-the-making-of-fantastic-mr-fox-2009\">\u003Cstrong>4. The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox\" provides an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the production process of the animated film \"Fantastic Mr. Fox\" by acclaimed director Wes Anderson. It’s an exploration of the creative decisions, challenges, and innovations that went into bringing this stop-motion masterpiece to life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The book is worth a read for several reasons. First, it provides valuable insights into the world of stop-motion animation, showcasing the craftsmanship involved in creating the film's characters and sets. Readers can gain a deeper appreciation for the dedication required to produce a stop-motion film of this caliber. It offers a glimpse into the collaboration and teamwork among the filmmakers, animators, and other creative talents involved in the project, highlighting the importance of effective communication and problem-solving in the filmmaking process. Finally, it serves as an inspiration for aspiring animators and filmmakers by demonstrating how a unique vision and a commitment to artistic excellence can result in a visually stunning and emotionally resonant film.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: a better understanding of stop-motion animation techniques, an appreciation for the importance of attention to detail in the filmmaking process, and insights into the challenges and triumphs faced by the creative team throughout the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 978-0847833542\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-animated-storytelling-2015\">\u003Cstrong>5. Animated Storytelling (2015)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"Animated Storytelling\" explores the art of storytelling in the realm of animation―various techniques and strategies used by animators and filmmakers to create compelling and emotionally engaging narratives through animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Storytelling is at the heart of every successful animated film. Whether it's a short film, feature-length animation, or even a marketing animation, the ability to tell a captivating story is essential. This book serves as a valuable resource for animators, filmmakers, writers, and anyone interested in understanding the intricacies of animated storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: learning about the fundamental elements of a good story and how they apply to animation. This includes character development, plot structure, pacing, and creating meaningful conflicts and resolutions. \u003Cbr>The book also discusses the importance of visual storytelling and how animation can enhance the emotional impact of a narrative through the use of visuals, color, and animation techniques. \u003Cbr>Animated Storytelling is also highly practical, diving into case studies of successful animated films and how their storytelling techniques contributed to their success. Readers can gain valuable insights from real-world examples and apply these lessons to their own projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 978-0134133652\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"6-sketching-for-animation-2016\">\u003Cstrong>6. Sketching for Animation (2016)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"Sketching for Animation\" focuses on teaching aspiring animators the essential skill of sketching and how it relates to the animation process. It covers various aspects of sketching, including character design, storyboard creation, and visual storytelling, all of which are critical in the early stages of animating a project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sketching is the foundation of animation: before animators bring characters to life through movement, they start with sketches to develop the characters' appearance, personality, and expressions. Storyboarding, a form of sketching, is also crucial for planning the sequence of events in an animated film. This book not only teaches sketching techniques but also emphasizes the importance of observation, creativity, and experimentation in the artistic process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: mastering basic sketching skills such as anatomy, perspective, and gesture drawing. It may provide insights into using sketches as a tool for visualizing ideas and refining the storytelling aspects of an animation project. \u003Cbr>The book also offers tips on creating dynamic and expressive characters through sketches, allowing animators to bring out emotions and personality traits effectively in their animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 978-1474221443\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"7-the-animator%E2%80%99s-eye-2012\">\u003Cstrong>7. The Animator’s Eye (2012)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"The Animator's Eye\" studies the art of observation and how it plays a crucial role in the work of animators. It explores the concept of \"seeing\" like an animator, training one's eyes to notice and analyze movements, gestures, and expressions in the world around them. The book emphasizes the importance of keen observation as a foundation for creating authentic and believable animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Observation is a fundamental skill for animators because they must understand how real-life movements and interactions work to bring characters and scenes to life. By honing their observational abilities, animators can infuse their work with realism, depth, and attention to detail.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This book offers practical exercises and insights to help animators develop their observational skills, from studying human and animal movements to capturing the subtleties of facial expressions. It encourages animators to step away from their desks and immerse themselves in the world, observing and analyzing the actions and emotions of people and nature.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: learning how to observe movement and anatomy accurately, understanding weight and balance in character animation, and recognizing the significance of small details in creating more convincing and compelling animated performances. \u003Cbr>The book discusses the importance of maintaining a sketchbook and constantly sketching from observation, fostering a habit of continuous learning and improvement for animators.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 978-0240817248\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-setting-the-scene-2011\">\u003Cstrong>8. Setting the Scene (2011)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"Setting the Scene\" studies the art of creating visually stunning and immersive settings for animation. It explores various aspects of designing and crafting environments, backgrounds, and locations that serve as the backdrop for animated stories.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A well-designed setting can enhance the storytelling, set the mood, and create a sense of place and atmosphere for the audience. This book offers valuable insights and techniques for animators, background artists, and anyone involved in the visual aspects of animation. The book covers topics like perspective drawing, color theory, composition, and creating depth and dimension in animated backgrounds. It also explores different artistic styles and how they can be used to evoke specific emotions or convey the tone of a scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: learning how to effectively use visual elements to set the mood and tone of an animation, creating a sense of realism or fantasy as required by the story, the importance of continuity and consistency in the design of environments to maintain a cohesive visual narrative. \u003Cbr>The book also discusses the use of lighting and shading techniques to add depth and realism to animated scenes, as well as practical tips for efficiently creating detailed and captivating backgrounds using examples from major studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 978-0811869874\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-directing-the-story-2008\">\u003Cstrong>9. Directing the Story (2008)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"Directing the Story\" focuses on the art of storytelling in animation from a director's perspective. It explores the role of the director in shaping the narrative, characters, and overall vision of an animated project. The book delves into the creative decision-making process, communication with the team, and the director's responsibilities in bringing a compelling and cohesive story to life on the screen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Storytelling is the backbone of any successful animated film, and the director plays a pivotal role in guiding that process. This book provides valuable insights into the mindset and approach of a director, helping aspiring directors and animators understand the challenges and opportunities involved in leading an animated project, including the collaborative aspects of directing and working with animators, voice actors, and the production team to bring the vision to fruition.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: learning how to craft a compelling and engaging narrative, understanding the importance of character-driven storytelling, and mastering the use of visual storytelling techniques to convey complex ideas and emotions. \u003Cbr>The book emphasizes the significance of clear communication and effective leadership in the animation industry, guiding readers on how to work with a team to achieve a unified vision for the project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 978-0240810768\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"10-creativity-inc-2014\">\u003Cstrong>10. Creativity, Inc. (2014)\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\"Creativity, Inc.\" is a book written by Ed Catmull, one of the co-founders of Pixar Animation Studios. The biography delves into the journey of Pixar and provides valuable insights into the company's creative process and the principles that have contributed to its success as a leading animation studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\"Creativity, Inc.\" offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Pixar, a studio renowned for producing critically acclaimed and beloved animated films. Ed Catmull shares his experiences, challenges, and triumphs in building and sustaining a culture of creativity and innovation within the company.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The book covers topics like the importance of fostering a creative and open work environment, the significance of collaboration and constructive feedback in the creative process, and the value of embracing risk and failure as opportunities for growth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Main takeaways\u003C/strong>: The emphasis on creating a culture where creativity can thrive. Catmull shares valuable lessons on how to cultivate an environment that encourages creativity, where artists and storytellers feel empowered to take risks and push boundaries. \u003Cbr>The book highlights the significance of embracing the iterative process of filmmaking, where ideas are constantly refined and improved upon through collaboration and feedback. This approach allows for the creation of high-quality animated films that resonate with audiences on both an emotional and artistic level. \u003Cbr>\"Creativity, Inc.\" may provide insights into effective leadership and management in a creative industry, demonstrating how to balance the needs of the artists and the business aspects of running a successful animation studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>ISBN\u003C/strong>: 978-0812993011\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The animation industry evolves at a rapid pace, but these classic books will remain relevant for more years to come. Whether you want to learn more about the technical or managerial aspects of animation projects, there are more books out there that we haven't covered: make sure to send us your recommendations!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Books are incredible mentors, but you can also\u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem> join our Discord community\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to learn from 1000+ animation experts from all over the world. Come hang out, it only takes a minute to say hi!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2801,"comment_id":2802,"feature_image":2803,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2804,"updated_at":2805,"custom_excerpt":2806,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2807,"primary_tag":2808,"url":2809,"excerpt":2806,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2810},"335ae722-e5d2-42b2-87ca-519e82ad51df","64e363f1820cd50001499031","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1594312915251-48db9280c8f1?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDIyfHxib29rfGVufDB8fHx8MTY5MjYyNjE0NXww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-08-21T15:17:37.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:10:02.000+01:00","In any field, learning is essential. Growing skills is an essential part of all careers. Of course, we learn a lot by practicing but taking time to nurture the theory is important to perform better in any field. And animation is no exception. ‌\n",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":1679,"name":79,"slug":85,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":82},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-books/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@elisa_cb?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Elisa Calvet B.\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-books","2023-08-21T15:56:31.000+02:00",{"title":2796},"animation-books","posts/animation-books",[2817],{"id":1679,"name":79,"slug":85,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":82},"xLT_XuLU5ISjT7lZ5Lm8Sa5jzw0lItxJo3foEhod7hM",{"id":2820,"title":2821,"authors":2822,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2824,"meta":2825,"navigation":15,"path":2836,"published_at":2837,"seo":2838,"slug":2839,"stem":2840,"tags":2841,"__hash__":2843,"uuid":2826,"comment_id":2827,"feature_image":2828,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2829,"updated_at":2830,"custom_excerpt":2831,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2832,"primary_tag":2833,"url":2834,"excerpt":2831,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2835},"ghost/posts:the-main-types-of-animation.json","(2026) The 5 Main Types of Animation",[2823],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Animation comes in different shapes and forms, each with its pros and cons. As a business owner, marketing manager, or producer, it's important to understand them to hire the right animation studios and increase your return on investment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We can distinguish 5 main types of animation: 2D, 3D, stop motion, motion graphics, and rotoscopic. Let's look into each one.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"2d-animation\">\u003Cstrong>2D Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>2D animation has been captivating audiences for decades, creating some of the most iconic pieces of art.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/08/image-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"460\" height=\"260\">\u003Cfigcaption>La Vie de Château - Miyu Production\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is 2D Animation?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>2D animation creates moving images using a sequence of hand-drawn or computer-generated frames. Each frame represents a slight variation in movement, and when played in rapid succession at 25 frames per second, they give the illusion of fluid motion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From Disney, Cartoon Networks, and Studio Ghibli to anime and Adult Swim, 2D animation is still going strong despite recent technological advances.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros of 2D Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Originality\u003C/strong> - Each frame in a 2D animated film is handcrafted with care, giving the artwork a unique and distinct feel that stands out from other animation styles. This originality allows for a more personalized and artistic touch to be infused into the final product.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Simplicity\u003C/strong> - While animation is far from a simple process, 2D animation often involves less complexity in terms of skills compared to 3D, leading to a more straightforward and efficient production pipeline.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Every frame a painting\u003C/strong> - One of the most cherished aspects of 2D animation is the artistic value it brings to every frame. Each individual scene is a work of art, with attention to detail and creativity poured into every element.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons of 2D Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Costs\u003C/strong> - 2D animation is labor-intensive. The frames require skilled animators, and the time and effort invested can result in higher production costs because animation assets aren't always easy to reuse and reproduce compared to 3D models.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Lack of flexibility\u003C/strong> - Unlike 3D animation where modifications to a scene can be relatively easier, altering frames in 2D animation can be more complicated and time-consuming. This can hinder the flexibility to make significant changes during the production process.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>While 2D animation holds a special place in the hearts of many audiences and creators, it has faced challenges in the face of rising budgets and shifting audience preferences. Studios have often grappled with the decision of whether to invest in traditional 2D animation or transition to more cost-effective 3D animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By wisely managing their budgets, focusing on compelling storytelling, and leveraging the nostalgic appeal of 2D animation, some animated films and series still manage to strike a balance between financial success and artistic brilliance.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"3d-animation\">\u003Cstrong>3D Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>3D animation stands as a technological marvel, bringing to life breathtaking virtual worlds and characters that push the boundaries of realism.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/08/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"613\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/08/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2023/08/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/08/image.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>3D Character by the Blender Studio\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is 3D Animation?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>3D animation uses computer-generated graphics to animate images. Animators manipulate digital models in a three-dimensional space, allowing for intricate movements and lifelike interactions. This revolutionary approach has opened up endless possibilities, enabling filmmakers and storytellers to craft immersive worlds that captivate audiences like never before.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From the groundbreaking fantasy world of James Cameron's \"Avatar\" to the heartwarming friendships portrayed in Pixar's \"Toy Story\" series, 3D animation has showcased the power of technology in storytelling, pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros of 3D Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Realism\u003C/strong> - The level of realism achievable in 3D animation is unparalleled. From rendering intricate details on characters to creating photorealistic environments, this technology allows filmmakers to craft worlds that feel tangible and alive.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Asset reusability\u003C/strong> - Once 3D models are created, they can be reused in different projects, reducing production time and costs for subsequent films or animations. This reusability fosters efficiency in the creation process.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Visual FX\u003C/strong> - The 3D capabilities allow to have no limit in creativity. Any visual effects can be implemented in 3D, whether it's a burning element or turning a character into a giant rainbow.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons of 3D Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Complexity\u003C/strong> - The creation of 3D animations requires specialized technical knowledge and skilled animators. Learning and mastering the intricacies of 3D software and techniques can be a time-consuming and challenging endeavor.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rendering costs\u003C/strong> - Rendering, the process of converting 3D models into the final images, can be resource-intensive and time-consuming. High-quality renderings may require significant computational power, leading to increased production costs.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"stop-motion-animation\">\u003Cstrong>Stop Motion Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is Stop Motion Animation?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Stop-motion animation involves the manipulation of physical objects or puppets, capturing movements frame by frame. Each frame is a photograph, and when played consecutively at 25 frames per second, the illusion of motion is achieved. This labor-intensive process requires precision, patience, and an unwavering dedication to craft characters and stories.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From the macabre world of Tim Burton's \"The Nightmare Before Christmas\" to the hilarious escapades in Aardman Animations' \"Chicken Run\" and more recently Del Toro's \"Pinocchio,\" stop motion animation has proven its versatility in captivating audiences across generations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The materials used have a big impact on the final result: cut-out animation involves using pre-drawn or printed characters and objects, which are then cut out and articulated with joints. This technique allows animators to create fluid movements while saving time on drawing each frame individually. \"South Park\" is a famous example of cut-out animation. Claymation, a variation of stop-motion animation, uses clay or plasticine models to create characters and scenes. These models are carefully sculpted, and their positions are altered slightly for each frame. The claymation process offers a charming and tactile aesthetic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros of Stop Motion Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Low Cost\u003C/strong> - In comparison to other animation styles, stop motion animation often requires modest resources. The materials used for puppets and sets can be relatively inexpensive, making it an attractive option for independent animators or small production studios.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Unique Visual Appeal\u003C/strong> - Stop motion animation carries a distinct visual charm that sets it apart from other animation techniques. The tactile quality of physical puppets and sets adds a tangible, handmade appeal to the final product, resulting in a unique and captivating viewing experience.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons of Stop Motion Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Time-Consuming\u003C/strong> - Stop motion animation is a time-consuming process. The creation of intricate movements and the attention to detail demands a significant investment of time and effort, making the production timeline more extended compared to some other animation methods.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>While stop-motion animation's low-cost advantage is appealing, it still faces the financial challenges shared by all animation styles, and the labor-intensive nature of crafting each frame and the time required to complete a feature-length film greatly influence production budgets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Despite these challenges, stop-motion animated films have proven to be successful at the box office, drawing audiences with their unique visual allure and captivating storytelling. By striking a balance between creativity and prudent budgeting, stop-motion animators have demonstrated that even in a world dominated by digital animation, the artistry and charm of this method continue to captivate and resonate with audiences.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"motion-graphics\">\u003Cstrong>Motion Graphics\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Motion graphics involves the use of animated graphics, text, and visual elements to convey information, tell stories, and create engaging visual experiences.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/TokSPx-SfwKtu4hACXGvBnwLImGQbb9AZQEoNt_7mSD-KXSgssr6pZSpZKwW0ZtFH0uav5Yk11ddae7s5dU0SVX21S_qP1QL46Jb29Az9l3xUyZoyov_H6dVLQzU7TKOTvejXqtpYGaFC8c0oA1RfWQ\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003Cfigcaption>Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (Youtube channel)\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What are Motion Graphics?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Motion graphics is a dynamic form of animation that blends design elements, such as typography, illustrations, and icons, with animated movements and transitions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It is commonly used in various contexts, including advertisements, explainer videos, title sequences, and presentations. Motion graphics effectively blend artistry and information, making complex concepts more accessible and engaging to audiences.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From informative explainer videos that simplify complex topics to visually captivating advertisements and stunning title sequences for films and TV shows, motion graphics have permeated various aspects of visual storytelling.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros of Motion Graphics\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Low cost\u003C/strong> - Motion graphics often require fewer resources compared to other animation styles. Since they often involve manipulating existing graphics and elements, the production process can be more cost-effective, making it a popular choice for projects with budget constraints. YouTube has become a hub for motion graphics content, with creators using the medium to engage audiences on various topics. From educational channels breaking down complex concepts with visually compelling graphics to captivating animated intros for popular YouTubers, motion graphics have found a place in the digital landscape.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Simplicity\u003C/strong> - The clean and minimalist aesthetic of motion graphics makes it an effective medium for conveying information concisely and clearly. Its simplicity allows viewers to focus on the message being conveyed without unnecessary distractions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Flexibility\u003C/strong> - Motion graphics can be adapted to suit various styles and tones, from corporate and professional to playful and creative. This adaptability makes it a versatile tool for different types of projects.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons of Motion Graphics\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Not as visually appealing or artistic\u003C/strong> - While motion graphics excel at conveying information, they may not always have the same level of visual appeal or artistic depth as other animation styles, like 2D or 3D animation. The focus on conveying information may sometimes overshadow more intricate artistic expression.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"rotoscope-animation\">\u003Cstrong>Rotoscope Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rotoscope animation is a unique and captivating animation technique that intertwines the real world with the animated realm to create a semi-realistic and dreamlike experience.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sn5dQYdjyUhv2IVLT684TohYm5gBY4iDakicwieML5KfvXuo31f2kPD1GX_Y2ac0s46m01McKKwKq1FXNisv-JNowt3Qh1PypQ4AeyeqMcLqwIqaef4FTrf2vAb4rqTr5EgI0eNeuV-RxNobUt_xvS8\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"468\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is Rotoscope Animation?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Rotoscope animation bridges the gap between live-action and animation by incorporating real-life footage as the foundation for the animated sequences. Artists meticulously trace over each frame of the live-action footage to create fluid and lifelike animated movements. This technique allows for a unique blend of realism and artistic expression, blurring the line between the tangible and the imaginative.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Classic Disney movies like Cinderella, Pinocchio, and Alice in Wonderland leverage rotoscope animation to create ethereal and thought-provoking visuals. The fluidity of movement and the infusion of surreal elements in these films have left audiences mesmerized. More recently, Loving Vincent and Prime's Undone also proved successful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros of Rotoscope Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Visual appeal\u003C/strong> - Rotoscope animation possesses a distinct and visually striking aesthetic. The combination of real-life footage with hand-drawn animation results in a dreamlike experience for the audience.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Semi-realism\u003C/strong> - Rotoscope animation allows for a unique blend of realism and artistic interpretation. By capturing real-world movements and expressions, the animated characters and scenes can exude a level of authenticity that traditional animation styles might not achieve.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons of Rotoscope Animation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Not so used nowadays\u003C/strong> - While rotoscope animation has a rich history and has been used in notable films, it is not as commonly employed in modern animation. The labor-intensive nature of the process and advancements in other animation techniques like 3D may have contributed to its diminished usage.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Style - \u003C/strong>The style can be appealing but it is very tied to the technic. So the audience may consider it's not \"real\" animation.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Given the limited use of rotoscope animation in recent times, direct box office comparisons might not be readily actionable. The financial considerations for rotoscope animation can vary significantly depending on factors such as the complexity of the project, the number of frames to be traced, and the expertise of the animators involved.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"combine-animation-styles-with-kitsu\">Combine animation styles with Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>It is not unlikely you'll need to use different animation styles for different projects, or even combine different types of animation to come up with something unique. Whether you're working with different studios or handling several projects in parallel, using a tool like Kitsu to keep everyone aligned is key.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu is used for all types of animation to track production progress, store assets in one central location, and quickly iterate on ideas:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Whether you're working in 2D or 3D, Kitsu syncs with your favorite digital content creation tool to help your team get work done faster.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Each type of animation brings something unique. Traditional hand-drawn animation allows for artistic expression and a unique style but demands significant time and effort. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>3D animation offers realistic visuals and efficient manipulation of virtual objects, yet it can be complex and resource-intensive. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Stop-motion animation grants a charming, tangible feel to characters, but it demands meticulous attention to detail. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Motion graphics enable a wide range of possibilities and visual effects, although it may lack the organic charm of traditional methods. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Picking the right style for your animation project is crucial to connect with your audience, so don't overlook it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We also run\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> a Discord community\u003C/a> where you can connect with more than 1000 CG professionals to share tips and ideas. No matter where you come from, join us―we will be happy to help you with your projects!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2826,"comment_id":2827,"feature_image":2828,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2829,"updated_at":2830,"custom_excerpt":2831,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2832,"primary_tag":2833,"url":2834,"excerpt":2831,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2835},"4f19e476-2fab-4292-a93c-d52b9b57d315","64da4d19635cdc00018fc689","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1622737133809-d95047b9e673?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDh8fGFuaW1hdGlvbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE2OTIwMjkzMDZ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-08-14T17:49:45.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:44:08.000+01:00","Animation comes in different shapes and forms, each with its pros and cons. As a business owner, marketing manager, or producer, it's important to understand them to hire the right animation studios and increase your return on investment.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/the-main-types-of-animation/","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@sebastiansvenson?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Sebastian Svenson\u003C/a> / \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/the-main-types-of-animation","2023-08-14T18:09:58.000+02:00",{"title":2821},"the-main-types-of-animation","posts/the-main-types-of-animation",[2842],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"lhdSsHGVsc_A6XDetPKhUG2RyKALVoVdLn-G_ng5hDE",{"id":2845,"title":2846,"authors":2847,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2849,"meta":2850,"navigation":15,"path":2860,"published_at":2861,"seo":2862,"slug":2863,"stem":2864,"tags":2865,"__hash__":2867,"uuid":2851,"comment_id":2852,"feature_image":2853,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2854,"updated_at":2855,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2856,"primary_tag":2857,"url":2858,"excerpt":2859,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:getting-started-with-export-in-blender.json","Getting Started With Export In Blender In 2026",[2848],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Blender is a popular 3D computer graphics software used in animation. At some point in your project, you’ll need to export your files―to store them, share them with teammates, or use them in other specialized software like uploading to a rendering farm. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Fortunately, Blender provides several export options: in this article, we explain each one and when they are best used in your animation pipeline to make the most of it. Lastly, we’ll talk about how to use Kitsu, our open-source production management software, to make export tasks more efficient.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-to-export-in-blender\">How To Export In Blender\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Exporting files from Blender always follows these general steps:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Select the objects or animation you want to export\u003C/strong> - In Blender, select the objects or animation you want to export. You can select multiple objects by holding down the Shift key while clicking on them.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Open the Export menu\u003C/strong> - Go to the File menu at the top-left corner of the Blender interface and select \"Export\" to access the export options.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Choose the file format\u003C/strong> - In the export options, you will see a list of available file formats to choose from. Select the format that is appropriate for your needs and is compatible with the software or platform you intend to use the exported files. We’ll explain each file format in the next section.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Configure export settings\u003C/strong> - Depending on the chosen file format, you will have different settings and options to configure. These settings can include options for animation, object hierarchy, materials, textures, scale, and more. Adjust these settings according to your requirements or the specifications of your target software. \u003Ca href=\"https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/files/import_export?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Check the official documentation\u003C/a> to learn more about the settings.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Set the file path and name\u003C/strong> - Specify the file path where you want to save the exported file. Choose a location on your computer or network that is easily accessible and organized. Give the file a suitable name that reflects its content.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Export the file\u003C/strong> - Once you have configured all the necessary settings, click on the \"Export\" or \"Save\" button to initiate the export process. Blender will process the selected objects or animation and generate the exported file in the specified location.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Check the exported file\u003C/strong> - After the export is complete, navigate to the chosen file path and ensure that the exported file is present. Open the file in the target software or platform to confirm that the animation or objects are correctly transferred and functioning as expected.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>The Export menu looks like this:\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"export-file-formats-pros-cons\">Export File Formats: Pros & Cons\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Blender supports various file formats with their own features, advantages, and limitations.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"fbx-filmbox\">FBX (Filmbox)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>FBX is a proprietary file format developed by Autodesk, primarily used in the animation industry to simplify the exchange of 3D content between different software applications like Blender, Maya, and 3DS Max. FBX files can store various types of data related to 3D models, including geometry, textures, materials, animations, cameras, and lights.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Interchangeability\u003C/strong> - The FBX format is primarily used for interchanging character animations between different applications. It’s supported by popular applications like Cinema4D, Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, Wings3D, and Unreal Engine 5.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Baked mesh modifiers and animation\u003C/strong> -\u003Cstrong> \u003C/strong>The exporter can bake mesh modifiers and animation into the FBX file, ensuring that the final result appears the same as in Blender.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Lack of support for armature instances\u003C/strong> -\u003Cstrong> \u003C/strong>Armature instances are not supported in the FBX format, which may limit certain capabilities or workflows involving armature-based animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Complex bone orientation importing\u003C/strong> -\u003Cstrong> \u003C/strong>Importing bones' orientation can be complex and may require adjusting related settings until the desired results are achieved.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Limited animation support\u003C/strong> -\u003Cstrong> \u003C/strong>The current level of animation support in FBX is minimal. When saving just animations in FBX, it's necessary to manually keep track of which animation belongs to which model. Take selection and organization require manual effort to optimize file size and facilitate faster export and import processes.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"alembic\">Alembic\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The Alembic file format is an open computer graphics interchange format designed for efficient storage and exchange of animated and simulated 3D geometry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Efficient storage\u003C/strong> - Alembic is designed to efficiently store computed results of complex procedural geometric constructions like animated vertex positions and animated transforms.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Fast read and write operations\u003C/strong> - It allows for quick and efficient writing of animated meshes to a drive and reading them back.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Reduction of CPU usage\u003C/strong> - By \"baking\" the animated mesh to an Alembic file, it reduces the CPU-intensive rig processing, resulting in moderate CPU usage during shading and lighting.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Limited scope\u003C/strong> - Alembic is specifically focused on storing computed results and is not concerned with storing the complex dependency graph of procedural tools used in the creation process. It does not store the network of computations (rigs) required to produce the final animated positions and transforms.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Lack of representation of computations\u003C/strong> - Since Alembic does not store the network of computations, it may not be suitable for scenarios where it's necessary to preserve the complete history or dependencies of the procedural tools used in the animation and simulation process.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"obj-wavefront\">OBJ (Wavefront)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The OBJ (Wavefront OBJ) file format is a widely used plain text format for exchanging 3D model data, originally developed by Wavefront Technologies for their Advanced Visualizer software..\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Universally supported\u003C/strong> by most 3D software and platforms.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Simple ASCII-based format that is \u003Cstrong>easy to read and modify\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Supports basic\u003C/strong> geometry, UV mapping, and material assignments.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>No animation support\u003C/strong> - Does not support armatures, lights, cameras, empty objects, parenting, or transformations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Only for simple scene\u003C/strong> - Limited ability to handle large scenes or high-resolution meshes.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"collada-dae\">Collada (DAE)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The Collada file format, also known by its file extension .dae (Digital Asset Exchange), is an open standard XML-based file format specifically designed for the interoperability of 3D digital assets and animation data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Widely supported\u003C/strong> and can retain geometry, materials, textures, animations, and more.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Supports \u003Cstrong>complex scene hierarchies and multiple animation layers\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Open and XML-based format\u003C/strong> that is human-readable and can be modified.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The Blender plugin is \u003Cstrong>still a work in progress\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>More of a \u003Cstrong>legacy file extension\u003C/strong> (no updates since 2014)\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"gltf-gl-transmission-format\">glTF (GL Transmission Format)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The glTF (GL Transmission Format) is an open standard file format designed for efficient transmission and loading of 3D scenes and models with a focus on real-time rendering. It uses a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) structure or a binary format to store 3D model data, including geometry, textures, materials, animations, and more. The binary format, called \"glTF Binary,\" further enhances efficiency by reducing file size and improving loading times.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Designed for \u003Cstrong>real-time rendering\u003C/strong> (web, gaming).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Supports geometry, materials, textures, animations, and more.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Efficient compression\u003C/strong> and small file sizes.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Limited support for advanced features\u003C/strong> like hair, particles, or complex shaders.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Compatibility\u003C/strong> varies across DCC tools.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"universal-scene-description-usd\">Universal Scene Description (USD)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>An open and scalable interchange format developed by Pixar Animation Studios to address the complexities and demands of modern animation and visual effects pipelines. USD is tailored to manage complex scenes involving large amounts of data, assets, and intricate interdependencies. It provides a hierarchical and layer-based approach to organizing and representing 3D scenes, allowing for efficient editing, versioning, and collaboration among artists and technical directors.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scalability\u003C/strong> - USD can handle large-scale scenes with complex interdependencies. It provides efficient mechanisms for organizing, referencing, and reusing assets.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Layered editing\u003C/strong> - USD is based on a layered editing approach, allowing artists and technical directors to work on different aspects of a scene independently for non-destructive editing, versioning, and iterative workflows, enhancing productivity and flexibility.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Efficient animation handling\u003C/strong> - USD efficiently manages animation data from skeletal and vertex animations to keyframe animation, blend shapes (morph targets), and rigging information, making it suitable for complex character animation and rigging workflows.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Learning curve\u003C/strong> - Working with USD may have a steeper learning curve compared to other file formats because of its advanced features and layered approach\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Tool support\u003C/strong> - While USD has gained widespread adoption, not all software applications may have native support for it. Blender doesn’t support invisible objects, USD layers, variants, and skeletal animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>File size\u003C/strong> - Depending on the complexity of the scene and the amount of data stored, USD files can become large in size. This may impact file transfer and storage requirements, particularly when dealing with large-scale projects.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"stanford-ply\">Stanford PLY\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The Stanford PLY file format, developed at Stanford University, is a flexible and widely supported format for representing 3D geometry. It can store information about vertices, faces, edges, normals, colors, texture coordinates, and other attributes of a 3D model. PLY files can be used to represent both polygonal meshes and point clouds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Flexibility\u003C/strong> - The Stanford PLY format is flexible and supports a wide range of geometric data. It can store vertex coordinates, polygonal faces, normals, colors, and other attributes, allowing for versatile representation of 3D geometry.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Wide support\u003C/strong> - PLY files have gained wide support across various software applications and libraries in the computer graphics community.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Simple file structure\u003C/strong> - The PLY file format has a relatively simple and straightforward structure, making it easy to read, write, and parse programmatically and at scale.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation limitations\u003C/strong> - The Stanford PLY format is primarily designed for static geometric data and doesn’t support animation-specific features like skeletal animation, rigging, or keyframe animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Lack of standardization\u003C/strong> - While the PLY format itself is well-defined, there is no universal standard for additional attributes beyond basic geometry. This lack of standardization can result in compatibility issues.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Large file sizes \u003C/strong>- Depending on the complexity and level of detail of the geometry, PLY files can become large in size.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"x3d-extensible-3d\">X3D Extensible 3D\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The X3D (Extensible 3D) file format is an open standard for representing and exchanging 3D computer graphics and animations. It supports a wide range of applications, including animation, visualization, virtual reality, and augmented reality, building upon the capabilities of the VRML format.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Pros\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rich animation capabilities\u003C/strong> - X3D provides extensive support for various animation techniques, allowing for the creation of complex and dynamic animations with different types of movement and transformations.  It includes features for simulating dynamic systems like real-world physics.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Cons\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Complexity \u003C/strong>- X3D files are more complex compared to other formats, requiring specific software for viewing and editing due to the extensive feature set and flexibility as well as time and effort to master.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Limited adoption \u003C/strong>- While an open standard, X3D has less widespread adoption compared to other formats.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"movies-and-pictures-mp4-png-jpg\">Movies and pictures (.mp4, .png, .jpg)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You may need to generate preview files from your scenes. The previews are essential to an efficient collaboration. It allows Supervisors and Directors to give their feedback. Thanks to them, iterations can be done from anywhere in a smoother way.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We'll talk about how to render pictures and animations in Blender in an upcoming article.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"other-file-formats\">Other file formats\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Blender proposes two other file formats:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>STL\u003C/strong> (STereoLithography) for 3D printing\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The \u003Cstrong>Grease Pencil\u003C/strong> file format creates 2D animations from SVG or PDF files that can be combined with 3D elements.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"using-kitsu-to-streamline-preview-exports\">Using Kitsu To Streamline Preview Exports\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In an animation production with hundreds of assets to manage, exporting previews is not an easy task. Instead of exporting each asset / animation one by one, you can use Kitsu Publisher to automatically share a preview for collaborative work without leaving your favorite digital content creation (DCC) tool―be it Blender, Unreal Engine 5, or Harmony.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu is a collaboration platform for animation studios to share the progress of their productions and validate deliveries. The Kitsu Publisher is a desktop application that connects DCC tools to Kitsu to automatically send export previews to your Kitsu workspace. All you need to do is install Kitsu Publisher and add it as a Blender plugin in a few minutes. You can \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/kitsu-publisher-next?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#readme\">read the official documentation to get detailed steps\u003C/a> depending on which operating system you use.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Not only does it allow you to skip the export task altogether if you just want to share previews to collect feedback, but it’s also a precious communication tool to keep track of all the assets you need to export for production and how to prioritize export tasks according to your teammates’ needs: no more back-and-forth and endless meetings!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Even better, through its API, Kitsu provides you with helpers to build file paths for your export files of all kinds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And, last but not least, Blender also has \u003Ca href=\"https://studio.blender.org/pipeline/addons/blender_kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">an official Kitsu plugin\u003C/a> to interact with Kitsu from within Blender, including features like exporting snapshots and thumbnails.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In conclusion, exporting with Blender provides a straightforward process for sharing 3D assets, but the array of options and file formats available can be overwhelming for beginners. To simplify the export workflow, it's advisable to start with the simplest option that meets your requirements. While Blender supports numerous file formats catering to various needs, it's essential to consider the intended use, compatibility with other software, and specific project requirements when choosing an export format.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>For teams working collaboratively, manual exports to share assets can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Kitsu offers an automated solution for storing and sharing assets directly from Blender with team members. \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://account.cg-wire.com/signup/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Try it for free today\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>, it only takes a few minutes to get started!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2851,"comment_id":2852,"feature_image":2853,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2854,"updated_at":2855,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2856,"primary_tag":2857,"url":2858,"excerpt":2859,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"873d2a42-c2dc-417a-9856-2841612381d7","64b565f140bf3f0001b4a14d","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/07/pasted-image-0-1.png","2023-07-17T18:01:53.000+02:00","2026-03-26T09:44:02.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/getting-started-with-export-in-blender/","Blender is a popular 3D computer graphics software used in animation. At some point in your project, you’ll need to export your files―to store them, share them with teammates, or use them in other specialized software like uploading to a rendering farm.\n\nFortunately, Blender provides several export options: in this article, we explain each one and when they are best used in your animation pipeline to make the most of it. Lastly, we’ll talk about how to use Kitsu, our open-source production manag","/posts/getting-started-with-export-in-blender","2023-07-31T11:40:41.000+02:00",{"title":2846},"getting-started-with-export-in-blender","posts/getting-started-with-export-in-blender",[2866],{"id":462,"name":7,"slug":18,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":14},"DrrbBLyJ7atUOhBa4JBWJKz9Sp1XDIFq9h1GXIagHp4",{"id":2869,"title":2870,"authors":2871,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2873,"meta":2874,"navigation":15,"path":2884,"published_at":2885,"seo":2886,"slug":2887,"stem":2888,"tags":2889,"__hash__":2891,"uuid":2875,"comment_id":2876,"feature_image":2877,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2878,"updated_at":2879,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2880,"primary_tag":2881,"url":2882,"excerpt":2883,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-july-2023-update.json","Build In Public: July 2023 Update",[2872],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! In this post, you will learn all that we did during the past two months.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>During these two months, we had to focus more on maintenance and some complex installations. Nevertheless, we were able to add a few key features to Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>1. Team Schedule\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a long-awaited feature. Many studios want to be able to manage their team workload through the schedule. It's now possible to do it right from Kitsu. With the team schedule, you can see if someone is working on too many tasks at the same time or if they are available.\u003Cbr>Some improvements will be added in the future like vacation displaying and assignation right from the schedule.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>2. Improved Mentions\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's now possible to mention people in replies. So, if you want to make sure someone sees a specific comment you can ping them in the reply. In the same vein, you can mention a whole department. It's common that you need to tell a whole team that something special occurs on a key asset. Now it's easier than ever to do it with Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We mainly worked on security strengthening. The most notable fact is that we improved our preview encryption and made it less memory-consuming. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the R&D aspect, we did some experiments with GPU for our video processing. We had good results, so we expect to propose this as an option soon.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Events\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We had a blast at Annecy where our booth was crowded non-stop. It was really energizing to meet you all. We noticed too that more and more Shotgun users feel limited and would like to switch to Kitsu to improve their workflow. It was super satisfying to see that shift in the way Kitsu is perceived. Even better, the Crystal for best feature film was won by a movie tracked with Kitsu. This 2023 edition of the Annecy showed wonderful horizons for us.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The next event where will be able to meet will be the Cartoon Forum. Gwénaëlle will be there. Feel free to reach her and discuss upcoming productions with her!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Finance\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>As usual, we updated our finance charts, you can check them via the dedicated URL below. Our new sales got better and our customers were able to scale, so we had good subscription renewals. \u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://metrics.cg-wire.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>About communication, we decided to focus on our blog where we started a Glossary about animation and VFX. We made it in the form of blog post series. We cover all the big thematic from our industry. Feel free to send us any suggestions! \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tag/glossary/\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Glossary - CGWire Blog\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">Best practices and tips to manage your animation production.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/12/raster.png\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">CGWire Blog\u003C/span>\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Gwénaëlle Dupré\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2020/12/pipeline.png\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Studios and productions\u003C/strong> \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>We were glad to see several new studios starting with Kitsu. Among them, we had the opportunity to welcome Yuga Labs, the company behind the most famous NFT collections such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club and the CryptoPunks. Yuga Labs is disrupting the creative IPs space through its many activities: art, events, video games, and metaverses. We are proud to contribute to their success. For sure, we will learn a lot from this collaboration. It will be the opportunity too to make Kitsu even better.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Enimation - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.enanimation.it/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.enanimation.it/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Eddy Studio - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.eddy.tv/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.eddy.tv/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Orbit Animation\u003Cbr>Rabbit's Foot Studios - \u003Ca href=\"https://rabbitsfootstudios.se/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://rabbitsfootstudios.se/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Yuga Labs - \u003Ca href=\"https://yuga.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://yuga.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To conclude\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions. Among the upcoming features, we will work on token authentication and improving our team schedule. Let us know if you have specific needs you would like to see addressed in Kitsu!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2875,"comment_id":2876,"feature_image":2877,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2878,"updated_at":2879,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2880,"primary_tag":2881,"url":2882,"excerpt":2883,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"7904903d-f296-4e32-8520-3792e6e5434e","64beea9eb71e2a0001df1a18","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/07/buildinpublic_july_2023.png","2023-07-24T23:18:22.000+02:00","2026-03-26T09:26:51.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-july-2023-update/","Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! In this post, you will learn all that we did during the past two months.\n\nKitsu\n\nDuring these two months, we had to focus more on maintenance and some complex installations. Nevertheless, we were able to add a few key features to Kitsu.\n\n1. Team Schedule\n\nIt's a long-awaited feature. Many studios want to be able to manage their team workload through the schedule. It's now possible to do it right from Kitsu. With the team schedule, you","/posts/build-in-public-july-2023-update","2023-07-26T10:47:49.000+02:00",{"title":2870},"build-in-public-july-2023-update","posts/build-in-public-july-2023-update",[2890],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"_FlVsbKY9IptkPbt472LhOd1NTi_wgRgGyp1raKyIuM",{"id":2893,"title":2894,"authors":2895,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2897,"meta":2898,"navigation":15,"path":2909,"published_at":2910,"seo":2911,"slug":2912,"stem":2913,"tags":2914,"__hash__":2916,"uuid":2899,"comment_id":2900,"feature_image":2901,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2902,"updated_at":2903,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2904,"primary_tag":2905,"url":2906,"excerpt":2907,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2908},"ghost/posts:concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges.json","Concept in Animation (2026): Definition, Process, and Challenges",[2896],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>All animation projects start with an idea. The animation production process then takes these ideas and integrates them into a cohesive story. Bridging the gap between ideas and storytelling is no easy task, however: that’s where concept artists come into the picture to transform ideas and scripts into engaging visuals.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But what goes on in the process, exactly? That’s what we set out to figure out in this article.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-a-concept-artist\">What’s A Concept Artist\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A concept artist \u003Cstrong>creates designs and illustrations to bring visual direction\u003C/strong> to animated characters and environments.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Take the series Avatar: The Last Airbender, for example. The concept artist would create detailed sketches, paintings, and digital illustrations to convey the look and feel of the series: what do the main characters look like? How is each nation represented? What about the fauna and flora? And so on. You can see on the right what Appa the sky bison looked like at the concept stage and later in production on the left:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/MC4c-q1S2jHEsjpcKSoU2P0sns4iIYffR5e6oXmZFSBhxsGJ81qn9lT3wNq0IWCOD_cUt2QWy6FCULcC2cT3QDQ8p_XUEOYZRPDc2SfBqXw3CMaUTHsxc9Wwjqule2lswIVnj30TXSzHXmbEVfncEh4\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"312\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-it-important-in-animation\">Why Is It Important In Animation\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>During pre-production, \u003Cstrong>concept art showcases the project's potential\u003C/strong>, visually communicating its creative direction to investors and other stakeholders to increase their confidence in the project, leading to better financial support and a smoother production process.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A concept artist establishes the visual direction of an animation project\u003C/strong> by translating ideas into visual concepts that set the aesthetic of the project. It helps the production team \u003Cstrong>visualize and plan the entire project\u003C/strong> more effectively, allowing for early identification of potential design issues, inconsistencies, or challenges, which can be addressed and resolved before entering the costly production phase. Through multiple iterations and feedback loops, the concept artist can fine-tune designs and make necessary adjustments before committing resources to production. This \u003Cstrong>helps avoid costly changes or rework later on\u003C/strong>. For example, if a character's design is not well thought out, it may result in difficulties during rigging or animation, leading to delays and increased expenses.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Later, \u003Cstrong>detailed concept art serves as a reference throughout the entire asset creation pipeline\u003C/strong>: it provides clear visual guidelines for modelers and animators, reducing the guesswork and potential mistakes during pre-production and production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-is-involved\">Who Is Involved\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>While concept artists are responsible for translating ideas into visuals, they aren’t acting alone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The art director\u003C/strong> oversees the process to ensure the artwork aligns with the project's overall vision. \u003Cstrong>The production designers\u003C/strong> help define the overall aesthetic by making decisions on color palettes, lighting, and composition.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At the end of pre-production, \u003Cstrong>storyboard artists\u003C/strong> work alongside concept artists to visualize the story and its progression. They create sequential panels that depict key moments, camera angles, and shot compositions. These storyboards help the production team and director visualize and plan the narrative flow, pacing, and overall structure of the project for the production phase.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-concept-artist%E2%80%99s-process\">The Concept Artist’s Process\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"research\">Research\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>First, the concept artist needs to understand the project's needs and objectives to gather research and design inspiration.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Project brief\u003C/strong> - The project brief serves as a roadmap for the concept artist, ensuring their designs are in line with the project's vision and requirements. It contains outline goals, requirements, and other key information on the overall vision.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Script\u003C/strong> - After getting the overview from the project brief, concept artists can extract key elements from the script―story, characters, environments, mood, and visual style.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Conduct research\u003C/strong> - The research phase consists in gathering inspiration related to the project’s themes, settings, and artistic references. This is done by exploring various sources from books, movies, artwork, and real-world references.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The research phase is the occasion to develop a visual library to inform the concept art designs.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"thumbnail-sketches\">Thumbnail Sketches\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The ideation process begins by creating thumbnail sketches that facilitate rapid exploration and experimentation of ideas through quick, small-scale drawings:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Explore different compositions, poses, and variations\u003C/strong> of characters, environments, or props.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Use small-scale drawings \u003Cstrong>to quickly gather feedback\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Capture the essence\u003C/strong> and basic elements of the designs.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Because imagination is limitless, thumbnail sketches help concept artists quickly narrow down and validate concepts before further developing them. This is especially important when there are tens of characters and environments to animate in an episode, each with their own distinct design.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"rough-sketches\">Rough Sketches\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Rough sketches refine initial ideas by \u003Cstrong>capturing the main design elements, proportions, and details\u003C/strong> of characters, environments, and other animated objects, as well as solidifying initial concepts by \u003Cstrong>adding visual coherence\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They are important to get right as they provide a strong foundation for the rest of the conception phase, but you don’t want to spend too much time working on details―it’s not the production phase after all.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"detailed-concept-art\">Detailed Concept Art\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Detailed concept art including \u003Cstrong>refined linework, shading, and color, showcasing characters' appearances, expressions, outfits, and other important details can be requested to guide the production phase\u003C/strong> and avoid guesswork.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Detailed concept art should \u003Cstrong>not be confused with storyboarding\u003C/strong>, another key part of the pre-production phase, that focuses on character movement and scene flow. As such, detailed concept art is key \u003Cstrong>to depicting the mood, lighting, and key features of environments\u003C/strong>, for example. But for characters, storyboarding is also essential to convey expressions and poses.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"collaboration-with-the-production-team\">Collaboration with the Production Team\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>After approval, concept artists can sometimes collaborate with storyboard artists, modelers, and animators to help translate visual designs into animation. Things like:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Provide additional support and clarification\u003C/strong> on design elements and intentions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Work closely with the production team to \u003Cstrong>address any technical or creative challenges\u003C/strong> that may arise during the implementation phase.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Maintain effective communication and coordination\u003C/strong> to keep the art style consistent throughout the production process.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Concept development is part of pre-production, but it doesn’t mean the requirements cannot evolve or that the visual designs are clear enough to model. Good communication with concept artists is key to keep the project on the rails!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Concept artists make the first step to bring life to characters, environments, and narratives, shaping the captivating experiences that define an animation project. Through a meticulous process of research, sketching, and refining, concept artists provide a clear visual roadmap for the production team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Collaboration is a big part of a concept artist’s work. You need to work with a variety of experts, exchange feedback, and apply resulting changes. A tool like Kitsu saves considerable time by streamlining task and asset management.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you are a concept artist, an animation student, or someone who simply enjoys learning about the animation industry and its workflow, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">join our Discord community\u003C/a>. Here, you can connect with fellow artists, share your work, and learn from others in the industry.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2899,"comment_id":2900,"feature_image":2901,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2902,"updated_at":2903,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2904,"primary_tag":2905,"url":2906,"excerpt":2907,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2908},"ad381ff7-9669-4711-8340-bc10fb153af7","64b51cb940bf3f0001b4a109","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1456086272160-b28b0645b729?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDN8fHBhaW50aW5nfGVufDB8fHx8MTY4OTU5OTE1OHww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-07-17T12:49:29.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:31:51.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges/","All animation projects start with an idea. The animation production process then takes these ideas and integrates them into a cohesive story. Bridging the gap between ideas and storytelling is no easy task, however: that’s where concept artists come into the picture to transform ideas and scripts into engaging visuals.\n\nBut what goes on in the process, exactly? That’s what we set out to figure out in this article.\n\n\nWhat’s A Concept Artist\n\nA concept artist creates designs and illustrations to b","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/ko/@russn_fckr?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">russn_fckr\u003C/a> / \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges","2023-07-24T15:07:16.000+02:00",{"title":2894},"concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges","posts/concept-in-animation-definition-process-and-challenges",[2915],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"bDIBJ4V9Z4mq4D4Wz-wycyCH0RTs0iFHL4jt1ZQQjVA",{"id":2918,"title":2919,"authors":2920,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2922,"meta":2923,"navigation":15,"path":2934,"published_at":2935,"seo":2936,"slug":2937,"stem":2938,"tags":2939,"__hash__":2941,"uuid":2924,"comment_id":2925,"feature_image":2926,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2927,"updated_at":2928,"custom_excerpt":2929,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2930,"primary_tag":2931,"url":2932,"excerpt":2929,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2933},"ghost/posts:environment-animation.json","Environment in Animation (2026): Definition, Process and Challenges",[2921],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>To create immersive stories, animation studios need good characters but also good world-building. And because good wordbuilding requires great attention to details, it takes considerable time to get right whether you’re aiming for realism or fantasy. This is why \u003Cstrong>it’s often an entire team’s job to create animated environments\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explore the role of an environment artist: how it fits in the animation pipeline, why it’s important, and what’s behind its creative process.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-an-environment-artist\">What’s An Environment Artist\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>An environment artist designs the digital props and backgrounds that make up the environment of a scene\u003C/strong> where characters interact. They are 3D modelers specialized in environments.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In an animation set in a fantasy world, for example, the environment artists would be responsible for creating castles, magical forests, caves, etc. in the 3D environment.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-it-important-in-animation\">Why Is It Important In Animation\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Environments \u003Cstrong>support the narrative and characters\u003C/strong>: they act as mirrors that highlight personalities, journeys, and conflicts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Without them, the animated world would seem bland and non-immersive. It’s \u003Cstrong>the little details in the environment that make the story more believable\u003C/strong>, whether it’s an exotic plant or beautiful architecture.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The ambiance the environment creates sets \u003Cstrong>the tone of the project and its visual identity\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-is-involved\">Who Is Involved\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Because of the huge amount of work, an environment artist doesn’t work alone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Concept artists\u003C/strong> are responsible for creating initial designs for the environments. They work closely with\u003Cstrong> the art director\u003C/strong> and artists to establish the artistic direction, mood, and overall look of the environments before they are modeled in 3D.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, \u003Cstrong>the modeling team\u003C/strong>, including the environment artists, takes the concept art and translates it into 3D models using specialized software. This includes everything from buildings and natural elements like trees and rocks to smaller details like furniture or props. \u003Cstrong>The texture artist\u003C/strong> adds color, texture, and surface details to the 3D models created by the modeler, while \u003Cstrong>the lighting artist\u003C/strong> places light sources, adjusts their intensity, and chooses the color and direction of light to create the desired atmosphere. Finally, \u003Cstrong>the effects artist\u003C/strong> creates visual effects to bring the environments to life―weather elements (rain, snow, fog), atmospheric effects (sun rays, volumetric lighting), particle effects (fire, smoke, dust), etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The art director provides overall direction for the environment art team, working closely with everyone to maintain the artistic vision and style, provide feedback, and make final decisions.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-environment-artist%E2%80%99s-process\">The Environment Artist’s Process\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"concept-design\">Concept Design\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Concept design lays the foundation for the visual direction of the environments.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Initial brief\u003C/strong> - The environment artists collaborate with the art director and stakeholders to understand the project's vision, style, and narrative requirements.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Research \u003C/strong>- Gather references and inspiration to document the design process. These references define the look and feel of the environments.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Concept art\u003C/strong> - The environment team works closely with concept artists to develop initial sketches, mood boards, and other pieces of concept art.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Because creating environments is a highly collaborative process that spans the entire animation pipeline, we’ve worked with countless animation studios that use \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">our software Kitsu\u003C/a> right from the concept development phase to easily share assets, receive feedback, and iterate on designs in one place to make sure everyone is aligned.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"layout-breakdown\">Layout & breakdown\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The environment artist starts the modeling work by establishing the structure and composition of the environments with key elements.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Blockouts\u003C/strong> - Rough 3D representations of the environments to lay the foundation for the overall layout using basic geometric shapes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Planning the placement of major elements\u003C/strong> - Like buildings, terrain, and key features within the environment.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Breakdown\u003C/strong> - A breakdown is a detailed list of assets to model that will guide the subsequent stages.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Kitsu also provides features \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/casting-management?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">to manage breakdowns and casting information\u003C/a> for your environment assets. You can create breakdown tables that show the casted assets organized by types to populate sets, link props to characters, or customize the workflow according to your needs to make the scene-building process more efficient.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2lZvs2WPFoT-fyEJHsQBBb4WgXZL7vQ9grAzXPG5eOVNEfyAgw697JcGNXAOPiWn7dqDvyGCgMa7vhCCzsaui1imH8kcxre1i8ZNN0bfiieSa5tEALyrsRzVxremMeqxDSsG6q3yzMutV2GwXR9MBFA\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"modeling\">Modeling\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Modeling brings the environments to life with detailed 3D models.\u003C/strong> Digital content creation tools like Blender are used to build the geometry and structures that populate the environment. Then, different techniques are used to sculpt or generate each architectural elements, natural features, props, and other objects required. You can learn more about the process and techniques involved in \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\">our dedicated article on 3D modeling\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because of the huge workload modeling represents, environment artists rely on Kitsu's \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/production-tracker?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">task management feature\u003C/a> to organize and prioritize their work effectively. You can view assigned tasks, deadlines, and project milestones, ensuring you stay on track with your deliverables. The web platform enables you to track your progress, update task statuses, and receive notifications for any changes or updates related to your assigned tasks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu also allows teams to easily organize environment assets to make them easier to access and track over time with version control: you can store and categorize 3D models, textures, and changes.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"texturing-lighting-and-shading\">Texturing, lighting, and shading\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>After the 3D models are completed, texturing artists add visual appeal and realism to them by sourcing high-resolution textures matching the materials. In parallel, lightning and shading artists work on placing light sources and having the 3D models behave accordingly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For an in-depth guide on texturing and shading processes, techniques, and best practices, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/texturing-shading-animation/\">check out our article on the topic\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"special-effects\">Special effects\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Special effects (VFX) add an extra layer of realism to the environment. Whether it’s weather effects (rain, snow, fog, sun rays, etc.), particles (fire, smoke, dust), or other physics elements like wind or flowing water, there is no such thing as a static environment in real life.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"delivery\">Delivery\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Delivery is the final step where the environment artist prepares the environments to be integrated into the animation project:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Optimization\u003C/strong> - Technical considerations like efficient use of memory, texture compression, and LOD (Level of Detail) systems. 3D models are useless if they cannot be rendered without going over budget, so each asset needs to be optimized for its target destination.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Package the assets and organize files\u003C/strong> - Ensure they are easily accessible and well-structured for integration.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Provide necessary documentation, guidelines, or instructions\u003C/strong> - To facilitate the integration of the environments into the animation pipeline.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Final quality check\u003C/strong> - To make sure the environments meet the desired quality standards.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The asset packages are then delivered to \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">the compositing team\u003C/a> for rendering. If anything goes wrong during post-prod, the environment artist stays around to rework models as needed.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Through a multi-step process encompassing the whole animation pipeline from pre-production to post-prod, environment artists play a central role in setting the atmosphere and realism of the scenes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Collaboration is a big part of an environmental artist’s work. You need to work with a variety of experts, exchange feedback, and apply resulting changes. A tool like Kitsu saves considerable time by streamlining tasks and asset management. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you are an environment artist, an animation student, or someone who simply enjoys learning about the animation industry, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">join our Discord community\u003C/a>. Here, you can connect with fellow artists, share your work, and learn from others in the industry.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2924,"comment_id":2925,"feature_image":2926,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2927,"updated_at":2928,"custom_excerpt":2929,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2930,"primary_tag":2931,"url":2932,"excerpt":2929,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2933},"dd39a540-dcc5-4713-b08f-3e3926e0d7ac","64b516f540bf3f0001b4a0cd","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506744038136-46273834b3fb?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGxhbmRzY2FwZXxlbnwwfHx8fDE2ODk1ODk1MTR8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-07-17T12:24:53.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:33:03.000+01:00","In this article, we explore the role of an environment artist: how it fits in the animation pipeline, why it’s important, and what’s behind its creative process.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/environment-animation/","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@baileyzindel?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Bailey Zindel\u003C/a> / \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/environment-animation","2023-07-17T12:38:32.000+02:00",{"title":2919},"environment-animation","posts/environment-animation",[2940],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"HVDgLTpe6714NLZw2XbF8MrEyk9M-DA6o5s7_9lj0KM",{"id":2943,"title":2944,"authors":2945,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2947,"meta":2948,"navigation":15,"path":2959,"published_at":2960,"seo":2961,"slug":2962,"stem":2963,"tags":2964,"__hash__":2966,"uuid":2949,"comment_id":2950,"feature_image":2951,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2952,"updated_at":2953,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2954,"primary_tag":2955,"url":2956,"excerpt":2957,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2958},"ghost/posts:rigging-in-animation.json","Rigging in Animation (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[2946],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Rigging gives 3D models the ability to move. With rigs, you can make realistic animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At CGWire, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">we help animation studios from all around the world manage their 3D animation assets\u003C/a> so we know how important the rigging process is. But do you know exactly what goes on behind the scenes and how it works? We wrote this article to explain that, and maybe give you an idea on how you can build your own animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the following sections, we cover everything related to rigging: how it fits in the animation pipeline, and what steps and roles it entails. We include common best practices and tips to make it more actionable for seasoned or aspiring animators, as well as snapshots on how to use \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">our production tracker Kitsu\u003C/a> to make your rigging process more efficient and collaborative. Let’s get started!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-rigging\">What’s Rigging\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rigging is the process of creating \u003Cstrong>a digital skeleton that allows animators to control the movement and deformation of characters, creatures, and other 3D objects\u003C/strong>. This digital skeleton is a hierarchical system of interconnected joints, known as a \u003Cstrong>rig\u003C/strong>. Each joint has its own position, rotation, and scale values, which determine the orientation and movement of the connected parts. It is a technical craft that requires precision, creativity, and an astute understanding of anatomy and physics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In addition to the skeleton, \u003Cstrong>a rig includes controllers\u003C/strong> or controls that make it easy for animators to manipulate a 3D model using on-screen handles, sliders, buttons, or even custom interfaces instead of moving each joint manually.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, imagine a character lifting an arm, bending a leg, or even making intricate facial expressions. A rig could be an arm you can then animate as needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The deliverables of rigging are \u003Cstrong>rigged 3D objects ready to animate\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-rigging\">Why Rigging\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rigging is \u003Cstrong>the bridge between the initial modeling phase and the subsequent animation process\u003C/strong>, bringing characters and objects to life by allowing animators to manipulate 3D movements and expressions with precision. Rigging makes characters bend, twist, and stretch consistent with real-world physics to add realism.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By manipulating a character's facial expressions, body language, and gestures, \u003Cstrong>animators can display complex emotions\u003C/strong> to bring more depth and personality to the animated characters, ultimately resulting in a more engaged audience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From a purely technical perspective, rigging saves time and effort by eliminating the need to manually set up controls for every movement, \u003Cstrong>enabling artists to focus on the creative aspects of their work\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-does-rigging\">Who Does Rigging\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rigging involves the collaboration of several key roles. \u003Cstrong>The rigger is the primary expert responsible for creating the rig\u003C/strong>. They have a deep understanding of anatomy, physics, and animation principles. Riggers build the skeletal structure, define joint hierarchies, set up controls, and establish the parameters and constraints that allow animators to manipulate the rig effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Before rigging, \u003Cstrong>the modeler creates the 3D assets\u003C/strong>, including characters, creatures, and objects. They work closely with the rigger to ensure that the models are suitable for rigging, providing the necessary topology and geometry for smooth deformations and animation control.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After rigging, \u003Cstrong>animators breathe life into the rigged characters\u003C/strong>. They use the rig to pose, animate, and create performances. Animators collaborate with riggers to provide feedback on the rig's features, making requests for additional controls or adjustments as needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A technical director\u003C/strong> may work with riggers to develop custom tools, scripts, or plugins to enhance the rigging workflow, streamline processes, or solve technical challenges.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-rigging-process\">The Rigging Process\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"before-modeling-planning\">Before: modeling & planning\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Rigging takes place after \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\">the initial 3D modeling phase\u003C/a>: the models are ready, and the riggers can access character design information including appearance, proportions, and overall movement aesthetic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The planning phase involves analyzing the 3D models and discussing the intended range of movements, expressions, and any specific requirements with the rigging team:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Functional analysis\u003C/strong> - The intended actions, poses, and expressions of the 3D object, including specific challenges or constraints that may arise during rigging, such as complex movements or deformations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rig complexity\u003C/strong> - Based on the functional analysis, the rigging team determines the level of complexity required for a given rig including the number of joints, controllers, deformers, and specialized features needed.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Different objects and body parts require different rigging techniques that need to be planned for. For example, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/grooming-animation/\">hair for character grooming\u003C/a> requires specialized techniques to animate like simulations using physics engines.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"joint-placement\">Joint placement\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Before the rigging process can begin, \u003Cstrong>joint placement determines the position and hierarchy of joints within the model\u003C/strong> to guide the natural movement and articulation of a character's structure.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Joint placement directly impacts how the character will move and deform during animation and requires a deep understanding of anatomy and kinematics to ensure that the joints are positioned in a way that mimics real-world articulation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To achieve lifelike movement, riggers strategically place joints in areas where natural bending and rotation occur like elbows, knees, and spine. The correct hierarchical arrangement of the joints is also crucial as it determines the relationship between different parts of the character's body.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>During the joint placement phase, riggers consider factors such as the character's skeletal structure, intended range of motion, and the overall aesthetics of the model.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"proxy-geometry\">Proxy geometry\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Proxy geometry is \u003Cstrong>a simplified version of the character's model used during rigging\u003C/strong>. It helps \u003Cstrong>improve performance and speed\u003C/strong> during the rigging process by reducing the complexity of the model: complex models with high-resolution geometry can be computationally demanding and slow down the rigging workflow. By substituting them with simplified proxy geometries with reduced polygon count, riggers can work more smoothly and efficiently.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Proxy geometry also allows riggers \u003Cstrong>to focus specifically on rigging-related tasks\u003C/strong> without being distracted by the intricate details of the final model. Since rigging involves setting up controls, joints, and deformers, having simplified geometry allows riggers to quickly manipulate and test the rig's functionality without the need for complex geometry calculations.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"rig-creation\">Rig creation\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The rigger builds the rig by \u003Cstrong>creating the skeletal structure \u003C/strong>and\u003Cstrong> defining constraints and connections between the joints\u003C/strong> to enable realistic movements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To make rigging more efficient, \u003Cstrong>riggers use a modular approach\u003C/strong> where reusable components and templates are created. This way they can quickly rig similar characters or objects, saving time and maintaining consistency across the project with a standardized workflow and a common library of assets. A clean and logical hierarchical structure is also essential for a well-organized rig to ensure that the rig is easy to understand and manipulate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Using \u003Cstrong>constraints like Inverse Kinematics and Forward Kinematics\u003C/strong> greatly simplifies animation tasks and improves workflow. Inverse Kinematics (IK) allow animators to manipulate the end effector (e.g., a hand or foot) of a character, with the rest of the limb automatically adjusting accordingly. On the other hand, Forward Kinematics (FK) provides direct control over individual joints, allowing for more precise posing and animation. However, it's important to use constraints wisely and avoid overusing them as finding the right balance between constraints and manual control is key to achieving a flexible and efficient rig.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"skinning\">Skinning\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Skinning involves \u003Cstrong>assigning weights to the character's mesh\u003C/strong>, determining how it deforms when the rig is manipulated so that the character's skin moves realistically.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One common technique to optimize the skinning process is \u003Cstrong>painting skin weights\u003C/strong>, where riggers manually assign weights to specific areas of the mesh to control how they are influenced by the underlying rig. \u003Cstrong>Influence falloffs\u003C/strong> are another useful technique where riggers can define how the influence of a joint or control diminishes over distance, resulting in smoother transitions between different areas of the character's mesh by avoiding abrupt deformations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Riggers also leverage \u003Cstrong>skinning tools and scripts to automate assigning weights\u003C/strong>, managing influences, and adjusting deformations, saving precious time while improving consistency. Efficiency is a key consideration in skinning: riggers aim to achieve accurate deformation while keeping the skinning process as fast as possible by optimizing the weight assignments, minimizing the number of joints influencing each vertex, and employing techniques to reduce computational overhead.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"control-setup\">Control setup\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Controls allow animators to manipulate rigs effectively.\u003C/strong> They can take various forms like on-screen widgets, handles, or custom UI elements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Primary controls provide animators with the main features needed to pose the character's body and limbs\u003C/strong>. These controls are strategically placed and organized in a logical manner, allowing for intuitive manipulation of the rig. Descriptive names and clear labeling of the controls contribute to the rig's accessibility and efficiency, enabling animators to quickly identify and use the desired controls.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Secondary controls are also created to fine-tune specific areas of the character\u003C/strong> for complex deformations, facial expressions, or intricate finger movements to enhance the level of control animators have over the character's performance for more complex animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Creating user-friendly control systems is essential to ensure a smooth and efficient animation workflow, so riggers aim to design intuitive and easy-to-understand controls, even for animators who are not directly involved in the rigging process to help them focus on the creative aspects of animation rather than struggling with complex rigging setups.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"final-delivery\">Final delivery\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Once the rigging process reaches its final stage and is deemed complete, \u003Cstrong>the rigged 3D model is delivered to the animators for the production phase\u003C/strong>. This includes providing the animators with the necessary files and assets: skeletal structures, controls, deformers, and any additional components specific to the rig. Along with the character model, the animation team may receive accompanying tools and scripts developed to automate certain animation tasks or provide additional features tailored to the specific rig.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s essential for the rigging team to collaborate closely with the animators, addressing any questions or concerns that may arise during the handover: \u003Cstrong>clear documentation and instructions regarding the rigs\u003C/strong> are typically provided to assist the animators.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The final delivery of the rig marks a significant milestone in the production pipeline, as it signifies the readiness of the character for animation. It is worth noting that the rigging team continues to provide support and updates to the rig throughout the production phase as required, including bug fixes and new features to fulfill new requirements.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"iterative-loop\">Iterative loop\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Throughout the rigging process, communication and collaboration between riggers, modelers, animators, and other stakeholders play a crucial role in achieving a well-functioning rig that meets the creative and technical requirements of the project: \u003Cstrong>having the right methodologies and tools to support this collaborative aspect is important\u003C/strong> to increase productivity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because of this, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Kitsu is an invaluable tool for rigging\u003C/a>. \u003Cstrong>Sharing 3D models with colleagues or clients\u003C/strong> becomes a seamless process: just upload your work and gather constructive feedback from the user interface:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By providing a centralized platform, Kitsu enables \u003Cstrong>open communication and coordination among team members\u003C/strong> involved in the animation pipeline. Designers can seamlessly connect with modelers, riggers, and animators to ensure a smooth transition from the design phase to the production stages with delivery tracking.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, \u003Cstrong>Kitsu offers version control\u003C/strong>, providing a comprehensive history of the rigging process. Designers can easily revisit previous iterations, track changes, and maintain a clear record of the design evolution. By having all the design assets in one place, designers can efficiently manage their projects, making it easier to access and update rigging models as needed.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Rigging breathes life into characters and objects, enabling animators to create captivating and realistic movements. It’s a highly technical job that requires a fine understanding of physics, anatomy, and 3D modeling tools, but also creative qualities to achieve the artistic vision of a production. The rigging process can be broken down into 7 main steps, but it’s also a highly-collaborative work requiring several iterations to get right. Without it, animations can seem sloppy, and unappealing, and make the animators’ job harder and costlier for the animation studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>CGWire's Kitsu platform provides the perfect solution for managing rigging assets throughout the animation pipeline. With Kitsu, teams can seamlessly collaborate, track rig versions, and efficiently manage rigging deliverables. Its intuitive interface and powerful features streamline the rigging process, enabling artists to focus on their creative vision and deliver high-quality animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://account.cg-wire.com/signup/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Subscribe to Kitsu today\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>, it’s free to try and easy to use with your favorite digital content creation tool, whether it’s Blender, Unreal Engine, or Harmony.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2949,"comment_id":2950,"feature_image":2951,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2952,"updated_at":2953,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2954,"primary_tag":2955,"url":2956,"excerpt":2957,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":2958},"cf5940eb-dbba-4ac3-800d-26677417a044","649af0f95a58ac00010fcc3f","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1620712943543-bcc4688e7485?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMxfHxyb2JvdHxlbnwwfHx8fDE2ODc4NzYzNjJ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-06-27T16:23:53.000+02:00","2026-03-26T09:24:07.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/rigging-in-animation/","Rigging gives 3D models the ability to move. With rigs, you can make realistic animation.\n\nAt CGWire, we help animation studios from all around the world manage their 3D animation assets so we know how important the rigging process is. But do you know exactly what goes on behind the scenes and how it works? We wrote this article to explain that, and maybe give you an idea on how you can build your own animations.\n\nIn the following sections, we cover everything related to rigging: how it fits in ","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@santesson89?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Andrea De Santis\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/rigging-in-animation","2023-06-27T16:33:31.000+02:00",{"title":2944},"rigging-in-animation","posts/rigging-in-animation",[2965],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"vKTvLNoFznShW-s0Ef_UW61u1f1m29dhissf1e74938",{"id":2968,"title":2969,"authors":2970,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2972,"meta":2973,"navigation":15,"path":2984,"published_at":2985,"seo":2986,"slug":2987,"stem":2988,"tags":2989,"__hash__":2991,"uuid":2974,"comment_id":2975,"feature_image":2976,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2977,"updated_at":2978,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2979,"primary_tag":2980,"url":2981,"excerpt":2982,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:kitsu-brought-support-to-the-annecy-cristal-for-the-second-time-with-chicken-for-linda.json","Kitsu brought support to the Annecy Cristal for the second time with Chicken For Linda",[2971],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Last week, at Annecy Festival \"Linda Veut du Poulet\" and \"27\" from \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/miyu-productions/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Miyu Productions\u003C/a> won the Cristal Award for Feature and Short Films! The Cristal is the most renowned award for animation. Both movies used Kitsu to manage their workflow and their reviews.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>First and foremost, congrats to the teams behind these masterpieces! Let's have a special mention to the Directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach for Linda and Flora Anna for 27. These movies provide outstanding storytelling while proposing an original visual art direction. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>We would like to celebrate too the fact that Kitsu, our production management software, was used for the second time in a row on a Cristal-awarded movie. Last year, \"Le Petit Nicolas\" won the Cristal too. All the production was supported by Kitsu. We didn't expect to be so consistent, but it shows how much our software can help creative people to unleash their creativity. Today more than ever, we are very proud to support qualitative animation and our customers' successes!\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Thank you to everyone from our community. You helped us all along the way to make the best software possible. Last week, we saw that these efforts are fruitful. Kitsu proved again how much it can bring to animation productions!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We also run\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> a Discord community\u003C/a> where you can connect with more than 1000 CG professionals to share tips and ideas. No matter where you come from, join us―we will be happy to help you with your projects!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2974,"comment_id":2975,"feature_image":2976,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":2977,"updated_at":2978,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":2979,"primary_tag":2980,"url":2981,"excerpt":2982,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"def7ce8d-b09b-42a4-9bd5-604402e54a27","6492c493fbc72e0001241220","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/06/Collage-Maker-12-Jun-2022-04.28-PM.webp","2023-06-21T11:36:19.000+02:00","2023-06-21T11:43:33.000+02:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-brought-support-to-the-annecy-cristal-for-the-second-time-with-chicken-for-linda/","Last week, at Annecy Festival \"Linda Veut du Poulet\" and \"27\" from Miyu Productions won the Cristal Award for Feature and Short Films! The Cristal is the most renowned award for animation. Both movies used Kitsu to manage their workflow and their reviews.\n\nFirst and foremost, congrats to the teams behind these masterpieces! Let's have a special mention to the Directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach for Linda and Flora Anna for 27. These movies provide outstanding storytelling while propo",1,"/posts/kitsu-brought-support-to-the-annecy-cristal-for-the-second-time-with-chicken-for-linda","2023-06-21T11:42:49.000+02:00",{"title":2969},"kitsu-brought-support-to-the-annecy-cristal-for-the-second-time-with-chicken-for-linda","posts/kitsu-brought-support-to-the-annecy-cristal-for-the-second-time-with-chicken-for-linda",[2990],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"AA3sQqnl8pKt92KN2m61nYoruc5L8qpxA2EShSCCSYA",{"id":2993,"title":2994,"authors":2995,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":2997,"meta":2998,"navigation":15,"path":3009,"published_at":3010,"seo":3011,"slug":3012,"stem":3013,"tags":3014,"__hash__":3016,"uuid":2999,"comment_id":3000,"feature_image":3001,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3002,"updated_at":3003,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3004,"primary_tag":3005,"url":3006,"excerpt":3007,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3008},"ghost/posts:sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges.json","Sound Design in Animation (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[2996],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Animation relies on visuals, words, and sound. Without music, sound effects, and dialogues, stories would remain incomplete. Characters would lack souls. From the subtle harmonies that evoke emotion to the thunderous applauses that give you goosebumps, \u003Cstrong>sound design is an important part of production\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we take a look behind the scenes to explore the fascinating world of sound design in animation―the\u003Cstrong> techniques, tools, and processes used by sound designers to bring animations to life\u003C/strong>. \u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-sound-design\">What’s Sound Design\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Sound design refers to \u003Cstrong>the creation and integration of audio elements\u003C/strong> to enhance the visual storytelling experience―including music, dialogue, and sound effects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, sound design involves recording distinct sound effects for a character's movements, composing ambient sounds to establish a specific atmosphere, or designing unique soundscapes for fantastical worlds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The deliverables of the sound design process include \u003Cstrong>a final mix of the audio synchronized with the visuals and optimized for different playback environments\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-sound-design\">Why Sound Design\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Sound design plays a pivotal role in \u003Cstrong>enhancing the viewer's immersion and emotional engagement with the story\u003C/strong> by establishing the auditory environment of a scene. It brings life to characters and environments, making them feel more tangible and believable: from the rustling of leaves to the bustling city streets, carefully crafted audio elements transport the audience into the animated world itself!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Well-crafted sound design is key \u003Cstrong>to captivate the audience and keep them engaged in the animation\u003C/strong>. A multi-sensory experience deepens the viewer's connection to the narrative and evokes emotions. Whether it's the thrill of an action sequence, the tenderness of a heartfelt moment, or the suspense of a thrilling chase, sound design amplifies the intended emotional response.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Animated characters also greatly benefit from it\u003C/strong>: unique sound effects, vocal traits, and stylized dialogue reinforce personalities, accentuate humor, or create memorable quirks. The sound design choices can emphasize the traits and nuances of each character, making them more relatable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Through sound cues, the viewer can identify off-screen actions, understand spatial relationships, and follow the progression of events: \u003Cstrong>sound design conveys information\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-does-sound-design\">Who Does Sound Design\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Sound design is the fruit of the collaboration between various professionals who contribute their expertise to create a cohesive and immersive audio experience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>sound designer\u003C/strong> is responsible for conceptualizing and creating the overall sonic vision of the animation. They work closely with the directors and creative team to understand the story narrative and develop a sound design plan that enhances the story and characters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>composer\u003C/strong> works in tandem with the sound designer to create the original score for the animation, while \u003Cstrong>foley artists\u003C/strong> record live sounds to add realism using various props in sync with the visuals and capture the subtle details of character movements, object interactions, and environmental sounds. \u003Cstrong>Voice actors\u003C/strong> provide the voices and performances for animated characters with powerful intonations and deliveries to convey a wide range of emotions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The sound effects and dialogue \u003Cstrong>editors\u003C/strong> are responsible for cleaning, editing, and enhancing the recordings. They ensure that the audio is clear, intelligible, and properly synchronized with the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, the \u003Cstrong>mixer\u003C/strong> brings together all the different audio elements—dialogue, music, and sound effects—and balances them to create the final mix. They adjust levels, spatial positioning, and overall sound quality to ensure a cohesive and immersive audio experience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Directors and producers\u003C/strong> collaborate with the sound team throughout the process, providing guidance and feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-sound-design-process-in-6-steps\">The Sound Design Process In 6 Steps\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"research\">Research\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The research phase is where the sound design team meets with the director to gain a deep understanding of the animation's vision, tone, and story. This phase is key to lay solid foundations for the later parts of the process.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Analyze visual materials and scripts\u003C/strong> - The sound design team examines \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">storyboards, animatics\u003C/a>, concept art, and \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">character designs\u003C/a> to understand the animation's visual style, pacing, and key moments that require specific sound treatments. By delving into the script and character descriptions, the sound design team gains a deeper understanding of the characters' personalities, motivations, and relationships to integrate sound elements that reflect the characters' traits.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Establish audio aesthetics\u003C/strong> - The overall sound palette, atmosphere, and genre influences that align with the storytelling and visual style. For example, Cowboy Bebop wouldn’t be the same without its jazzy soundtrack, and some animation studios have their own audio identity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>List sound references\u003C/strong> - The team can draw inspiration from films, documentaries, music, and real-life recordings. This helps gather ideas, explore creative possibilities, and develop a shared vocabulary.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>All of these elements end up\u003Cstrong> defining the sound requirements of the project\u003C/strong>, including technical considerations like licenses, audio formats, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"foley-recording\">Foley recording\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Foley recording involves creating and recording sound effects synchronized with scenes. It adds depth and realism to the animation, allowing viewers to feel more connected to the on-screen world. It is a labor-intensive process that requires expertise, attention to detail, and creative problem-solving to capture the perfect sound effects.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scene analysis\u003C/strong> - The sound design team carefully analyzes each scene to identify the specific sound effects that need to be recorded: footsteps, clothing movements, object interactions, and any other sounds that are essential for enhancing the realism and immersion of the animation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Foley artist planning\u003C/strong> - The Foley artists study the scene requirements, gather necessary props and materials, and plan their approach to recreate the desired sounds.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Foley stage setup\u003C/strong> - A dedicated recording space is acoustically treated and equipped with various surfaces and props to create different sound textures.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Recording\u003C/strong> - The Foley artist performs actions and movements in sync with the animation, using props and materials to recreate the desired sounds. This may involve walking, running, handling objects, opening doors, or even mimicking creature movements, depending on the requirements of the scene. The sound design team records multiple takes of each action to ensure they have a variety of options during the editing phase. They carefully capture the cleanest and most authentic sounds possible. After recording, they edit and manipulate the recorded sounds as needed to fit seamlessly into the animation.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Depending on the budget constraints, Foley artists can also leverage sound effects sourced from open-source audio libraries instead of recording everything themselves. In both cases, it’s crucial to \u003Cstrong>build and maintain a comprehensive sound library\u003C/strong> for the animation production to efficiently manage and integrate hundreds of audio assets.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"music-composition\">Music composition\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>If original music is required, the composer creates a score that complements the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Based on the research phase, \u003Cstrong>the composer begins the process of crafting the musical score\u003C/strong>. They create melodies, harmonies, and arrangements that align with the desired emotions, character motivations, and story progression. The composition may involve various instruments, styles, and genres depending on the animation's requirements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, \u003Cstrong>the composer or a team of musicians record the music\u003C/strong> with high-quality audio equipment. This may involve live instrument recordings, MIDI-based orchestrations, or a combination of both.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because of the tremendous resources required to create an original soundtrack, it isn’t unusual for animation studios to rely on \u003Cstrong>purchasing music licenses\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"voice-acting\">Voice acting\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Voice acting is \u003Cstrong>the process of recording character dialogues or verbal expressions\u003C/strong>. Just like a regular actor, a voice actor must \u003Cstrong>excel at expressing a wide range of emotions\u003C/strong> from joy and excitement to sadness and anger. Voice actors also \u003Cstrong>bring life to dialogues and voice-overs\u003C/strong>, making it sound natural and believable. They understand the nuances of timing, rhythm, and intonation, creating dynamic performances that enhance the delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In Japan, because of the skills and talent required, the best voice actors have a superstar status, and you can find 130 schools specialized in voice acting! \u003Cstrong>Voice acting can really make or break a production\u003C/strong>, so attention is required during the casting phase.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"mixing-editing\">Mixing & editing\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The various audio elements are combined, balanced, and refined to create a cohesive and immersive auditory experience for the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Audio cleanup\u003C/strong> - Unwanted noise, clicks, pops, or any other imperfections that may have been captured during the recording process are removed.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Dialogue editing\u003C/strong> - The sound designers carefully edit the recorded dialogue tracks to remove background noises or inconsistencies, adjust volume levels, and ensure that the dialogue is clear and intelligible.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sound effects integration\u003C/strong> - The sound effects are synchronized with the on-screen action.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Music mixing\u003C/strong> - The sound design team adjusts the levels, panning, and frequency ranges to carefully mix the music with the other sound elements and create a balanced and cohesive audio experience.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>At this stage, the audio is ready for delivery!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"final-mix\">Final mix\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The final mix combines all the edited audio tracks, including dialogue, music, and sound effects:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Balancing levels\u003C/strong> - The sound design team carefully adjusts the volume levels of each audio element to allow for intelligible dialogue while maintaining the impact of sound effects and music.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Dynamic range control\u003C/strong> - The dynamic range refers to the difference between the quietest and loudest parts of the audio. In the final mix, the sound design team applies techniques like compression and limiting to control the dynamic range, ensuring that the audio remains consistent and avoids abrupt volume changes that could distract or overwhelm the viewer.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Spatial design\u003C/strong> - If the animation calls for a spatial audio experience, such as surround sound or 3D audio, the sound design team spatially positions the sound elements within the audio field using techniques like panning, spatial effects, and binaural processing to create a sense of movement.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Equalization\u003C/strong> - Equalization (EQ) is used to adjust the frequency response of different sound elements. During the final mix, the sound design team applies EQ to ensure that each sound element occupies its intended frequency range and doesn't conflict with other elements. This helps to create clarity, separation, and overall tonal balance in the audio track.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Quality assurance\u003C/strong> - The sound design team monitors the audio using high-quality speakers or headphones to make sure the audio translates well across different playback systems and environments from mobile phones to movie speakers.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>The final audio package containing the required audio files are then sent to the animation editor for integration in the episode or film.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Sound design is a key part of animation production. From its role in establishing mood and atmosphere to music and voice acting, sound designers bring visuals to a whole new level. As animation enthusiasts, it is crucial to appreciate the immense efforts that go into sound design. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Throughout the sound design stages, collaboration, feedback, and revisions occur between the sound design team, directors, and producers to refine all the audio elements. It's a major step to make your production perfect.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Kitsu, developed by CGWire, is a comprehensive production tracker designed specifically for animation studios. It provides a robust platform for managing assets, facilitating collaboration, and streamlining the entire production pipeline, including sound design. \u003Cbr>Don't miss the opportunity to elevate your animation projects with the power of Kitsu. \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://account.cg-wire.com/signup/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Sign up today for free\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> and experience the impact it can have on your sound design and overall production efficiency.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":2999,"comment_id":3000,"feature_image":3001,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3002,"updated_at":3003,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3004,"primary_tag":3005,"url":3006,"excerpt":3007,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3008},"3dfa0c6b-39ef-48fc-a24e-284127f1d5e4","64875a9f7093d20001dbafe2","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1593697821178-c4c24e92d4ba?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE2fHxzb3VuZCUyMHJlY29yZGluZ3xlbnwwfHx8fDE2ODY1OTIzODR8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-06-12T19:49:19.000+02:00","2026-03-26T09:40:04.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/","Animation relies on visuals, words, and sound. Without music, sound effects, and dialogues, stories would remain incomplete. Characters would lack souls. From the subtle harmonies that evoke emotion to the thunderous applauses that give you goosebumps, sound design is an important part of production.\n\nIn this article, we take a look behind the scenes to explore the fascinating world of sound design in animation―the techniques, tools, and processes used by sound designers to bring animations to l","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@soundtrap?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Soundtrap\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges","2023-06-20T12:01:59.000+02:00",{"title":2994},"sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges","posts/sound-design-in-animation-definition-process-challenges",[3015],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"pe65HgHYGdJ_kD3YGFUzYZNQHDSATQykbxvo5VKM8W4",{"id":3018,"title":3019,"authors":3020,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3022,"meta":3023,"navigation":15,"path":3034,"published_at":3035,"seo":3036,"slug":3037,"stem":3038,"tags":3039,"__hash__":3041,"uuid":3024,"comment_id":3025,"feature_image":3026,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3027,"updated_at":3028,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3029,"primary_tag":3030,"url":3031,"excerpt":3032,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3033},"ghost/posts:character-design-animation.json","Character Design in Animation (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[3021],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>To truly appreciate the significance of character design, one must understand its profound impact on our lives. Think of those cherished childhood memories spent glued to the television screen, eagerly following the adventures of our favorite characters. These animated drawings shaped our imagination, taught us valuable life lessons, and became lifelong companions. They ignited our dreams and sparked our creativity, leaving an indelible mark on who we are today. But what makes certain characters stand out and become timeless classics? The answer lies in the intricate process of character design.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At CGWire, we help animation studios from all around the world to manage their character assets. From experience, we gained invaluable insight into the intricate world of character design and how important a well-crafted character design process is. Join us in this article as we explore \u003Cstrong>the intricacies of the character design process, uncover the techniques employed by masterful animators, and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to craft compelling characters\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-character-design\">What’s Character Design\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Character design is \u003Cstrong>the process of creating characters, from protagonists to supporting cast\u003C/strong>, to drive the narrative and engage the audience on an emotional level.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A well-designed character possesses \u003Cstrong>a unique visual aesthetic\u003C/strong> that instantly captivates the eye. From their distinctive physical features to their attire and accessories, every aspect is meticulously crafted to convey their personality, background, and purpose within the story. The artistry lies in finding the delicate balance between familiarity and novelty, ensuring that characters feel fresh and intriguing while remaining relatable to the audience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But character design is \u003Cstrong>not limited to appearances alone\u003C/strong>: a remarkable character transcends the boundaries of their visual characteristics, embodying a rich inner world that fuels their actions, motivations, and relationships. Their personalities evoke emotions, whether it be through their wit, humor, vulnerability, or strength. Memorable characters possess flaws and quirks that make them feel human, relatable, and flawed, allowing us to connect with them deeper. The art of character design lies in creating such personalities, infusing them with an unmistakable presence that resonates long after the credits roll.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, consider the character design of Mickey Mouse originating in 1928: with his iconic round ears, white gloves, and cheerful personality, you can still recognize Mickey Mouse’s silhouette a century later.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The deliverables of the character design process include \u003Cstrong>concept art, model sheets, turnarounds showing the character from multiple angles, color schemes, and any additional reference materials needed for production\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-character-design-is-key\">Why Character Design Is Key\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Characters with distinct visual designs are more likely t\u003Cstrong>o leave a lasting impression on the audience\u003C/strong>: unique silhouettes, color palettes, and memorable details contribute to the character's recognizability and set them apart from other animated work. A well-designed character becomes instantly recognizable and can endure in the collective memory of audiences for years.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Well-designed characters also have the power \u003Cstrong>to evoke strong emotional responses\u003C/strong>. By attributing human characteristics to non-human characters like relatable traits, distinct personalities, and expressive features, animators can establish a deep connection between viewers and the characters on-screen. This connection fosters empathy and engagement in the story's outcome.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-is-involved-in-character-design\">Who Is Involved In Character Design\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Character designers\u003C/strong> specialize in conceptualizing characters based on scripts and storyboards. They create initial sketches, explore different designs, and refine the appearance and personality of the characters. Character designers work in team under a supervisor or an art director. The \u003Cstrong>art director\u003C/strong> oversees the overall visual style and aesthetic direction of the animation project. They provide guidance and ensure that the character designs align with the broader artistic vision of the animation and maintain consistency throughout the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-post-production-definition-process-overview/\">During pre-production\u003C/a>, \u003Cstrong>storyboard artists\u003C/strong> work closely with character designers to translate the character designs into \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">sequential drawings or panels that represent the key moments and actions of the story\u003C/a>. They help establish the character's physicality, movement, and expressions. \u003Cstrong>Modelers\u003C/strong> then take the 2D character designs and\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\"> create three-dimensional models using specialized software\u003C/a>. They sculpt and refine the digital models, ensuring accuracy and attention to detail in terms of proportions, anatomy, and costume design.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>During production, \u003Cstrong>animators\u003C/strong> are responsible for breathing life into the characters. They use character models and rigging systems to create believable movements, scenes, and expressions. Animators infuse personality and emotion into the characters, giving them a sense of vitality and bringing them closer to the intended vision.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-character-design-process-in-5-steps\">The Character Design Process In 5 Steps\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Character design combines artistic vision, storytelling, and audience connection way before any actual drawing is done.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"character-research\">Character Research\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The character design process begins with understanding the project requirements―script, genre, target audience, and artistic vision―to gain insights into the world and tone of the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Understand the audience\u003C/strong> - Gain a deep understanding of the story, themes, and target audience to guide design choices and ensure characters resonate with viewers.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Get familiar with the genre\u003C/strong> - Familiarize yourself with the animation genre and study existing works to understand visual conventions and desired artistic direction.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Conduct research\u003C/strong> - Gather references like pictures or videos and study existing material like scripts or concept illustrations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Develop a visual mood board\u003C/strong> - A visual mood board showcases the desired atmosphere, color palettes, and textures to serve as references throughout the design process.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Understand each character's role and personality\u003C/strong> - Each character’s visual representation should align with their narrative purpose. But you can’t understand a character without taking into account its relationship with other characters, so make sure to not just limit yourself to the characters you are responsible for.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>When you are acquainted with the global picture, it’s time to drill down into the details.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"concept-development\">Concept Development\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>In this phase, artists generate initial ideas and concepts for a character’s design. They explore different visual styles, traits, and personalities that align with the story and project vision. This is mainly a brainstorming stage, but you can leverage character sheets from the scripting phase to guide you. A character design concept should address the following points:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Personality\u003C/strong> - The character's defining personality traits and how they influence their actions: strengths, weaknesses, fears, desires, unique quirks, and mannerisms.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Backstory\u003C/strong> - The events that shaped the characters before the story begins and their current goals.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Role\u003C/strong> - The character’s main role in the story and how they relate to other characters.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Visual appearance\u003C/strong> - The look of the character: physical features like age, body type, hair color, silhouette, and facial expressions, but also clothing style and unique visual elements that mirror their personality, role, and backstory.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Expressions and body language\u003C/strong> - Everything related to how characters move and express themselves through movement.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>A character needs a distinct design, but it also needs to remain relatable for the intended audience and respect the production’s unique technical constraints like the color palette or the art style.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"sketching\">Sketching\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Artists create rough sketches and thumbnails to flesh out the initial ideas. These quick and loose drawings capture the essence of the character, exploring proportions, poses, facial expressions, and silhouettes. Multiple iterations and variations are created to explore different design possibilities.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Explore different ideas\u003C/strong> - Use sketching as a creative outlet to generate a variety of design ideas for the character: experiment with different shapes, poses, and compositions, and allow your imagination to roam freely past the boundaries of your initial concepts.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Emphasize silhouettes and proportions\u003C/strong> - Focus on capturing the character's essence through their silhouette, with distinctive and recognizable outlines that convey the character's personality and role. Proportions can also emphasize specific traits.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Show facial expressions and gestures\u003C/strong> - Sketch various facial expressions and gestures to convey the character's emotions and mood: eyebrows, eyes, mouth, hair, and hands are precious tools to evoke feelings.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use dynamic poses\u003C/strong> - Explore poses that capture the character's potential movement―how the character might interact with the environment and other characters. This helps in understanding how the design translates into practical animation and storytelling.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>During sketching, always refer back to the character's backstory, personality traits, and role within the story to ensure that the sketches align with the narrative and accurately represent the character's essence and development throughout the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"refinement\">Refinement\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The refinement stage is an opportunity to bring the character design to its full potential, adding depth, and details while removing anything that doesn’t contribute to storytelling:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Clean line art\u003C/strong> - Create clean and precise line art to define the character's features, contours, and proportions. Use confident strokes to refine the initial sketches and ensure a clean design.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Add shades, highlights & textures\u003C/strong> - Add shades to give the character depth and dimension, while highlighting key features to bring attention to specific areas. Experiment with textures to add visual appeal.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Maintain visual coherence\u003C/strong> - The refined design integrates all the visual styles, color palettes, and aesthetic choices established in earlier stages. Aim for a final design that is clear, visually appealing, and easily recognizable by ensuring that each element serves a purpose and avoiding clutter or excessive ornamentation that may distract from the character's essence.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>At this stage, the design is complete and ready for delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"turnarounds-and-model-sheets\">Turnarounds and Model Sheets\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The character design process ends with the delivery of character packs including concept art, turnarounds, and model sheets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Turnarounds are illustrations showcasing the character from multiple angles\u003C/strong>, typically including front, back, and side views. These visual references serve as a guide for 3D modelers, helping them accurately recreate how the character should look from different perspectives in a 3D space.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Model sheets go beyond turnarounds and offer additional detailed views and references for specific elements of the character design\u003C/strong>―facial expressions, hand poses, costume details, accessories, etc. They help artists maintain consistency and accuracy throughout the animation production by offering precise visual instructions for each specific element.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Turnarounds and model sheets are essential tools that also serve as references for rigging and animation, ensuring realistic movements and expressions.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"it%E2%80%99s-an-iterative-collaborative-process\">It’s An Iterative, Collaborative Process\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The character design process includes reviews and feedback loops as the project evolves. It’s not a straightforward process where everything falls right on the first try. \u003Cstrong>Having the right methodologies and tools to support this collaborative aspect is important\u003C/strong> to increase productivity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because of this, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Kitsu is an invaluable tool for character design\u003C/a>. \u003Cstrong>Sharing designs with colleagues or clients\u003C/strong> becomes a seamless process: just upload your work and gather constructive feedback from the user interface:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zLCJf00CyJsfzYq0D4aFq9FyNTB78gpBA-lAEX02uJtVz7711k08EN_vzaVRb7tpQgORTu8C0WePUXpcZGIbQaIbr8a7lV-NzjgDl9z88Boj7Dr0UGHUHKJQjJI_m173EXNE-VQgb-E8IM6ANn9PmAY\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>By providing a centralized platform, Kitsu enables \u003Cstrong>open communication and coordination among team members\u003C/strong> involved in the animation pipeline. Designers can seamlessly connect with modelers, riggers, and animators to ensure a smooth transition from the design phase to the production stages with delivery tracking:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/t9G5Dds1uIdC82CHG1v0v5tnwOBd1zQy9KTFobdPYyqmhMm2uPqOXSTs7yJAI3u5dxHGrJX-uoptIhhLWuPZ-cgOasvkXld7WYVkqDW0K7UUUVnsWiU1q4eXnNFOz6DATL01a2qqRkz51ahe3kqhtKQ\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"351\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Lastly, \u003Cstrong>Kitsu offers version control\u003C/strong>, providing a comprehensive history of the character design process. Designers can easily revisit previous iterations, track changes, and maintain a clear record of the design evolution. By having all the design assets in one place, designers can efficiently manage their projects, making it easier to access and update character designs as needed:\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Character design requires a wide range of skills from storytelling to drawing and a good understanding of human psychology. Great character design allows animators to create timeless classics that resonate with viewers. Because of its complexity, character design often requires a team to get right. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>That’s where Kitsu comes in handy to review, exchange feedback, organize character design assets efficiently, and manage deliveries throughout the entire production pipeline. CGWire software is open-source and developed in collaboration with studios, so we know from experience how valuable it is for character designers. \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://account.cg-wire.com/signup?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Try Kitsu for free\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>, it only takes minutes to tour the product.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3024,"comment_id":3025,"feature_image":3026,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3027,"updated_at":3028,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3029,"primary_tag":3030,"url":3031,"excerpt":3032,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3033},"537d2bd8-e6c4-4a57-b1fb-68c722473515","6482f7eb7093d20001dbafbb","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1616427593347-c0d7817e7f88?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGNoYXJhY3RlciUyMGRlc2lnbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE2ODYzMTIyNjh8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-06-09T11:59:07.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:34:31.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/character-design-animation/","To truly appreciate the significance of character design, one must understand its profound impact on our lives. Think of those cherished childhood memories spent glued to the television screen, eagerly following the adventures of our favorite characters. These animated drawings shaped our imagination, taught us valuable life lessons, and became lifelong companions. They ignited our dreams and sparked our creativity, leaving an indelible mark on who we are today. But what makes certain characters","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@luandmario?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Maria Lupan\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/character-design-animation","2023-06-09T14:05:12.000+02:00",{"title":3019},"character-design-animation","posts/character-design-animation",[3040],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"GccwyGRI1AWhj7tIRd_D-CT45z8CxfrpVRhAhJmMrfU",{"id":3043,"title":3044,"authors":3045,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3047,"meta":3048,"navigation":15,"path":3059,"published_at":3060,"seo":3061,"slug":3062,"stem":3063,"tags":3064,"__hash__":3066,"uuid":3049,"comment_id":3050,"feature_image":3051,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3052,"updated_at":3053,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3054,"primary_tag":3055,"url":3056,"excerpt":3057,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3058},"ghost/posts:storyboard-animation.json","(2026) Storyboarding in Animation: Definition, Process & Challenges",[3046],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>An animation project takes months to produce and thus requires careful planning to deliver successfully: \u003Cstrong>storyboarding is the first step to bring a script to life\u003C/strong> with visual representations that will influence the rest of the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Kitsu\u003C/a>, we at \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">CGWire\u003C/a> have witnessed firsthand how important storyboarding is to help animation studios to come up with creative visions in collaborative, international environments.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we offer a dive into the process of storyboarding―its purpose in the animation pipeline, techniques, best practices, and process steps. Whether you’re a seasoned animator, an aspiring storyteller, or simply want to peek behind the scenes, you’ll find something to hone your storyboarding skills. Welcome aboard!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-storyboarding\">What’s Storyboarding\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Storyboarding is \u003Cstrong>the process of creating a sequence of images that visually represent the story\u003C/strong> scene by scene, based on a design pack containing the script, pre-story designs, and a breakdown of all the assets in each episode before the actual production begins.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While there is no standard format to follow, storyboards usually include panels, camera angles, and sometimes dialogues and annotations. The result is not unlike a comic book: a rough drawing with enough details to guide future work. For example, here is a storyboard for Kung Fu Panda:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-f9c6e305-59e0-44a4-b2ba-49472fb8f30c.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/05/data-src-image-f9c6e305-59e0-44a4-b2ba-49472fb8f30c.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-f9c6e305-59e0-44a4-b2ba-49472fb8f30c.png 800w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Or another with more detailed annotations from Adventure Time:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-26df8244-e8f1-428e-938a-9db2b6aed145.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"479\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2023/05/data-src-image-26df8244-e8f1-428e-938a-9db2b6aed145.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/05/data-src-image-26df8244-e8f1-428e-938a-9db2b6aed145.png 800w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-storyboarding\">Why Storyboarding\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A storyboard shows the progression of a story, allowing creators to visualize it shot by shot before any actual animation work begins to shape the narrative flow, establish key scenes, and evaluate the composition and pacing of each shot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because storyboarding helps identify potential issues early on, \u003Cstrong>it saves valuable time and resources during the pre-production and production phases\u003C/strong>. It also provides \u003Cstrong>a clear roadmap for the animation team\u003C/strong> to follow, serving as a visual reference that guides animators and ensures consistent designs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The storyboard is where the animation team collaboration efforts start. By establishing the visual language and desired aesthetics early on, \u003Cstrong>storyboards act as a reference point\u003C/strong> for maintaining the intended artistic direction. \u003Cstrong>They enable the team to align their efforts\u003C/strong> and produce a cohesive and visually pleasing animation that aligns with the project's goals and objectives.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-does-storyboarding\">Who Does Storyboarding\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Storyboarding is teamwork.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>During pre-production, the director oversees the creative vision of the project and guides the storyboard process. They work closely with the storyboard artists to ensure that the story and visuals align with their vision. Storyboard artists are responsible for translating the script produced by the scriptwriters into panels. An art director can be involved to come up with a unique aesthetic for the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>During the later stages of pre-production and production, animators use storyboards as a reference to bring the characters and scenes to life through movement. They rely on the storyboard's composition and key poses to guide their animation work. Layout artists create detailed layouts that determine the placement of characters, props, and backgrounds within each scene. They establish the spatial relationships and camera setups based on the storyboard's compositions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Additionally, various members of the production team like producers, coordinators, and supervisors, are also usually involved in the storyboard process to provide support, manage schedules, and ensure the project progresses smoothly. The supervisor board makes sure each different storyboard artist adopts the same art style to add consistency.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-storyboarding-process\">The Storyboarding Process\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A storyboard artist doesn’t start from scratch. \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">The early stages of pre-production\u003C/a> deliver precious input:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scripting\u003C/strong> - The script outlines the story, characters, and key plot points of an episode or film. It’s validated by the different co-producers, making sure the text respects the production constraints to stay on time and on budget.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Script Breakdown\u003C/strong> - A breakdown is a list of all the assets present in an episode― character, background, props.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pre-story designs\u003C/strong> - The artists draw all the assets needed for each episode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Voices & Design pack\u003C/strong> \u003Cstrong>-\u003C/strong> The production assistant gathers all the elements of an episode (script, voice assets, designs), as well as a brief from the director and the lead storyboard including a story outline and annotations that give a high-level overview of the narrative structure and main events, in a single package.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Storyboarding then turns the design pack into the storyboard:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Thumbnail sketches\u003C/strong> - Thumbnail sketches are rough, small-scale drawings that capture the key moments and compositions of each scene. They serve as a quick visual exploration and help in planning the storyboard of a scenario.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Shot breakdown\u003C/strong> - Based on the script and thumbnail sketches, the shots are broken down scene by scene, determining the camera angles, character positions, and important visual elements for each shot.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Panel creation \u003C/strong>- Each storyboard panel represents a specific shot or moment in the story and includes characters, backgrounds, dialogue, and action notes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animatic\u003C/strong> - An animatic is a video of the storyboard panels of a given scene, synced to temporary sound and music. It gives the director and team an idea of the pacing and timing of the story and can help identify any issues that need to be addressed before moving on to the animation phase. This is sometimes the storyboard artist’s job, but storyboard editors are traditionally responsible for creating animatics.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>At this point, the storyboard is validated by reviewing each panel and the corresponding action notes and dialogues. It is then used throughout the rest of the production. The production assistant lists all the new elements from the storyboard that have yet to be created and passes it on to the \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/\">3D modelers\u003C/a> and animators. During production, the storyboard guides how assets are modeled, composed together, and animated. And \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-post-production-definition-process-overview/\">during post-production\u003C/a>, it can also be used as a reference for editing and audio mixing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The storyboarding process is iterative and involves collaboration and feedback and validation loops between various stakeholders.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"storyboarding-best-practices\">Storyboarding Best Practices\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Whether you missed a scene or lacked details in a panel, a mistake during the storyboarding process will cause significant production delays. You can implement the following best practices to create better storyboards while increasing the processing speed:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Maintain visual consistency\u003C/strong> - Make sure to pay attention to the design pack to keep a coherent style and make collaboration easier.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pace it\u003C/strong> - Consider the pacing of each scene to create an engaging flow, using panels and notes to indicate the desired duration and pacing of your sequences.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Keep it simple\u003C/strong> - Capture the essence of each scene without getting overly detailed. Storyboards are meant to be a visual guide that are clear and easy to read, so avoid excessive details that may slow down the process.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Show, don’t tell\u003C/strong> - While action notes shouldn’t be neglected, don’t forget to leverage visual storytelling. The storyboard artist should have a clear understanding of the story, characters, and setting before beginning the storyboarding process, so that these elements can be effectively integrated in the scenes with subtle camera or character movements.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Focus on movement\u003C/strong> - Animation is all about movement, so make sure to emphasize character movement, camera movement, and emotions in the storyboard. Aim for a diverse range of shots, including wide shots, close-ups, and dynamic angles, to enhance storytelling.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Include visual references\u003C/strong> - Use reference material like pictures, audio, or video, to help capture the look and feel of the scene accurately.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Don’t overcut the shots\u003C/strong> - The more frames you add, the faster the rhythm feels. Inversely, fewer frames create a sense of slowness. Make sure to be aware of how the scene should feel and cut the shots accordingly.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Leverage animation key poses\u003C/strong> - An animation key pose is a frame capturing essential movements in a sequence, assisting animators in determining the various elements to be animated with distinct frames and timings.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Because storyboarding is a collaborative task, it’s also important to use the right digital tools to streamline the process and facilitate revisions. A tool like Kitsu saves precious time by providing a central repository to store all your storyboard assets:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Get everyone involved\u003C/strong> - Involve relevant stakeholders―such as directors, animators, and production designers―in the review process: seek their feedback to ensure the storyboards align with the overall vision and address any potential issues or challenges early on.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Write it down\u003C/strong> - Always include clear annotations, camera movements, and action notes alongside the drawings. These annotations provide additional context and technical instructions for the animation teams.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Save it and keep it organized\u003C/strong> - Maintain a well-organized file structure for your storyboards, ensuring easy access and version control. Label and categorize panels, scenes, or sequences to locate specific sections quickly, making it easier to manage and update the storyboard.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Storyboarding is a pillar of animation production, providing a visual roadmap that brings stories to life and facilitates team collaboration by identifying potential issues and ensuring consistency with the creative vision. It isn’t uncommon for storyboards to be considered unique art pieces that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, so make sure to take good care of your storyboards!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>As you embark on your animation journey, harnessing the power of CGWire's Kitsu improves your storyboarding process. With Kitsu's robust features for asset management, collaboration, and review, you can effortlessly manage your storyboard assets throughout the animation pipeline. From organizing versions to facilitating real-time collaboration among team members, Kitsu empowers you to bring your vision to fruition while maintaining efficiency and creative control. \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://account.cg-wire.com/signup/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Sign up to Kitsu\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> today and witness the impact on your animation projects!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3049,"comment_id":3050,"feature_image":3051,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3052,"updated_at":3053,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3054,"primary_tag":3055,"url":3056,"excerpt":3057,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3058},"6e45bbf9-51fb-4efd-912b-7abbb87d7552","6477ce060f4f230001736bd2","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1569766670290-f5581d3bb53f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHN0b3J5Ym9hcmR8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjg1NTczMjU5fDA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-06-01T00:45:26.000+02:00","2026-03-26T09:25:00.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/storyboard-animation/","An animation project takes months to produce and thus requires careful planning to deliver successfully: storyboarding is the first step to bring a script to life with visual representations that will influence the rest of the production.\n\nWith Kitsu, we at CGWire have witnessed firsthand how important storyboarding is to help animation studios to come up with creative visions in collaborative, international environments.\n\nIn this article, we offer a dive into the process of storyboarding―its pu","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@mattpopovich?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Matt Popovich\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/storyboard-animation","2023-06-01T08:58:21.000+02:00",{"title":3044},"storyboard-animation","posts/storyboard-animation",[3065],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"y9vr1L6KOPub-YduoIiRkeQ4MLKmM4kPEIFwuaYwpMw",{"id":3068,"title":3069,"authors":3070,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3072,"meta":3073,"navigation":15,"path":3083,"published_at":3084,"seo":3085,"slug":3086,"stem":3087,"tags":3088,"__hash__":3090,"uuid":3074,"comment_id":3075,"feature_image":3076,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3077,"updated_at":3078,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3079,"primary_tag":3080,"url":3081,"excerpt":3082,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-in-public-may-2023-update.json","Build In Public: May 2023 Update",[3071],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! In this post, you will learn all we did during the past two months.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>1. Typed columns\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Metadata columns can now be typed. We introduced checkboxes and number columns. It is now easier for you to represent data. More will come later. If you want to see a specific type, let us know!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>2. Search Engine\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In partnership with Monello Production, we improved significantly the search engine. You can now perform a search in names and metadata of any asset or shot of your productions. Looking for something in your library can be done in a glimpse.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>3. VFX features: set thumbnail from the frame, guessed revision, and EDL import\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Prior to the FMX, we made several improvements related to VFX usage. You can now import EDL files to create your shots and set their frame parameters. Then you can set the thumbnail of any entity from the selected frame of its movie preview.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>4. Improved video scrubbing\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We changed the way we normalize videos. Thanks to the VFXGeek and the TNZPV studios, who gave us feedback, we were able to find the right parameters to set fast scrubbing and better low-def quality for your videos.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Nicolas, our Engineer in charge of the hosting, deployed our first installation in the US. If your studio is located in the United States, let us know, and we will be glad to move your installation to this new location!  \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We made a change. We switched our indexing technology from Whoosh to \u003Ca href=\"meilisearch.com\">Meilisearch\u003C/a>. It will allow better performances and more stability with your full-text searches.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Events\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We had a lot of success at FMX. We didn't expect to get so much attention from the VFX world. But it seems Kitsu is performing very well in this field too. For instance, we heard that the House of Dragons TV show had 3 episodes tracked with Kitsu. We showed demos during the whole event!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The next big event for us is the Annecy MIFA, one of the biggest animation events. We will have a booth near the welcome room (A.011). We will stay the whole week, so please come here to meet us! We will be glad to share a coffee with you and give you some goodies (caps, stickers)!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Finance\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>As usual, we updated our finance charts, you can check them via the dedicated URL below. Our sales were a little bit shy during the past two months, but two good deals are on the way. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://metrics.cg-wire.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Communication\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We are still running an ad campaign with Animation Magazine and Écran Total. We will continue soon our sponsoring of the Befores And Afters podcast in a more engaged way. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We changed the design of our website to make it look more appealing and give more information about our offer. We are proud of the illustration made by the Naolito studio. Go to our website to see them! \u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"https://naolito.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://naolito.com/\u003C/a> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Team\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We hired Fabian as an intern. He is doing much research on video compressing with FFMPEG with different parameters. That way we can extend our knowledge on this aspect. It will help us in the future to provide faster video processing. Then, he will study other technologies like Qarnot performances for video compressing, IA metadata extraction for our search engine, and .hsl technology for better long video seeking. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Studios and productions\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We onboarded only a single studio during this period. The previous session was crazy so it's natural to see some balancing. As we said before, two good deals are on the way and some studios are starting new productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Crosse The Ages - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.crosstheages.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">https://www.crosstheages.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To conclude\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions. Among the upcoming features, we will add a new team schedule to facilitate the work distribution in your studio. If you will be in Annecy, please come to see us and say hello!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3074,"comment_id":3075,"feature_image":3076,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3077,"updated_at":3078,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3079,"primary_tag":3080,"url":3081,"excerpt":3082,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"539d621c-7d90-4bf1-aeb2-7047e6cd6fdf","6474f2baa0c3d20001e96e45","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/07/buildinpublic_may_2023.png","2023-05-29T20:45:14.000+02:00","2023-07-25T00:41:56.000+02:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-in-public-may-2023-update/","Welcome to our new update about the CGWire company and Kitsu! In this post, you will learn all we did during the past two months.\n\nKitsu\n\n1. Typed columns\n\nMetadata columns can now be typed. We introduced checkboxes and number columns. It is now easier for you to represent data. More will come later. If you want to see a specific type, let us know!\n\n2. Search Engine\n\nIn partnership with Monello Production, we improved significantly the search engine. You can now perform a search in names and met","/posts/build-in-public-may-2023-update","2023-05-30T11:50:12.000+02:00",{"title":3069},"build-in-public-may-2023-update","posts/build-in-public-may-2023-update",[3089],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"LQhnzH5TC6FrNqoBx6a7UfAMGinKOSV7qasR00lH7rg",{"id":3092,"title":3093,"authors":3094,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3096,"meta":3097,"navigation":15,"path":3106,"published_at":3107,"seo":3108,"slug":3109,"stem":3110,"tags":3111,"__hash__":3112,"uuid":3098,"comment_id":3099,"feature_image":3100,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3101,"updated_at":3102,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3103,"primary_tag":8,"url":3104,"excerpt":3105,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:nicolas-pennec-joins-cgwire.json","Nicolas Pennec joins CGWire as Senior Javascript Engineer",[3095],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Behind every advanced software, there is a team. Kitsu started as a one-person project, but while the adoption increased, it required more care in every aspect, from hosting to support. It's where I decided to build a team, starting with my business partner, Gwénaëlle! Then, Nicolas Ledez and Evan Blaudy joined us to ensure we offer a solid backend for our customer projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Recently, the demand for features and related maintenance increased significantly. That's why it was time to hire someone full-time focused on improving the Kitsu user interfaces and making them rock solid. So, we published an announcement for this purpose. It immediately caught the interest of many people! Among them, a friend of Nicolas Ledez: Nicolas introduced us to a second Nicolas, Nicolas Pennec!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Both Nicolas met at conferences in the west of France. Especially because ten years ago, Nicolas Pennec started its own Javascript meetup named RennesJS. But how did Nicolas Pennec find interest in Javascript? Simply through his jobs! After using PHP and Java to build his web applications, he enjoyed being able to adapt the pages dynamically. When Angular went out, he was amazed by the concept of Single Page Applications and then he focused his career on these technologies. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>For over 15 years, he worked on ambitious projects as a consultant or full-time employee. He had the opportunity to work on all aspects of software: development, frontend, backend, leads, and architecture!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Nicolas had helped many kinds of businesses, from small to big companies. As a consultant, he was able to deal with many different situations. And, when he worked at OVH, he learned to evolve in a very secure environment. Its recent activity at ScaleDynamics taught him the intensity of a startup. Wrap this up, and you understand that he can deal with any situation related to frontend development! While we were looking for someone with strong skills and the ability to adapt quickly to new situations, it made a perfect fit!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When we first discussed with Nicolas, he was excited by the Open Source dimension of Kitsu and the fact that we use Vue to make things run. Then, we showed him how by focusing on simplicity, we bring new capabilities to studios for their productions. He was definitely convinced, it was worth joining our journey!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Today, I'm glad to announce that Nicolas Pennec is part of our team. He already worked on numerous features and debugs on the Kitsu frontend. We can't wait to see what's coming next! Let's make Kitsu even more awesome!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you want more news about CGWire and Kitsu, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">join our Discord community\u003C/a>. Here, you can connect with fellow Production Managers and Technical Directors. Share your work, and learn from others in the industry!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3098,"comment_id":3099,"feature_image":3100,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3101,"updated_at":3102,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3103,"primary_tag":8,"url":3104,"excerpt":3105,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"77c93e83-d3dd-4a4f-b014-83321bf35b3a","6458c2612bcbe30001725d43","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/05/nicolas-pennec-3.png","2023-05-08T11:35:29.000+02:00","2023-05-10T09:00:57.000+02:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/nicolas-pennec-joins-cgwire/","Behind every advanced software, there is a team. Kitsu started as a one-person project, but while the adoption increased, it required more care in every aspect, from hosting to support. It's where I decided to build a team, starting with my business partner, Gwénaëlle! Then, Nicolas Ledez and Evan Blaudy joined us to ensure we offer a solid backend for our customer projects.\n\nRecently, the demand for features and related maintenance increased significantly. That's why it was time to hire someone","/posts/nicolas-pennec-joins-cgwire","2023-05-10T09:00:58.000+02:00",{"title":3093},"nicolas-pennec-joins-cgwire","posts/nicolas-pennec-joins-cgwire",[],"WdGJ3ySxex-D0gEnPoG0j1CukC_cmW9gclWNT3aHHB8",{"id":3114,"title":3115,"authors":3116,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3118,"meta":3119,"navigation":15,"path":3130,"published_at":3131,"seo":3132,"slug":3133,"stem":3134,"tags":3135,"__hash__":3137,"uuid":3120,"comment_id":3121,"feature_image":3122,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3123,"updated_at":3124,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3125,"primary_tag":3126,"url":3127,"excerpt":3128,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3129},"ghost/posts:3d-modeling-animation.json","3D Modeling in Animation in 2026: Definition, Process & Challenges",[3117],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Over the past five years, virtually all major movies have relied heavily on 3D modeling, using it to attach characters to virtual sets and create captivating special effects. In modern animation, 3D modeling is an essential component. But have you ever wondered what modeling really is and how it works? In this article, we'll answer these questions and more, taking a closer look at the process, techniques, and tools behind 3D modeling.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-modeling\">What’s Modeling\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Modeling is \u003Cstrong>the process of creating 3D models\u003C/strong> of characters, environments, and props.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>3D models are often divided into two main categories:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Manufactured (\u003Cstrong>hard surface modeling\u003C/strong>) - Hard surface modeling includes manufactured objects that are mostly static and won’t change much during a scene: background mountains, vehicles, buildings, tools, etc.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Organic (\u003Cstrong>organic modeling\u003C/strong>) - Organic modeling requires advanced modeling techniques because of the complexity of the objects at hand: characters with many moving parts, animals, flowing rivers, etc.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Studios can rely on additional categories to subdivide the work and make the whole process smoother. The main benefit of using such distinction is to pick the right modeling technique.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-3d-modeling\">Why 3D Modeling\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>3D modeling is at the core of modern animation pipelines, bringing three main benefits to creative studios:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>More efficiency\u003C/strong> - Modeling artists manage complex objects and scenes in a digital environment: animators can quickly make changes to the model without having to start over from scratch, and the resulting speed increase helps deliver high-quality animations in a shorter amount of time.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Realistic animations\u003C/strong> - 3D modeling is crucial to create realistic animations―we live in a 3D world, after all. Accurate models help animators achieve levels of realism that would be expensive and difficult (sometimes impossible) to achieve through more traditional animation techniques.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Greater creative control\u003C/strong> - 3D models also give animators greater control to create unique and visually stunning animations: you can easily create variations in minutes instead of days, including different lighting and textures to enhance the overall look and feel of the animation.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>3D modeling kickstarted a whole new wave of animation projects compared to the 2D drawing era.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-is-involved\">Who Is Involved\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Modeling artists create 3D models based on references like photos or concept illustrations provided by the \u003Cstrong>art department\u003C/strong>. They are often specialized in organic or hard-surface modeling and collaborate closely with other 3D departments to comply with technical requirements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Organic modelers work mainly with the \u003Cstrong>visual development, rigging, look development, simulation, and animation departments\u003C/strong> to bring characters to life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Hard-surface modelers collaborate more with the \u003Cstrong>visual development, layout, and look development departments\u003C/strong> to create immersive worlds.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-3d-modeling-process\">The 3D Modeling Process\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Modeling is one of the first \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems/\">steps in the animation pipeline\u003C/a>: characters and settings need to be completed before they can be rigged and animated. But modeling also spans various stages of \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">pre-production\u003C/a>, production, and \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-post-production-definition-process-overview/\">post-production\u003C/a> in an iterative loop, including modeling, rendering, shading, and special effects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>3D modelers typically receive concept art and model sheets created at the beginning of pre-production to guide their work. Model sheets provide multiple angles of the character, including a natural pose from the front and back to speed up the modeling process. These resources aren’t always available, so understanding the concept artist's vision is crucial for accuracy. Photo references can also be used―some directors maintain a library of photo references to better communicate their vision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The concept is then modeled in the form of meshes in a digital creation tool. \u003Cstrong>A mesh is a group of vertices, edges, and faces\u003C/strong> defining the shape and structure of a 3D object. Vertices are the individual points in the 3D space that make up the mesh, while the edges connect these points to form lines. The faces are the surfaces created by connecting multiple edges together. The way a mesh’s vertices, edges, and faces are positioned is called a \u003Cstrong>topology\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To get the best result in modeling, it is important to model the large-scale shapes and forms before working on the smaller details:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Raw shape\u003C/strong> - The first step includes silhouetting, proportions, contours, major shapes, and the object’s general forms that define the overall mesh structure. This is done using simple geometric shapes like spheres, cubes, or cylinders, or by importing pre-made shapes from a library.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sculpting\u003C/strong> - Once the basic shape is created, the 3D artist refines the mesh by adding more detail and complexity. It’s a bit like sculpting: the artist simulates the physical work of a sculptor by extruding, beveling, and scaling individual vertices, edges, and faces of each mesh to give them their final shapes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texturing\u003C/strong> - Then artists add texture and color to the object. This is typically done by applying a texture map or image to the surface of the mesh, which can then be adjusted to create different visual effects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Retopology\u003C/strong> - A step to generate a mesh conforming to the needs of rigging to provide all the necessary animation possibilities from the sculpted model.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rigging\u003C/strong> - Finally, the model is rigged, meaning artists create a skeleton that can be used to animate the model. This allows the 3D animator to manipulate the model during animation like bending, stretching, or rotating individual limbs or body parts.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>These steps require fundamentally different skills and knowledge, so it’s not uncommon to see them assigned to different people.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Some properties used by other departments are stored in the topology of polygonal objects: UV maps (a 3D mesh object's surface unwrapped on a 2D plane) used for texturing, partitioning used for shading, etc. The modeling department is responsible for generating this metadata.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"techniques-for-creating-3d-models\">Techniques For Creating 3D Models\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Modeling usually requires the artist to define one by one the points (vertices) and segments (edges) of the polygon mesh of each volume required to represent a model. It’s possible to model all sorts of objects using this technique, but more complex use cases like modeling a character’s hair or tree leaves will require more specialized tools and techniques.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here is a non-exhaustive list of various 3D modeling techniques used in animation projects:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Polygonal modeling\u003C/strong> - Connecting vertices with edges to form polygons (usually triangles or quads)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>NURBS modeling\u003C/strong> - Non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) modeling uses mathematical formulas to create smooth and precise curves and surfaces\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sculpting / box modeling\u003C/strong> - Using a digital sculpting tool to create a 3D object by sculpting the surface of a geometric volume like a sphere or cube. This technique is often used to create organic shapes like characters, creatures, and natural environments.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Procedural modeling\u003C/strong> - Using algorithms to generate 3D models in batch, automatically. It's often used for creating complex yet repetitive structures like cities, landscapes, crowds, and buildings.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Photogrammetry\u003C/strong> - Capturing real-world objects or environments using multiple photographs and specialized software to create a 3D model from the photos.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>CAD modeling\u003C/strong> - Computer-aided design (CAD) modeling is used in engineering and product design to create precise 3D models of mechanical or industrial product parts\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Subdivision modeling\u003C/strong> - Creating a low-polygon model and then subdividing it to add more detail. This is often used for creating characters and organic shapes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Retopology\u003C/strong> - Automatically creating a new mesh topology over an existing 3D model. This is often done to optimize the topology for animation or to create a lower-polygon version of a high-polygon model.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Parametric modeling\u003C/strong> - Using mathematical equations and parameters to create 3D models that can be easily modified and adjusted.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Volume modeling\u003C/strong> - This technique involves creating a 3D model by manipulating 3D volumes, such as spheres or cubes. This is often used for creating abstract shapes and models.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Motion capture\u003C/strong> - Same concept as photogrammetry, using video formats: the animator captures the movement of a real-world object using specialized cameras and software, and then uses the data to animate a 3D model.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The modeling process typically involves using specialized software like Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, or Unity to create a digital representation of the object.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"best-practices-for-3d-modeling-in-animation\">Best Practices for 3D Modeling in Animation\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As a modeling artist, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Keep it simple\u003C/strong> - When modeling for animation, it's important to keep the geometry as simple as possible, or at least use the right modeling technique. This helps to keep rendering times low and ensures that the model can be easily animated and rigged.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use proper topology\u003C/strong> - The topology should be optimized for animation and deformation, with edge loops placed in areas where the model will bend or deform.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Keep it clean\u003C/strong> - Keep the geometry clean, remove unnecessary vertices, and use proper naming conventions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use appropriate software\u003C/strong> - Different software is better suited for different types of modeling: picking the right one can go a long way to speed up and/or simplify your team’s work.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We also recommend using \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/production-tracker?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">our production tracker Kitsu\u003C/a> to plan ahead, gather feedback from your team, and test your models frequently during the modeling process to ensure that it behaves as intended. You should always plan a modeling project thoroughly before starting it, with sketches, storyboards, and reference images to ensure that the 3D model aligns with the overall creative vision. The use of reference images is critical for accuracy, so use as many as possible to achieve the desired outcome.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, don’t forget texturing and shading to give the model a more realistic look and feel. You can \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/texturing-shading-animation\">have a look at our in-depth article on texturing and shading\u003C/a> to get a better grasp of how it works and how it’ll improve your 3D models.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In this article, we covered: what makes 3D animation different, all the steps involved to build a proper 3D model, and all the techniques available to build 3D models. We wrap things through efficient best practices. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>So now you know everything to jump into new emerging trends like photorealistic 3D models, VR/AR animation, and AI-generated art! 3D modeling is here to stay and you're going to take the most out of it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you are a 3D modeler, an aspiring artist, or someone who simply enjoys learning about the animation industry, we invite you to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join our Discord community\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>. Here, you can connect with fellow artists, share your work, and learn from others in the industry.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3120,"comment_id":3121,"feature_image":3122,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3123,"updated_at":3124,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3125,"primary_tag":3126,"url":3127,"excerpt":3128,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3129},"5c6c9b65-6093-419e-90f7-1366f39c63ac","64517f41491bf0003da068ef","https://images.unsplash.com/flagged/photo-1621757458931-a1b076e5a8bb?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE3fHwzRCUyMG1vZGVsfGVufDB8fHx8MTY4MzA2MjU0MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-05-02T23:23:13.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:02:51.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation/","Over the past five years, virtually all major movies have relied heavily on 3D modeling, using it to attach characters to virtual sets and create captivating special effects. In modern animation, 3D modeling is an essential component. But have you ever wondered what modeling really is and how it works? In this article, we'll answer these questions and more, taking a closer look at the process, techniques, and tools behind 3D modeling.\n\n\nWhat’s Modeling\n\nModeling is the process of creating 3D mod","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@ayushxb?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Ayush Bharshankar\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/3d-modeling-animation","2023-05-02T23:33:36.000+02:00",{"title":3115},"3d-modeling-animation","posts/3d-modeling-animation",[3136],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"hsq4nWodiHO50F0bd1cWgpk_h6zhu36HWh3l3_M0yYY",{"id":3139,"title":3140,"authors":3141,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3143,"meta":3144,"navigation":15,"path":3155,"published_at":3156,"seo":3157,"slug":3158,"stem":3159,"tags":3160,"__hash__":3162,"uuid":3145,"comment_id":3146,"feature_image":3147,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3148,"updated_at":3149,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3150,"primary_tag":3151,"url":3152,"excerpt":3153,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3154},"ghost/posts:texturing-shading-animation.json","Texturing and Shading in Animation (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[3142],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Food without texture is like a blank canvas, lacking the richness and depth of flavors that make it enjoyable. The same holds true for 3D models: without texturing, they would appear flat and lifeless!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we explore the crucial role of texturing and shading in animation. We break down the process, the people involved, and the techniques used to breathe life into 3D models. Let’s discover the secrets behind the mesmerizing visuals of your favorite animations!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-texturing\">What’s Texturing\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Texturing is the process of \u003Cstrong>adding surface details and colors to 3D models\u003C/strong> to give them a more realistic or stylized look.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Texturing goes hand in hand with \u003Cstrong>shading\u003C/strong>, to create the appearance of different materials. Shaders are programs that determine how light interacts with the surfaces of 3D models, and they are used to create a wide range of effects, from simple flat shading to complex materials like skin, fur, water, metal, plastic, wood, or fabric.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-texturing\">Why Texturing\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Texturing is key in the \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation\">3D modeling process\u003C/a>, as \u003Cstrong>it adds realism to 3D models.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By applying textures and shading to 3D models, animators can \u003Cstrong>create the appearance of surface details\u003C/strong> like bumps, scratches, and imperfections that make objects look more realistic and believable, as well as a variety of materials like metals, plastics, and fabrics, and more advanced effects like reflections, transparency, and luminosity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Using the right texture helps \u003Cstrong>communicate important information to the viewer\u003C/strong>. For example, a raining scene will look more realistic with textures including rain drops.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Texturing can also save time and resources―applying \u003Cstrong>textures to 3D models can act as a substitute to complex modeling shapes\u003C/strong>. This is something you can easily notice in old-school games: instead of modeling leaves one by one, a texture is applied to the tree polygon to create the illusion of a tree full of leaves.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-does-texturing\">Who Does Texturing\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A texturing artist is responsible for creating textures. They work closely with the modeling and shading teams to create realistic and / or coherent textures.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It isn’t uncommon to have a single role combining texturing and shading called look development artist.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-does-texturing-work\">How Does Texturing Work\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Texturing involves applying 2D images, called textures, onto the surface of 3D models to create the appearance of surface details like color, pattern, and material properties. Texturing typically happens after the 3D model shapes are created, but before they are rendered.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The process can be divided into four main parts:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>UV mapping\u003C/strong> - A UV map is a 2D representation of the 3D model's surface that is used to apply textures. The UV map shows how the surface of the 3D model would look if it was unwrapped and flattened into a 2D plane.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texture creation\u003C/strong> - Textures can be created using a variety of techniques, including painting, photography, and procedural generation using software. They can be used to create the appearance of a wide range of materials and effects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texture mapping\u003C/strong> - The textures are applied to the 3D model using the UV map. The texturing artist aligns the texture image to the UV map so that it appears correctly on the surface of the 3D model.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texture adjustment\u003C/strong> - After the textures have been mapped onto the 3D model, the texture artist may make adjustments to the textures to ensure that they look correct in the context of the scene. This may involve adjusting the color, brightness, or contrast of the textures, or adding additional texture layers to create more complex effects.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Once the texturing is complete, the 3D model can be rendered to produce a final image or animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Shading follows a similar process, but focuses on determining how light interacts with the surface of the 3D model, based on the physical properties of the object like the surface texture, reflectivity, and transparency of the materials being represented.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"texturing-shading-techniques\">Texturing & Shading Techniques\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Texturing involves a variety of techniques that are important to understand the complexity involved and how to \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems/\">plan the work throughout the animation project\u003C/a> accordingly:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Procedural texturing\u003C/strong> - To create textures programmatically using mathematical algorithms and functions. This technique is often used to create complex patterns and natural textures like clouds, rocks, or water.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Image-based texturing\u003C/strong> - Applies images onto 3D models to create realistic surface details.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Painting\u003C/strong> - Using digital painting software, for stylized or artistic textures.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Stenciling\u003C/strong> - To selectively apply textures to specific areas of a 3D model by using a mask or stencil.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texture blending\u003C/strong> - To blend multiple textures together to create complex surface details like rust or dirt.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Normal mapping\u003C/strong> - To simulate the appearance of bumps and dents on a flat surface by using a 2D image that encodes surface normals (vectors perpendicular to the surface of the 3D object in a given point).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Displacement mapping\u003C/strong> - To add geometric detail to the surface of a 3D model by using a greyscale image to deform the surface geometry.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Tiling\u003C/strong> - For pattern textures that can be repeated seamlessly across a large surface like a floor or wall.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Shading has its own specialized techniques as well, controlling how light is reflected and absorbed:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Phong shading\u003C/strong> - Calculates the shading of a 3D model based on the angle between the surface and the light source. It is often used for simulating the reflection of light on smooth surfaces.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Lambertian shading\u003C/strong> - A basic shading technique using diffuse reflection laws to simulate the appearance of matte surfaces.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ray tracing\u003C/strong> - Simulates the behavior of light rays as they interact with surfaces in the scene, for highly realistic shading effects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Blinn-Phong shading\u003C/strong> - A modified version of Phong shading that is more efficient and provides better results for surfaces with complex shapes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Toon shading\u003C/strong> - Uses simple, flat colors to create the appearance of 2D cartoon animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cel shading\u003C/strong> - A type of toon shading that adds bold, black outlines to the edges of 3D models to create the appearance of comic book or hand-drawn animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Subsurface scattering\u003C/strong> - Simulates the way light interacts with translucent materials like skin, wax, or marble.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ambient occlusion\u003C/strong> - Simulates the way shadows are formed by indirect lighting and ambient light.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Anisotropic shading\u003C/strong> - Simulates the appearance of brushed metal, hair, or fur by using a directional lighting model.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Global illumination\u003C/strong> - Simulates the way light bounces off surfaces and illuminates other objects in the scene.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Image-based lighting\u003C/strong> - Uses images of real-world environments to accurately simulate lighting and reflections on 3D models.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Part of the work of a look development artist is assessing when to use each technique.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"9-best-practices-for-texturing\">9 Best Practices For Texturing\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Texturing is complex work. There are a number of best practices you can use to keep your team workflow under control and deliver high-quality work:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use high-quality textures\u003C/strong> - Always use high-resolution textures that are appropriate for the size and complexity of your 3D models. Low-quality or low-resolution textures can make your models look blurry or pixelated.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pay attention to scale\u003C/strong> - Make sure your textures are properly scaled to match the size of your 3D models. This is particularly important for textures that feature repeating patterns or tiles.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Keep it simple\u003C/strong> - Don't overcomplicate your textures with unnecessary details: keep them simple but pay attention to the most important surface details.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Test your textures in different lighting conditions\u003C/strong> - Test your textures under different lighting conditions to ensure that they look good in all situations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Optimize your textures\u003C/strong> - Large textures can slow down your 3D models and make them difficult to work with, so reduce their size or use compression tools.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Using a\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/production-tracker?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> production tracker tool like Kitsu\u003C/a> is also important throughout the animation pipeline lifecycle:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>To plan your textures in advance\u003C/strong> - Before you start texturing your 3D models, it's a good idea to create a plan that outlines the materials, colors, and surface details you want to achieve.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>To use reference images\u003C/strong> - Reference images can be a valuable tool when creating textures. Use photos, drawings, or real-world objects as a reference to ensure that your textures are accurate and realistic.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>To document your work\u003C/strong> - Keep detailed notes on your texturing process, including the tools and techniques you used. This will make it easier to reproduce your work in the future and help you improve your skills over time.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>To stay consistent\u003C/strong> - Maintain a consistent style and quality across all your textures to ensure that they look like they belong in the same scene.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Texturing and shading is a vast topic! The laws of physics are complex to simulate, after all. Hope this article provided the overview you needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003Cem>If you are a texturing artist, a shader artist, or someone who simply enjoys learning about the animation industry, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">join our Discord community\u003C/a>. Here, you can connect with fellow artists, share your work, and learn from others in the industry.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3145,"comment_id":3146,"feature_image":3147,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3148,"updated_at":3149,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3150,"primary_tag":3151,"url":3152,"excerpt":3153,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3154},"4a235147-98c1-47e9-902e-fcdd008797ad","64467ef93c807a003df9c330","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1682178813848-2d31cb3b49e0?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8YWxsfDN8fHx8fHwyfHwxNjgyMzQxNzY5&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-04-24T15:07:05.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:05:01.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/texturing-shading-animation/","Food without texture is like a blank canvas, lacking the richness and depth of flavors that make it enjoyable. The same holds true for 3D models: without texturing, they would appear flat and lifeless!\n\nIn this article, we explore the crucial role of texturing and shading in animation. We break down the process, the people involved, and the techniques used to breathe life into 3D models. Let’s discover the secrets behind the mesmerizing visuals of your favorite animations!\n\n\nWhat’s Texturing\n\nTe","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@tama66?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Peter Herrmann\u003C/a> / \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/texturing-shading-animation","2023-04-24T15:10:39.000+02:00",{"title":3140},"texturing-shading-animation","posts/texturing-shading-animation",[3161],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"rAJA4gRTruEW81fLf0ZdQebVQs_tc7LCPRJU0JL5e3E",{"id":3164,"title":3165,"authors":3166,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3168,"meta":3169,"navigation":15,"path":3180,"published_at":3181,"seo":3182,"slug":3183,"stem":3184,"tags":3185,"__hash__":3187,"uuid":3170,"comment_id":3171,"feature_image":3172,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3173,"updated_at":3174,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3175,"primary_tag":3176,"url":3177,"excerpt":3178,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3179},"ghost/posts:grooming-animation.json","Grooming in Animation (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[3167],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Have you ever wondered how animators manage to realistically model the 100,000 hairs on the average person's head in a reasonable amount of time? The answer lies in grooming! In this post, we take a closer look at the intricate art of grooming and how skilled artists handle the complexity of these 3D models to bring them to life in the animation pipeline. Get ready to be amazed!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-grooming\">What’s Grooming\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Grooming is \u003Cstrong>the process of creating and styling hair, leaves, feathers, scales and other types of simulated \"fuzz\"\u003C/strong> on 3D models.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Tree leaves, for example, all look similar, so you don’t need much variations between each individual leaf model. But because you need to model a huge amount of elements and the physics involved are complex, you need specialized techniques to automate the process while keeping the result realistic. That’s where grooming comes in.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-grooming\">Why Grooming\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Grooming helps \u003Cstrong>to create more realistic and unique characters\u003C/strong>. For example, it isn’t unusual to use hairstyles to convey a character's personality and make them more relatable to the audience. Well-groomed characters are visually more appealing to look at.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Grooming also allows animators \u003Cstrong>to create realistic hair and fur movements\u003C/strong>, which can help to bring characters and creatures to life. It can also add a sense of weight and motion to the animation. This directly contributes \u003Cstrong>to improve the overall quality of the animation\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-is-responsible-for-grooming\">Who Is Responsible For Grooming\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Groom artists take care of hair, fur, and other fuzzy models. They work closely with the character design and modeling team to ensure consistency with the character's concept art. Groom artists also collaborate with \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/texturing-shading-animation\">the texturing, shading, and lightning teams\u003C/a> to ensure that the models look realistic in different lighting conditions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Grooming can be a challenging and time-consuming process, as it requires a good understanding of real-life physics. Groom artists must be able to create different styles, types, and lengths of hair and fur, taking into account factors like gravity and wind.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Groom artists work closely with rigger artists to keep animations smooth and realistic.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-animation-grooming-process\">The Animation Grooming Process\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Grooming mainly happen during the \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">pre-production\u003C/a> and production phases of the animation pipeline, but minor adjustments can also take place during \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-post-production-definition-process-overview/\">the post-production phase\u003C/a>:\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Define the type of hair / fur / leaves\u003C/strong> - This includes the length, shape, and direction of individual strands or fibers, as well as any patterns or variations in the hair or fur.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create the 3D models using specialized software tools\u003C/strong> - Once the type of hair or fur has been defined, the groom artist uses specialized digital content creation tools to model it.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Integrate the hair/fur in the parent 3D model\u003C/strong> - Once the hair or fur has been created, it needs to be attached to the 3D model. The groom artist sets up the hair or fur using the rig created by the rigger artist. A rig is the digital skeleton of a model used for animation. They use the rig to ensure that the hair or fur moves and interacts with the 3D model in a realistic way.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Refine and test the animation\u003C/strong> - Once the hair or fur is attached to the 3D model, the groom artist tests and refines the animation. They make adjustments to the hair or fur as needed to ensure that it moves and interacts in a given situation in a realistic way.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Add final touches\u003C/strong> - Once the hair or fur has been fully groomed and tested, the groom artist adds final touches to the grooming. This can include adding textures with texturing and shader artists, adjusting the color, or adding accessories.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Different techniques require different tools, as we’ll see in the next section, but this is a typical grooming process in an animation studio.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"techniques-tools-used-in-grooming\">Techniques & Tools Used In Grooming\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Grooming used to take months of work to get right, but newer techniques and tools make it much easier to create realistic models in much shorter iteration cycles. Here is a non-exhaustive list of common grooming techniques:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Clump and Frizz\u003C/strong> - Clump and Frizz is a technique used to create more realistic models by grouping individual strands together into clumps and then adding some randomness to the clumps through frizz.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sculpting\u003C/strong> - Not unlike \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation\">other 3D modeling tasks\u003C/a>, sculpting is the process of manipulating hair strands or fur fibers using grooming tools to create a desired shape or intricate details like facial hair or feathers.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Layering\u003C/strong> - A technique to create the appearance of depth and complexity in hair or fur, by layering different textures and colors on top of one another to create a more realistic and visually appealing effect.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cards\u003C/strong> - Cards are flat planes used to create hair or fur by placing multiple cards over the surface of the 3D model and then using grooming tools to manipulate the cards to create the desired look.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Simulation\u003C/strong> - For dynamic hair and fur movement, using physics engines to simulate the way hair or fur moves in the real world.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Texture painting\u003C/strong> - Texture painting involves using 2D painting software to create detailed textures that can be applied to the hair or fur. This technique is often used to create intricate patterns or colors that are hard to replicate manually.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Procedural techniques\u003C/strong> like fractal noise can also be used to randomize the shape and distribution of hair strands to obtain a more organic finish.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Like other 3D modeling tasks like texturing, grooming heavily relies on \u003Cstrong>UV mapping\u003C/strong>―a 2D representation of the 3D model's surface―to position the different elements on the parent model.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"best-practices-used-for-grooming-artists\">Best Practices Used For Grooming Artists\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Best practices for grooming artists are similar to the ones used by 3D modelers in general. It’s important to \u003Cstrong>use the right modeling technique\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>gather as much research material\u003C/strong> as possible to fit the director’s creative vision, while striking a balance with the allotted budget and schedule.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because grooming is a collaborative job, it’s also important to have \u003Cstrong>processes and tools in place to communicate effectively with teammates\u003C/strong>. At CGWire, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/production-tracker?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">we built Kitsu\u003C/a> to help animation studios keep track of their production pipeline. It’s especially important to regularly gather feedback, create new revisions, set the right priorities for your tasks, and have a central place to share and store 3D assets.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Grooming may not be the most visible aspect of the animation process, but it is a crucial element to bring characters and environments to life. It is important to recognize the hard work and dedication that goes into grooming, and to appreciate the subtle but significant role it plays in the world of animation. Next time you watch your favorite animated character, take a moment to appreciate these precious details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you are a groom artist, an animation student, or someone who simply enjoys learning about the animation industry, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">join our Discord community\u003C/a>. Here, you can connect with fellow artists, share your work, and learn from others in the industry.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3170,"comment_id":3171,"feature_image":3172,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3173,"updated_at":3174,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3175,"primary_tag":3176,"url":3177,"excerpt":3178,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3179},"9760085c-c1de-4c0f-8ff9-eabc069c7f0b","643e73c0621307003d5eec1f","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1625321150203-cea4bee44b54?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fGdyb29taW5nfGVufDB8fHx8MTY4MTgxNDUyMQ&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-04-18T12:41:04.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:29.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/grooming-animation/","Have you ever wondered how animators manage to realistically model the 100,000 hairs on the average person's head in a reasonable amount of time? The answer lies in grooming! In this post, we take a closer look at the intricate art of grooming and how skilled artists handle the complexity of these 3D models to bring them to life in the animation pipeline. Get ready to be amazed!\n\n\nWhat’s Grooming\n\nGrooming is the process of creating and styling hair, leaves, feathers, scales and other types of s","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@jballa?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">J. Balla Photography\u003C/a> / \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/grooming-animation","2023-04-18T12:49:37.000+02:00",{"title":3165},"grooming-animation","posts/grooming-animation",[3186],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"6i7L2tbczEG5RTtH-85K5KYSIKAYko_vPgOUPqTOI1Y",{"id":3189,"title":3190,"authors":3191,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3193,"meta":3194,"navigation":15,"path":3205,"published_at":3206,"seo":3207,"slug":3208,"stem":3209,"tags":3210,"__hash__":3212,"uuid":3195,"comment_id":3196,"feature_image":3197,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3198,"updated_at":3199,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3200,"primary_tag":3201,"url":3202,"excerpt":3203,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3204},"ghost/posts:stereoscopy-animation.json","Stereoscopy in Animation (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[3192],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Sight is undoubtedly the most powerful sense for the average person, and you can use its amazing properties to create incredible animation experiences! That’s what stereoscopy is all about. But have you ever wondered about the science behind it? Look no further than this blog post, where we uncover the techniques behind stereoscopy!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-stereoscopy\">What’s Stereoscopy\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Stereoscopy is \u003Cstrong>a technique to create the illusion of three-dimensional depth by presenting slightly different images to each eye\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is done with the use of specialized glasses or other viewing devices like VR headsets that allow each eye to see a slightly different image, creating the perception of depth and dimensionality.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-stereoscopy\">Why Stereoscopy\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Stereoscopy can be used in immersive 3D environments, but also in 2D animations. It adds 3D depth to animations, creating a more realistic result \u003Cstrong>to give a sense of immersion\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It allows animators \u003Cstrong>to tell stories in new and innovative ways\u003C/strong> by creating more complex and dynamic scenes with finer details. For example, stereoscopy greatly enhances camera movements: in battle scenes, stereoscopy gives the viewer a better sense of what’s going on.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Stereoscopy is here to stay: it has advanced significantly in recent years, with new technologies like VR and AR allowing for even more immersive experiences. As these technologies continue to evolve, \u003Cstrong>animators will have even more opportunities to experiment with stereoscopy\u003C/strong> in their work.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"who-does-stereoscopy\">Who Does Stereoscopy\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A stereographer manages everything related to stereoscopy: the technology to best create 3D effects in the context, how it’s integrated in the animation project, and the adjustments throughout the project lifecycle. The role ensures the stereoscopic effects work as expected to enhance the viewer's experience.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Stereographers work closely with directors, cinematographers, and other members of the production team to plan and execute stereoscopic effects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the technical aspects of the production, stereographers oversee things like camera positioning, lens selection, alignment, and viewing devices. They work with specialized software and hardware to calibrate the final product for various stereoscopic devices.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-does-stereoscopy-work\">How Does Stereoscopy Work\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Stereoscopy creates the illusion of 3D using 2D images or videos, by presenting slightly different images to each eye that simulates the way our eyes naturally perceive depth in the real world. The left and right eye images are then displayed simultaneously with dedicated viewing devices to separate the images and send them to the correct eye.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While the principle looks simple, it involves a lot of work throughout the entire animation pipeline lifecycle:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Planning\u003C/strong> - \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">During pre-production\u003C/a>, the team decides whether the project will be created in 3D, and if so, whether it will be displayed in stereoscopic 3D or not. The choice depends on the allocated budget and the nature of the animation project―whether it adds to the experience or not. If stereoscopy is desired, the team will need to plan and design the project with this in mind. Avatar is a famous example of using stereoscopy to create a more vivid world.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Production\u003C/strong> - During production, the animation is created in 2D or \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/3d-modeling-animation\">3D using specialized software\u003C/a>. While making the scenes, the artists have to check the result looks good in stereoscopic 3D as well.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Stereoscopic conversion\u003C/strong> - Once the animation is complete, it’s converted into stereoscopic 3D: the technicians take the original 3D animation and create two slightly different images that will be used to create the illusion of depth.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Editing\u003C/strong> - The stereoscopic images are then edited to ensure they align properly. The editor also makes sure the animation looks good from all angles.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Delivery\u003C/strong> - Once the stereoscopic 3D animation is complete, it can be delivered to theaters or other venues for viewing. Special 3D glasses are typically required to view the animation in stereoscopic 3D.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Of course, the process needs to be adapted to the animation type (2D, 3D) and the intended release environments.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"common-stereoscopy-techniques\">Common Stereoscopy Techniques\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are various techniques to capture or create the two images used in stereoscopy, depending on the display technology being used, and the budget and resources available for the project:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Side-by-side\u003C/strong> - Two separate images are placed next to each other on a single frame or screen, with the left image on the left side and the right image on the right side. This is commonly used in 3D movies.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Anaglyph\u003C/strong> - The oldest and most widely used technique for creating stereoscopic 3D images. It involves using two offset images (typically one red and one cyan) to create the illusion of depth. Viewers wear red-cyan glasses to view the image.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Polarized\u003C/strong> - Two images are projected on the screen simultaneously, each with a different polarization―the direction of a lightwave in space. Viewers wear polarized glasses that match the polarization of the corresponding image, allowing the brain to combine the images and create the illusion of depth.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Active\u003C/strong> - Using specialized glasses that rapidly alternate the left and right lenses, synchronized with the alternating display of the left and right images on the screen. Though it requires specialized equipment, it can produce brighter and clearer 3D images.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Autostereoscopy\u003C/strong> - A screen layer allows different images to be viewed from different angles. This eliminates the need for glasses, but the technology is still in development and is not yet widely used.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Interlaced\u003C/strong> - This technique alternates rows of pixels in the left and right images, using specialized software to decode the images and create the illusion of depth.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Frame Sequential\u003C/strong> - Involves alternating between left and right frames at a high frame rate (typically 120Hz or higher), with specialized glasses that rapidly alternate between left and right lenses to create the illusion of depth.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"best-practices-for-stereoscopy\">Best practices For Stereoscopy\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Stereoscopic errors can significantly delay production schedules and box-office success, so it’s important to get the process right by following some best practices:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Plan for stereoscopy from the beginning\u003C/strong> - Stereoscopy affects every aspect of the animation process, from character design to camera placement: it can’t be an afterthought, and it's important to plan for stereoscopy from the very beginning to ensure that all elements of the animation are optimized for 3D viewing.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use consistent interaxial distance\u003C/strong> - The interaxial distance is the distance between the cameras that capture the left and right eye images. Using a consistent interaxial distance is important for creating a comfortable viewing experience. A distance of 2.5% to 3% of the screen width is generally recommended.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Avoid excessive depth\u003C/strong> - While depth is important for creating a realistic 3D effect, it's important to avoid excessive depth that can cause eye strain or discomfort. Keep the depth within the natural range of human vision.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use depth cues\u003C/strong> - Depth cues such as atmospheric perspective, overlapping objects, and shadows can help enhance the 3D effect and make the animation more immersive. These details require additional planning and work, but they really make or break a production.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Test in different viewing conditions\u003C/strong> - It's important to test the stereoscopic animation in different viewing conditions―: on different sized screens, in different lighting conditions, and with different types of glasses to ensure that the animation always looks good.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Use motion carefully\u003C/strong> - This has been documented countless times with the use of VR headsets: motion can be challenging in stereoscopic animation, as it can cause discomfort or nausea in some viewers, so use motion carefully and avoid rapid movements or excessive parallax.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Because stereoscopy involves collaborating with many art departments, it’s important to have \u003Cstrong>processes and tools in place to work effectively with teammates\u003C/strong>, like Kitsu. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/production-tracker?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Kitsu is a production pipeline tracker\u003C/a> used by hundreds of animation studios around the globe to regularly gather feedback, create new revisions, set the right priorities for your tasks, and have a central place to share and store stereoscopic assets.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Stereoscopy is becoming more and more prominent with applications ranging from Metaverse animations to film production. Understanding the process and techniques involved is important to fully leverage this technology in your animation studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you are a stereographer, an aspiring artist, or someone who simply enjoys learning about the animation industry, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">join our Discord community\u003C/a>. Here, you can connect with fellow artists, share your work, and learn from others in the industry.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3195,"comment_id":3196,"feature_image":3197,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3198,"updated_at":3199,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3200,"primary_tag":3201,"url":3202,"excerpt":3203,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3204},"caa092d0-c9b2-4432-82de-e116240fd185","6437c47cbc8f33003d92e822","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1656684231453-f2c65c490892?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDM5fHxyZWQlMjBibHVlJTIwZ2xhc3Nlc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE2ODEzNzY3MDQ&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-04-13T10:59:40.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:59.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stereoscopy-animation/","Sight is undoubtedly the most powerful sense for the average person, and you can use its amazing properties to create incredible animation experiences! That’s what stereoscopy is all about. But have you ever wondered about the science behind it? Look no further than this blog post, where we uncover the techniques behind stereoscopy!\n\n\nWhat’s Stereoscopy\n\nStereoscopy is a technique to create the illusion of three-dimensional depth by presenting slightly different images to each eye.\n\nThis is done","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@heydedesign?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Matthias Heyde\u003C/a> / \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/stereoscopy-animation","2023-04-13T11:06:02.000+02:00",{"title":3190},"stereoscopy-animation","posts/stereoscopy-animation",[3211],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"3huh418vd5y2ak0kAq5O0Tg6kaTxylExT4wg1h5JKZk",{"id":3214,"title":3215,"authors":3216,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3218,"meta":3219,"navigation":15,"path":3229,"published_at":3230,"seo":3231,"slug":3232,"stem":3233,"tags":3234,"__hash__":3236,"uuid":3220,"comment_id":3221,"feature_image":3222,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3223,"updated_at":3224,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3225,"primary_tag":3226,"url":3227,"excerpt":3228,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cgwire-build-in-public-march-2023-update.json","Build In Public : March 2023 Update",[3217],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>From now on, we'll publish our bi-monthly update on our blog. Before that, it was shared only on our Discords. But we would like to make it available to all newcomers. That's why you will now be able to read it directly from here!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kitsu\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We had a lot of new Kitsu users in the past months. In terms of maintenance, it was very intense. Nevertheless, we found the time for adding new features: \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>1. Sequence and Episode tasks\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can add tasks at the sequence and episode levels. It's handy to manage macro tasks or specific layout workflows. It was the opportunity to add dedicated management lists for sequences and episodes instead of confusing edit functions in the statistic pages. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>2. Breakdown redesign\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We changed the layout to make it based on columns. The displaying is clearer and easier to read. We also added a second export mode that matches the displayed list instead of listing every link one by one. Thank you to Monello for sponsoring this. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>3. My Checks page\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>In partnership with the Fost studio, we added a new page for supervisors: My Checks. It allows listing only the tasks requiring validation. Your supervisors will be able to go straight to the point and make sure that everything is ready to be shown to the Director. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>4. Studio-wide newsfeed\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The newsfeed is a very handy tool in Kitsu, but it's limited to a single production. For studios managing many projects at the same time, it doesn't allow them to know what is going on easily. That's why we decided to extend it to the whole studio. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>5. Improved playlist design\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The playlist page is now more pleasant to look at and will feel more serious for your clients. That's it for Kitsu, we did a lot of improvements to the internals which should lead to slightly better performance and stability. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Infrastructure\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Nicolas, our Engineer in charge of the hosting, added the capability to choose your deployment region. For countries far from France, it can improve performances significantly. Let us know if you want to try this new feature (we support only OVH regions for the moment). \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ovhcloud.com/fr/public-cloud/regions-availability/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://www.ovhcloud.com/fr/public-cloud/regions-availability/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Integrations\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu has a new integration: Prism2. Prism is an open-source asset manager. They are working on a more evolved version which is currently in private beta. They decided to use Kitsu as their primary production tracker.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Events\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>1. FMX We will have a booth at FMX Stuttgart and will run a workshop on Tuesday morning. Please come to meet us, we would be glad to talk about your workflow and the future of Kitsu. Both Gwen and I will be there. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>2. Annecy MIFA We will have a booth too at Annecy MIFA near the welcome room. We will stay the whole week, so please come here to meet us too! \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Finance\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>As usual, we updated our finance charts, you can check them via the dedicated URL mentioned below. We made good sales again and increased our Monthly recurring revenue to 36k€/month. All these new customers showed us that our pricing was way too low: it was too cumbersome to onboard new users and keep good service. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, we decided to match the market average to be able to keep serving quality. As a result, we noticed a slowdown in our Sales, which allowed us to stabilize things. Yet, we are still discussing with many leads, so things should get back to normal very soon. \u003Ca href=\"https://metrics.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://metrics.cg-wire.com/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Communication\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>To sustain this growth, we are still running an ad campaign with Animation Magazine. To be more visible to the VFX world, we sponsored the Befores And Afters podcast too. \u003Ca href=\"https://beforesandafters.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://beforesandafters.com/\u003C/a> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We are in the process to improve our website to show all the capabilities of Kitsu. The current version shows only a limited view of Kitsu and our offering. So we will add a bunch of pages with some new illustrations. For that, we work with the Naolito studio which helps us to make our website more lively! \u003Ca href=\"https://naolito.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://naolito.com/\u003C/a> \u003Cbr>NB: And of course, we use Kitsu to validate all the illustrations!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Team\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We hired Nicolas Pennec, a senior Javascript Software Engineer. He has 15 years of experience and will help us to maintain and improve Kitsu. It's a big addition to the team, so we are glad to share this new hiring with you! \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Studios and productions\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We onboarded new studios, so welcome to them! We are glad to see them in the Kitsu community! \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Alba Sotorra - \u003Ca href=\"http://www.albasotorra.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">http://www.albasotorra.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Animaskin - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/animaskin?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">https://animaskin.no/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Les Valseurs - \u003Ca href=\"https://lesvalseurs.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://lesvalseurs.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>NextFrames - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.nxframe.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">https://www.nextframes.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Phanta Animation - \u003Ca href=\"https://phantavision.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://phantavision.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Rave Growl - \u003Ca href=\"https://ravegrowl.tv/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://ravegrowl.tv/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Skyhouse Studios - \u003Ca href=\"https://skyhouse.studio/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://skyhouse.studio/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Spacestation Animation - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.spacestationanimation.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https://www.spacestationanimation.com/\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>The Seed - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/theseed-vfx/about/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">https://www.the-seed.fr/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>To conclude\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you for reading! Feel free to ask any questions. For your information, we would like to work on a new application dedicated to our customers. It will extract data from one or several Kitsu instances to build reports for your Producers, clients, and studio owners. If you are interested, please contact us, we are still in the specifications phase!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3220,"comment_id":3221,"feature_image":3222,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3223,"updated_at":3224,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3225,"primary_tag":3226,"url":3227,"excerpt":3228,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"30e9ccc9-f501-449d-9a71-eab639153426","6423058a309769003df8d6c5","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/03/buildinpublic_march_2023-2.png","2023-03-28T17:19:38.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:57:41.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cgwire-build-in-public-march-2023-update/","From now on, we'll publish our bi-monthly update on our blog. Before that, it was shared only on our Discords. But we would like to make it available to all newcomers. That's why you will now be able to read it directly from here!\n\nKitsu\n\nWe had a lot of new Kitsu users in the past months. In terms of maintenance, it was very intense. Nevertheless, we found the time for adding new features:\n\n1. Sequence and Episode tasks\n\nYou can add tasks at the sequence and episode levels. It's handy to manage","/posts/cgwire-build-in-public-march-2023-update","2023-03-30T14:46:26.000+02:00",{"title":3215},"cgwire-build-in-public-march-2023-update","posts/cgwire-build-in-public-march-2023-update",[3235],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"FKbBfde95JRTrWgklJ311aTLpk5Cuf1JcuGB0sGSZjs",{"id":3238,"title":3239,"authors":3240,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3242,"meta":3243,"navigation":15,"path":3254,"published_at":3255,"seo":3256,"slug":3257,"stem":3258,"tags":3259,"__hash__":3261,"uuid":3244,"comment_id":3245,"feature_image":3246,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3247,"updated_at":3248,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3249,"primary_tag":3250,"url":3251,"excerpt":3252,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3253},"ghost/posts:animation-post-production-definition-process-overview.json","Animation Post-Production (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[3241],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>All good things must end, and animation productions aren’t different: in the final post-production phase, the original concept finally comes to life! But post-production isn’t to be taken lightly, as it plays a crucial role in shaping the final look and feel of your animated project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we’ll take a closer look at post-production: what it means, why it’s important to get it right, the process, and the challenges to account for. Let’s dive in!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"definition\">Definition\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Post-production is the phase covering everything related to image and sound editing, as well as delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Post-production comes after the pre-production phase where animation assets are created and the production phase where the individual shots of each episode get worked on. Check out our article on \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems/\">the stages of animation production\u003C/a> for a detailed breakdown.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-it%E2%80%99s-important\">Why It’s Important\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Post-production takes a good animation and makes it great:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Refining the animation\u003C/strong> - During post-production, the team can add final touches to their work, including sound design, editing, and color grading, to create a polished and professional-looking final product.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Correcting errors\u003C/strong> - It’s also an opportunity to identify and fix any errors or inconsistencies that may have been missed during the production stage. Retakes aren’t uncommon at this point.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Enhancing the viewer experience\u003C/strong> - Post-production enhances the overall viewer experience with sound. This makes the visual elements more engaging because hearing is the strongest sense after sight when it comes to video formats.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-post-production-process-in-6-steps\">The Post-Production Process In 6 Steps\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Post-production comes right \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/\">after compositing\u003C/a>, where animators combine their assets into an almost-final sequence of images. It can be broken down into 6 parts: first edit, animation retakes, final edit, sound design, mixing, and master output.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"first-edit-color-grading\">First edit & color grading\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>After compositing, editors review all the scenes and select the best takes to include in the final cut. They must decide the timing of all shots―including their order and duration―to create a cohesive and engaging story. This is where the editor's creativity and storytelling abilities come into play.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the first edit is complete, the editor moves on to color grading―adjusting the colors and contrast of each shot to create a consistent and aesthetically pleasing look throughout the entire animation. This step can greatly affect the mood and atmosphere of the final product.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"animation-retakes\">Animation retakes\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>During the first edit, the director and animators review the animation footage and identify any errors or issues that need to be corrected. These issues could include incorrect timing, out-of-sync movements, or incorrect camera angles, among others.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If corrections are required, another round of retakes takes place with new versions of the shots. The animators must make the necessary adjustments to the animation and resubmit the shots for approval. This process can be time-consuming, but it's important to ensure that the animation is of the highest quality.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"sound-design\">Sound design\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>In parallel to editing, the dialogues recorded by voice actors, music, and sound effects are added to the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The sound designer works closely with the director and editor to understand the intended mood and atmosphere of each scene. They then select and create sound effects and music that enhance the visuals and convey the desired emotions. This could include creating custom sound effects, using library sounds, or recording Foley, which are sounds made to match on-screen actions.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"mixing\">Mixing\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Mixing is where sound effects, music, and voices are blended and balanced to create a cohesive and harmonious result. It involves adjusting the levels of each element to ensure that they complement each other and can be heard clearly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After the sound effects and music have been added, the sound designer will adjust the levels to ensure that they don't overpower the dialogue and that the overall sound mix is well-balanced. This process may involve adding EQ, compression, and other effects to enhance the sound quality and create a polished final product.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the mixing is complete, the final audio mix is exported and delivered with the final animation. The quality of the sound mix can greatly affect the overall impact and effectiveness of the animation, so it's essential to have a skilled and experienced sound designer to achieve the desired results.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"final-edit\">Final edit\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>After all the retakes have been completed and approved, the editor integrates the latest versions of the shots from the animation and compositing departments to create the final image sequences of the episode. They may also adjust the color grading and audio levels one last time to ensure the product looks and sounds as intended.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"master-output\">Master output\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The \"master\" output file is an uncompressed version of the episode. It’s sent to broadcasters for testing, ensuring that it meets the country's guidelines for quality and technical specifications. If all is well, the animation is ready to be released.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>During final rendering, the animation studio exports the final product in the desired format and resolution. This is followed by a thorough quality control review to meet standards for aspect ratio, frame rate, resolution, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The completed animation is delivered to the client or distribution platform, ready for release to the audience. This may involve creating different versions for different platforms, such as TV or online streaming.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"challenges-of-post-production\">Challenges Of Post-Production\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>With deadlines looming, animators must work efficiently and make quick decisions to ensure that the project is completed on time. The technical complexity of the software and techniques involved can be daunting, and animators need to have a high level of skill to achieve the desired results.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Maintaining consistent quality is also essential, with numerous elements to consider from sound to color and visual effects. This requires careful attention to detail and can be a difficult task for even the most seasoned animators.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In general, post-production requires excellent communication and numerous tools to help animation teams succeed. One such tool is Kitsu, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">our very own production tracker\u003C/a> that makes it easy to work with pipeline assets in a collaborative way.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>By understanding the basics of post-production, and using the right tools and techniques, you can create animations that are polished, professional, and visually stunning. Whether you are working on a small personal project or a large-scale commercial production, post-production is an essential step that can make all the difference in the final result.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That being said, don’t leave everything to post-production! Fix problems early as they arise, whether it’s during pre-production or production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're interested in learning more about post-production and other aspects of animation, we invite you to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=cgwire-blog\">\u003Cem>join our Discord community\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>! It’s a great place to connect with other animators, share your work, and get feedback from experts in the field. We look forward to seeing you there!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3244,"comment_id":3245,"feature_image":3246,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3247,"updated_at":3248,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3249,"primary_tag":3250,"url":3251,"excerpt":3252,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3253},"0aa58655-8b14-4ec1-92b8-57b8a819ee39","641b0466d79b75003d7f08e2","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1640646291179-0402254c97de?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDMwfHxwb3N0LXByb2R1Y3Rpb258ZW58MHx8fHwxNjc5NDkyMzQ4&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-03-22T14:36:38.000+01:00","2026-03-26T11:10:22.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-post-production-definition-process-overview/","All good things must end, and animation productions aren’t different: in the final post-production phase, the original concept finally comes to life! But post-production isn’t to be taken lightly, as it plays a crucial role in shaping the final look and feel of your animated project.\n\nIn this article, we’ll take a closer look at post-production: what it means, why it’s important to get it right, the process, and the challenges to account for. Let’s dive in!\n\n\nDefinition\n\nPost-production is the p","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@tronle_sg?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Tron Le\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/animation-post-production-definition-process-overview","2023-03-24T10:28:54.000+01:00",{"title":3239},"animation-post-production-definition-process-overview","posts/animation-post-production-definition-process-overview",[3260],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"3u6KlNbIUzXxeNzWE0tT2j725xE4opgB2WJScgHuJ9g",{"id":3263,"title":3264,"authors":3265,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3267,"meta":3268,"navigation":15,"path":3279,"published_at":3280,"seo":3281,"slug":3282,"stem":3283,"tags":3284,"__hash__":3286,"uuid":3269,"comment_id":3270,"feature_image":3271,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3272,"updated_at":3273,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3274,"primary_tag":3275,"url":3276,"excerpt":3277,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3278},"ghost/posts:vfx-artist-definition-process-challenges.json","(2026) VFX Artist: Definition, Process & Challenges",[3266],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>From blockbuster films to anime and video games, visual effects (VFX) play a crucial role in animating captivating experiences. And at the heart of these incredible effects lies the expertise of VFX artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we'll take a closer look at the work of VFX artists, exploring their role in shaping our favorite animated films and how they create these effects.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-an-vfx-artist-definition\">What’s An VFX artist: Definition\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>An VFX artist specializes in creating 2D and 3D visual effects, and rendering simulations for animated content.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, in a sci-fi movie where humans fight an army of robots in a futuristic city, the VFX artists would be responsible for animating the visual effects that bring the robots and the city to life―explosions, laser beams, sparks, smoke, debris, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-does-vfx-work\">How Does VFX Work?\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>VFX artists work on several aspects of the animation process like modeling, texturing, and lighting to produce various effects from explosions, smoke, and fire to rain, water, and other natural phenomena.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>VFX artists also take care of integrating these effects in the final scenes, which requires a strong understanding of the animation pipeline and how to work with other team members.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To do so, they use a variety of software tools including digital content creation, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">production tracking\u003C/a>, and cloud rendering to stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and trends and meet the demands of modern animated content.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Though complex, VFX typically involves 5 main tasks:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Conceptualization\u003C/strong> - To define and imagine the visual effects required for the scene or sequence. This involves discussing ideas with the director, reviewing storyboards, and determining what tools and techniques are needed to achieve the desired results.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Asset creation\u003C/strong> - 3D models, textures, footage, etc.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation and simulation\u003C/strong> - The VFX artist animates characters or objects or simulates physics or particles.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rendering\u003C/strong> - After the animation is complete, the VFX artist renders the effect. Rendering involves using powerful computer processors to create the final sequence from 3D data. Usually, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">a render farm is preferred\u003C/a> to keep costs and rendering time low without sacrificing quality.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Compositing\u003C/strong> - Finally, the different assets are grouped together into layers and plates to create cohesive scenes.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-vfx-department-breakdown\">The VFX Department: Breakdown\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>VFX artists work in teams, under the leadership of an VFX supervisor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>VFX supervisors overview technical and artistic decisions made by their team. They act as a bridge between the VFX department and the director to ensure that the effects align with the director's vision while staying on time and on budget. The VFX supervisor is accountable for the visual and narrative quality of the effects and works under the direction of the CGI supervisor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For larger projects, it isn’t uncommon to have smaller teams with managers reporting to a main VFX supervisor.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"5-best-practices-for-vfx-artists\">5 Best Practices For VFX Artists\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Great FX artists share 5 common traits:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>They understand the pipeline\u003C/strong> - A strong understanding of the animation pipeline and how their work fits into the overall production process is critical for an VFX artist. By understanding the workflow and expectations of other departments, VFX artists can ensure that their work is consistent with the rest of the project.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Attention to detail\u003C/strong> - Visual effects are a key component of animated content, and even small mistakes can be noticed by the audience. VFX artists must have an eye for detail, ensuring that their work is of the highest quality.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Collaboration\u003C/strong> - VFX artists must work with directors, animators, and sound designers. This requires effective communication skills and a willingness to receive and provide feedback.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Continuous learning\u003C/strong> - This can involve attending conferences and training sessions, practicing with new software, and seeking out new creative inspiration. VFX artists are artists: they need to seek new experiences to grow.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Time management\u003C/strong> - VFX artists work within tight deadlines: this requires strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize tasks to ensure that projects are completed on time and to a high standard.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>VFX isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a tough job with high artistic and technical requirements.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>VFX artists are essential to the animation industry, providing stunning visual effects that make films and series truly special. Their responsibilities go beyond their artistic skills. They always have to find tradeoffs to match their deadlines while delivering the most outstanding pictures.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003Cem>If you are an VFX artist, an aspiring artist, or someone who simply enjoys learning about the animation industry, we invite you to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join our Discord community\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>. Here, you can connect with fellow artists, share your work, and learn from others in the industry.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3269,"comment_id":3270,"feature_image":3271,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3272,"updated_at":3273,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3274,"primary_tag":3275,"url":3276,"excerpt":3277,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3278},"ffb9a805-1cae-46ad-9834-e1e20b33af5f","640f5853a53324003d1f3cf6","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1622110674153-a1326259c41e?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDM2fHxmaXJlfGVufDB8fHx8MTY3ODcyNzI3NA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-03-13T18:07:31.000+01:00","2026-03-26T11:12:22.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/vfx-artist-definition-process-challenges/","From blockbuster films to anime and video games, visual effects (VFX) play a crucial role in animating captivating experiences. And at the heart of these incredible effects lies the expertise of VFX artists.\n\nIn this article, we'll take a closer look at the work of VFX artists, exploring their role in shaping our favorite animated films and how they create these effects.\n\n\nWhat’s An VFX artist: Definition\n\nAn VFX artist specializes in creating 2D and 3D visual effects, and rendering simulations ","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/de/@rgaleriacom?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Ricardo Gomez Angel\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/vfx-artist-definition-process-challenges","2023-03-13T18:16:12.000+01:00",{"title":3264},"vfx-artist-definition-process-challenges","posts/vfx-artist-definition-process-challenges",[3285],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"6Ocm222GWw15K0o30gJrDgCsMY9NQ1oxn61zTTHW_UY",{"id":3288,"title":3289,"authors":3290,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3292,"meta":3293,"navigation":15,"path":3304,"published_at":3305,"seo":3306,"slug":3307,"stem":3308,"tags":3309,"__hash__":3311,"uuid":3294,"comment_id":3295,"feature_image":3296,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3297,"updated_at":3298,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3299,"primary_tag":3300,"url":3301,"excerpt":3302,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3303},"ghost/posts:compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges.json","Compositing in Animation (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[3291],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Compositing is the phase where layers and plates are combined into an almost-final image. A layer is a group of assets organized together to be easily edited, while a plate is a raw footage used as a base for adding after-effects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The result is a sequence of images for a shot, as well as stereoscopic (one variant for each eye) and textless (for international production) variants.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"compositing-in-5-steps\">Compositing In 5 Steps\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The graphic artist responsible for compositing is called a comper. The role can be divided into 5 steps:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Gathering the necessary elements\u003C/strong> - Collect all the elements needed for the shot―character assets, background, props, plates, etc.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Setting up the scene\u003C/strong> - Set up a digital workspace and import the elements into a compositing software like Nuke, Bender, or After Effects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Organizing the layers\u003C/strong> - Arrange the elements in the scene in the correct order, group them, and adjust their timing and positioning as needed.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Fine-tuning the details\u003C/strong> - Refine the composition by making any necessary tweaks or adjustments to the individual elements or the overall shot. This can take a few retakes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rendering the final output\u003C/strong> - Render the final composite as a single image or sequence of images.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>Compositing is really \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems/\">a bridge from production to post-production\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Compers can also request new animations or retakes as needed. For example, when a character has the same color as its background, you’ll need one of the two to change.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After compositing comes grading and FX:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color correction and grading \u003C/strong>- Adjust the color and contrast of the elements to make them visually consistent and match the overall mood of the shot.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Adding effects and filters \u003C/strong>- Apply any special effects or filters, such as blurs, glows, or lens flares, to enhance the overall look and feel of the shot.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-tools-are-used-for-compositing\">What Tools Are Used For Compositing\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>There are mainly 3 categories of tools used by compers to create complex and realistic scenes:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>A digital content creation tool\u003C/strong> - A compositing tool like Blender, After Effects, or Autodesk Flame to manipulate assets and add effects. Keeping files organized and labeled is important in a cross-functional work environment.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>A production tracker\u003C/strong> - To quickly gather assets, collect objectives, comments and feedback from colleagues, and review shots. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Kitsu, our pipeline tracker\u003C/a>, comes to mind. Animation projects require many people with different skills and roles to work together, so you need a way to keep everyone in sync \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-production-the-hidden-cost-of-retakes/\">to avoid costly retakes\u003C/a>.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>A render farm\u003C/strong> - \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">A service like Ranch Computing\u003C/a> to speed up rendering while maximizing quality. You have to test your composite scene regularly to identify issues, so minimizing rendering time is key.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Compositing is a crucial step to create high-quality animations and visual effects. To succeed, you need to understand the process and how it fits in the overall production pipeline, but also master the tools involved.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're interested in learning more about compositing and other aspects of animation, we invite you to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>join our Discord community\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>. Our community is a great place to connect with other animators, share your work, and get feedback from experts in the field. We look forward to seeing you there!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3294,"comment_id":3295,"feature_image":3296,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3297,"updated_at":3298,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3299,"primary_tag":3300,"url":3301,"excerpt":3302,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3303},"e87f8f6b-2256-45bf-b48b-5d42adfd4a69","640902c2b4ed30003df13086","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1520268953492-2b443589f63d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGxheWVyfGVufDB8fHx8MTY3ODcyNzE5NA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-03-08T22:48:50.000+01:00","2026-03-26T11:10:43.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/","Compositing is the phase where layers and plates are combined into an almost-final image. A layer is a group of assets organized together to be easily edited, while a plate is a raw footage used as a base for adding after-effects.\n\nThe result is a sequence of images for a shot, as well as stereoscopic (one variant for each eye) and textless (for international production) variants.\n\n\nCompositing In 5 Steps\n\nThe graphic artist responsible for compositing is called a comper. The role can be divided","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@tuelangdu?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Tuệ Nguyễn\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"> / \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=ghost&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit\">\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/a>","/posts/compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges","2023-03-09T09:00:36.000+01:00",{"title":3289},"compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges","posts/compositing-in-animation-definition-process-challenges",[3310],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"50S2UcgpvziXWrP9L1WE5AYHx4v-cTEpUC07O6cI20c",{"id":3313,"title":3314,"authors":3315,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3317,"meta":3318,"navigation":15,"path":3328,"published_at":3329,"seo":3330,"slug":3331,"stem":3332,"tags":3333,"__hash__":3335,"uuid":3319,"comment_id":3320,"feature_image":3321,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3322,"updated_at":3323,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3324,"primary_tag":3325,"url":3326,"excerpt":3327,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":979},"ghost/posts:pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges.json","Pre-Production In Animation (2026): Definition, Process & Challenges",[3316],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Anything is possible in the magical world of animation, if you get the pre-production phase right! Pre-production is the secret ingredient that makes every animation project come to life: it's where the magic begins, and where the imagination is let loose to come up with stunning visuals and captivating stories.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But what is pre-production, exactly? In this post, we'll go through the artists, steps, and challenges behind this key phase. So, grab some popcorn, and let's discover the fascinating world of pre-production in the animation industry!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"pre-production-definition\">Pre-Production Definition\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Pre-production is the process of planning and preparing the production of an animated film or series episode. We'll dive into each step of the pre-production process in the next sections, but you can already guess how important it is.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-is-pre-production-important\">Why Is Pre-Production Important\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Pre-production is key because it sets the foundation for the entire animation process:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Animation is complex and time-consuming: making changes during production is expensive, so \u003Cstrong>pre-production makes sure the project is well-planned\u003C/strong> and follows a coherent vision.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Pre-production provides an opportunity \u003Cstrong>to establish clear communication channels\u003C/strong> between team members, define roles and responsibilities, and ensure that everyone is working towards the same vision to make the process more efficient. This is especially important in animation, where multiple artists and technicians collaborate on different parts of the project, sometimes remotely.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Pre-production is \u003Cstrong>where the project's scope and boundaries are established\u003C/strong>―where artistic freedom clashes with financial and time constraints. It's where the team has to make tough decisions about what to include and what to leave out.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Without pre-production, ideas remain just that: ideas. It's the phase where reality takes shape. The better the planning, the faster the production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"the-pre-production-process-7-steps\">The Pre-Production Process: 7 Steps\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Pre-production is the step that takes place after concept development. The director imagines a concept and pitches project ideas to producers and executives, who approve the project or not. Given a green flag, the concept is developed further to include story outlines, rough character designs, the literary and visual bible, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>While the pre-production process varies depending on the type of project, we can already list down common steps in most animation projects:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scriptwriting\u003C/strong> - This is the step giving birth to a screenplay including dialogues, scene descriptions, action sequences, and characters.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Art direction\u003C/strong> - The art director establishes the visual style and overall look of the production, including the color palette, backgrounds, textures, and lightning style.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storyboarding\u003C/strong> - The storyboard artists create a visual representation of the script as rough sketches that show each shot of the film or episode, along with camera angles and movements.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character design, sets & props\u003C/strong> - The character designers create the characters―illustrations for their appearance, clothing, and accessories, but also technical guides on how to reproduce and animate them. You can find construction steps, turns, detailed body parts, expressions, and attitudes―everything you need to avoid guessing how to animate them in the next steps.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Casting\u003C/strong> - Where directors choose voice actors for each character during auditions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Music composition & sound design\u003C/strong> - Composers and songwriters plan the project's soundtrack and sound effects.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animatics\u003C/strong> - An animatic is the combination of the storyboard and audio elements to give a rough idea of a scene and make sure it remains coherent with the overall artistic vision.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>The creative and technical teams work together throughout the whole production, but it's even more blatant during pre-production. By carefully planning the project during pre-production, animators can identify and solve potential problems early on. They make informed decisions about how to achieve the desired visual and narrative effects, and validate the costs while bringing as much artistic and technical creativity as possible.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Pre-production ends when \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/animation-asset-storage\" rel=\"noreferrer\">asset creation\u003C/a> begins―modeling, rigging, surfacing, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"challenges-of-pre-production-and-solutions\">Challenges Of Pre-Production, And Solutions\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As you can read, pre-production isn't less complex than the production phase itself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The pre-production phase of an animated film involves challenges like balancing creativity and budget constraints, meeting deadlines, and maintaining artistic consistency. It also involves conceptualizing unique ideas and planning for changes, which may require adjusting the timeline, budget, and creative process. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Effective communication and collaboration are essential. You also need to manage large amounts of digital assets throughout the whole process. Technical limitations and constraints need to be considered, requiring further creative problem-solving and innovation. Overall, pre-production is a complex process that requires careful planning and coordination across different teams, which is why \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">a solution like Kitsu exists to track the progress of productions\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Whether you're a seasoned animation artist or a newcomer to the industry, remember that pre-production is where the journey begins. Embrace creativity, push the boundaries, and bring your wildest dreams to life!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're interested in learning more about the pre-production process and the persons it involves, we also run \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>a Discord community\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> where you can connect with more than 1000 animation professionals. No matter where you come from, join us―we will be happy to help you with your animation projects!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3319,"comment_id":3320,"feature_image":3321,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3322,"updated_at":3323,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3324,"primary_tag":3325,"url":3326,"excerpt":3327,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":979},"34cacb36-2780-4304-9317-8c1043a13288","63ef5d35822ac4004de8ccdd","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1523348837708-15d4a09cfac2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=MnwxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDZ8fHNlZWR8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjc2NjMxNDU0&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000","2023-02-17T11:55:49.000+01:00","2026-03-26T11:12:04.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges/","Anything is possible in the magical world of animation, if you get the pre-production phase right! Pre-production is the secret ingredient that makes every animation project come to life: it's where the magic begins, and where the imagination is let loose to come up with stunning visuals and captivating stories.\n\nBut what is pre-production, exactly? In this post, we'll go through the artists, steps, and challenges behind this key phase. So, grab some popcorn, and let's discover the fascinating w","/posts/pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges","2023-02-21T12:06:22.000+01:00",{"title":3314},"pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges","posts/pre-production-in-animation-definition-process-challenges",[3334],{"id":2275,"name":49,"slug":52,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":48},"nCmcXBamLISTXfwIE6WqGzc8ai1id1SkAO5dIdj4i3A",{"id":3337,"title":3338,"authors":3339,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3341,"meta":3342,"navigation":15,"path":3353,"published_at":3354,"seo":3355,"slug":3356,"stem":3357,"tags":3358,"__hash__":3360,"uuid":3343,"comment_id":3344,"feature_image":3345,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3346,"updated_at":3347,"custom_excerpt":3348,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3349,"primary_tag":3350,"url":3351,"excerpt":3348,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3352},"ghost/posts:4-best-practices-for-managing-a-multi-studio-animation-production.json","4 Best Practices For Managing A Multi-Studio Animation Production In 2026",[3340],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>As productions become more complex and demanding, it's becoming increasingly common to divide each step of the production pipeline among several animation studios to face a lack of in-house resources, limited space, meet deadlines, or leverage opportunities to tap into specialized expertise.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But managing a multi-studio production, whether each entity resides in the same country or abroad, comes with its challenges. This article will explore the pros and cons of working with multiple animation studios and provide best practices for ensuring a successful outcome.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"benefits-of-hiring-multiple-studios\">\u003Cstrong>Benefits of Hiring Multiple Studios\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Hiring multiple studios can bring a host of benefits worth considering when planning your next production:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Increased creativity and diversity\u003C/strong> - Each studio has its unique style and perspective. Bringing more studios means you can tap into a broader range of creative ideas and approaches, leading to a more diverse and exciting end product.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Access to a broader pool of talent and expertise\u003C/strong> - An animation production relies on various skill sets, from IT to character design or project management. Working with different studios gives you access to a broader pool of talent and expertise, which leads to a higher-quality end product.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The ability to divide the workload and meet tight deadlines\u003C/strong> - With more hands on deck, you can complete tasks more quickly and efficiently, allowing you to stay on schedule and avoid delays.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Cost savings through competition among studios\u003C/strong> - With multiple studios bidding on the project, you can negotiate better rates and secure the best deal for your budget.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"production-challenges\">\u003Cstrong>Production Challenges\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The added complexity comes with its own challenges, however:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Coordinating the efforts of multiple studios\u003C/strong> - Managing the work and progress of multiple animation studios is hard work: you need to keep track of the status of different tasks and ensure their completion on schedule. This challenge requires effective communication and project management skills.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Managing communication and ensuring consistency\u003C/strong> - Maintaining clear and consistent communication among multiple studios is especially hard when working with studios in different countries or time zones. But it's crucial to keep everyone on the same page to obtain a consistent end product in terms of style and quality.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Maintaining quality control\u003C/strong> - It can be challenging to make sure the final product meets the desired quality standards across all studios: establishing a clear set of quality control measures is essential.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Dealing with legal and financial issues\u003C/strong> - Working with multiple studios can also lead to legal and financial challenges. It would be best if you had a clear understanding of the legal and financial agreements in place and the rights and responsibilities of each party involved.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We must be aware of these challenges and take steps to mitigate them to ensure a successful outcome.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"best-practices-for-managing-a-multi-studio-production\">\u003Cstrong>Best Practices for Managing a Multi-Studio Production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-choosing-the-right-studios\">\u003Cstrong>1. Choosing The Right Studios\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Choosing the right animation studio for your project is crucial for success. It's important to consider a few key factors:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Quality of Service\u003C/strong> - Does the studio have a good reputation for providing high-quality work? Are they reliable?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Project Capacity\u003C/strong> - Does the studio have the capacity to take on your project? Are they already working on other projects that may impact their availability or ability to deliver on time?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Equipment\u003C/strong> - Is the studio operational and well-equipped? Do they have the necessary technology and resources to deliver your project?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Compatibility\u003C/strong> - Are the studios using compatible technologies? Studios that use different software or hardware may not be able to work together, which is a deal breaker in a work environment requiring extensive collaboration.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Once you've identified the studios you wish to work with, it's essential to establish clear rules and agreements before starting the project.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-distributing-the-tasks\">\u003Cstrong>2. Distributing The Tasks\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>It's important to be very clear and specific when distributing tasks among multiple animation studios. This will help to avoid confusion and ensure that all parties understand their responsibilities:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Write a technical contract\u003C/strong> - Clearly define the different studios' work, including the start and end of each step.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Include as many details as possible\u003C/strong> - Explain the expected input and output files, how a step should be carried out, validation criteria, the allowed number of revisions, etc. Be specific in defining the production steps to avoid surprises and ensure that all parties understand their responsibilities.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Validate the technical documents with all stakeholders\u003C/strong> - Include the technical documentation as an annex in your contracts and make sure it is understood.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Separate tasks by episode or sequence\u003C/strong> - To mitigate risks of delays, prepare a backup plan. Plan for buffers between different studios and consider working one episode ahead of schedule.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>For example, imagine asking a studio to do the production of color sets and animation. You can assume they will take care of pre-compositing and deliver a single video file with all the right assets but think again. If pre-compositing tasks aren't specified, they can decide to deliver the backgrounds in one separate file and the animation in another―you would then have to put everything together yourself!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Follow all these best practices to ensure a smooth production process!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-communication-communication-communication\">\u003Cstrong>3. Communication, communication, communication\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The most important thing when working with multiple studios is communication: you can come up with the best plan and still face backlashes because one provider needed help understanding what you were getting at. Working with a single in-house studio is hard enough, so working with several ones comes with added risks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Consider the following best practices to ensure effective communication in a multi-studio, international production:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Account for timezone differences\u003C/strong> - Make sure to plan for direct communication moments and factor in the time it may take to get a response.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Factor in public holidays\u003C/strong> - Each country has different vacation times, so consider this when planning your schedule. In France, little is going on in August, May, and between Christmas and New Year's Day. Even if the studio is willing to accommodate your schedule, finding staffing may be challenging at certain times of the year.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Eliminate language barriers early\u003C/strong> - Identify and address any language barriers early on to ensure effective communication: What is the primary language spoken in the country? Do you have a common language like English? Are there English speakers on the team to understand your feedback? Does the studio have a translator? And if so, how long does it take to get the translation?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Designate a referent\u003C/strong> - Provide a dedicated contact person on both sides to help build trust and understanding.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Schedule recurring meetings\u003C/strong> - Schedule regular meetings to review progress and address any issues. Define the agenda beforehand and keep the number of people involved to a minimum. From experience, we don't advise mixing the production follow-up meeting with the production briefing: it is better to make separate points on different days so everyone has time to prepare beforehand.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Brief everyone at the beginning of each stage for each episode\u003C/strong> - Make sure everyone is on the same page by providing detailed briefings at the start of each stage, for each episode. These briefs must happen the day before a new stage starts to avoid scheduled shifts, so schedule them early accordingly.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You can avoid any misunderstandings during production by using these best practices, but remember: good preparation is key to staying on time and on schedule without sacrificing quality.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-adapting-to-each-studio\">\u003Cstrong>4. Adapting To Each Studio\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Each studio works differently, so it's important to take into account their specificities and adapt your production process accordingly. The best way to do that is to \u003Cstrong>send a supervisor on-site throughout the entire production\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this is often overlooked because of the cost it incurs. From experience, however, the benefits far outweigh the costs of unforeseen conflicts, delays, and retakes:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Consider this: if your contractors deliver late, you still need your supervisors, production manager, and director. The whole chain is impacted, so \u003Cstrong>you won't just pay for an extra person, but for the whole crew\u003C/strong>!\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Let's imagine we live in a perfect world and there is no production delay: dedicated supervisors still \u003Cstrong>ensure consistent quality\u003C/strong> throughout the production of the animation series by their presence, saving you time and money on retakes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Bonus points if the supervisor is \u003Cstrong>familiar with the hired studio's country, language, and culture\u003C/strong>. Each culture has its own codes and specificities that can end up in the production. If you tell an artist to animate a character brooming the floor, you will get different results depending on the country: in France, we handle brooms with two hands, but in some countries, a broom doesn't have a handle and the action is done near the ground. If you don't keep these details in mind, unnecessary conflicts can emerge.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>This is why it's important to develop a common visual language with the help of a supervisor―whether it's images, video clips, or anything that will help you get your ideas across. Again, the more precise you are, the smoother the work will be.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"to-sum-up\">\u003Cstrong>To sum up\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A few key takeaways to conclude:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Bring the same attention to detail to each studio. No stage of production is easier or simpler than another.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Each studio must have a contact person, a weekly production brief, and a sequence brief for each new episode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Treat a foreign animation studio the same way you would a local studio. But do spend more time and energy on a foreign studio to make up for the difference in culture, language etc. They don't necessarily share the same perspectives and references.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Treat each studio equally and create an inclusive environment. Otherwise, you risk decreasing the production quality and straining your relationship.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>With this best practice, you will avoid all caveats and make your production a success!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you're interested in learning more about hiring several studios, we also run\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\"> a Discord community\u003C/a> where you can connect with more than 1000 CG professionals to share tips and ideas. No matter where you come from, join us―we will be happy to help you with your projects!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3343,"comment_id":3344,"feature_image":3345,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3346,"updated_at":3347,"custom_excerpt":3348,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3349,"primary_tag":3350,"url":3351,"excerpt":3348,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3352},"36847b48-2a83-4f90-9afa-7a8a25e275fa","63bd8d4ebd504c003d8dc790","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2023/01/eric-prouzet-HpOfKailFP8-unsplash.jpg","2023-01-10T17:07:42.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:03:42.000+01:00","It becomes frequent during production that the work is separated into several studios. Either because the main studio is only a delegated producer and has no production studio or artist, because of lack of space, or to take advantage of a better rate on certain stages.‌",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/4-best-practices-for-managing-a-multi-studio-animation-production/","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@eprouzet?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText\">Eric Prouzet\u003C/a> on \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/HpOfKailFP8?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash\u003C/a>","/posts/4-best-practices-for-managing-a-multi-studio-animation-production","2023-01-31T08:30:40.000+01:00",{"title":3338},"4-best-practices-for-managing-a-multi-studio-animation-production","posts/4-best-practices-for-managing-a-multi-studio-animation-production",[3359],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"55xFfM7uHkcc4-Sop1OqQfsvpK4bW1h5B6gudrtWW10",{"id":3362,"title":3363,"authors":3364,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3366,"meta":3367,"navigation":15,"path":3378,"published_at":3379,"seo":3380,"slug":3381,"stem":3382,"tags":3383,"__hash__":3385,"uuid":3368,"comment_id":3369,"feature_image":3370,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3371,"updated_at":3372,"custom_excerpt":3373,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3374,"primary_tag":3375,"url":3376,"excerpt":3373,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3377},"ghost/posts:how-much-cost-a-cgi-tv-show-52-episodes-of-12-mn.json","How Much Does A CGI TV Show Cost In 2026?  52 Episodes of 12 Mn Example",[3365],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>It is commonplace for TV shows in the US to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per episode, if not millions. But CGI TV show budgets aren’t cheap either: Netflix’s acclaimed CGI show Arcane has been estimated to have cost over 90 million dollars and 6 years to create for example―10 million dollars per episode! \u003C/p>\u003Cp>For a preschool production, the budget is around 5 million dollars for the whole show of 52 episodes of 15mn. While different CGI TV shows require different budgets, you might wonder where all this money goes. In the following article, we’ll tell you exactly what you can expect as a CG production manager.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-need-a-budget\">Why You Need A Budget\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As an artist with an idea looking for funds, \u003Cstrong>you’ll need a budget to showcase your project’s viability\u003C/strong>. Even artistic endeavors require business plans. It is unlikely you’ll be able to convince producers to bet their hard-earned money on you unless you can demonstrate proof of potential profitability. A budget gives a clear idea of where the money will go. Combined with a revenue estimate based on solid market research, it will give you the data to predict future success or failure.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A well-thought-out budget protects you and your investors against risks.\u003C/strong> It helps you prepare for the worst-case scenarios, giving you the peace of mind you’ll need to bring out your full creative potential. Similarly, nobody in their right mind will accept to work for you for free. Being able \u003Cstrong>to pay your artists on time and on a budget is key to the success of your show\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"how-to-budget-a-cgi-tv-show-in-7-steps\">How To Budget A CGI TV Show In 7 Steps\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In the following breakdown, \u003Cstrong>we take a high-end CGI TV show of 52 episodes of 12 minutes aimed toward adults as an example, with the aim to release one episode per week\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"conception-449k%E2%82%AC\">Conception (449k€)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Preparation is key to the success of a show―having an idea isn’t enough. You’ll need to document the artistic direction, write scripts, and hire other people to help you with these tasks. Here are some high-average costs you can expect:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>General concept \u003C/strong>- The general concept can either be brought by you, or bought from someone else. In the case of a novel adapted to a TV show, for example, you’ll need to buy the rights from the novel’s author.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Literary bible (55k€)\u003C/strong> - The literary bible defines the show’s universe―everything from the characters to the locations and the themes. You can expect a lot of time writing and revising the document with the producer, hence the price tag. The amount of money is split between payroll and royalties.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Writers’ guide (4k€)\u003C/strong> - For writers to stay coherent with the literary bible while working together, the story editor has to write a “writer’s guide”.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Story editing (182k€) \u003C/strong>- 3,500€ per episode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scripts (130k€)\u003C/strong> - 2,500€ per episode\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Graphic bible (3,600€) \u003C/strong>- Storytelling is one thing, but visuals are just as important. A graphic bible documents the design research behind a series’ concept.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Director (75,000€)\u003C/strong> - A director oversees the whole production, end to end. There are several ways to compensate a director (salary, artistic rights, a percentage of the gross revenues, etc.), but the price will ultimately come down to his experience and skills.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Total cost: 449,600€\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"staff-354k%E2%82%AC\">Staff (354k€)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We base our schedule on 26 months of production―2 years and 2 extra months as a security margin. All contractors work 5 days a week, so 22 days per month. \u003Cstrong>The total cost of the staff during the whole production is about 354,640€\u003C/strong>:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Production Manager (91,520€)\u003C/strong> - 160€ per day over 26 months\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Production Assistant (45,760€)\u003C/strong> - 130€ per day over 16 months\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Technical Director: (114,400€)\u003C/strong> - 200€ per day over 26 months\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>1st Assistant: (102,960€)\u003C/strong> - 180€ per day over 26 months\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"2d-pre-production-223k%E2%82%AC\">2D Pre-Production (223k€)\u003C/h3>\u003Ch4 id=\"main-model-pack-50k%E2%82%AC\">Main Model Pack (50k€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Because the example centers on an adult animation, we will do all the research and pre-production in 2D to deliver the final design quicker while maintaining high quality throughout the animation stage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The production begins with the main model packs containing all the designs of the main characters, props, locations, and everything that appears in the episodes. You can safely \u003Cstrong>budget 2 months to develop and test everything\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Character design (21,560€)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character design supervisor (7,920€)\u003C/strong> - 180€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character design artists (7,040€) \u003C/strong>- 160€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color research animation and texturing artist (6,600€)\u003C/strong> - 150€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Background design (22,440€)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Line drawing background supervisor (7,920€)\u003C/strong> - 180€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Line drawing background artists (7,040€)\u003C/strong> - 160€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color BGs supervisor (7,480€)\u003C/strong> - 170€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Props & FX (6,600€)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Props and FX artist (6,600€)\u003C/strong> - 150€ per day\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The main model pack costs 50 600€ in total.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"storyboard-design-173k%E2%82%AC\">Storyboard Design (173k€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Scripts are vital to reduce the cost of your production because they help anticipate the creation of characters and backgrounds before you even begin the design phase. You also have to provide the designs to the story editor to define together some of the characters and locations used in the production, and design creation doesn’t end after the storyboard either. Storyboard artists sometimes need to create more assets than what you provide.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you have a new character in every episode, you will end up with 52 new characters to design. An artist can draw a complete turn, as well as complete the expression and attitude sheet in 2 days for one character: you’ll need almost 5 months to create all the episodic characters. Same for the environment. To be on the safe side, \u003Cstrong>the pre-production should last 11 months\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You’ll need about 58k euros in pre-storyboard design costs for 5 months of work:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Character design supervisor (19,800€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Line drawing BG supervisor (19,800€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color BG supervisor (18,700€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>And another 115k€ post-storyboard:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Line drawing bg artist (21,120€)\u003C/strong> - over the full 11 months, half-time\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Props & FX artist (36,300€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color BGs artist (21,120€)\u003C/strong> - 11 months, half-time\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Color research artist (36,300€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>In total, the costs of 2D pre-production fetch 223,740€.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"storyboard-animatic-325k%E2%82%AC\">Storyboard & Animatic (325k€)\u003C/h3>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storyboard supervisor (66,000€)\u003C/strong> - 200€ per day for 15 months\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>52 storyboards (208,000€)\u003C/strong> - 4,000€ per storyboard considering you’ll need 4 weeks per episode paying storyboard artists 200€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Layout posing artist (14,560€)\u003C/strong> - 140€ per day, 2 days per episode max. Layout posing simplifies the work of the CGI layout artist and reduces the number of retakes, so it’s worth the investment.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animatic editor (35,100€)\u003C/strong> - 225€ per day, 3 days per episode max\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You’ll also need a storyboard for the opening credit (1,000€) and the corresponding animatic editing (500€).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Total cost storyboard/animatic: 325,160€\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"cgi-pre-production-170k%E2%82%AC\">CGI Pre-Production (170k€)\u003C/h3>\u003Ch4 id=\"main-characters-modeling-9k%E2%82%AC\">Main Characters Modeling (9k€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The CGI part starts with the modeling of the main characters. Note you should budget extra days to account for revisions:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Modeling (900€)\u003C/strong> - 4 days and 2 extra at 150€ per day.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rigging, blendshape, skinning (640€)\u003C/strong> - 2 days + 2 extra at 160€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Shading (750€)\u003C/strong> - 3 days + 2 extra at 150€ per day\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Total per character: 2,290€, over 15 days\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Planning a budget for 4 main characters, \u003Cstrong>it would cost us 9160€ in CGI design packs.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"secondary-characters-modeling-73k%E2%82%AC\">Secondary Characters Modeling (73k€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Since you already have your primary characters, artists can create a base mesh to reduce the time and cost of modeling secondary characters. To simulate the base-mesh optimization, we do the math with 32 characters instead of 52 and obtain \u003Cstrong>73,280€ (2,290€ per character)\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"props-environment-modeling-48k%E2%82%AC\">Props & Environment Modeling (48k€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>This is harder to estimate but on average a team needs 6 days per prop and/or environment:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Props for 52 episodes (46,800€)\u003C/strong> - You’ll need about 6 days per prop (3 days modeling, 1-day rigging, 2 days shading) at 150€ per day.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>32 Environments (48,000€)\u003C/strong> - 10 days per environment (3 days modeling, 3 days shading, 4 days for revisions) at 150€ per day.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The total cost of the CGI pre-production amounts to 169,560€.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"production-stage-2150m%E2%82%AC\">Production Stage (2,150M€)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The cost of the whole production stage depends on your artists’ daily production quota.\u003C/strong> The faster they go, the faster the pace of the whole project is, and the cheaper the overall project will be.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But a quota that is too high will exhaust the team, resulting in a drop in quality: you need a balance between the two to minimize your production costs.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"layout-742k%E2%82%AC\">Layout (742k€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Since we put a lot of effort into our storyboards, we can estimate a daily quota of 13s of animation duration per artist at this stage. An episode is 10-minutes long if we remove the duration of the opening/ending credits and the still frames, so it would take a single artist 47 days to complete an episode. To reach a release rate of one episode per week working 5 days a week, we will need to hire 10 animators (140€ per day each). That’s 14,000€ per episode:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Layout of the first episode (28,000€)\u003C/strong> - the first episode usually takes double the time, so double the costs.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Layout of 51 episodes (714k€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We can add:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>3 extra animators (109k€)\u003C/strong> to handle retakes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>A layout supervisor (49,500€)\u003C/strong> to oversee the completion for the whole 52 weeks + 3 weeks extra for the retakes at 180€ per day.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The total cost for the layout team is 742,000€.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"animation-1110m%E2%82%AC\">Animation (1,110M€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The formula is similar for animators, except we base our estimate on a daily quota of 6 seconds with a rate of 160€ per day. We will require 20 animators to stay on time, and 5 extra to handle retakes, which amounts to 20,000 € per episode:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation of the first episode (40,000€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation of 51 episodes (1,020,000€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Again, you’ll need \u003Cstrong>an extra 49,500€ for an animation supervisor\u003C/strong> (180€ per day) to stay 55 weeks, bringing \u003Cstrong>the total cost of animation to a whooping 1,109,500€.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"rendering-68k%E2%82%AC\">Rendering (68k€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Two render wranglers \u003C/strong>(\u003Cstrong>67,600€ \u003C/strong>at 130€ per day) are necessary to handle the rendering during the whole production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You’ll also need to account for IT investments. If your company is already established, you probably have a render farm. If you’re a young company, you can do the render at night on the company’s computer, or work with an external company for the renders, such as \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/\">Ranch Computing\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"compositing-447k%E2%82%AC\">Compositing (447k€)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Compositing costs are based on a daily quota of 4 shots per day per artist (150€ per day). You’ll need 200 shots per animation, or 10 full-time animators to complete the 52 episodes in 52 weeks.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Compositing the first episode (15,000€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Compositing 51 episodes (382,500€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Compositing supervisor (49,500€)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The total cost for the compositing amounts to \u003Cstrong>447,000€. \u003C/strong>And the \u003Cstrong>total cost production step climbs to 2,149,800€.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"post-production-443k%E2%82%AC\">Post-Production (443k€)\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Last but not least, you’ll need to chip in a few extra bills to wrap up your production:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Music (40,000€)\u003C/strong> - One for the opening credit (5 000€) and some for the episodes (35 000€).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sound design (179,400€)\u003C/strong> - 3,450€ per episode\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Voice acting (185,000€)\u003C/strong> - 3,000€ for the casting and 3,500€ per episode\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Editing (28,080€)\u003C/strong> - 180€ per episode\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Mixing (11,440€)\u003C/strong> - 220€ per episode\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Total cost of post-production: 443 920€.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"to-conclude\">To Conclude\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Amazingly, our breakdown brings us to \u003Cstrong>a grand total of more than 4 million euros\u003C/strong>. Hiring people for production represents the biggest part of your expenses, but you’ll also need a studio, computers, software, an accountant, a lawyer, a whole IT infrastructure, insurance, electricity, water… We won’t detail these costs because they are assimilated with the company’s costs, not only the project’s. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>It also depends a lot on the size of the company and how long it’s been around, and outsourcing tasks like modeling or animation will equally drastically influence the final costs. Last but not least, if you increase the quality and the time spent on each iteration, the cost increases significantly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We haven’t even mentioned taxes that represent a substantial amount as well (68% in France where we are based, so you’d pay roughly 7 million euros instead of 4 million on paper…), so don’t forget to factor those in as well.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Note that the budget of your production vastly depends on how productive the team can be. This is a reason why you should use \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">a production tracker like Kitsu is key to decreasing the production costs\u003C/a> that will amount to the majority of your budget. Even better, it will allow you to prevent problems resulting in budget exceeding.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now that you have a better understanding of the whole production cost, you can start setting up the budget of for your next project!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We also run\u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem> a Discord community\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> where you can connect with more than 1000 CG professionals to share tips and ideas. No matter where you come from, join us―we will be happy to help you with your projects!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3368,"comment_id":3369,"feature_image":3370,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3371,"updated_at":3372,"custom_excerpt":3373,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3374,"primary_tag":3375,"url":3376,"excerpt":3373,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3377},"42b42e81-7602-4710-98b4-df133e83ffbd","6b073cc8be1f","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/11/northfolk-Ok76F6yW2iA-unsplash.jpg","2021-01-12T17:50:44.000+01:00","2026-03-26T11:11:11.000+01:00","It is commonplace for TV shows to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per episode, if not millions. But CGI TV shows budgets aren’t cheap either...",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-much-cost-a-cgi-tv-show-52-episodes-of-12-mn/","\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Picture by Northfolk on Unsplash.co\u003C/span>","/posts/how-much-cost-a-cgi-tv-show-52-episodes-of-12-mn","2022-11-21T10:00:00.000+01:00",{"title":3363},"how-much-cost-a-cgi-tv-show-52-episodes-of-12-mn","posts/how-much-cost-a-cgi-tv-show-52-episodes-of-12-mn",[3384],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"gC__m4NYRRLKjVOM26mc5f1yg7mLcZkaFJlPh9vaej4",{"id":3387,"title":3388,"authors":3389,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3391,"meta":3392,"navigation":15,"path":3401,"published_at":3402,"seo":3403,"slug":3404,"stem":3405,"tags":3406,"__hash__":3407,"uuid":3393,"comment_id":3394,"feature_image":3395,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3396,"updated_at":3397,"custom_excerpt":3398,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3399,"primary_tag":8,"url":3400,"excerpt":3398,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:partnership-with-ranch-computing.json","CGWire partners with Ranch Computing",[3390],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>TLDR: CGWire partners with render farm provider \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ranchcomputing.com/en?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Ranch Computing\u003C/a> to provide you with common offers!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We first heard of Ranch Computing at Unit Image when Frank and Gwénaëlle, our founders, were working together on a high-end production.\u003Cstrong> A production spike caused an urgent need for image computing\u003C/strong>, and we needed a big-capacity specialist to run the render. That's when Unit Image called the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/ranch-computing/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Ranch Computing\u003C/a> team.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>During our production, it allowed us to keep things running smoothly and made it easier to ship the quality needed. Later, when CGWire was founded, \u003Cstrong>we kept on meeting the people from Ranch Computing at festivals and conferences\u003C/strong>. They loved our mission and decided to sponsor our events, showing that we share the same values.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Today, we recommend the service so much that we worked out a partnership between Ranch and Kitsu: \u003Cstrong>Ranch will offer free credits to Kitsu clients, and Ranch customers will receive one month free on their Kitsu subscription!\u003C/strong> Please, contact us for details.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what-does-ranch-computing\">What does Ranch Computing?\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Ranch Computing is a French company based in Paris. It is a high-performance rendering service for CPU and GPU projects and a hardware solution provider focused on 3D rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As an animation studio, you need to render 3D projects quickly without compromising on quality to move forward: not an easy thing when you use your own hardware! A render farm solves this by splitting the rendering workload among several dedicated machines with loads of processing power: \u003Cstrong>one week of rendering on your computer becomes 20 minutes with their service\u003C/strong>!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, let’s see how a render farm works and how you can start with Ranch!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-you-need-a-render-farm\">Why You Need A Render Farm\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, \u003Cstrong>rendering your 3D models on your own machine is time-consuming\u003C/strong>. Your processing power limits the speed at which you can render your projects. With a render farm, you can borrow more power depending on your usage: if the rendering takes a week on your machine, you can send your assets to a company like Ranch and they will render it for you in just a few minutes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also build your own render farm of course, but it’s expensive. Not only do you need to buy costly hardware like GPUs at several hundred dollars a pop, but also spend time configuring and maintaining the infrastructure, and paying for electricity bills. You’ll also need to know in advance how much power you need, and it might not make sense to invest thousands of dollars in equipment you’ll only use for one project. \u003Cstrong>A render farm service offers the advantage to scale up and down depending on the needs of your projects, without having to learn anything about server management\u003C/strong>. You just log in to a website and upload your assets to be rendered―it couldn’t be simpler.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, \u003Cstrong>a render farm not only increases processing time but also rendering quality\u003C/strong>. You are free to choose between higher and lower resolutions for your assets depending on the project’s requirements because you are no longer limited by your hardware limits. In a world where expectations for 3D models to look more and more photorealistic keep increasing, having a render farm becomes mandatory to keep up with the competition.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"getting-started-with-ranch-computing\">Getting Started with Ranch Computing\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"create-account\">\u003Cbr>Create account\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You need to create an account to keep your 3D models private. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ranchcomputing.com/en/login?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">It’s free to get started and will only take a few minutes\u003C/a>:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/i_-XX5OcbxgrFvcSfwHIWIPq2qZtPKZ-AM7UJ4TSmGShjQyDVLSWvdaqfFaGG4Ms4wyLHVxoieczIPAMzrXsJFoy6ybgbs_nA6WUuEm5YsE2ZXwq-3AHa8jJwB3U3Z5DIjboB5EFfVEAqnAy04X2SyhZYr0xbFu2ffogvpiJujMSysaf5n5V85uUvvTI7w\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"368\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"push-your-shots-to-ranch\">Push your shots to Ranch\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>First, you’ll need to \u003Ca href=\"https://doc.ranchcomputing.com/general:ranchecker?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">install the RANCHecker plugin\u003C/a> in your favorite 3D modeling tool. RANCHecker will prepare your scenes from Blender, 3DS Max, Maya, Houdini, Cinema 4D, Indigo, LightWave, and Maxwell before rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can then \u003Ca href=\"https://doc.ranchcomputing.com/render:farm?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">choose between using a CPU render farm and a GPU render farm\u003C/a> depending on your project. Each rendering method has its own pricing. But in general, Ranch Computing offers an excellent trade-off between costs, speed, and quality:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Nzh4-vQEaHT2CA8-jdUV4ym0h9fz8isp18E9ggShmZtyaOjWhNoWZ_IPFKSY039VjukLu0vyQzKZjaV6t1Sz3YHabO4S1yIau5U4giQob69_9wHphqctjNUgreYeqVJsX_GpBhcnI1stsDhgw28-Zvqn-I-emr2uVZNlwRLPwtjxMVZluH3GC1LUOAe4jw\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"496\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Ranch proposes a handy price calculator to reinforce the transparency of their pricing―nobody likes an unexpected bill!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iWQdk7VxD_YBbP0nO868LnnkUYnN8g-B-_p2WYnLVSPsNvo2VDZ6J36ucbKwkFBJEpo8AeyGGP6QQcmWXDMP3WOuNq87Js16074t_k24uA0GaQsbTelPm5Nc8SNCmhPm15gx3XZ-91IgaN734axKmagBvsCALPGltfLWBCm3JYeOEeAybGrkBCr--SOp0Q\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"375\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Even better, Ranch offers 30€ worth of free credits, as well as a 50% discount for academic projects, on top of your Kitsu discount.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you encounter any trouble at any point, \u003Ca href=\"https://doc.ranchcomputing.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Ranch offers great documentation and tutorials\u003C/a>, and is also \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ranchcomputing.com/en/support/help-center?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">available for direct support\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"upload-your-scenes\">Upload your scenes\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You can now upload your scenes by going directly to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ranchcomputing.com/submit-project?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Ranch’s web portal\u003C/a>. It’s as simple as drag & drop:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eK9akMLOFKy7Iz6-o5H_9tcVejPjQHbW-GZ7SaQTUpnsyVgPLD1BiF-7ySmymp3hznAy-JuAn0Y2JnBP0EjXWqsQlCp-mCV-K20_h1PArwxPcKt9oClinsLH3WMONvddftG64wtDq-6w1kzX6_IDpAnZRgfp9zQPXc-ZDVKmZU10q5I8YXz3_BNCGjW70w\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"521\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>For projects beyond 50Gb or 9999 frames, you’ll need to \u003Ca href=\"https://doc.ranchcomputing.com/render:special-projects?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">contact Ranch’s customer support beforehand\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"download-the-rendered-frames\">Download the rendered frames\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You have two options to obtain the rendered frames.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ranchcomputing.com/en/retrieve-the-rendered-frames?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">RANCHSync\u003C/a> allows you to download your frames in real-time in your desired 3D modeling tool as soon as they are rendered on Ranch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You also have the possibility to \u003Ca href=\"https://doc.ranchcomputing.com/download:start?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">use the link provided in the email\u003C/a> sent upon completion of the rendering work to download your files.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Speed is ultimately what makes a project’s costs go down. If you can build a pipeline stack that increases your animators’ daily quota thanks to tools like Ranch and Kitsu, the investment quickly brings high returns.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In any case, you’ll benefit from the \u003Ca href=\"https://doc.ranchcomputing.com/render:start?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">frame preview feature\u003C/a> to check your renders as low-resolution thumbnails while they are being rendered:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jCfgkwjJkYH16ATr71IsZzSh7blFPYxfvjxWPgEtaqdAFn74e01mQnEGHBNgZ2GBmEfxmpUTKHAi_G4uSxJD78f7_7ja_6O5ULQye2sC0Q3ShBfScLml3LfJx__Rc29iNt_0a3oX93KjmYSjs_iGX8Pjf3JQtC6T1GfS8T9-9Fw-NT5d41lHkjaNpU7tmQ\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"384\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"to-conclude\">To Conclude\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>And that’s a wrap! Hope this article convinced you to try out Ranch Computing to improve the quality and speed of your 3D rendering pipeline. You don’t have to believe our words though, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ranchcomputing.com/en/login?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">just try it while it’s free\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At CGWire, we believe that collaboration must happen at all levels. That's why we are proud of this partnership. It will improve our offers and show that the animation ecosystem can be strengthened while we work together!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>We run a\u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem> Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> community where you can discuss your problems or solutions and learn from others\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003Cem>. We are already 1000 members sharing tips and ideas. Join us―Technical Directors and Production M\u003C/em>But what is Ranch Computing?\u003Cem>anagers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3393,"comment_id":3394,"feature_image":3395,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3396,"updated_at":3397,"custom_excerpt":3398,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3399,"primary_tag":8,"url":3400,"excerpt":3398,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"1b845d30-a4d4-493f-b9c8-a155f69ead69","636c15e57b5bc1003d66b8c6","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/11/kitsu_ranch.png","2022-11-09T22:04:37.000+01:00","2026-03-26T10:39:00.000+01:00","we worked out a partnership between Ranch and Kitsu: Ranch will offer free credits to Kitsu clients, and Ranch customers will receive one month free on their Kitsu subscription! Please, contact us for details.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/partnership-with-ranch-computing/","/posts/partnership-with-ranch-computing","2022-11-14T10:19:49.000+01:00",{"title":3388},"partnership-with-ranch-computing","posts/partnership-with-ranch-computing",[],"p4nnhvg1_Cpfriv_rKgFeCJKMqAP2oyKaORIOii7pCM",{"id":3409,"title":3410,"authors":3411,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3413,"meta":3414,"navigation":15,"path":3423,"published_at":3424,"seo":3425,"slug":3426,"stem":3427,"tags":3428,"__hash__":3430,"uuid":3415,"comment_id":3416,"feature_image":3417,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3371,"updated_at":3418,"custom_excerpt":3419,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3420,"primary_tag":3421,"url":3422,"excerpt":3419,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-start-an-animation-studio-as-a-freelancer.json","How To Start An Animation Studio As A Freelancer In 8 Steps (2026)",[3412],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Global Animation & VFX represented \u003Ca href=\"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210122005365/en/Global-Animation-VFX-Market-2021-to-2025---Strategies-Trends-Opportunities---ResearchAndMarkets.com?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">a $156 billion industry in 2020\u003C/a>, still growing in 2022. But to catch a part of the market, you need to \u003Cstrong>grow as an artist, perhaps by starting your very own animation studio\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">CGWire\u003C/a>, we know what it feels like to carve your own path in life because we’ve been there. Creating your own company is thrilling. It’s an opportunity to shape the way you work while discovering an entirely different world, which can be frightening at times. But \u003Cstrong>fear not: we come with solid hints to help you create your studio\u003C/strong> from \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">our experience dealing with dozens of animation studios\u003C/a> that started just like you.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article, we will consider the simplest situation: you are the sole member of your studio, and you \u003Cstrong>work as a freelancer\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"what%E2%80%99s-an-animation-studio\">What’s An Animation Studio\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>An animation studio is \u003Cstrong>a company creating animated media\u003C/strong>―films, series, ads, or even video tutorials. Animation is everywhere!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>An animation studio typically \u003Cstrong>involves a variety of activities\u003C/strong> like script writing, storyboarding, style framing, drawing illustrations, modelization, rigging, animation, compositing, 2D/3D image editing, voice-over recording, and sound design.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"why-start-your-own-animation-studio\">Why Start Your Own Animation Studio\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>The primary advantage of starting your own studio is \u003Cstrong>the possibility to choose your own lifestyle\u003C/strong>―shape the way you work, choose who you want to work with, and impulse your own creative vision. It is only natural when you evolve in a studio that, at some point, you might consider you can do better by yourself. After all, you are a professional with your own relations and the necessary experience to evaluate your deliveries.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, there is \u003Cstrong>the financial freedom of being your own boss\u003C/strong>. Animation studios are in high demand, but whether you’re an employee or a freelancer, you are going to have to deal with the uncertainty of finding paid work. The only differences are you’ll get to choose your projects, to a certain extent, and increase your rates without having to wait around for a middleman.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, starting your own studio will allow you \u003Cstrong>to develop new valuable skills\u003C/strong>. Even if you fail, you’ll acquire knowledge that will make you a better artist. The world of animation is fierce and competitive―having experience marketing your skills, delivering projects, and dealing with stakeholders will help you stand out.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"8-steps-to-start-your-indie-animation-studio\">8 Steps To Start Your Indie Animation Studio\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"i-research-define-your-personal-brand\">\u003Cbr>I. Research & Define Your Personal Brand\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>First, you’ll need to\u003Cstrong> find your niche\u003C/strong>―the type of animation you’d like to produce. As a one-person business, you can’t afford to tackle everything because there is not enough time in a day. Focusing on a niche allows you to target an audience, and \u003Cstrong>knowing your audience is key\u003C/strong> to providing the right services, acquiring customers by knowing where they hang out online, and ultimately making your business profitable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you list down potential niches, you can research them to \u003Cstrong>assess their potential and pick one\u003C/strong>:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>How competitive is the niche?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>How much does it pay?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Is there enough work to sustain my business?\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>As a freelancer, you can focus on \u003Cstrong>a niche that has low competition and high demand\u003C/strong>, but also that you’ll enjoy working in. Character rigging for pre-school TV series for example. Ultimately, you’ll want to align your personal brand―the way you present your company―with your niche audience, so \u003Cstrong>choose your studio’s brand identity accordingly\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"ii-register-your-business\">II. Register your business\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Once you find a name for your company, you need to register it. Like any traditional company, you’ll need to open a professional bank account and fill up a company creation form.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As a freelancer, you can \u003Cstrong>start as a sole business owner for less than 1,000 euros\u003C/strong> depending on your country, sometimes for free.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With the rise of neo-banks like Revolut, Wise, or N26, \u003Cstrong>your bank account will cost between 0 and 9 euros/month\u003C/strong>. It’s a lot more if you open a traditional business bank account.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"iii-upgrade-your-hardware\">III. Upgrade your hardware\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Registering your animation business allows you to bill customers, but you’ll need to \u003Cstrong>invest in equipment to deliver projects\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation, rendering, compositing, or video editing takes up a lot of computational resources, so your first item on the list is \u003Cstrong>a powerful computer\u003C/strong> with a professional GPU and a large amount of RAM. You can expect to spend anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 euros depending on how complex your projects are.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You also need to think about \u003Cstrong>data storage and backup\u003C/strong>. Your storage must be accessible from your client’s office to shorten feedback loops. The best long-term solution is a Network Attached Storage (NAS)\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem> \u003C/em>\u003C/strong>that can store terabytes of data for about 1,000 euros, but you can get started with premium cloud storage services for a monthly subscription.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lastly, you’ll need a fast, \u003Cstrong>reliable internet connection\u003C/strong> for business video calls and video downloads and uploads (50 euros per month). You can expect your work-from-home setup to add an extra 100 euros per month.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Overall, to have the proper hardware, you should expect to spend around 7,000 euros in initial costs, and then 150 euros per month in bills.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"iv-choose-your-software\">IV. Choose Your Software\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Now that you have the proper hardware to work on, you must choose the right software tools for your project! Aside from the operating system, you’ll need different tools for each step of production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s likely you will spend 3,000-5,000 euros per year on your software, as \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/cgwire/cg-pipeline-series-list-of-the-most-popular-cg-tools-7fb39ff6d062?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">the following breakdown of the most popular CG tools\u003C/a> shows:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Operating system \u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Windows (130€)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Modeling\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Autodesk 3dsMax (2940€ / year)\u003Cbr>Autodesk Maya (2940€ / year)\u003Cbr>Blender (0€ / year)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Shading\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Adobe Substance (20€ / month)\u003Cbr>Quickcell suite (400€ / month)\u003Cbr>Adobe Photoshop (70€/ month)\u003Cbr>The Foundry Mari (54€ / month)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Sculpt\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Pixologic Zbrush (40€ / month)\u003Cbr>Autodesk Mudbox (150€ / month)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Motion Design\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Maxon C4D (126€ / month)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>FX\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>SideFX Houdini (269€ / year)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Fur/Cloth\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Marvelous Designer (1700€ / year / user)\u003Cbr>Autodesk Maya Ncloth (39€ / user)\u003Cbr>Autodesk 3dsMax Ornatric (599€ / user)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Environment\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Itoo Software Forestpack (60€ / year / user)\u003Cbr>World Machine (119€ / year)\u003Cbr>Planetside Software Terragen (38€ / month / user)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Rendering\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Chaos Group Vray (60€ / month)\u003Cbr>Pixar Renderman (595 € / user)\u003Cbr>Autodesk Arnold (645€ / month)\u003Cbr>Corona Renderer (25€ / month)\u003Cbr>Mercenaries Guerilla Render (700€ / node)\u003Cbr>Redshift (300€ / node)\u003Cbr>Otoy Octane (700€ / year)\u003Cbr>Blender Cycles (0€ / year)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Lookdev\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Isotropix Clarisse (2300€ / year)\u003Cbr>Foundry Katana (7500€ / user)\u003Cbr>Mercenaries Guerilla Station (2000€ / nod)\u003Cbr>Sketchfab (249€ / year)\u003Cbr>Marmoset Toolbag  (189€ / user)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Animation\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Autodesk 3dsMax (2940€ / year)\u003Cbr>Autodesk Maya (2940€ / year)\u003Cbr>Toonboom Harmony\u003Cbr>TVPaint\u003Cbr>Blender (0€ / year)\u003Cbr>Mercenaries Rumba\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Compositing\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Foundry Nuke (1349€ / user)\u003Cbr>Blackmagic Design Fusion (269€)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Editing\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Magix Software Vegas (359€ / user)\u003Cbr>Avid (1299€ / user)\u003Cbr>Blackmagic Design Davinci Resolve (299€ / user)\u003Cbr>Adobe Premiere (included with the Photoshop suite)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Production Tracking and review\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Kitsu (29€ / month)\u003C/a>\u003Cbr>Frame.io (19$ / month according to reviews)\u003Cbr>Ftrack review: (10$ / month according to reviews)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And of course, another option, if your customer doesn’t have any software requirements, is to rely on open-source software. It requires some additional training, but the cost reduction can prove to be worth it:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Operating system - Linux\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Modeling / Animation / Rendering - Blender\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Digital Painting - Krita\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Production Tracking - \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Kitsu\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"v-start-your-online-presence-with-a-portfolio\">V. Start Your Online Presence With A Portfolio\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Now that you have everything you need to deliver productions for your clients, you will need to get the word out to win contracts: \u003Cstrong>having a portfolio is the first step to showcasing your work to the world\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Knowing your audience is key to \u003Cstrong>understanding where to host and distribute your online portfolio\u003C/strong>. If your customers like to hang out on Instagram, post your work as Instagram reels. If your niche is about Tiktok animated tutorials, post on Tiktok. If you’re not sure where to start, it doesn’t hurt to experiment with different platforms like Linkedin, ArtStation, Youtube… or whatever social media you prefer, but in the end, you want to \u003Cstrong>prefer quality over quantity when it comes to your online presence\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In any case, having your own portfolio website is always a sure bet.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"vi-find-your-pricing\">VI. Find Your Pricing\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You now receive offers from bigger studios or small agencies and it’s time to send them a quote, but how should you go about pricing? You need to consider several factors for your daily rates:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>How much money do you need to recoup your initial investments\u003C/strong> - hardware, software, and living expenses\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>How much time do you need to deliver the project\u003C/strong>―don’t forget to include retake time!\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>How big of a return on investment you are providing\u003C/strong> to your customers\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>It’s obvious you should be able to at least make a living from your job―cover your business costs, and your living expenses, and still make a profit to re-invest somewhere else! As a reminder, here is a breakdown of the expenses you should budget for:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bO_jYrgrqYmNZ2nPp1eNpvHDWxzIAiaOP8YH8pdXX88pJiMXfuIQ1ldKP1Apc7gS75QHbitsUT9o8JSz296eePR3rvaAagw6NH7eiLUGAmmWfvmqB5N-4yE4JsgYTRf2ekqWOzExXXNwZPwR6Mud3-O2l2QYnyUNW94MgvmEeq-PSFfctcM\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"624\" height=\"651\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">How to price your services as a freelancer in an animation studio\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>But it would also be a mistake to limit yourself to strictly covering your costs, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for more if your work is likely to bring a huge return on investment to your customer. Developing a profitable business is not only your duty as a freelancer but also the only way to be sustainable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When sending your quotes, you should \u003Cstrong>be precise about the scope of the project\u003C/strong>―what is expected from you. It will prevent you from dealing with too many additional requests. Another good practice for long projects is to \u003Cstrong>ask for a percentage of the total payment upfront\u003C/strong> to give yourself room to breathe. Then, depending on the length of the project, another in the middle, and the rest upon delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"vii-invest-in-customer-acquisition\">VII. Invest In Customer Acquisition\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Customer acquisition is the activity that consists in identifying and approaching potential customers. Keeping your pipeline of customers full is important to make your income more stable, so you need to stay open to new opportunities:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Update your portfolio regularly\u003C/strong> - An aging portfolio doesn’t show your best side to a potential client: the more work you can feature, the more experienced and trustworthy you look!\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Create new content on social media\u003C/strong> - Content creation, no matter which platform you choose, ensures more customers become aware of your existence.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Send out project proposals on a weekly basis\u003C/strong> - Sometimes, all you have to do is study companies you think can be a good fit for your profile and explain to them how you can help them.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Nurture your network\u003C/strong> - Go visit your former colleagues at the studio. If you can't see them directly, send them emails to update them about your situation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Go to events\u003C/strong> - In the same vein, participate in events like festivals or meetups. It will allow you to meet new peers and grow your network.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"viii-focus-on-retention-deliver-on-time-and-on-budget\">VIII. Focus On Retention: Deliver On-Time And On-Budget\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Customer acquisition is time-consuming as you’ll soon find out, so it’s extremely important to prioritize customer retention―your ability to retain customers for recurring work―above everything else. More precisely, you’ll want to focus on the following key elements:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Deliver your projects on time and on-budget \u003C/strong>- Do not make your client deceived.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Over-communicate with your stakeholders\u003C/strong> - Gather feedback and use Kitsu as a production management tool to keep all stakeholders updated in real-time.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Deal with scope creep accordingly\u003C/strong> - Be careful if a client keeps on demanding extra stuff for your creation (like additional FX, props or animations). It may end in an unfeasible project.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Activities to nurture customer retention should be performed on a daily basis to deal with risks and conflicts early.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"to-conclude\">To conclude\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If you want to manage your time and set your artistic direction, one of the best solutions is to create your studio. But building a new business requires investments, so be aware you will have to buy hardware and software licenses, as well as cover extra costs like legal paperwork, internet connection, and electricity. Having a clear idea of your costs will help you define your pricing and build a sustainable partnership with your customers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, \u003Cstrong>we run a \u003C/strong>\u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Discord\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>\u003Cstrong> community where you can discuss your problems or solutions and learn from others\u003C/strong>. We are already 1000 members to share tips and ideas. Join us―technical directors and production managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@rubavi78?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText\" rel=\"noopener\">Rubén Bagüés\u003C/a> on \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/s/photos/alone-crowd?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText\" rel=\"noopener\">Unsplash\u003C/a>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3415,"comment_id":3416,"feature_image":3417,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3371,"updated_at":3418,"custom_excerpt":3419,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3420,"primary_tag":3421,"url":3422,"excerpt":3419,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"3a391e1e-33ff-4b40-abf0-9c8a21a14649","a4f57e8ab7e4","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/09/1-e_dm1n-FhIGzUeJfWBejkw.jpeg","2026-03-26T11:11:48.000+01:00","Creating your own company is thrilling. It’s an opportunity to shape the way you work while discovering an entirely different world, which can be frightening at times. But fear not: we come with solid hints to help you create your studio.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-start-an-animation-studio-as-a-freelancer/","/posts/how-to-start-an-animation-studio-as-a-freelancer","2022-09-26T17:55:00.000+02:00",{"title":3410},"how-to-start-an-animation-studio-as-a-freelancer","posts/how-to-start-an-animation-studio-as-a-freelancer",[3429],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"Qnu_CXvgx9rvHKWDKtxU10JTzU7atxD2xgM5L4T7Rw0",{"id":3432,"title":3433,"authors":3434,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3436,"meta":3437,"navigation":15,"path":3448,"published_at":3449,"seo":3450,"slug":3451,"stem":3452,"tags":3453,"__hash__":3455,"uuid":3438,"comment_id":3439,"feature_image":3440,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3441,"updated_at":3442,"custom_excerpt":3443,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3444,"primary_tag":3445,"url":3446,"excerpt":3443,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":3447,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:customer-story-makuta-vfx-studio.json","Customer Story: Makuta VFX Studio",[3435],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Pete Draper, Makuta VFX Co-Founder, following their work on the RRR movie (one of the biggest blockbusters in India), accepted to share with us his experience of Kitsu. He told us how he took advantage of Kitsu to ship the production on time despite tight deadlines and unexpected covid lockdowns.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"a-few-words-about-makuta\">A few words about Makuta \u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Makuta is a Visual Effects facility located in South India (Hyderabad). We've been running for just over twelve years and have produced visual effects and scanning for several of India’s top-grossing national and international features, including the one we brought Kitsu on to. We tend to maintain artist levels around 50-60 and peaking around 120 at a major crunch, focusing mainly on the artistry and creativity of a show. We were the first studio in India to purchase and utilize LiDAR on our features.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"makuta-studio-and-kitsu\">Makuta Studio and Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"hello-pete-can-you-introduce-yourself\">Hello Pete, can you introduce yourself? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>I’m the co-founder of Makuta Visual Effects and have been involved in the VFX industry since the mid-1990s. I’ve written several books on 3ds max, was the primary 3ds max journalist and tutorial author for 3D World magazine for over a decade, an Alpha & Beta tester for Autodesk for nine years, and an external examiner for several UK universities’ VFX-related courses.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/06/pete_draper.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-did-you-decide-to-set-up-a-studio-in-india\">How did you decide to set up a studio in India? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>in 2008, I did some work on an Indian film's title sequence when I was in the UK which lead to me coming over to develop the pipeline and QC shots for another film the following February. As both did well, I and two others, who I worked with on the latter project, decided to set up a studio out here and try to take things to the next stage. The idea was to split the time between here and the UK. But, over the following few years, I was spending more time over here. To a point now, the last time I went back to England, the word \"Brexit\" didn't even exist...\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"which-tools-did-you-use-prior-to-kitsu\">Which tools did you use prior to Kitsu? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Prior to migrating to Kitsu, we’ve pretty much used the majority of off-the-shelf solutions out there, from Excel and Google sheets to Tactic to Shotgun/grid to Cerebro, each with some measure of success and failure.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-did-you-hear-about-our-solution\">How did you hear about our solution? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We had worked on several shows with their own desired project tracking systems; Shotgun/grid, Cerebro et al depending on the principal VFX supervisor’s preferences where we primarily used Tactic and developed our own internal tracking system on and off over several years.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We discovered Kitsu purely by chance; initially, we were just perusing pipeline and production management technologies (as one does!) and we discovered the system which seemed to be robust. \u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-did-you-get-started-with-kitsu\">How did you get started with Kitsu? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>After trying out the Docker container, we discovered that it was a simple yet powerful system that didn’t require a degree in Computer Science (*cough* Tactic *cough*) to even get the thing running. We gradually filtered it into the studio, initially using it to review and slowly pushing it, and the system it was installed on, as hard as we could to see if it would break. And guess what? It didn’t.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Just like the Blender Foundation, once we came to know about Kitsu, the decision to migrate was a bit of a no-brainer - we just happened to come across it one day and decided to check it out.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.53.16-PM.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1046\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.53.16-PM.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.53.16-PM.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.53.16-PM.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.53.16-PM.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"did-you-have-any-preconceptions-before-using-it\">Did you have any preconceptions before using it? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Not so much, just the usual “how far can we go until it breaks?” thoughts and if the user experience was going to be detrimental to productivity. There are still some areas that I feel are slightly counter-intuitive but that’s more about the perception of a system as opposed to the system itself - eg having something modal vs something modeless, having an image pop up over the existing screen, and not punching out to another page (etc). Everything should be at a glance and accessible without needing to hunt; earlier on there were some issues but am glad to say they have been mostly refined. \u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-has-changed-in-the-studio-since-then-in-your-way-of-working\">What has changed in the studio since then, in your way of working? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Previously we were using multiple tools and didn’t have a centralized review and logging system that neatly talked to each other. Annotations on videos, for example, were a more long-winded process utilizing several applications to open, capture, print, edit text and submit to the system we had in place which, granted, when you got used to it it was ok but not ideal. It was also platform-specific so if you were running another OS as one does, it didn’t fully work. Kitsu has pretty much unified everything and is forcing neater communication not only between artists but from production, management, and clients.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.57.35-PM.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1012\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.57.35-PM.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.57.35-PM.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.57.35-PM.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.57.35-PM.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"for-how-long-have-you-been-using-kitsu\">For how long have you been using Kitsu? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We have been using it for around a year now and while we evaluated the system during the initial lockdown, it was primarily utilized between the first and second Covid waves. \u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"which-features-have-impacted-your-workflow-the-most\">Which features have impacted your workflow the most? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The simple yet effective annotation tools have been invaluable above all. We already had scheduling and artist assignments with our own internal systems (which we’re gradually now migrating across to Kitsu) and the inclusion of the Rooms system in the Playlist section was great but came a little late for us to fully utilize it (after the second lockdown ended). Playlist allowed us to cross-compare versions easily and communicate back, even using it in our primary sessions when the team was all back in the studio. It would be nice to have an HDR version for the review sessions and basic color and playback control that one tends to do in said sessions...\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.26.26-PM.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1250\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.26.26-PM.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.26.26-PM.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.26.26-PM.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.26.26-PM.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.16.44-PM.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1046\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.16.44-PM.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.16.44-PM.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.16.44-PM.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-5.16.44-PM.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-are-the-benefits-brought-by-kitsu\">What are the benefits brought by Kitsu? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>As we were already knee-deep within the project, we didn’t fully utilize some aspects of the system; our time management and attendance system are built into the login and door entry to the studio which talks directly to HR et al, so at that point, we primarily utilized the system for shot assignment, task breakdown and, above all, review sessions. Once we entered the second lockdown phase within the country (everything stopped during the first due to global security concerns from the client), the ability to sit with artists on shots became nigh-impossible, so the ability to remove reviews and, with the latter updates, be able to run a live review session in a room with multiple artists became invaluable.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.41.54-PM.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1046\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.41.54-PM.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.41.54-PM.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.41.54-PM.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2022/05/Screenshot-2022-05-04-at-4.41.54-PM.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"can-you-give-us-some-metrics-about-the-time-you-saved-with-kitsu\">Can you give us some metrics about the time you saved with  Kitsu? \u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Not specifically, but the review sessions we used to run and dailies have now reduced down to a fraction of time as a lot of it is now held online, even after the primary and secondary lockdowns. We still treat it as if everyone is working from home and every single piece of communication must go through the system; yes it’s easier to just jump out of your seat and speak to the individual, but then there isn’t a track of communication and conveying this and getting primary information is key in creative decisions\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"kitsu-in-two-words\">Kitsu in two words?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Review Room!!!! :D\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Thank you Pete for this customer story! It's great that you were able to share insights about your studio and your experience with Kitsu. At CGWire we are super proud to have helped you with your project. We wish you the best in the following.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3438,"comment_id":3439,"feature_image":3440,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3441,"updated_at":3442,"custom_excerpt":3443,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3444,"primary_tag":3445,"url":3446,"excerpt":3443,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":3447,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"90ddab16-16ed-45d1-b905-c22f8dad0f76","627bdee760746a003d8b4ef3","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/image0.jpeg","2022-05-11T18:05:59.000+02:00","2026-03-24T05:15:14.000+01:00","Pete Draper, Makuta VFX Co-Founder, following their work on the RRR movie (one of the biggest blockbusters in India), accepted to share with us his experience of Kitsu. He told us how he took advantage of Kitsu to ship the production on time despite tight deadlines and unexpected covid lockdowns.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/customer-story-makuta-vfx-studio/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/image0-1.jpeg","/posts/customer-story-makuta-vfx-studio","2022-05-24T12:18:59.000+02:00",{"title":3433},"customer-story-makuta-vfx-studio","posts/customer-story-makuta-vfx-studio",[3454],{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"0cXPQaYOTwbuTHfrusxuor0LOM34wwXLTD8HmLq6vBE",{"id":3457,"title":3458,"authors":3459,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3461,"meta":3462,"navigation":15,"path":3474,"published_at":3475,"seo":3476,"slug":3477,"stem":3478,"tags":3479,"__hash__":3480,"uuid":3463,"comment_id":3464,"feature_image":3465,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3466,"updated_at":3467,"custom_excerpt":3468,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3469,"primary_tag":8,"url":3470,"excerpt":3468,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3471,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":3472,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3473},"ghost/posts:deep-dive-into-our-hosting-infrastructure.json","Deep Dive Into The Kitsu Hosting Infrastructure",[3460],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Deploying a web server can be done quite easily. Especially, web applications like Kitsu where everything is documented online. An IT willing to spend several days on it will achieve it for sure. But the problem is that running a cloud application is not about setting the web service, it's about managing the unexpected.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>I can say that confidently because when I built my first startup (Cozy Cloud), in the beginning, I managed our servers.  I set up dozens of virtual machines, configured DNS, and was able to serve our product to our subscribed users. Everything sounded good until users really used our product. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once I had my beautiful infrastructure up, I had to deal with tons of cumbersome situations: software failure, hosting provider outage, slowness, backup strategy, recovery... It happened at any time of the day or the night. I was co-founder and CTO, so I had tons of more duties to deal with. I learned a lot but let's be honest, it was not enough to handle the load. Fortunately, we raised funds and I was able to hire someone with experience to manage it for us. I could have looked for many other solutions. But in the end, admitting it was a full-time job was my best decision to deal with this situation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's why with CGWire, we want to avoid all that painful moments for studios. We know that our software is free, but it would not be wise to develop Kitsu without offering you a hosting service on top of it. Your main job is to make movies and your ITs are dedicated to your artists. They don't need to deal with web hosting complexity and its hazardous behavior on top of the hardware and the service they manage for your studios. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu is a key component of your pipeline. A failure from it could put your production at risk. It's additional stress that you don't want for yourself and your teams.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Many people are aware of this problem. That's why providing a cloud solution of the software is a classic business model for free and open-source projects, it's not specific to us.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To illustrate the job required to host properly such software, we wanted to show you all the things we set up on our infrastructure to serve you Kitsu properly. Today we manage the Kitsu installation for 60 customers for approximately an overall 3 000 users. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this blog post, we will show you everything our ops team put in place to ensure you the best service possible for your usage of Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"context\">Context\u003C/h2>\u003Ch3 id=\"the-base-stack\">The base Stack\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>As a reminder, Kitsu is a web application made of:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Two Python \u003Ca href=\"https://flask.palletsprojects.com/en/2.1.x/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Flask\u003C/a> services (REST API and a WebSocket pub/sub system)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>An \u003Ca href=\"https://python-rq.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">RQ\u003C/a> daemon \u003C/li>\u003Cli>A \u003Ca href=\"https://redis.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Redis\u003C/a> instance\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A \u003Ca href=\"https://www.postgresql.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Postgres\u003C/a> database. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>Files are stored on the disk or in an object storage instance. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>A frontend is made of static Javascript files built by the \u003Ca href=\"https://vuejs.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Vue.js\u003C/a> framework tooling (based on Webpack). \u003C/li>\u003Cli>An \u003Ca href=\"https://www.nginx.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Nginx\u003C/a> instance to serve static files and as a reverse proxy to allow access to the API and the frontend from a single domain name.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>To sum up it's made of seven services that should always be up. If one of them is down, the application cannot work properly.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"the-offer\">The offer\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We propose two offers to our clients:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Cloud hosting where we put a dedicated VM at their disposal. All the services run in our cloud. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>On-premise installations where our clients provide the hardware. We do the setup, the maintenance, and the updates. We handle LDAP integration on request. \u003Cbr>For bigger customers, we propose a tool to allow them to start and stop instances of Kitsu locally.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"orchestration\">Orchestration \u003C/h2>\u003Cp>We use \u003Ca href=\"https://ovh.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">OVH\u003C/a> as the hosting provider and \u003Ca href=\"https://www.openstack.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">OpenStack\u003C/a> as IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Our infrastructure is based on virtual machines. Through \u003Ca href=\"https://www.terraform.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Terraform\u003C/a> we describe our hardware needs. It allows us to set up quickly new Kitsu instances. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>You have here an example of a Terraform file used to spawn a new Kitsu:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>module \"customer_cgwire\" {\n  source         = \"./modules/customer\"\n  shortname      = \"cgwire\"\n  fqdn           = \"cgwire\"\n  customer_class = \"bronze\"\n  flavor         = \"${var.flavor_bronze}\"\n  net_public     = \"${var.net_public}\"\n  net_priv       = \"${var.net_priv}\"\n  region         = \"${var.region}\"\n  image_name     = \"${var.image_name}\"\n  key_pair       = \"${openstack_compute_keypair_v2.keypair.name}\"\n}\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Terraform provides a simple command (\u003Ccode>terraform apply\u003C/code>) to transcript our configuration files to a live infrastructure.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When the Kitsu VM is up, the next step is to configure the instance. We create the database, configure the operating system, and initialize the data. For this, we use a configuration management system. We used Ansible for a while but recently we moved to \u003Ca href=\"https://docs.saltproject.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Saltstack\u003C/a>. It felt more convenient to run many updates in parallel. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>To use it, we describe configuration files and everything that should be up to have a proper Kitsu instance. Then we run the \u003Ccode>salt state.highstate\u003C/code> command. Once finished, the Kitsu instance is ready to use!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Saltstack files example (here to set up a Redis service):\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>====== redis.sls\nredis_packages:\n  pkg.latest:\n    - pkgs:\n      - redis-server\n\n/etc/redis/redis.conf:\n  file.managed:\n    - user: redis\n    - group: redis\n    - mode: '0640'\n    - template: jinja\n    - source: salt://{{ slspath }}/files/redis.conf.j2\n    - context:\n      bind_addrs: {{ redis['bind_addrs'] | join(' ') }}\n    - require:\n      - pkg: redis_packages\n\nredis:\n  service.running:\n    - name: redis-server\n    - enable: True\n    - require:\n      - pkg: redis_packages\n    - watch:\n      - file: /etc/redis/redis.conf\n      \n====== redis.j2\ndaemonize yes\npidfile /var/run/redis/redis-server.pid\nport 6379\nbind {{ bind_addrs }}\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Ch2 id=\"storage\">Storage\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Kitsu stores tons of preview files. They are mainly video files. Every time a user uploads a video, it is normalized and some thumbnails are extracted. Because studios want to have access to a high def version of videos, the files stored are quite big. \u003Cbr>Pictures generate thumbnails too and other file types are stored directly. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, how do we store these files? It depends on the context, we have two cases:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>On-premise installations: We mainly store previews on a simple file system (a folder available on the host on which we host the Kitsu instance). Kitsu organizes folders based on preview file UUIDs (generated by Postgres) to avoid having too many files in the same repository and ensure there is no collision. Alternatively, we propose local object storage too for enterprise customers.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Cloud hosting: we use OpenStack Swift from OVH as object storage. In cloud infrastructure, you can lose a virtual machine easily. That leads to losing all your file data. Using dedicated storage decoupled the files from the VM. So, it makes things easier for backup (we replicate every file 3 times in 2 different locations). It allows us to destroy and restore Kitsu VMs easily.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch2 id=\"compute\">Compute\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another thing we need to manage is video computing. It's important to normalize every video uploaded to ensure a smooth experience while playing them. To achieve that, we use FFmpeg. It handles all codecs and containers we can have as inputs. On the other side, as outputs, it serves standardized and optimized movies for our system.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The drawback is that it leads to very intensive resource consumption. So to avoid overloading our VMs, we set up a \u003Ca href=\"https://www.nomadproject.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Nomad\u003C/a> cluster from the Hashicorp company. We push to it all the computing-heavy async jobs from the Kitsu instances. Kitsu creates a Nomad job, that starts a Docker container, takes the video, computes them, and uploads all files on object storage. Then it clears everything locally to be able to handle the next videos.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Nomad can manage a cluster of VMs and provides a single entry point for anything that needs to use the cluster. It makes our video normalization much more efficient. We use it too for playlist builds: our users concatenate several shot versions together to build a single movie. This action is the most resource-intensive by far.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"logs\">Logs\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In all instances, standards logs are written on each host. It's complicated to access them all to find bugs or to analyze situations. That's why we use \u003Ca href=\"https://grafana.com/oss/loki/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Grafana Loki\u003C/a> as a log aggregation system. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>It grabs all log information and allows us to search error occurrences across instances. From there we can monitor performance bottlenecks too. Last but not least it gives an idea of where come from requests. Which can be useful in case of a cyber attack. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/loki.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1393\" height=\"713\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/05/loki.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/05/loki.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/loki.png 1393w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"monitoring\">Monitoring\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>A very important thing for a system administrator is monitoring. It alerts you when a problem pops up on your infrastructure. It matters a lot because:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>We are aware of problems before the customer calls us by saying \"it’s broken!\"\u003C/li>\u003Cli>It helps us to find the root cause of a problem quickly.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>To make it more concrete, mainly we collect a bunch of conditions on a regular basis:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Key services are up or not.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The Kitsu instance is reachable via the internet or not.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>CPU load is above a threshold.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Memory consumption is above a threshold.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Free disk space is below a threshold.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>If one of the conditions is not fulfilled, it raises an alert. If an alert occurs, we know that we must do something to fix the situation right now.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For the cloud stack, we set the monitoring with the Grafana products: \u003Ca href=\"https://grafana.com/oss/prometheus/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Prometheus\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/datasources/alertmanager/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Alertmanager\u003C/a>. We send alert messages to a dedicated Slack channel and the most important ones are sent via emails too.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/image-5.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"550\" height=\"200\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The Alertmanager dashboard shows all alerts in progress in real-time:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image-6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1187\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/04/image-6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/04/image-6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image-6.png 1187w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>We collect metrics on system hosts and we ping HTTP ports to have a full specter of information.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For our on-premises installation, due to legacy and simplicity reasons, we use the couple \u003Ca href=\"https://mmonit.com/monit/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Monit\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://mmonit.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">M/Monit\u003C/a> to have a centralized view of the state of our installations.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1046\" height=\"674\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/04/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/04/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image.png 1046w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"metrology\">Metrology\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>It’s the other side of monitoring. Here we analyze data visually. We don't look for whether the instance is up or not. But we look for weird behaviors (unexpected changes over time), like prolonged usage of a CPU (in that case, the system is still up but the service is degraded).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We use the same tools to collect metrics for metrology. The central component is Prometheus to store the data. It is coupled with Grafana for the display. It provides a powerful system to see metrics evolve over time. When your file system has a problem, you can see if it happened in a second, day, or minute. You can identify recurring patterns too. It’s very helpful to find the root cause of your problem.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Here are a few examples:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Check the \"HTTP health\" of an instance:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1403\" height=\"1140\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/04/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/04/image-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image-2.png 1403w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>See how resource consumption evolves:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1385\" height=\"859\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/04/image-3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/04/image-3.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image-3.png 1385w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch2 id=\"security\">Security\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Security is the most important part of the setup. To strengthen our machines we applied fundamental principles: \u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The only way to connect to a host is SSH via an SSH key protected by a passphrase. This reduces the risk of unneeded connection with password brute force.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Some virtual machines don’t need to be accessed from the internet. So we use SSH relays to manage them. It reduces the attack surface.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We whitelist IP addresses to access our critical machines that still need to be accessed from the internet.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>For on-premises, we use VPNs to connect with studios that have important security measures. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>We have security groups that authorize only TCP ports used by our customers.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We set up firewalls and IP ban schemes on all machines.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>All Kitsu instances use a strong SSL configuration to manage user connections.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Our instance OS is always up to date.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Our logs are collected and analyzed via SIEM protection.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The next step for us will be to encrypt the files in the object storage to limit problems if the object storage is compromised.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"recovery\">Recovery\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Another very important thing is backup and recovery. With previews in object storage, duplicated Postgres database, and database backup in the object storage, we have everything at hand to respawn a Kitsu instance quickly.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>If a customer instance burns, we re-create it from Terraform, and configure it with Saltstack. And voilà it's up! The instance can still access the object storage, set up the database again, and serve files as usual.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>If the object storage fails, we can connect to the replicated object storage and start using our software like before. We simply have to update our configuration files through Saltstack.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"miscellaneous\">Miscellaneous\u003C/h2>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1124\" height=\"166\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/04/image-1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/04/image-1.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/image-1.png 1124w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>We send emails to our users from our own domain name. To improve deliverability, we configured all our systems with SPF and DKIM. These protocols allow tracking of all emails sent with \u003Ccode>cg-wire.com\u003C/code> as a domain name.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To monitor that, we configure the DMARC protocol. With this, each server that relays \u003Ccode>@cg-wire.com\u003C/code> email sends a daily report which helps to identify the email sources. We know too if they use properly SPF and DKIM, and when our emails are considered spam. It allows us too to build dashboards to track analytics about our emails and to find why they were improperly labeled. In the end, we keep a good reputation for our email domain name.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"final-words\">Final Words\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>That's it for the tour! We only showed you the tip of the iceberg. There are many subtleties and details we cannot give there (it would require writing a book). Nevertheless, it gives you an overview of the work required to run any web application like Kitsu. What we craft at CGWire is not only beautiful and efficient software. We dedicate the same care to your installation and your data. We always work on it as something we want to be proud to show and that works seamlessly for you.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Studio Collaboration requires software that runs properly, is safe and that can handle heavy loads. People need to trust a tool to use it. This is our job to make it solid, efficient, and secure. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Our next challenge will be the region management for our cloud infrastructure. We have more and more customers that are far away from France. We want to give the best performance possible by providing Kitsu instances near their studio. Once we solved that problem, we'll share our recipe. So, stay tuned to know how we did it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to Animation Production Management, Animation Pipeline, and to our products. But you can follow us on \u003Ca href=\"https://fr.linkedin.com/company/cgwire?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">LinkedIn\u003C/a> to see our news. We also share news from the animation industry. Come take a look and join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3463,"comment_id":3464,"feature_image":3465,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3466,"updated_at":3467,"custom_excerpt":3468,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3469,"primary_tag":8,"url":3470,"excerpt":3468,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3471,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":3472,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":3473},"c704ca0f-e0f6-4171-926c-8956450446b7","626aa24463f790003deb5150","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/kvistholt-photography-oZPwn40zCK4-unsplash.jpg","2022-04-28T16:18:44.000+02:00","2022-11-21T15:02:09.000+01:00","Deploying a web server can be done quite easily. An IT willing to spend several days on it will achieve it for sure. But the problem is that running a cloud application is not about setting the web service, it's about managing the unexpected.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/deep-dive-into-our-hosting-infrastructure/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/kvistholt-photography-oZPwn40zCK4-unsplash-2.jpg","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/05/kvistholt-photography-oZPwn40zCK4-unsplash-1.jpg","Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/@freeche\">Kvistholt Photography\u003C/a>","/posts/deep-dive-into-our-hosting-infrastructure","2022-05-11T08:09:00.000+02:00",{"title":3458},"deep-dive-into-our-hosting-infrastructure","posts/deep-dive-into-our-hosting-infrastructure",[],"9W3x1My3XOIKlXaT5pOzeUeiIuTFfgaudJdvbaG-lqA",{"id":3482,"title":3483,"authors":3484,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3486,"meta":3487,"navigation":15,"path":3497,"published_at":3498,"seo":3499,"slug":3500,"stem":3501,"tags":3502,"__hash__":3504,"uuid":3488,"comment_id":3489,"feature_image":3490,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3491,"updated_at":3492,"custom_excerpt":3493,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3494,"primary_tag":3495,"url":3496,"excerpt":3493,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-make-the-best-use-of-your-productivity-quotas.json","How To Make The Best Use of Your Productivity Quotas (2026)",[3485],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>In production, it's common to set quota goals to facilitate planning and budgeting. These quotas are then used as indicators to know whether the team is going at the right pace or not. Quotas can be calculated in terms of frames per day, seconds per day, or finished tasks per day. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Quotas are efficient but are a double-edged sword too. When they are well balanced they help the team to work serenely and give an indication of the level of quality required. But, when the estimations are wrong, teams will not be able to keep up with it and will end up exhausted trying to meet unrealistic demands. The quality will go down and your team may fail to ship on time...\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>To avoid bad situations, we'll see in the following how to use this tool efficiently without undermining your teams.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"setting-quota-goals\">Setting quota goals\u003Cbr>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Basics\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>It is important to know what quotas mean in order to use them correctly. Like, we said earlier, by definition, it is the number of frames, seconds, or tasks validated per day. It's better to stick to a single indicator but you can track the three of them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Retakes or not\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>When do you consider that the task is finished from the artist's point of view?\u003Cbr>In TV Shows, we will often consider that the shipping of the take 1 (T1) determines the quotas. We do not include the calculation of retake quotas (T2/T3). We guess that the shot won’t be changed entirely because of a retake. Most of the time the T3 is done much faster than the T1.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>It may sound contradictory but it is mandatory to keep room to make these retakes. It is not because it is faster to do a T2 than a T1 that retakes should be totally removed! So the best option is to include the fact that some retakes will be done when you set the T1 quota goals (for instance, decreasing your daily quotas goals by half a second will allow you to anticipate the time spent on retakes). \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Difficulty\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>It is great to be aware of what it means to have a quota of X seconds of animation per day. Unfortunately, it is not enough to calculate the number of frames in a shot to determine the quota goal. You have to take into account several other parameters :\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The number of animated characters in the frame.\u003Cbr>For example, if there are two people talking in a shot, you will have to animate these two characters. The animator will have to do double work for this shot: animate character A and then animate again character B.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The difficulty of the shot itself: is it an emotional or an action scene? Is there a complex movement involved? etc.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The number of moving props in the scene and the number of FX may have an impact on its difficulty.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The level of the animators enters into consideration. We expect more from a senior than from a junior. Beware too that a senior may take more difficult or longer shots. In that case, the quota goal should be adapted.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Contracts\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>The context defined by the contract with the animation studio will have an influence too. For example, you could decide that there are no more than two characters on a shot, no more than six in a shot with wide framing, etc. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Once you agree on this, all the previous steps must be validated with these limitations in mind (script, storyboard, animatics...) to ensure that the quotas will be feasible.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The contracts set how many back and forths are planned and the nature of the retakes (if simple corrections are expected or if the shot can be fully redrawn). It will give you an idea of the time spent on the retakes on average. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Final notes\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Quotas should be used as a guideline to establish a budget and a schedule as close as possible to reality. It is important to include buffer zones that will allow absorbing the delay of an episode without jeopardizing the rest of the schedule. Keep in mind too, that quotas are not a dogma set once and for all the production, you will have to adapt to every situation. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let's finish with a little tip for TV series. To ensure that the quotas are respected, alternate the episode difficulty. A heavy episode should be followed by a light episode to allow the team to recover (in terms of fatigue and delay).\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"track-productivity\">Track productivity\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>Once the product is launched and the teams are set up, you need indicators to know if the quotas are respected and if everything is going at the right pace. You need to track the productivity of the teams.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you guess, to match them with quotas we are going to calculate artist by artist how many frames / seconds / plans they have done each day.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you do it manually, it requires spending a lot of time each day to get an accurate record of the work done. You will have to store this in a spreadsheet to be able to analyze the data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The second issue is that it adds a lot of stress on the artists. They may feel that they are constantly being watched. If an artist decides to rework his shot because he feels it's needed, he will have to justify it, and may even hesitate to do so. Artists can stop planning and thinking about what is really best for the pictures, in order to start animating as fast as possible to meet the quotas.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And the last point to pay attention to the artist can take a break, or start again from scratch his work. It will be up to the production manager to flatten the quotas on all the days spent by the artist, to have an idea of his speed. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>To not annoy an artist, there is another solution: you can track how much time per day an artist has worked on his task. As soon as he asks for validation, you can consider that he's done. Then you can make a retroactive calculation by weighting the amount of frame shipped with the time logs coming from the timesheets. If you don't use a timesheet, you can rely on his start date and guess a daily average of frames shipped between the beginning and the end of the task. Guessing quotas will be less overwhelming for you and your artists. It will lead to a similar level of accuracy with much fewer efforts required.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Ideally, during production, the quotas should be displayed via a burndown chart system for the whole team. It really helps to know if the team is still on track and it makes easier to handle edge cases (difficult shots, big retakes, etc.). For instance, you should break your animation department into teams of 4 to 5 people, and track their quotas together. This technique allows to remove the individual pressure and improves the cooperation between animators. Even better, it creates a sense of accounting and it could be seen as a game by the artists. It leads to stronger collaboration among the team!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"to-sum-up\">To sum up\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>Quotas are a powerful tool to predict and track your production. But it is double-edged. Badly estimated, quotas can exhaust a team and lead to a consequent delay. Properly estimated, quotas will serve as a reference throughout the production. It will give an idea of the number of elements to have in the picture and to know the real difficulty that the teams encounter. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Everyone can find motivation in seeing the progress and keep being regular. Team quotas can be fun and push everyone to act as smart as possible to finish on time while keeping a great movie quality. Overall, it's a great tool, but use it wisely!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to Animation Production Management and Animation Pipeline. But you can follow us on \u003Ca href=\"https://fr.linkedin.com/company/cgwire?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">LinkedIn\u003C/a> to see our news. We also share news from the animation industry. Come take a look and join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3488,"comment_id":3489,"feature_image":3490,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3491,"updated_at":3492,"custom_excerpt":3493,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3494,"primary_tag":3495,"url":3496,"excerpt":3493,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"eec8cf3a-0573-4b3c-a5a9-0c543b572208","625945f5526de3003d8bba1a","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/chris-liverani-dBI_My696Rk-unsplash-1.jpg","2022-04-15T12:16:21.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:37.000+01:00","In production, it's common to set quota goals to facilitate planning and budgeting. These quotas are then used as indicators to know whether the team is going at the right pace or not. Quotas can be calculated in terms of frames per day, seconds per day, or finished tasks per day. ",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-make-the-best-use-of-your-productivity-quotas/","/posts/how-to-make-the-best-use-of-your-productivity-quotas","2022-04-25T12:14:37.000+02:00",{"title":3483},"how-to-make-the-best-use-of-your-productivity-quotas","posts/how-to-make-the-best-use-of-your-productivity-quotas",[3503],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"nB8rxjH5VusLap-pootz39kmUQxfz4OWgDaL22BFMVg",{"id":3506,"title":3507,"authors":3508,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3510,"meta":3511,"navigation":15,"path":3521,"published_at":3522,"seo":3523,"slug":3524,"stem":3525,"tags":3526,"__hash__":3528,"uuid":3512,"comment_id":3513,"feature_image":3514,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3515,"updated_at":3516,"custom_excerpt":3517,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3518,"primary_tag":3519,"url":3520,"excerpt":3517,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:our-new-responsibilities.json","Our New Responsibilities",[3509],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Recently, Ftrack, one of the main production trackers on the market, was acquired by a hedge fund name PSG. Until then, Ftrack was the biggest challenger of Shotgrid, the Autodesk tracking system. In some ways, it was our main competitor. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's true that they were focused on VFX productions while we worked mainly with animation studios. But, it was a strong alternative to SG. They aimed at providing something simpler. They had the small team effect where you can still be agile, provide new features often, and change cap if necessary. They had good traction and a lot of funding. It was enough reason for us to keep them on our radar and consider them seriously.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now they are acquired, it's a whole new thing. Of course, they will have more funds to strengthen their Sales and Marketing team but it means too that it's no more a product company. The investment funds strategy is well known, they grow the valuation of the company by pushing the Sales. Then they exit when they can. There are few chances that Ftrack innovates much more than SG now. There will be some hype at the beginning then it should quickly fade away. Last but not least, to satisfy their goals, they will have to target big companies and probably outside the movie industry, no more small and medium animation / VFX studios.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, what? This event had a lot of impact on CGWire. It's a big change: we are now the strongest alternative to SG. We are a product company focused on our users. We iterate fast and our user base expands quickly. \u003Cbr>With this acquisition of Ftrack, our responsibilities widen suddenly. People who are looking for innovations will now look at what we do. Of course, other challengers are already there (Cerebro, CGTeamwork, Toonboom, Aquarium, etc.). But none of them proposes an open-source solution, deployed in many studios and, with a strong opinion on the UX. So, at least for a while, all eyes will be directed toward us to know what is coming new for studios collaboration.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's a big duty, but we are proud to handle it. All along the way, we saw competitors stopping operations or being acquired. We didn't know that we'll survive such a competitive market. But, we are now there, with a vibrant community of users and coders (in past months we received several significant contributions). \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Our motivated team and the collective intelligence from our open source project is a great recipe to bring you the features you dreamt of. We are now in the best canvas to provide you with the software you deserve. Kitsu is on the right track to disrupting the whole animation industry!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Main Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/JD0D-lReHFE?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Brett Jordan\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to Animation Production Management and Animation Pipeline. But you can follow us on \u003Ca href=\"https://fr.linkedin.com/company/cgwire?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">LinkedIn\u003C/a> to see our news. We also share news from the animation industry. Come take a look and join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3512,"comment_id":3513,"feature_image":3514,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3515,"updated_at":3516,"custom_excerpt":3517,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3518,"primary_tag":3519,"url":3520,"excerpt":3517,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"6885b1a7-2fc5-42e6-a4ef-131b3be72777","625d7a97318947003dce4900","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/04/brett-jordan-JD0D-lReHFE-unsplash.jpg","2022-04-18T16:49:59.000+02:00","2022-11-21T15:02:28.000+01:00","Recently, Ftrack, one of the main production trackers on the market, was acquired by a hedge fund name PSG. Until then, Ftrack was the biggest challenger of Shotgrid, the Autodesk tracking system. In some ways, it was our main competitor. ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/our-new-responsibilities/","/posts/our-new-responsibilities","2022-04-20T10:19:55.000+02:00",{"title":3507},"our-new-responsibilities","posts/our-new-responsibilities",[3527],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"RuTwEbxoU0n3VgGm8RNKiNP6Z_48vaZREquLtSkCjDc",{"id":3530,"title":3531,"authors":3532,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3534,"meta":3535,"navigation":15,"path":3545,"published_at":3546,"seo":3547,"slug":3548,"stem":3549,"tags":3550,"__hash__":3552,"uuid":3536,"comment_id":3537,"feature_image":3538,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3539,"updated_at":3540,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"show_title_and_feature_image":15,"primary_author":3541,"primary_tag":3542,"url":3543,"excerpt":3544,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/pages:customer-story-miyu-studio.json","Customer Story: Miyu Studio",[3533],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Ch2 id=\"a-few-words-about-miyu\">A few words about Miyu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Founded in 2009 by Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, Miyu Productions is a TV production company specializing in animation. They create short and feature films alongside TV series. Since its inception, the company carries a strict editorial direction for all its projects. \u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"miyu-and-kitsu\">Miyu and Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>In this customer story, Carole, Production Manager at Miyu, will tell us how she implemented Kitsu in her studio.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"carole-can-you-tell-us-more-about-you\">Carole, can you tell us more about you?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>I have always been passionate about animation, I have worked in this field for 6 years. I love the diversity of the projects available. I had the opportunity to work on pre-school puppet production (Ollie and Moon), auteur feature films (Saules Aveugles, Femme Endormie), and US productions (Glitch techs). \u003C/p>\u003Cp>I came back recently to Miyu as Production Manager. What I enjoy the most in this job is the fact you give life to the project and the initial vision of the Authors and Directors. \u003Cbr>We make so artistic choices. our film can be done only because we have a solid team. My role is to support them and give cohesion to their work. We have to do beautiful pictures while dealing with economical constraints. To achieve that, I make sure all the talents can express themselves and do their best to ensure a great movie.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/03/carole_miyu_2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"775\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/03/carole_miyu_2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/03/carole_miyu_2.png 800w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"which-tools-did-you-use-prior-to-kitsu\">Which tools did you use prior to Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We used the standard tools used in the industry, from the traditional and powerful Google Sheet to the tedious Shotgrid. SG is a gold mine for studios that can tweak it. It's good for them but on our side, we didn't have the resources for that. That's why we looked for an alternative.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-did-you-hear-about-our-solution\">How did you hear about our solution?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Kitsu was already implemented at Miyu when I arrived. I had to take it with my new job : ). At that time, Miyu was still testing it on small productions. And, I had never heard about it before. So I discovered it directly in production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-did-you-get-started-with-kitsu\">How did you get started with Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>When Miyu had its first feature film, the question of the tracking tool came. Other tools looked great but they required extra work to be fully functional. And, we needed a solution quickly. We were looking for something easy to start with, that would suit all the team members. The Google Sheets look like it would require infinite customization to achieve what we wanted. Especially after experimenting with SG (on another production) where it helped us in many aspects.  \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, Tanguy, the Production Director, suggested using Kitsu for \u003Cem>Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. \u003C/em>So, Gwen from CGWire came to the studio to show the whole team how Kitsu was working. It was very convincing: our decision was made!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"did-you-have-any-preconceptions-before-using-it\">\u003Cstrong>Did you have any preconceptions before using it? \u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We made some tests, prior to using it for our first feature. At first, we found it a little bit hard to adapt to the software philosophy. But once, we were used to it, everything became smoother. We were surprised too to see how fast the artistic teams started with it. Even better, the CGWire team was really listening to our feedback. The software has evolved in a way that suits us. \u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-has-changed-in-the-studio-since-then-in-your-way-of-working\">\u003Cstrong>What has changed in the studio since then, in your way of working\u003C/strong>?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>It gives a common ground to each production. In a way, it mutualizes the tooling. Even if the pipelines change between productions, the basis is the same. So the main logic stays identical, which makes things much easier when switching from one project to another.  \u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"for-how-long-have-you-been-using-kitsu\">For how long have you been using Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Three years for Miyu, two years for me. Using it means adopting it. Once you start with it, you don't think about using something else!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"which-features-have-impacted-your-workflow-the-most\">Which features have impacted your workflow the most?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>I think the review work is much easier with Kitsu thanks to the playlist system. The tool is good, especially because you can compare the building steps and the versions. It saves tons of time! You can build sequence reviews too, which allows making more accurate reviews without having to look for the right version for hours. It puts an end to the long night where I was looking for the right file versions in order to prepare the end-to-end needed for the weekly reviews. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/03/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1611\" height=\"874\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/03/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/03/image-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2022/03/image-2.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/03/image-2.png 1611w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>Playlist used on Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (from the Murakami novel)\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-are-the-benefits-brought-by-kitsu\">What are the benefits brought by Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>There are three main aspects to me:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When everyone updates its status regularly and sends their previews properly, we are able to gather all the data required for our reports. We can export them in a .csv file and turn them in the way we want. We don't need anymore to continuously ask for information from the artists. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Having on the same page all the building steps of a shot is really helpful. More widely, it's great that the production team and the artists can see how the production is progressing quickly without digging into five different places.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Its ease of use is its main strength. A few days are enough to understand the features require to run a production. Everyone starts quickly, especially artists who really enjoy it. We didn't notice this enthusiasm with the previous tools we used.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"can-you-give-us-some-metrics-about-the-time-you-saved-with-kitsu\">Can you give us some metrics about the time you saved with Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>You cannot quantify it. It simply makes everything smoother. It's just like having the right tool for the job.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"kitsu-in-two-words\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu in two words?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Easy and handy!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Thank you Carole for this customer story! It's great that you were able to share insights about your studio and your experience with Kitsu. At CGWire we are super proud to have helped you with your projects. We wish you the best in the following.\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you want other stories, you can read the ones from \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/customer-story-autour-de-minuit/\">Céline at Fost\u003C/a> and from \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/customer-story-autour-de-minuit/\">Fiona at Autour de Minuit\u003C/a>.\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/03/studio-paris-2-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/03/studio-paris-2-1.jpg 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/03/studio-paris-2-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>Miyu studio in action\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>",{"uuid":3536,"comment_id":3537,"feature_image":3538,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3539,"updated_at":3540,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"show_title_and_feature_image":15,"primary_author":3541,"primary_tag":3542,"url":3543,"excerpt":3544,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"e9fb3060-80d1-45c6-a67c-c604863c4c4b","622722d745dc74003df7f4cd","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/03/studio-paris.jpg","2022-03-08T10:33:11.000+01:00","2026-03-24T05:15:45.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/customer-story-miyu-studio/","A few words about Miyu\nFounded in 2009 by Emmanuel-Alain Raynal, Miyu Productions is a TV production\ncompany specializing in animation. They create short and feature films alongside\nTV series. Since its inception, the company carries a strict editorial direction\nfor all its projects. \n\nMiyu and Kitsu\nIn this customer story, Carole, Production Manager at Miyu, will tell us how she\nimplemented Kitsu in her studio.\n\nCarole, can you tell us more about you?\nI have always been passionate about animati","/pages/customer-story-miyu-studio","2022-03-27T18:32:16.000+02:00",{"title":3531},"customer-story-miyu-studio","pages/customer-story-miyu-studio",[3551],{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"wLdIQ6ASQa2BlA60hhEFMyeyiRu-EHrwAilCDOjg5S8",{"id":3554,"title":3555,"authors":3556,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3558,"meta":3559,"navigation":15,"path":3569,"published_at":3570,"seo":3571,"slug":3572,"stem":3573,"tags":3574,"__hash__":3576,"uuid":3560,"comment_id":3561,"feature_image":3562,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3563,"updated_at":3564,"custom_excerpt":3565,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"show_title_and_feature_image":15,"primary_author":3566,"primary_tag":3567,"url":3568,"excerpt":3565,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/pages:customer-story-fost-studio.json","Customer story: Fost Studio",[3557],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Ch2 id=\"a-few-words-about-fost-studio\">A few words about Fost Studio\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Founded in 2018, Fost Studio is a Paris-based animation studio providing high-quality services for feature film, TV, and web productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They have a capacity of over a hundred artists specializing in 2D animation and in pre-production for CG. Quality is their main focus and they provide only high-quality pictures. They have already accomplished beautiful series like Ernest & Célestine, Sam Sam, or Stinky Dogs. They have worked too on great feature films like The Summit of Gods or Wolfwalkers.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/12/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/12/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2021/12/image.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2021/12/image.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"fost-studio-and-kitsu\">Fost Studio and Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Céline, Head of Studio, is going to explain how her studio has taken advantage of Kitsu. They have used it mainly in the context of TV series production, where the need for focus and productivity is very important. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>We are glad to share with you her story. Because, prior to using Kitsu, Céline has always provided us with great information about production management. It really helped us to design our solution.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"hello-c%C3%A9line-can-you-introduce-yourself\">Hello Céline, can you introduce yourself?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Hello! I have recently joined the Fost Studio team as Head of Studio. I \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/celinedurieux/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">have worked in production for 9 years\u003C/a>. Initially, I worked mainly on 3D productions. Then, I joined Folivari as Head of Production on Pachamama feature film. Recently, I worked on the Ernest et Celestine TV series season 2 and Samsam season 3. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>From now on, as Head of Studio, my job is to ensure that we deliver films that meet our client expectations while providing a pleasant and benevolent work environment for our teams. This point is crucial: we want our teams to be glad to get up in the morning to work on our projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Additionally, I support our production teams, especially during the tough period we all face. Last but not least, I do technological watch and recommend them the best communication and management tools like Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"which-tools-did-you-use-prior-to-kitsu\">Which tools did you use prior to Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We were using the good old Google Sheets. On some projects, when our clients require it, we used Shotgun (it's still the case today for some productions).\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-did-you-hear-about-our-solution\">How did you hear about our solution?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>At the beginning of the CGWire project, Frank was looking for production managers to understand their needs and challenges. He contacted me in that sense. We talked several times and I was convinced by the vision of Kitsu. I have followed its progress and provided feedback from time to time. When our studio grew, the question of our tooling was raised. Naturally, we turned to Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-did-you-get-started-with-kitsu\">How did you get started with Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The time required to adapt to Kitsu was incredibly short! One of the strengths of the solution is its simplicity and the fact it's intuitive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We started with a single project on which we were tracking mainly the pre-production. It was useful to manage the assets and the 2D backgrounds. Today, we use it for the production aspects too, like production backgrounds, animation, FX, and compositing. We tested Kitsu for one year, then we moved all our projects to it. The transition was easy for all the teams.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"did-you-have-any-preconceptions-before-using-it\">\u003Cstrong>Did you have any preconceptions before using it? \u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We knew that the software was still young and that improvements were on the way. We wanted to test its stability and see how it behaves on significant TV series. Spoiler alert: Everything ran smoothly! ;) \u003C/p>\u003Cp>There are more features on the way for Kitsu but in its current state Kitsu already helped us a lot. The CGWire team was great at listening to our needs and our context. They made Kitsu evolve in the right direction.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image-5.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1907\" height=\"937\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/12/image-5.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/12/image-5.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2021/12/image-5.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image-5.png 1907w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>Casting page for Ernest et Célestine season 2\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-has-changed-in-the-studio-since-then-in-your-way-of-working\">\u003Cstrong>What has changed in the studio since then, in your way of working\u003C/strong>?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The fact that we were able to centralize all the data at the same place with a clear and unified UI. It's so simpler when you work on several projects to find information at any moment. It's the same with the team, once they onboard on Kitsu, it's very easy for them to switch between productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With the increase of remote workers in our team, Kitsu facilitated the transition. Thanks to its many capabilities, we were able to redesign our workflow and our production tracking for this context.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"for-how-long-have-you-been-using-kitsu\">For how long have you been using Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Since June 2020, so from a year and a half.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"which-features-have-impacted-your-workflow-the-most\">Which features have impacted your workflow the most?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We would have hard times coming back to Excel for managing our breakdown. The tool from Kitsu is efficient and fast. It was a life-changer for our director assistants!\u003Cbr>Additionally, the fact we are able to connect the assets and the shots allows the whole design team to be more efficient.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The playlist system has been a great time saver for our directors and supervisors. It allows checking the progress of the project in a glimpse. They are able to compare easily versions, to check several steps at the same time. It's a precious utility, it has definitely increased our productivity.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"743\" height=\"813\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/12/image-3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image-3.png 743w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>Production report visible in Kitsu\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-are-the-benefits-brought-by-kitsu\">What are the benefits brought by Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>I'm convinced that it would not have been possible to follow so closely the quotas that were imposed on us by our budget without Kitsu. We would have more latency on everything. The problems would have emerged lately during the manufacturing. Which obviously would have slowed us down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Another thing I appreciate is that our asset inventory is much clearer. We know exactly what was done in our projects, we know the history of everything. It's going to be very useful for upcoming projects. When we started the Ernest et Célestine season 2, it was a challenge to know what was there and what we could reuse from season 1. For the third season (if there is one!), it will be much easier thanks to Kitsu!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>What is great too, is the import/export system from/to CSV files. We were able to migrate an already running project quickly into Kitsu. For instance, it’s what we did on Samsam season 3: we had to migrate on Kitsu nearly 20 episodes with their breakdown. And, when you have to transmit specific reports to a partner or calculate complex quotas, it makes everything easier.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image-4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1919\" height=\"919\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/12/image-4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/12/image-4.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2021/12/image-4.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image-4.png 1919w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>End-to-end playlist with comparison and comment mode enabled\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"can-you-give-us-some-metrics-about-the-time-you-saved-with-kitsu\">Can you give us some metrics about the time you saved with  Kitsu?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>With Kitsu, people think first about the time saved but what matters more to me is the serenity you get by having everything in order. It gave you more space in your brain to focus on other elements of your production. But, I can give you a few spots where the gains were the most obvious:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>3 weeks saved to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of each episode of Ernest and Celestine season 2. \u003C/li>\u003Cli>2h per episode for the breakdown\u003C/li>\u003Cli>On a 39x3 TV show, 22 days saved for the end to end edit\u003C/li>\u003Cli>1h saved per episode per supervisors to send their feedback\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"kitsu-in-two-words\">\u003Cstrong>Kitsu in two words?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Simple and efficient!\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Thank you Céline for this customer story! It's great that you were able to share insights about your studio and your experience of Kitsu. At CGWire we are super proud to have helped you with your projects. We wish you the best for the following.\u003C/em> \u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image-6.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1903\" height=\"938\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/12/image-6.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/12/image-6.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2021/12/image-6.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/12/image-6.png 1903w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>The shot list of Ernest and Celestine season 2 with a task opened\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>",{"uuid":3560,"comment_id":3561,"feature_image":3562,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3563,"updated_at":3564,"custom_excerpt":3565,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"show_title_and_feature_image":15,"primary_author":3566,"primary_tag":3567,"url":3568,"excerpt":3565,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"2aec6a78-9bc5-4695-a565-1f356e377781","61c3a627e02af7003b161873","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image-7.png","2021-12-22T23:26:47.000+01:00","2026-03-24T05:15:55.000+01:00","Learn how Fost Studio has set up Kitsu for their teams. Through their use of your solution, you will be able to understand better the benefits provided.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/customer-story-fost-studio/","/pages/customer-story-fost-studio","2022-01-17T14:23:35.000+01:00",{"title":3555},"customer-story-fost-studio","pages/customer-story-fost-studio",[3575],{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"UxNX-VF2lVn5a_98rAl5yC7JA8CYIAGAp1otMEKmno8",{"id":3578,"title":3579,"authors":3580,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3582,"meta":3583,"navigation":15,"path":3593,"published_at":3594,"seo":3595,"slug":3596,"stem":3597,"tags":3598,"__hash__":3601,"uuid":3584,"comment_id":3585,"feature_image":3586,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3587,"updated_at":3588,"custom_excerpt":3589,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3590,"primary_tag":3591,"url":3592,"excerpt":3589,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:5-kitsu-tips-to-make-your-day-better.json","5 Kitsu Tips For Animation Production Management In 2026",[3581],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>While discussing with our customers and watching their Kitsu, we figured out that they do interesting things that we didn't expect. In this blog post, we want to share with you a few tips coming from their usage. To make this post even better, we added two highlights on hidden features of Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-table-and-file-names\">1. Table and file names\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>When you have a robot that publishes your previews for your team, it's common to write information about that files. It often involves file names and scripts. Because comments are markdown compatible, you can format your information as a table and style file name as in a terminal. It will be easier to read.\u003Cbr>Check \u003Ca href=\"https://www.markdownguide.org/cheat-sheet/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">this guide\u003C/a> to see how you can format your comment in Kitsu!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"367\" height=\"318\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-emoji-in-status\">2. Emoji in status\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>To make status funnier and playful, you can add an emoji in the short name of the status. Your artists will be happier by seeing this!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"85\" height=\"36\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>NB: Find \u003Ca href=\"https://emojipedia.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">here\u003C/a> a search engine for your emojis.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-rainbow\">3. Rainbow\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>If you chose well your task type colors you can set a rainbow for your main shot tracking table. It's a simple trick that will make you smile every time you open your production in Kitsu!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1387\" height=\"685\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/01/image-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/01/image-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image-2.png 1387w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"4-zoom-in-pictures\">4. Zoom in pictures\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>When you are in full screen mode to see a picture, you can use the right click button to open a magnifying glass inside the picture (if its resolution is bigger than your screen). It's great to see details for your backgrounds for instance.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image-4.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1254\" height=\"783\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/01/image-4.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2022/01/image-4.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image-4.png 1254w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"5-copy-paste-urls-or-bookmark-them\">5. Copy / Paste URLs or bookmark them\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Most pages store the context in the URL. It means that you can build a filtered view and share it easily with others. You can copy your current url and send them the link. They will be able to see the same thing as you. The other option is to save it as a bookmark to access easily to this page later.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image-3.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"770\" height=\"61\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2022/01/image-3.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/image-3.png 770w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That's it for this Kitsu tip session. Feel free to send us your best practice and fun usages. We will share them with the whole community!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to Animation Production Management and Animation Pipeline. But you can follow us on \u003Ca href=\"https://fr.linkedin.com/company/cgwire?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">LinkedIn\u003C/a> to see our news. We also share news from the animation industry. Come take a look and join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3584,"comment_id":3585,"feature_image":3586,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3587,"updated_at":3588,"custom_excerpt":3589,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3590,"primary_tag":3591,"url":3592,"excerpt":3589,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"a5a359b5-adea-45e5-9a3f-b5bd87ce5f73","61d5e2e8e02af7003b161902","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2022/01/unknown.png","2022-01-05T19:26:48.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:03:43.000+01:00","While discussing with our customers and watching their Kitsu, we figured out that they do interesting things that we didn't expect. In this blog post, we want to share with you a few tips coming from their usage. To make this post even better, we added two highlights on the hidden features of Kitsu.",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/5-kitsu-tips-to-make-your-day-better/","/posts/5-kitsu-tips-to-make-your-day-better","2022-01-06T11:29:22.000+01:00",{"title":3579},"5-kitsu-tips-to-make-your-day-better","posts/5-kitsu-tips-to-make-your-day-better",[3599,3600],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"FKpqAw5QCjJNbVBykWiHS7YMU0QjizQiBYbaYjXOa8A",{"id":3603,"title":3604,"authors":3605,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3607,"meta":3608,"navigation":15,"path":3617,"published_at":3618,"seo":3619,"slug":3620,"stem":3621,"tags":3622,"__hash__":3624,"uuid":3609,"comment_id":3610,"feature_image":8,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3611,"updated_at":3612,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"show_title_and_feature_image":15,"primary_author":3613,"primary_tag":3614,"url":3615,"excerpt":3616,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/pages:customer-story-autour-de-minuit.json","Customer story: Autour de Minuit and Indie productions",[3606],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/02/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"who-is-autour-de-minuit\">\u003Cem>Who is Autour de Minuit? \u003C/em>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>For those who don't know, Autour de Minuit is a French film production company created in 2001 by Nicolas Schmerkin. Over time, the editorial line opened up to other genres and audiences such as documentaries, music videos, fiction or animation for kids and families. Now the company has two studios, one in Paris and one in Angoulême. \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/05/ADM_studioParis_003-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/05/ADM_studioParis_003-1.jpg 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/05/ADM_studioParis_003-1.jpg 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2021/05/ADM_studioParis_003-1.jpg 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/05/ADM_studioParis_003-1.jpg 2016w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cstrong>Paris' studio\u003C/strong>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Three years after the creation they realized that they also wanted to get into the distribution of animation and digital works. So since 2004, Autour de Minuit deals with the world of distribution with almost 400 films.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/05/NN_RET_Still_012-1.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/05/NN_RET_Still_012-1.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/05/NN_RET_Still_012-1.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2021/05/NN_RET_Still_012-1.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/05/NN_RET_Still_012-1.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cstrong>\"No-no\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>They produced more than 80 shorts, to name a few of them : \"\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NvI8BY2laE&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>The Gloaming\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\", \"\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAKopCwGlcc&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Logorama\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\", \"\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73eZOKpanSM&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Obras\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\"... They also produced or co-produced over 10 projects for television, mostly series for children like \"\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJgKpI2TrWY&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>No-no\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\" but also for adults like \"\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSGc3pXqdzg&list=PLCEw7O9B_PfMKFlDbi6Xv1a4A1S4NH82s&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Babioles\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\" on a French channel named Canal+. They have been working on features such as \"\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bms8gJWQrM8&t=4s&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Psiconautas\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\", a Spanish film and they are currently working on another one called \"\u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5NhoAsNSYc&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cstrong>Unicorn Wars\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\" (ps: you can watch the trailer of it just by clicking on the tittle!) \u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/05/image.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1280\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/05/image.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/05/image.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/05/image.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cstrong>\"Unicorn Wars\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch3 id=\"productions-at-autour-de-minuit\">\u003Cem>Productions at Autour de Minuit\u003C/em>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>When it comes to production, you can't imagine how much data you have to manage. Being organized is essential, otherwise it would be a mess in the studio. You need to communicate, to be understood, assign tasks to each person so everyone know what to do etc. Some studios can be lost during the process because they have a lack of information, they don't know what has been done or not, they are loosing information related to retakes, they are wasting time because they checked the wrong versions, they have a budget issue because they didn't realize that they were late and I can go on and on. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>When their production section growed significantly, it was obvious that they needed a production tracker. Of course there is a lot available on the market but they were not as functional as Kitsu which, clearly standed out. We made an easy-to-use tool which is open-source, collaborative and original by following our values : simplicity, collaboration and craftsmanship. Our focus on making things easy for small shops and our dedication to indie studios matched perfectly with their vision of a good production workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"autour-de-minuit-kitsu\">\u003Cem>Autour de Minuit & Kitsu\u003C/em>\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>The best way to show you how Kitsu can be helpful is to ask the main concerns and here are the answers from Fiona Cohen, production director. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What kind of tool did you use before Kitsu? \u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At Autour de Minuit, we used an internal tool called BAM (it was more like an asset manager, personally I almost didn’t use it because we transferred all the data to Kitsu when I arrived) and of course the very useful Excel/Google Sheet spreadsheets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How did you hear about/know Kitsu?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It was the former technical supervisor, Manuel Rais, who talked about it. If I remember correctly the main idea was to change the tool to have more features than BAM. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why did you need more features? \u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Google Sheets and BAM didn't make the link between the elements and the task monitoring so we can't upload the playblasts, put images and follow the comments. As for Shotgun, it would have been too heavy and less attractive for the teams.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So we needed a tool that made the link between the tasks and the visual. For the teams, a tool that is more practical and more pleasant to use and for the filmmakers to see the end-to-end shots and follow the progress of the tasks. Basically, we were looking for something more ergonomic and that will allow us better communication.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Did you have any preconceptions before using it? If so, which ones?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As I recall, no. Personally, I had worked a lot with the Google Sheets for project monitoring and also Shotgun so I was aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each. I think that we were especially enthusiastic about the idea of having a tool more adapted to productions with a tight budget and participating in its development to improve it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>How long have you been using Kitsu?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We installed it at the end of 2018, so 2 years and a half now. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What has changed in the studio since then, in your way of working?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We were able to harmonize processes (such as classifications, inter-prod organizations), create manufacturing tools that link the server to Kitsu (particularly an asset manager) in a more structured and stable way.\u003Cbr>Kitsu allows us to have a similar framework for each project, it puts in order some elements which is really useful for the different teams that can succeed each other in the studio, especially since we have so much different projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Which features are time-saving?\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Mostly the basic features (status monitoring and comments) and being able to watch the end-to-end elements and compare them without the need to go through an external editing tool (even if we also do this kind of thing via our internal Asset Manager). For everyday life, the Kitsu reader is sufficient and allows our external partners (co-production and service providers) to do the same without internal tools.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>To put it another way, the feature that I really miss since all this time was the comments' filter (from filmmakers, supervisors) before publishing them on tasks. We often need to make a filter to limit the retakes or explain them better.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kitsu in two words?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Convenient and esthetically pleasing\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Your projects for 2021\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There is plenty at ADM! Lots of nice projects are coming, at different stages: after the post-production of the short film \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Ronde de Nuit\u003C/em>\u003C/strong> and the teasers of the feature films \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>The Midnight King\u003C/em>\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Les Ombres\u003C/em>\u003C/strong> for the Cartoon Movie 2021, we finish the production of the short \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Absence\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>, the production of the feature \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Unicorn Wars\u003C/em>\u003C/strong> is in full swing (between Spain, Angoulême and Paris), the new \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Non-Non special in Space\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003Cem> \u003C/em>will start soon in animation, several short films are in development and pre-production such as \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>The Goose\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>, in 3D-2D-stop-motion with a Czech director and co-production.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/05/Absence_2021-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/05/Absence_2021-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/05/Absence_2021-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2021/05/Absence_2021-2.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w2400/2021/05/Absence_2021-2.png 2400w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cstrong>\"Absence\"\u003C/strong>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>",{"uuid":3609,"comment_id":3610,"feature_image":8,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3611,"updated_at":3612,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"show_title_and_feature_image":15,"primary_author":3613,"primary_tag":3614,"url":3615,"excerpt":3616,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"dfd5186f-f211-40e7-85c4-651e2aeeae51","612527ed8ef023003e9782bf","2021-08-24T19:10:05.000+02:00","2026-03-24T05:16:41.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/customer-story-autour-de-minuit/","Who is Autour de Minuit? \nFor those who don't know, Autour de Minuit is a French film production company\ncreated in 2001 by Nicolas Schmerkin. Over time, the editorial line opened up to\nother genres and audiences such as documentaries, music videos, fiction or\nanimation for kids and families. Now the company has two studios, one in Paris\nand one in Angoulême. \n\nParis' studioThree years after the creation they realized that they also wanted\nto get into the distribution of animation and digital wo","/pages/customer-story-autour-de-minuit","2021-08-24T19:11:30.000+02:00",{"title":3604},"customer-story-autour-de-minuit","pages/customer-story-autour-de-minuit",[3623],{"id":110,"name":34,"slug":41,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":38},"kQuDY7OUCNI7DGmiHy4R5jXJg_Qyw-RIGK0sX7c6j9w",{"id":3626,"title":3627,"authors":3628,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3630,"meta":3631,"navigation":15,"path":3640,"published_at":3641,"seo":3642,"slug":3643,"stem":3644,"tags":3645,"__hash__":3646,"uuid":3632,"comment_id":3633,"feature_image":3634,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3635,"updated_at":3636,"custom_excerpt":3637,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3638,"primary_tag":8,"url":3639,"excerpt":3637,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:the-blender-studio-choose-kitsu-for-its-productions.json","The Blender Studio Choose Kitsu For Its Productions",[3629],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/07/blender_logo_socket-2.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1800\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/2021/07/blender_logo_socket-2.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/2021/07/blender_logo_socket-2.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1600/2021/07/blender_logo_socket-2.png 1600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/07/blender_logo_socket-2.png 1800w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>As you know, we have worked hard for years on building Kitsu. We embraced a vision where creativity should be supported by Free and Open Source software. We have always considered that freelancers, students, hobbyists should access the same technologies as corporations. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Studios on their side should not be locked down with a single vendor. They must be able to understand the internals of any brick of their pipeline. This way, they are in control and can link everything more properly. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Additionally, we developed the concept that collaboration matters more than tracking. It's more important that artists work hand in hand with all stakeholders than having perfect production spreadsheets. We believe that efficient communication leads to better pictures. Especially in a world that is more distributed, where remote work and studio partnerships are the new norms.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These bold statements have convinced many studios. Kitsu has been used to build short movies, TV series, and feature films. During the past years, we had the opportunity to contribute to great productions all over the world. Thousand of artists enjoy better conditions for their productions. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>And today is a great day. We reached a major milestone. The Blender Studio announced they integrated Kitsu in their pipeline for their upcoming production Sprite Frights! \u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Blender Foundation is the organization behind the open-source Digital Content Creation tool named Blender. Their motto is to work for The Freedom To Create. They develop their software for almost 20 years. During the last years, they had huge traction. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>To illustrate what is possible to do with Blender, they created the Blender Studio which produces high-end movies copylefted under the Creative Commons license. All their productions create a lot of expectation and excitement all over the world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you guess, what we do is largely inspired by the Blender Foundation. That's why we are very proud to earn their recognition and help them build their movies. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thank you to all the people who help us with this project. Reaching a new milestone is not an easy path. But together we are stronger.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And this is just the beginning, at CGWire, we are going to grow our technical team to improve Kitsu faster. We will be able to add many more features and make it more robust.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's time to let you read the announcement article written by Francesco Siddi, Blender Foundation COO, who describes the whole process that led the Blender Studio to that choice. Enjoy!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://studio.blender.org/blog/the-blender-studio-pipeline/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">The Blender Studio Pipeline - Blender Studio\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">First of a series of articles focused on the research and development of a fully open source CG production pipeline.\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cimg class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/icon/favicon.d742f1f6283f.ico\" alt=\"\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">Blender Studio\u003C/span>\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Blender Studio\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/thumbnail/6bfff9387907c46952c17d47ad908488_m.webp\" alt=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display = 'none'\">\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>",{"uuid":3632,"comment_id":3633,"feature_image":3634,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3635,"updated_at":3636,"custom_excerpt":3637,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3638,"primary_tag":8,"url":3639,"excerpt":3637,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"8585b2a4-e9ec-4602-a658-5f2b3c0562b2","60f03ea25bacda003b4148f4","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/07/e7c57c4303a0b7f795dcb0799d36b808.jpg","2021-07-15T15:56:50.000+02:00","2026-03-26T09:53:10.000+01:00","As you know, we have worked hard for years on building Kitsu. We embraced a vision where creativity should be supported by Free and Open Source software. We have always considered that freelancers, students, hobbyists should access the same technologies as corporations. ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/the-blender-studio-choose-kitsu-for-its-productions/","/posts/the-blender-studio-choose-kitsu-for-its-productions","2021-07-15T16:05:38.000+02:00",{"title":3627},"the-blender-studio-choose-kitsu-for-its-productions","posts/the-blender-studio-choose-kitsu-for-its-productions",[],"pnGYBQQ1bxjNeh9SKP4QYYC-vgsal7P65dWcWZ0xq1Q",{"id":3648,"title":3649,"authors":3650,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3652,"meta":3653,"navigation":15,"path":3663,"published_at":3664,"seo":3665,"slug":3666,"stem":3667,"tags":3668,"__hash__":3670,"uuid":3654,"comment_id":3655,"feature_image":3656,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3657,"updated_at":3658,"custom_excerpt":3659,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3660,"primary_tag":3661,"url":3662,"excerpt":3659,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:your-spreadsheets-matters-less-than-the-time-of-your-artists.json","(2026) Your Spreadsheets Matter Less Than The Time of Your Artists",[3651],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>After years of work, you meet success and your studio is growing\u003C/strong>. You have more important and demanding projects. It’s time to hire more people, new people, artists who are not used to your methods. And sometimes they won’t even be on your premises and therefore can’t be trained by your seniors. Facing these new challenges is super exciting and you want to make everything perfect.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You are ready to make a significant step forward:\u003Cstrong> you are going to build a strong pipeline\u003C/strong>. Among other tools, you want a production management software that will be available to everyone in the studio. You are ok to let your beloved spreadsheets of all kinds, even it they took months or maybe years to refine.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, you take a look at the solutions of the market, you register for a trial and you try each of them. And now comes the real big question: what are your selection criterias? For who this tool is really aimed at?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>If you take it for yourself, your main criteria will be production reports and statistics. \u003C/strong>You will enjoy building custom pages to find all your production indicators. And this as quickly and easily as possible. That would be great to have all this new reports but if this is your first criterion, it means that the whole artist / supervisor / director / client crew comes after.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The second option is to help your production team to do their weekly report and follow better their production.\u003C/strong> It sounds good, but if this is your first criterion, it means that artists, supervisors directors and clients come after again. It means that you prefer to help people whose job is to organize, manage and report rather than people who build the movie, and who should solely focus on their art… And from what the reports say, it seems they have  a much bigger importance in your budget…\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Take, for example, an ecosystem of 10 people: 1 client, 1 producer, 1 production manager, 1 director/supervisor, and 6 artists. \u003Cbr>The client will give his validation on the previews once a week. The producer is going to follow the production once a month. The production manager will follow the artists every day and report to the producer once a week. The director will supervise the artists and give them feedback every day. And \u003Cstrong>the artists will look several times a day at what they have to do\u003C/strong> and whether their previous work has been validated.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As a producer, director of the production, \u003Cstrong>you will spend a lot of time recruiting your artists\u003C/strong>. They are the cornerstone of your project! You recruit them based on their demo tape, maybe even on a test. You are willing to pay the price to get the right person in the right position.\u003Cbr>But when the artist arrives in your studio, he will have to manage your internal tracking system. He will have to look for his shots on the network in a spreadsheet. He will spend a lot of time running after the real to know if his work has been validated or not. He will look for the previews of previous building steps. In short, \u003Cstrong>he will spend time looking for the information he needs\u003C/strong>. If the software, cluttered, slow and complex he may spend 15 minutes a day only to look for the right information.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then let’s take the production manager, but on the other hand, we recruit him for his organizational, synthesis, and communication skills. Saving him a few hours to build his report is nice. But the question arises! \u003Cstrong>What matters most? Providing a tool that will help your production managers to make their reports, which is why you recruited them? Or make sure that your artists don’t waste a minute looking for information and could focus only on their art?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If we stay on the example of the artist who loses 15 minutes a day looking for information about himself, after a week, he has already lost more than 1 hour and 15 minutes (15mn x 5d = 75mn). If it is a team of 6 people, we are already wasted a full day (75mn x 6 people = 450mn = 7.5h).\u003Cbr>Let’s continue the same math over a month and \u003Cstrong>your whole team loses almost a week’s work \u003C/strong>(7.5h * 4.5 week = 34h = 4.7d). And we don’t add here the time lost when a shot need to be processed again because of a misunderstanding.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>All this wasted time could have been used to refine and push the quality even further or avoid overtime. So, one last time, ask ourselves the question: \u003Cstrong>is it better to privilege the artists or the production reports?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At CGWire, we have our idea.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 400+ to share tips and ideas. Join us; TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3654,"comment_id":3655,"feature_image":3656,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3657,"updated_at":3658,"custom_excerpt":3659,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3660,"primary_tag":3661,"url":3662,"excerpt":3659,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"e584181a-4b78-46c7-aac1-01389113be32","89b89ce9a92a","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-3OjqEPWWT1cy5CY9r4Hqfg.png","2021-01-11T18:38:35.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:51:56.000+01:00","After years of work, you meet success and your studio is growing. You have more important and demanding projects. It’s time to hire more…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/your-spreadsheets-matters-less-than-the-time-of-your-artists/","/posts/your-spreadsheets-matters-less-than-the-time-of-your-artists","2021-04-25T18:47:00.000+02:00",{"title":3649},"your-spreadsheets-matters-less-than-the-time-of-your-artists","posts/your-spreadsheets-matters-less-than-the-time-of-your-artists",[3669],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"1hpYe8uuFVPSK3JKQGEVOZBNR-nyK-i5RC6ZXcvUTbg",{"id":3672,"title":3673,"authors":3674,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3676,"meta":3677,"navigation":15,"path":3687,"published_at":3688,"seo":3689,"slug":3690,"stem":3691,"tags":3692,"__hash__":3694,"uuid":3678,"comment_id":3679,"feature_image":3680,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3681,"updated_at":3682,"custom_excerpt":3683,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3684,"primary_tag":3685,"url":3686,"excerpt":3683,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:epic-games-supports-better-collaboration-in-animation-with-a-megagrant-for-kitsu.json","Epic Games Supports Better Collaboration in Animation with a Megagrant For Kitsu",[3675],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Since we started CGWire, we had a strong desire to improve people interaction in animation production. Years ago, everyone was very focused on digital content creation tools. As a result, we tend to forget that good collaboration is key for delivering good pictures. Having clumsy or partial software for communication was good enough for most people. Not too us... It has bothered us a lot and pushed us to start something. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>When we talked about our project idea, we quickly met people who shared the same vision. They supported us and helped in the process of building a solution to this problem. Kitsu, our collaboration platform was born. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>We built the API of the platorm with Unit Image, a studio that mainly creates video game trailers. After that, we added a web UI on top of it with TNZPV and Les Fées Spéciales, two young studios at that time more focused on longer movies. Then, more matured studios like Cube Creative and Miyu joined the boat: we were able to build a fully functional collaboration software dedicated to animation productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At that time, the whole industry started to consider pipelining and production management seriously. This trends helped Kitsu to spread. And after a few years, dozens of studios from all over the world included Kitsu in their workflow. Thousands of deliveries are tracked and reviewed through it every day. And we believe that it is just a beginning...\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Today, a major milestone has been reached by the Kitsu project: Epic Games, one of the biggest video game publisher, showed interest in our mission. They saw the importance of more efficient collaboration for the creative industry. They agreed that more open source tools on that subject were required. That's why, they (mega)granted $75 000 to us for improving Kitsu! \u003C/p>\u003Cp>That money will serve to bring better DCCs integration into Kitsu. Among the DCCs you will have Blender, Maya and of course Unreal Engine! \u003Cbr>With this money, we are going to hire an engineer. He will build a desktop application for Kitsu dedicated to artists and facilitate publishing right from their tools. It will allow them to spend more time on their pictures and communicate more efficiently. We will keep you up to date with the progress of this program. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>It's the opportunity to say thank you to all the contributors of Kitsu for their help and for showing the project through its better shape. It allows us to convince major players to push us forward. \u003C/p>\u003Cp>To conclude, we want to say that we are very proud of this Megagrant. It's a great achievement for our mission. Thank you to the Epic Games team for this grant. And thank you again for all the funding you bring to the industry. It really helps to build a better ecosystem. And, of course, on our side, we'll do the best we can from it! \u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>About Epic Games\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For those of you who don’t know what Epic Games is, it’s one of the biggest American development studio and video game distributor. To name a few of their games: Unreal Tournament, Gears of War, Paragon and many more! Epic Games is also behind Fortnite, one of the most popular games in the world with over 350 million accounts and 2.5 billion connections. Today, Epic Games is a leading interactive entertainment company and also provides a 3D engine called Unreal Engine.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>About The Megagrants Program\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In addition to being in the world of video games and entertainment, Epic Games has committed $100 million to support game developers, media & entertainment creators, students, educators, and tool developers using Unreal Engine or by enhancing open-source capabilities for the 3D graphics community.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to Animation Production Management and Animation Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.gg/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>Discord channel\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are hundreds sharing tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3678,"comment_id":3679,"feature_image":3680,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3681,"updated_at":3682,"custom_excerpt":3683,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3684,"primary_tag":3685,"url":3686,"excerpt":3683,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"244248f2-9c36-4c3d-a8e3-faf7d1316621","601178f8ef1d3f0039b42348","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/02/Epic_MegaGrants_Recipient_logo_new-1.png","2021-01-27T15:30:16.000+01:00","2021-02-24T12:44:49.000+01:00","Today, a major milestone has been reached by the Kitsu project: Epic Games, one of the biggest video game publisher, showed interest in our mission. They saw the importance of more efficient collaboration for the creative industry. ",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/epic-games-supports-better-collaboration-in-animation-with-a-megagrant-for-kitsu/","/posts/epic-games-supports-better-collaboration-in-animation-with-a-megagrant-for-kitsu","2021-02-24T12:35:00.000+01:00",{"title":3673},"epic-games-supports-better-collaboration-in-animation-with-a-megagrant-for-kitsu","posts/epic-games-supports-better-collaboration-in-animation-with-a-megagrant-for-kitsu",[3693],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"LP6js3PLknHQy4hmzJN6QviwkbuIKj_EMBRAsxDgBl4",{"id":3696,"title":3697,"authors":3698,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3700,"meta":3701,"navigation":15,"path":3715,"published_at":3705,"seo":3716,"slug":3717,"stem":3718,"tags":3719,"__hash__":3721,"uuid":3702,"comment_id":3703,"feature_image":3704,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3705,"updated_at":3706,"custom_excerpt":3707,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3709,"primary_tag":3710,"url":3711,"excerpt":3707,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3712,"og_title":3713,"og_description":3707,"twitter_image":3712,"twitter_title":3713,"twitter_description":3707,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3714,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-perform-a-post-mortem-of-your-finished-production.json","How To Perform a Post-mortem of Your Finished Production (2026)",[3699],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>That’s it; production is over! You’re proud of the result, and your production quality seems to have reached a new level. You were able to push your studio’s limit. But it was not without a few challenges along the way.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With your teams, you spent hours problem solving — both technical and human! Some of your artists pulled all-nighters to keep up with the workload. You may have even had to hire extra artists to keep the team’s heads above water and be able to deliver on time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your development team was on call the whole time, creating specific tools for unusual situations. All areas of friction were exacerbated by the difficulty and the scale of the production. Your pipeline mutated to the point where you no longer recognize it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But the project is finally over; you can all take a break and start back fresh and ready for a new project. Everyone is very proud of the outcome but also agrees on a single point: never again.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"never-again-but-\">NEVER AGAIN, BUT…\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It would be a pity not to capitalize on the progress you made. You should be able to build on your workflow by optimizing just a few points. And there is only one way to do this: conduct a post-mortem and learn from your mistakes!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A post-mortem isn’t simply listing what went or what went right. A post-mortem is an analysis of what happened at all stages of production, both good and bad. And above all, understanding why these things happened.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Conducting a post-mortem is a slow and difficult process because you have to be honest and objective about what happened. It is not the time to settle scores with other departments or team members. Pointing fingers is not constructive and will not help in future productions.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"1-gather-data\">1. Gather data\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>For a proper post-mortem, you need as much data as possible. In this article, we will work on the assumption that the budget and the schedule were correct. Every overrun has been noted, and there is a copy of the original budget and schedule.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first thing to do is to compare the original budget and schedule to the final one. This is a step-by-step process. Isolate one department after another to try and build a global understanding of the project. Did we stay on track, or did we run over? If the project stayed within forecasts, it is essential to know why. Were all the steps properly tracked? Was one step much faster than expected, absorbing any previous delays?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s essential to keep track of what happened, such as the number of character studies or retakes for an asset or a shot or the time spent redoing things over and over again.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"2-talk-with-supervisors\">2. Talk with supervisors\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Once you’ve analyzed all the data, it’s time to talk with department supervisors to get their on-the-ground feedback.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>How did they experience this production?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Did they need specific tools?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Was the brief complete enough?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>How was communication with the previous department?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>And the following department?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Did they need to change their way of working?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Did they have to do unforeseen research and development during their run?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Did the team have to work overtime?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>How did the validation go?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>And the most important: how did it go with the team?\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Once you have discussed with the supervisor, you should have a better understanding of what happened. But you need more concrete information to create new guidelines. So, it’s now time to talk to the teams.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"3-talk-with-the-team\">3. Talk with the team\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>If the production were particularly challenging, you’d need to dig deeper into what happened.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, start by talking with the supervisor to get their vision of the project and teams. Then discuss further with each member of the team, if possible. Not everyone will have the same vision since everyone does a different job. This step helps identify the processes to keep, those to be scrapped, and those that need adapting.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>Keep in mind that just because the result was a success, the processes that lead to it may not have been.\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>Identify what has been done differently and what has brought real improvements to the project. What are the steps and processes that made these improvements possible? Once these processes have been identified, analyze them to understand how to reproduce across teams, if possible. For example, throughout the production of a 52-episode, 11-minute cartoon series, we encountered many delays and retakes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Halfway through, we realized that the writers had run out of ideas for the series and, as a result, had started to steer too far from the brief. As such\u003Cstrong>, \u003C/strong>we had to hire more writers during the season to complete the series.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It is also important to keep in mind if the final result was better than previous productions, it does not mean that things went better in all departments. You may find that a department takes it upon itself to correct previous errors and push the final product's quality, but not necessarily improving the overall workflow.\u003C/p>\u003Cblockquote>This is why it is important to dissect each step in turn.\u003C/blockquote>\u003Cp>You must analyze production, development, R&D, the job of the producer, and the providers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After all this has been done, it is time to compare with deviations from the budget and schedule and identify unnecessary expenditure and shortfalls.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The second step is to analyze the sequence of the work.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Did each department receive what is needed to work correctly?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Was the brief clear?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Were the files properly named?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Did they have a script to help them? / Could a script have helped them?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Did they need new software?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Were the assets properly named in the working files?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Were the retakes done?\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Another example, after this stage during a post-mortem, I realized that one of our artists, who was usually very discreet and quiet, started taking on more and more responsibilities.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>He took it upon himself to rectify all the errors from the previous stage to lighten the load for his supervisor. Once we realized his capacities, we agreed to offer him a supervisor position on the next production. It was a real eye-opener for him and the production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"4-analyze-all-data\">4. Analyze all data\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>You now have all the information you need to understand what went wrong and what worked well. What was clumsy, what was useless, or what took too long.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From your research, you should be able to create a theoretically perfect pipeline. It is now time to have your supervisors validate it. Each supervisor can adjust according to their practical knowledge. Present them the results of the post-mortem, showing their feedback and requests have been taken into account.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After, all supervisors should be brought in to discuss the new pipeline and figure out what could be further improved or smoothed out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This will result in a different way of forecasting production in terms of budget and planning and a new way to communicate, centered around supervisors. Tools will be created, replicated, or removed from the pipeline as necessary.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Each production is different. It is impossible to give an exhaustive list of problems and solutions, but this article should be a sufficient guide to help you improve. Production is a team effort, and everyone is working with a common goal: get the best possible result.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">To sum up\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Get in the habit of doing a post-mortem after each production, even if things went well. Post-mortems are not there to blame people. They aim to find room for improvement!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>1. Compare your updated budget and schedule with the real data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>2. Ask your Supervisors specific questions. Favor one-to-one meetings over email. This way, everybody feels implicated, and you’ll find they talk more candidly without filters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>3. Talk to the team. If everything went well, try a group session. For a project with conflicts, stick to one-to-ones.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>4. The final step is to analyze the data and write a theoretical pipeline and validate it with your supervisor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, you should feel empowered to begin work on a new production, as big or even bigger than the one before.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you have any questions or feedback about this article, feel free to post them in the comments!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.gg/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>Discord channel\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 400+ to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3702,"comment_id":3703,"feature_image":3704,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3705,"updated_at":3706,"custom_excerpt":3707,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3709,"primary_tag":3710,"url":3711,"excerpt":3707,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3712,"og_title":3713,"og_description":3707,"twitter_image":3712,"twitter_title":3713,"twitter_description":3707,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3714,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"f46a645c-8390-43c7-84f2-3688e4d9326a","c25a50a47835","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-c2O88QDB3Vsn0jRTl3ffnA.jpeg","2020-12-22T08:27:52.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:39.000+01:00","That’s it; production is over! You’re proud of the result, and your production quality seems to have reached a new level. You were able to…","custom-table-of-contents",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-perform-a-post-mortem-of-your-finished-production/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-c2O88QDB3Vsn0jRTl3ffnA.jpeg","How To Perform a Post-mortem of Your Finished Production","That’s it; production is over! You’re proud of the result, and your production quality seems to have reached a new level. You were able to push your studio’s limit. But it was not without a few…","/posts/how-to-perform-a-post-mortem-of-your-finished-production",{"title":3697},"how-to-perform-a-post-mortem-of-your-finished-production","posts/how-to-perform-a-post-mortem-of-your-finished-production",[3720],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"tSDkJaV9OvllzwaTnTdq9QSL7SbG9oiyufsBLoTgwuQ",{"id":3723,"title":3724,"authors":3725,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3727,"meta":3728,"navigation":15,"path":3741,"published_at":3732,"seo":3742,"slug":3743,"stem":3744,"tags":3745,"__hash__":3747,"uuid":3729,"comment_id":3730,"feature_image":3731,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3732,"updated_at":3733,"custom_excerpt":3734,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3735,"primary_tag":3736,"url":3737,"excerpt":3734,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3738,"og_title":3739,"og_description":3734,"twitter_image":3738,"twitter_title":3739,"twitter_description":3734,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3740,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:7-tips-for-better-use-of-kitsu.json","7 Tips For Better Use of Kitsu",[3726],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Kitsu is our main software at CGWire. It helps studios to deliver high-end content on a tight budget. With our solutions, you can keep track of validations and review every version of each preview. That way, everyone knows what is going on and in real-time. It’s imperative when you’re trying to foster efficient collaboration between different sites and a workforce working from home.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We want you to make better decisions and deliver higher quality, faster. So let’s see how these Kitsu tips can help you do that!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"agree-on-the-nomenclature-of-assets-and-shots\">Agree on the nomenclature of assets and shots\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>1 It’s important to decide on the nomenclature of shots and assets before the production begins.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-hP_87bNh2Bw64_yhYElt9A.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Having a clear naming system and making sure everyone is aware of it will mean that you are all on the same page from the start of the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu allows you to create assets and shots in two ways: either one by one with Kitsu or from a spreadsheet. When creating shots, Kitsu picks up on the nomenclature and increments your shot numbers depending on your chosen padding. It’s always better to really think through nomenclature than renaming everything during the production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"define-pipeline-task-types\">Define pipeline task types\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>2 Understand all production steps to be done before starting to visualize the production in its entirety.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-40xXRg-8bUt8vMuXaLLAWw.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>It allows you to be better prepared for any problems that may arise during the production. It often involves switching from one stage to another. Identifying all the steps in Kitsu also helps you define the production schedule and predict the number of people needed at each stage.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"agree-on-common-status-vocabulary\">Agree on common status vocabulary\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>3 Define the status labels, and what they represent is an essential step before beginning a production.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-CB6vcQazfThkt8Mn2AW8RA.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Whether it is to communicate internally or with another studio, it is essential that everyone uses the same vocabulary and understands what a status change implies.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Status changes are the main means of communication between artists, supervisors, and clients. So these statuses must mean something clear to everyone. In Kitsu, you can customize your own status and even give them several purposes, such as validation, retakes, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"set-your-production\">Set your production\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>4 Each production is different and needs specific settings.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-U4Jfis5xbkqYvIyVWM2tyA.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>It is important to identify new productions' characteristics, such as resolution, ratio, FPS, task types, asset types, and statuses used for this specific production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Kitsu allows you to set what best suits your production and then define a different pipe for each one. This way, your production pipeline won’t be clogged up by unwanted task types, asset type, or status labels.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"create-custom-filters\">Create custom filters\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>5When you need to access information repeatedly quickly.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-8MP8GbFjAlTbm_AQtmoIsg.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Kitsu allows you to create custom filters, thanks to its filter builder. Once your filter is created, you can save it, rename it and consult at any time. You can create filters in the global shot and asset pages, but also in task pages.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In task pages, you can focus only on the selected task type. You can also keep your filter active between the task list and the planning tab allowing you to focus on a particular status or person.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"use-playlists-to-review-faster\">Use playlists to review faster\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>6 One of the most recurring steps in production is the review.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-Eq1ReIblIIIqR9dO0YVBkw.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Whether you need to check your plan in context or verify a whole sequence, playlists are there to help you. You can either create a playlist by selecting tasks in the global shots or asset pages or directly using the playlist module.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By creating a playlist, you can access more options than when viewing a preview alone, such as changing the playback speed. From a playlist, you can draw and write your comments and remarks directly in the comment panel, so you can switch the version and status in one single action before continuing to review your selection.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"define-estimate-date-for-artists\">Define estimate date for artists\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>7 Add an estimated start and due date for each task.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-40xXRg-8bUt8vMuXaLLAWw.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>The production schedule should be seen as your guiding document and should be kept in mind to check if everything is planned. To go into detail, go to the task type page. Here, you will be able to enter an estimated duration for the task and a start and end date. These elements are communicated to the artists through their to-do lists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the task type page, you can keep an eye on the forecast and the project's actual progress. For this, Kitsu will display your estimate alongside the artist's actual time (once they have filled in their timesheet).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Working in the same way, the estimated start date/end date can be compared to the date of the WIP status change and validation date.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"going-further\">Going further\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>That’s it for these best practices about starting your production! If you have any questions or feedback about this article, feel free to post them in the comments! You can also check \u003Ca href=\"http://kitsu.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">our documentation\u003C/a> or \u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp_1gB5ZBHXqnQgZ4TCrAt7smxesaDo29&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">our tutorials\u003C/a>, you will find many other tips about Kitsu!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicate this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.gg/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>Discord channel \u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>to discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 200+ to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3729,"comment_id":3730,"feature_image":3731,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3732,"updated_at":3733,"custom_excerpt":3734,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3735,"primary_tag":3736,"url":3737,"excerpt":3734,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3738,"og_title":3739,"og_description":3734,"twitter_image":3738,"twitter_title":3739,"twitter_description":3734,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3740,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"46690782-170f-44a3-8c17-8af45e858c4e","c1ba30e9c1ce","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-f2sK2j8BXPzXvLlLYGAs-Q.png","2020-12-15T08:43:17.000+01:00","2021-02-22T19:19:58.000+01:00","Kitsu is our main software at CGWire. It helps studios to deliver high-end content on a tight budget. With our solutions, you can keep…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/7-tips-for-better-use-of-kitsu/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1190/1-f2sK2j8BXPzXvLlLYGAs-Q.png","7 tips for better use of Kitsu","Kitsu is our main software at CGWire. It helps studios to deliver high-end content on a tight budget. With our solutions, you can keep track of validations and review every version of each preview…","/posts/7-tips-for-better-use-of-kitsu",{"title":3724},"7-tips-for-better-use-of-kitsu","posts/7-tips-for-better-use-of-kitsu",[3746],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"ZXAV_IrKDLMta-UO5WxbSdIj4bDnR98fYpZb4VuKD0Y",{"id":3749,"title":3750,"authors":3751,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3758,"meta":3759,"navigation":15,"path":3769,"published_at":3770,"seo":3771,"slug":3772,"stem":3773,"tags":3774,"__hash__":3776,"uuid":3760,"comment_id":3761,"feature_image":3762,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3763,"updated_at":3764,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3765,"primary_tag":3766,"url":3767,"excerpt":3768,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:xilam-animation-sponsors-features-for-kitsu.json","Xilam Animation Sponsors New Features For Kitsu",[3752],{"id":3753,"name":3754,"slug":3755,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":3756,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":3757},"5ffddad7cbe9bc00397ad850","Caroline Sun","caroline","Community Manager at CGWire","https://blog.cg-wire.com/author/caroline/","\u003Cp>Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap. By doing this, they make the software progress faster in a way that suits their workflow. It makes the project more sustainable and allows us to add features that are really needed. This principle is part of the fundamentals of CGWire. That’s why, from now on, we would like to highlight the studios that help us in our mission!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"xilam-animation-and-kitsu\">\u003Cstrong>Xilam Animation and Kitsu\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Xilam animation is a famous French studio. To quote some of their productions: Oggy et les carfards, les Zinzins de l’espace or Lucky Luke. They are working with Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or even Youtube. They do some feature films too. Among them the wonderful \u003Cem>I Lost My Body.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They recently acquired Cube Creative, a studio which is providing the company the unique expertise in 3D and computer generated images (one of the best in the field). Xilam employs more than 500 individuals, including 400 artists all around the world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When they started to work with Cube, they discovered Kitsu and how much it made the Cube team more productive. Naturally, they ran a first test with an upcoming TV show (I cannot disclose it). They were satisfied and decided to use it for other productions too. But when you manage many deadline sensitive productions, you need more tracking indicators. That’s why they decided to sponsor a few new features.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"retake-statistics\">\u003Cstrong>Retake statistics\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>They needed more details about the retake rate evolution of a TV show. So, we provided analytics that show for every steps what is the current retake rate. You can expand it too to see how fast you converge to this rate. So you know quickly which episode is out of budget. You can react faster and fix the problem before it becomes too big.\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"improved-news-feeds\">\u003Cstrong>Improved News Feeds\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>Sometimes you need to know who did what and when. So we added:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>A filter to get news for a given date range\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A counter to show how many changes by status occured during the selected period\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>It will be much easier to get information about the progress of someone!\u003C/p>\u003Ch2 id=\"sponsoring-kitsu\">Sponsoring Kitsu\u003C/h2>\u003Cp>If you want to a specific feature in our software like Xilam, don’t hesitate to bring them to us. We’ll be more than happy to improve Kitsu for you.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To conclude, we would like to send a big thank you to Xilam for funding these new features! Thanks to them, it will be super easy to anticpate problems. You wil have no more bad surprises with Kitsu!\u003C/p>\u003Ch1 id=\"who-sponsored-cgwire-so-far\">Who sponsored CGWire so far?\u003C/h1>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://unit-image.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Unit Image\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://les-fees-speciales.coop/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Les Fées Spéciales\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://karlabfr.wixsite.com/karlab?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Karlab\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/cgwire/cube-creative-studio-sponsors-enhanced-playlists-for-kitsu-5c1617abda9f?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Cube\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.tnzpv.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">TNZPV\u003C/a> and many more already ordered features to make Kitsu a better software. It’s important to us that you understand more who are our partners and how we want to improve studio pipelines. That’s why we cover every sponsoring on our blog!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We propose a \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.gg/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">\u003Cem>Discord server\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> where you can discuss your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3760,"comment_id":3761,"feature_image":3762,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3763,"updated_at":3764,"custom_excerpt":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3765,"primary_tag":3766,"url":3767,"excerpt":3768,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"3ffb3333-ed3a-4a28-8f55-ffe65d33bc86","5ffddb26cbe9bc00397ad854","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/maxresdefault-1.jpg","2021-01-12T18:23:50.000+01:00","2026-03-26T11:08:08.000+01:00",{"id":3753,"name":3754,"slug":3755,"profile_image":8,"cover_image":8,"bio":3756,"website":8,"location":8,"facebook":8,"twitter":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":3757},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/xilam-animation-sponsors-features-for-kitsu/","Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap. By doing this, they make the software progress faster in a way that suits their workflow. It makes the project more sustainable and allows us to add features that are really needed. This principle is part of the fundamentals of CGWire. That’s why, from now on, we would like to highlight the st","/posts/xilam-animation-sponsors-features-for-kitsu","2020-12-14T18:24:00.000+01:00",{"title":3750},"xilam-animation-sponsors-features-for-kitsu","posts/xilam-animation-sponsors-features-for-kitsu",[3775],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"AfMePszvWKk6pRqVI9O1KMblzH8vVzVuvueVelAWsr4",{"id":3778,"title":3779,"authors":3780,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3782,"meta":3783,"navigation":15,"path":3796,"published_at":3787,"seo":3797,"slug":3798,"stem":3799,"tags":3800,"__hash__":3802,"uuid":3784,"comment_id":3785,"feature_image":3786,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3787,"updated_at":3788,"custom_excerpt":3789,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3790,"primary_tag":3791,"url":3792,"excerpt":3789,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3793,"og_title":3794,"og_description":3789,"twitter_image":3793,"twitter_title":3794,"twitter_description":3789,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3795,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:why-you-should-check-twice-the-casting-of-your-shots.json","(2026) Why You Should Check Twice The Casting of Your Shots",[3781],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>During my career, I realized that making a mistake in shot casting is one of the best ways to set a fire in a production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The consequence always follows the same pattern. The Animator is the first to notice that something is missing. Then, he warns the Production team about the issue. In response, the Production asks the Modeling Artist to stop what he is doing and switch his focus on the missing asset. It doesn’t sound like a big issue, but this simple action modifies the production process and creates a lot of noise.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To avoid that situation, the only thing you can do is to be properly prepared. This blog post will explore how to get ready and see what can be done when a casting error happens!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>NB: If you are not familiar with the concept of the Shot Casting, you can learn more with this article \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/cgwire/cg-pipeline-shot-casting-6410cb090b12?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>CG Pipeline: Shot Casting\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"do-several-breakdowns\">Do Several Breakdowns\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To handle the shot casting properly, you need to do three breakdowns during the production lifetime:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>1The Script Breakdown to list all the assets for Concept Artists and Storyboard Artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first time you read the script, you should not start the breakdown yet. You have to get the story first before analyzing it. Once you have the big picture of the movie, you can start your breakdown. Don’t try to do everything in a single pass. You need to identify the backgrounds, the characters, the props, and the most important FX. If you are not used to breakdown, you can highlight the elements with pens of different colors. It will help you not to miss a thing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The background is the most complicated part. It would be best if you focused on establishing/close-up/reverse angle/… The purpose is not to create everything but to create meaningful environments that will act as references.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Characters are easy; you can add special posing and action if there are really specific. Don’t forget to mention passerby or figure.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The props are a bit more tricky; you have to visualize the action. If, for example, the script says, “Tom hangs a frame on the wall,” you need to list the frame, the hammer, and the nail!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Be prepared to have back and forths with the director/supervisor. They may have ideas to optimize your breakdown.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>2The Storyboard Breakdown for Modeling/Preproduction Artists and Layout Artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To do the storyboard breakdown, you need 2 things: the storyboard (of course) and the design pack created earlier. The purpose of this breakdown is to list all the things added by the Storyboard Artist.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once again, don’t try to do everything at once. Do the background first, check the environment already created, and see if you have all the information needed. You may have to create extra camera angles or close up to fit with the storyboard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, do the characters and props breakdown. It’s the same principle, check if you have all the information previously created. It would help if you had a reference for everything, all the spoons, cars, leaves;... Finally, list all the FX, drop of water, mud puddle, sparkle, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>3The Previz/Layout Breakdown for the Modeling/Preproduction Artists and Animator Artists\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This breakdown may be tedious and sounds like an “extra kill,” but the Previz/Layout Artist commonly adds new elements to improve the pictures. You need to list these elements to not to miss anything.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Every time you achieved one of these breakdowns, ensure that the official shot casting is updated accordingly! It’s best to avoid future mistakes.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"how-to-manage-problems\">How to manage problems\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>But, let’s be honest, even if you’re prepared, errors happen. So how to react when an asset is missing from the casting?\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-modeling-artist-figured-out-that-something-is-missing-\">The Modeling Artist figured out that something is missing.\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>He could decide to build the missing asset by himself. An Artist shouldn’t have to imagine how to make an asset. If the Director didn’t brief him, the Artist would do the shape to ease his work the most, not what the director wants. There is a high probability that this asset will be redone. All related shots will require a new take to fit with the new official asset.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What to do in that case: \u003C/strong>When an artist comes tells you that an element missing an element, make sure that there is not a similar element.\u003Cbr>If there is nothing, add this asset and label it with a Stand By status. Then give the artist something else to not block him. You now have to redo the breakdown of the animatic/layout to define this missing element's properties. Once the characteristics have been filled in and validate with the Director, you can have this element made. Then you have to update the shot casting!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-modeling-artists-did-not-realize-that-something-is-missing-neither-the-animators-\">The Modeling Artists did not realize that something is missing, neither the Animators.\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>In that case, someone realizes late in the process that an asset is missing on some shots. Creating an asset during the last stages of the production will create a lot of confusion. As a Production Manager, you may even need to call back a Modeling Artist if there is none in the studio at that moment. All days spent on modeling, shading, rigging this asset, and redoing the animation of the related shots, are days where the rendering is stuck.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It could compromise your deadline. Make sure to inform all stakeholders when it happens.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What to do in that case:\u003C/strong> If it is at the rendering stage that we realize that something is missing, the first thing to do is to postpone the build of this shot and give the Artist something else to do.\u003Cbr>You have to analyze the shot again and see what is missing. The first reflex is to try to find an approximate element because it doesn’t require extra work. But prior to that, you need to involve the Modeling Supervisor (he knows best what’s in stock), the Rendering Supervisor (he knows if it would change the shot's performance), and finally, the Director to validate the decisions made. If an equivalent element can be found, it’s ok to keep on building this shot. If nothing can be found to replace this element, we must define the need precisely. A new breakdown is needed to know if this element appears in other shots. Gather as much information as possible, take a decision and have it validated by the Director.\u003Cbr>Then, you have to get this element done. You have to decide if the Rendering Artist can handle this or a the Modeling Artist have to be called back. And, once you’re done, do not forget to update the shots casting!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"you-have-done-the-breakdown-but-the-casting-is-not-up-to-date-\">You have done the breakdown, but the casting is not up-to-date.\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It means the Modeling Artist will have a list of objects and characters to do, without a distinction of importance. Without a shot casting, the Modeling Artist won’t know if an asset appears in every shot or just in a single one. He will play the safe card and spend the same amount of time on every asset.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Rigging team will have the same lack of information. The Artists will do the rig the same way for each object and character, without knowing if an object is a prop (needs a rig) or an object part of a background set (doesn’t need a rig).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It can quickly become a huge waste of time! It can also affect the global quality of the show. The main characters and props won’t be pushed enough, and an insignificant object will be worked way too much compared to the time it is visible. When the artists realize the discrepancies between their work and the final picture, it will bring a lot of frustration. The Director can go mad.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What to do in that case:\u003C/strong> It is time to be more accurate with your breakdow. Identify the most recurring elements. It is always useful to know how many times per sequence or episode an element is used.\u003Cbr>It is also necessary to know if an element will be seen in close-up, medium, or wide shot. It’s important to differentiate a passer-by and a speaking character. Do not forget about the character posing too. It has an impact on its rig (and details matter: watch, under soles, inside of the mouth, etc.).\u003Cbr>Another important element to take into account is the lighting. Indeed we will not treat an element in the same way if it is displayed with a full lighting or in the dark.\u003Cbr>A quick solution can be to classify the elements as primary, secondary, or accessory. In the same way, you should not hesitate to note the posing or visible details of characters or objects in the description. The more exhaustive you will be during the preparation, the faster the next steps will be.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">To sum up\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>As a Production Manager, you need to take extra care about the different breakdowns you have to do during the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you forget to do it, several problems can occur:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>According to his own desire and not the director's view, an artist can decide to do the missing asset by himself.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>No one realizes that an asset is missing until the very end of the production. Shots will be stuck, and the whole process of the pre-production has to start again.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The main and secondary assets are not identified. They will all have the same level of detail. It will affect the movie’s quality, and a lot of time can be wasted to fix that.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The breakdown and the shot casting are the different faces of the same coin. It’s one of the main elements to communicate with your team. Be sure to manage them properly, and you will avoid a lot of annoying situations!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We have a \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://discord.com/invite/VbCxtKN?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>Discord channel\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Our vibrant community of TDs and Production Managers will be super happy to welcome you, so join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3784,"comment_id":3785,"feature_image":3786,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3787,"updated_at":3788,"custom_excerpt":3789,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3790,"primary_tag":3791,"url":3792,"excerpt":3789,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3793,"og_title":3794,"og_description":3789,"twitter_image":3793,"twitter_title":3794,"twitter_description":3789,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3795,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"912e3515-5809-499d-aeb0-a6b279e37e2a","4ea3b0d9cbcd","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-6cf50b0w_Iiy4R5sbHfG_w.jpeg","2020-12-08T13:08:07.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:05:07.000+01:00","During my career, I realized that making a mistake in shot casting is one of the best ways to set a fire in a production.",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/why-you-should-check-twice-the-casting-of-your-shots/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-6cf50b0w_Iiy4R5sbHfG_w.jpeg","Why You Should Check Twice The Casting of Your Shots","During my career, I realized that making a mistake in shot casting is one of the best ways to set a fire in a production. The consequence always follows the same pattern. The Animator is the first to…","/posts/why-you-should-check-twice-the-casting-of-your-shots",{"title":3779},"why-you-should-check-twice-the-casting-of-your-shots","posts/why-you-should-check-twice-the-casting-of-your-shots",[3801],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"oc4Geu2Bw3e70j9Z274ENkGxgdVtZJqW-qBnebUEWu4",{"id":3804,"title":3805,"authors":3806,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3808,"meta":3809,"navigation":15,"path":3822,"published_at":3813,"seo":3823,"slug":3824,"stem":3825,"tags":3826,"__hash__":3828,"uuid":3810,"comment_id":3811,"feature_image":3812,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3813,"updated_at":3814,"custom_excerpt":3815,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3816,"primary_tag":3817,"url":3818,"excerpt":3815,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3819,"og_title":3820,"og_description":3815,"twitter_image":3819,"twitter_title":3820,"twitter_description":3815,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3821,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:the-main-indicators-of-a-cartoon-tv-series-production.json","(2026) The Key Metrics of a Cartoon TV Series Production",[3807],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Like any project, to manage an animation production properly, you need to track KPIs and specific events. Tracking numeric data gives a complete overview of your project while being able to analyze the situation at a smaller scale. Watching a set of events allows reacting quickly to changes. In this article, we are going to list the main things you must track to manage your production well.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The KPIs we are interested in are related to budget and schedule. An important thing to consider is that, most of the time, the production doesn’t have access to all the money from the beginning. The contracts defines various milestones that trigger payments (ex: the validation of a given number of episodes for a given building step). Therefore, your numbers are tightly coupled to deadlines. That’s you must be ready to watch your dates as you watch your numbers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now that we set up the frame for this article, let’s go into the details and see what does it mean for your production!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>In this article, we won’t cover quality and focus more on the budget and the schedule.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"what-to-track\">What to track\u003C/h3>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-budget\">The budget\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The main thing to do is to track costs on a monthly and weekly basis. The idea is to have a document that forecasts the expenses according to the planned budget.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, you have to write another document to compare the actual costs to your predictions. You will have a global view of reality versus forecast. Quotes and invoices should be systematically confronted and of course it’s important to include cash milestones too.\u003Cbr>You need to always have an eye on the cash flow. This way, you will be aware of any excessive costs or planning changes.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-schedule\">The Schedule\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Because you have all the milestones in the contract, you already know which stage and number of episodes need to be delivered. You can follow your budget and set your numbers on a weekly or monthly scale accordingly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The easiest way to keep track of the schedule is to use the technique of double planning. You need to double all the lines of tasks on your schedule. You should keep the first one as a reference, and never update it. You only have to update the second version. It’s an excellent way to see where the production is compared to what was decided.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"quotas\">Quotas\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The definition of a quota is the number of frames (or seconds) validated per day. Reaching your quota goals sets the rhythm for the production. That’s why they matter a lot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Determining the quota per artist depends on three variables: how many frames (or seconds) must be done, how long the episode lasts, and how many people are in the team. Quotas need to be adapted for each artist. For instance, you don’t expect the same amount of productivity from a junior or a senior artist. Quotas also rely on the difficulty of a shot. The nature of the animation and the number of characters on the screen have a lot of impact. In other words, you can’t ask an animator to spend the same amount of time on a calm shot with only one character on the screen, as on a shot with a charging cavalry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The interpretation of quotas is straightforward: if they are respected, it means that the production is on time. If productivity is higher than the expected quota, you are going to finish earlier. If it’s lower, you will be late.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The goal behind this indicator is to identify who among the artists meet difficulties and is unable to meet the quotas. You know too who is above the average and, you can assign more tasks to the most productive artists to compensate those who are late.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Quota must be tracked at the artist level, but, additionally, it’s essential to follow the quota average of the whole team. You will see how things are going for the entire group.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"retake-rate-per-%E2%80%9Ctake%E2%80%9D\">Retake rate per “take”\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The second numerical indicator to watch is the retake rate. We call “retake” a comment/feedback given on a task that requires to work on it again. For example, when modeling a character, the Director can ask to reshape the nose.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The retake rate is the percentage of retake per take number per building step. The goal is to monitor the progress and quality of the episode. When the studio outsources specific steps, the maximum number of back and forth that is allowed is set in the contract. It’s another reason to track this number.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It is common for the first episodes to have a very high retake rate (up to 70%). The main reasons behind this are the pipeline learning curve, the time to get used to the Director’s demands or /and the time to define precisely the style. But after the first episodes, if your shots have too many retakes (especially more than three retakes), it’s often a sign of a problem that you should fix quickly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If a shot has a lot of retakes, it can mean several things:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The brief is unclear. In this case, it’s better to sit down and talk with the Artist and the Director to clear things up.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The shot is more complicated than the artist’s capabilities. It’s useless to keep on giving retakes. If the artist didn’t succeed in the first two takes, there is little chance that he will succeed afterward. It is better to assign this shot to another artist.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The artist may have too much to do in the time allocated and, therefore, not have time to do it right. The artist and their supervisor can discuss the amount of work required, and perhaps dispatch the tasks to other team members.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Conflicts can occur. The artist or the Director can be wrong and didn’t want to change their opinion. In this case, only having one-to-one discussions with them will solve this problem.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>To sum, what you must track is the percentage of validation and retake for each review round.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"burndown-chart\">Burndown chart\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The goal of the production tracking is to know if the production is still in the rails. The simpler way to achieve that is always to follow if the validations are on time. To monitor this, we can borrow the technique of the burndown chart from the agile method. This tool allows you to monitor production visually and have a faster reaction.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"daily-routine-for-production-managers\">Daily routine for Production Managers\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We listed the main aspects to track to make sure that everything is running well. In the following, we are going to turn this into a daily routine. This is what we recommend you to do when you start a new day.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For each of the following actions, if you have to change something, talk to the artists and the supervisor of the related department. See with them what changes can occur on the schedule and the assignations prior to taking any decision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>1\u003Cstrong> Quotas: Artists above and below average \u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>The goal is to identify who among the artists are in difficulty and cannot meet the quotas. We have to compare each artist’s quota with his reference and see if some tasks must be dispatched differently.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>2\u003Cstrong>Tasks ready to start\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>Identify the tasks that are ready to start. You need to get them started and assign them to artists. You must avoid leaving plans lying around because you think you can deal with them later. The truth is that you may forget them and create a new bottleneck.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>What you have to always keep up to date:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The list of tasks not yet started that are known to be valid from the previous task\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The list of available artists (with few or more tasks in their todo list)\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>3\u003Cstrong>Retakes\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>Identify the tasks that are not validated and try to know why they are not approved yet. A high retake rate is one of the most common reasons for being late. Having to make and redo the same shots can easily double or triple the time spent.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>What you have to always keep up to date:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The list of tasks waiting for approval that are not yet validated\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The list of tasks that didn’t start while they were planned for this\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The number of retakes for each task\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The estimated duration of the time spent on the task\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>4\u003Cstrong>Assignments\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>It can happen in production that some artists have nothing left to do, or very few tasks on their todo list.\u003Cbr>We are used to distributing to artists a small number of shots at a time not to overwhelm them. Therefore, it is necessary to be attentive to their todo list to continue to feed them and avoid a break in their work rhythm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>What you have to always keep up to date:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The list of available artists with few or none tasks in their todo list\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The list of ready-to-go tasks\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>What you should remind is that there are four crucial parameters to follow in a production:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The quotas: to track productivity.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The list of tasks that are ready to start: to anticipate the next step.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The retake numbers: to identify slowdowns and bottlenecks.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The assignments: to make sure everyone is busy.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>With this information in mind, you will be able to react immediately in case of unexpected events. Talk about it with the team before deciding any change. Big problems won’t occur anymore. You will feel safer, and all the stakeholders of the production will trust you even more!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you have any questions or feedback about this article, feel free to post them in the comments!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 400+ to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3810,"comment_id":3811,"feature_image":3812,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3813,"updated_at":3814,"custom_excerpt":3815,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3816,"primary_tag":3817,"url":3818,"excerpt":3815,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3819,"og_title":3820,"og_description":3815,"twitter_image":3819,"twitter_title":3820,"twitter_description":3815,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3821,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"cb8747fb-c78f-4c9b-ac72-edecc1b68b82","1d0e9c0bc0ac","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-gyTOkMuRotn-s4cVD9SZMw.jpeg","2020-05-14T09:36:00.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:51:40.000+01:00","As you know, Animation Productions are like all projects. To manage them properly, you need to track KPIs and particular events. Tracking…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/the-main-indicators-of-a-cartoon-tv-series-production/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-gyTOkMuRotn-s4cVD9SZMw.jpeg","The Main Indicators of a Cartoon TV Series Production","Like any project, to manage an animation production properly, you need to track KPIs and specific events. Tracking numeric data gives a complete overview of your project while being able to analyze…","/posts/the-main-indicators-of-a-cartoon-tv-series-production",{"title":3805},"the-main-indicators-of-a-cartoon-tv-series-production","posts/the-main-indicators-of-a-cartoon-tv-series-production",[3827],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"gGan-YHn2YRWQSsdZNiaC9BHR0mjbO5XQN_TpmujlwQ",{"id":3830,"title":3831,"authors":3832,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3834,"meta":3835,"navigation":15,"path":3848,"published_at":3839,"seo":3849,"slug":3850,"stem":3851,"tags":3852,"__hash__":3854,"uuid":3836,"comment_id":3837,"feature_image":3838,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3839,"updated_at":3840,"custom_excerpt":3841,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3842,"primary_tag":3843,"url":3844,"excerpt":3841,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3845,"og_title":3846,"og_description":3841,"twitter_image":3845,"twitter_title":3846,"twitter_description":3841,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3847,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems.json","(2026) Stages of an Animation Production, or How To Better Anticipate Problems",[3833],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>When running an animation production, what matters the most is to identify what can slow down the production. For that you must know all stages that may be a bottleneck and those that involve to do retakes at previous stages. On the opposite, you must be aware of the steps that can be automated.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Knowing the entry and exit points for each stage also help the teams to get better organized. Each department knows what must be done to make the next step running as smoothly as possible.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In production, there is an infinite number of things that can go wrong, so it’s important to eliminate problems that can be predicted, or at least know where they are more likely to occur. That’s why in this article will give you a detailed least of all the steps of a production. At the end, we added a diagram to make things more visual.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"development\">Development\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The development is the research stage of the production; the producer often funds it himself. The goal of the development stage is to define the graphic and literary styles of the future series.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Literary/graphic bible\u003C/strong> (Authors): The authors will write the literary bible, which will be the basis of the story of the series. Then they describe the main characters, their motivation, etc. The graphic bible will include detailed main characters and the main settings for the movie.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Synopsis of 3 episodes\u003C/strong> (Authors): It’s to write an outline: a one page summary of the scenario. It’s the story without dialogue. It specifies the places, characters, and essential actions of each episode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Budget\u003C/strong> (Head of production): From the information gathered from the bibles and the synopsis, the Head of Production will have an average number of assets per episode, as well as shots. This information allows him to set up the global budget of the TV series.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Schedule\u003C/strong> (Head of Production): The Head of Production does the global schedule of the production parallelly to the budget. The global schedule will define the beginning and the end of the production, as well as the duration of the main stages of production. The length of the steps determines the number of people required per team.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Teams hiring \u003C/strong>(Head of Production / Director / Production Manager): Now that the budget and the schedule are defined, the Head of production, the Director and the Production Manager will proceed to the hirings.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>It’s essential to lock the design of the main characters at this stage. It is better to take a little more time and make sure that all co-producers agree with the designs. If there is an issue later, you will have to rework the designs of the main characters during pre-production, and consequently, redo the entire storyboards.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"pre-production\">Pre-production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Pre-production is the first step in the production of a TV series (i.e., the financing plan has been completed). Pre-production encompasses all the stages of creation and reflection. It often takes place on the producer’s premises, as opposed to the production stage, which can be outsourced (France or abroad). The more detailed and precise the pre-production will be, the more you will avoid misunderstandings during the production stage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Pre-production mainly concerns the assets and the storyboards.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Scripts\u003C/strong> (Author / Director / Co-producer / Production manager): The author writes the script of the episode. It’s validated by the different co-producers, that are often TV channels. Once the co-producers have approved the script, the director and the production manager refine it. The aim is to make sure that the text respects the production constraints.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Script Breakdown\u003C/strong> (Production assistant): Once everyone has validated the script, the production assistant starts the script breakdown. It consists of listing all the assets present in an episode: character, background, props.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Pre-story designs\u003C/strong> (Artists): Thanks to the script breakdown, and thus the design list, the artists draw all the assets needed for each episode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Design Validations\u003C/strong> (Artists / Director / production manager): Once the assets are finished, they are validated by the director. It may lead to back and forth between the director and the artists.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Design Pack\u003C/strong> \u003Cstrong>for the storyboarder \u003C/strong>(Production Assistant): The production assistant gathers all the specific elements of the episode (script, voice assets), as well as a brief from the director and the lead storyboard.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storyboard Preview\u003C/strong> (Storyboard Artist): The pack is provided to the storyboard artist. The storyboard artist puts into pictures the scenario and defines the staging of this episode. He starts with the first draft with a rough drawing, without too much detail.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Rough storyboard validation\u003C/strong> (Storyboard Artist / Director): This first pre-cut allows the Director or lead storyboard artist, to make returns early on (before everything is finished). The storyboard artist can already include the feedback to the next steps.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storyboard Cleaning\u003C/strong> (Storyboard Artist / Animatic Artist): The Storyboard Artist resumes his pre-cutting and adds more details. He defines more precisely the characters and their attitudes, as well as the scenery. He integrates the comments from the Lead Storyboard Artist or from the Director. He does the animatic of his episode by making a video from the images of his storyboard (called a panel). He does that by following the duration of the voices.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Storyboard breakdown\u003C/strong> (Production Assistant): the production assistant does the storyboard breakdown to list all the new elements that have not yet been created. These can be secondary characters such as passers-by in the street, or new camera angles and, therefore, new backgrounds. The production assistant then makes a list of these elements that he gives to the Artists.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>After-story designs\u003C/strong> (Artists): The artists create all the missing assets from the storyboard and send them to the director for validation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Asset Validations\u003C/strong> (Artists / Director / Production Assistant): The new assets are validated by the director and can lead to a new retake round with the artists.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Breakdown List\u003C/strong>: the Production Assistant creates a very detailed list, shot by shot of the episode. For each shot, he lists all the assets that will appear into. He also specifies the mood of the characters. In addition to these asset indications, there are often notes from the Director.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Assembly of the design pack for the animation studio:\u003C/strong> The Production Assistant gathers all the elements created for the animation teams (Storyboard + Animatics + Design Pack + BKL).\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Although this step may seem daunting, it is essential for the rest of the production. If an asset has been missed during the analysis, this error may not be seen for a long time. Keep in mind that you could have to make the designers come back a long time after the beginning. You will have to ask them to make the missing assets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Also, if the brief of the director or the animation manager is not complete enough, the impact will only be seen after the work of the animators. It can cause big delays that you should avoid as most as possible.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"production\">Production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>In TV Series, the Production stage concerns the making of the episode itself and everything concerning the shots.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Box animation / Scene assembly\u003C/strong> (Pipeline TD / Artist): This is the creation of the working file, and the loading of the assets in the scene according to the breakdown list. The scene is then saved according to previously defined naming conventions.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Then the typical steps of a shot building start. The process is the same for each step:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Take 1\u003C/strong>: The Artists work on their tasks and send their work to the Director.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Retake 1\u003C/strong>: The Director (or the Lead Animator) receives a first version of the episode and makes his feedback. A certain percentage of the shots is validated on the first take; the rest of the shots will require a retake (correction). The Director sends his comments with text and drawing annotations for each shot requiring a retake.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Take 2\u003C/strong>: The Artists receive the comment list (retake list) and work on the related shots.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Retake 2\u003C/strong>: The Director gets the second batch of shots of this episode with the performed retakes. A certain percentage is validated during this second round; the rest will require another retake.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>It’s during the first take that you can notice problems related to an asset. It can be a problem of size, proportion, … This step can involve unexpected back and forths with the design. That’s why it’s essential to always provide an asset with a size reference (another character, a hand, etc.).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>These exchanges between the teams and the Director will last until all the shots are validated. If some shots are not validated, due to lack of time, the Production Manager / Director can consider that the quality is ok and finally approves these shots.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The take and retake (back and forth between the teams and the director) will happen at all stages of production. The list below is a non-exhaustive example of the different stages you can encounter:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Layout Posing T1 (Artist / Lead)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Layout Posing Validation T1 (Director / Prod)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Layout Posing T2 (Artist / Lead)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Layout Posing Validation T2 (Director / Prod)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>…\u003C/li>\u003Cli>BG T1 (Artist / Lead)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>BG Validation T1 (Director / Prod)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>BG T2 (Artist / Lead)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>BG Validation T2 (Director / Prod)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>…\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Anim T1 (Artist / Lead)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Anim Validation T1 (Director / Prod)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Anim T2 (Artist / Lead)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Anim Validation T2 (Director / Prod)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>…\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Compositing T1 (Artist / Lead)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Compositing Validation T1 (Director / Prod)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Compositing T2 (Artist / Lead)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Compositing Validation T2 (Director / Prod)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>…\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Compositing is the hinge between the production and post-production stages. It can be considered to be part of the post-production depending on the studio’s habits. It can be done in the studio or outsourced.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Compositing can also call for new animations or design retakes. It’s during compositing that you notice that a character has the same color as the background behind him. So be prepared to have animation retakes at this stage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also realize at this stage that the scenery has been cut too much. It prevents the compositing artist to do his work. It will thus be necessary to go back and forth with the Set Artists to fix the problem.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"post-production\">Post-production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Post-production concerns everything that is image and sound editing. This stage is rarely outsourced.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>First edit\u003C/strong> (Editor / Director): This is the first edit of the episode; the Editor cuts it “in timing”. Sometimes, the animation produces shots with extra frames to give margins to the shots. The Editor and the Director, during the first edit, decide the order and the duration of all shots. The work of an editor in animation implies the know-how of a rigger. He has to freeze frames, copy and paste pieces of animation to put them in other shots or on other characters, etc.\u003Cbr>From this first editing often comes a new correction list for the animation. This list can either contain corrections that were not seen in the previous step, or new requests specific to this edit. The timing of all the shots at this stage is final; the sound work can be done in parallel with the animation corrections.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Animation Retake\u003C/strong> (Animation Artist): The animators receive this new list of comments and make the requested corrections. Then, they ship a new version of the shots. Animation retakes after the editing are important. Smart animation modifications can prevent from redoing a whole episode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Final edit \u003C/strong>(Editor): The editor integrates the last retakes from animation and compositing departments. He releases the final image of the episode.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sound\u003C/strong>: In parallel to the animation corrections, the dialogs are recorded by actors (if this step has not been done beforehand). The music and sound designs are made and added to the images (Dialog, music and sound FX).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Mix\u003C/strong>: Mixing is the step to set a good balance between all the audio tracks: sound effects, voice, and music.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Master output\u003C/strong>: The producer can call a laboratory to make an uncompressed output of the episode that is called “master”. It’s sent to the broadcasters’ labs, who will test it according to the country’s guidelines. If the master conforms, it is considered to be ready to be broadcasted.\u003Cbr>There may still be backtracking with animation / compositing when checking the master. Especially if some shots don’t conform to the current standards, or if there are technical problems with the image.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">To Sum Up\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>There are certain steps that require particular attention when making a cartoon TV show. Knowing them all and their sequencing gives you a better global vision of the production and allows you to anticipate future problems. In the end, it will be easier to ship on time with an increased quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To finish this article, I share with you this diagram of the different stages of production. It includes the files that are generated. I highlighted too the stages that can cause problems. It should make things clearer for you!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-08oq_Qmaf_I6FiEgfIK2pw.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"2655\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/max/1200/1-08oq_Qmaf_I6FiEgfIK2pw.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/max/1200/1-08oq_Qmaf_I6FiEgfIK2pw.png 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-08oq_Qmaf_I6FiEgfIK2pw.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1200px) 1200px\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>If you have any questions or feedback about this article, feel free to post it in the comments!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 385 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3836,"comment_id":3837,"feature_image":3838,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3839,"updated_at":3840,"custom_excerpt":3841,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3842,"primary_tag":3843,"url":3844,"excerpt":3841,"reading_time":112,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3845,"og_title":3846,"og_description":3841,"twitter_image":3845,"twitter_title":3846,"twitter_description":3841,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3847,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"79eb1cff-711d-4ec1-994f-6f8edb4ee5a6","f7883f8d697c","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-E9Nr8RxtS9QlS-a4z30gYg.png","2020-04-13T14:07:37.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:51:21.000+01:00","When running an animation production, what matters the most is to identify what can slow down the production. For that you must know all…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1091/1-E9Nr8RxtS9QlS-a4z30gYg.png","Stages of an Animation Production (or How To Better Anticipate Problems)","When running an animation production, what matters the most is to identify what can slow down the production. For that you must know all stages that may be a bottleneck and those that involve to do…","/posts/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems",{"title":3831},"stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems","posts/stages-of-an-animation-production-or-how-to-better-anticipate-problems",[3853],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"CQbWwpRsEUMoAqy2Xh4L_y3msZRjbdm_CuZVBs4cVYE",{"id":3856,"title":3857,"authors":3858,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3860,"meta":3861,"navigation":15,"path":3873,"published_at":3865,"seo":3874,"slug":3875,"stem":3876,"tags":3877,"__hash__":3879,"uuid":3862,"comment_id":3863,"feature_image":3864,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3865,"updated_at":3866,"custom_excerpt":3867,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3868,"primary_tag":3869,"url":3870,"excerpt":3867,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3871,"og_title":3857,"og_description":3867,"twitter_image":3871,"twitter_title":3857,"twitter_description":3867,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3872,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:jean-christophe-pagnon-joins-cgwire-as-software-engineer.json","Jean-Christophe Pagnon joins CGWire as Software Engineer",[3859],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>In 2019, the CGWire project made significant progress: dozens of studios tracked their plans with it, and 10 CG Schools adopted it for their student projects. This is great news, but the demand for new features and bug fixes increased. Because we wanted to keep on delivering the best product as possible, we decided to hire a Software Engineer to help us with improving Kitsu.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At the same time, Jean-Christophe, aka GoOz, a former employee of Cozy Cloud was leaving its company (Cozy was my previous venture). He was looking for new challenges, and one of his requirements was to work remotely. I asked former colleagues what they thought about him, and they all recommended him to me.\u003Cbr>Gooz is specialized in frontend development. He has a vast knowledge of Javascript, HTML, and CSS. He is at ease when dealing with navigator pitfalls and can quickly set up a beautiful UI for any project. He learned coding with React while he was at Cozy and learned a lot about app development when he was working at Clever Age, a famous French consulting company.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, I contacted him and introduced him to the project and the animation industry. As a former video editor (hobby), he was sensible to the animation movie universe. Even better, our free and open-source stack based on Vue.js was very attractive to him. It was the opportunity to learn a trending framework while improving an application used in production that enhances the lives of its users. He enjoyed it too that we gathered a vibrant community of pipeline enthusiasts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After a few more discussions, Gooz accepted our job offer! I’m glad to announce to you that he is now part of our team. You might have already noticed his first delivery: an improved website, more unit tests for the Kitsu frontend, a color picker for your annotations, and a quota page. We are now ready for 2020 to keep on delivering great features for Kitsu!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-mQ3bYChnx-V-Rn6HCwpfyA.jpeg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003Cfigcaption>By the way Gooz is a photographer too (and dog owner)!\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>",{"uuid":3862,"comment_id":3863,"feature_image":3864,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3865,"updated_at":3866,"custom_excerpt":3867,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3868,"primary_tag":3869,"url":3870,"excerpt":3867,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3871,"og_title":3857,"og_description":3867,"twitter_image":3871,"twitter_title":3857,"twitter_description":3867,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3872,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"172178e0-fba7-49ac-afa2-f3ccdbd2d200","cacd23d698ef","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-1OcRwdq6tJ3twmvx0TfJ-Q.png","2020-02-12T09:46:01.000+01:00","2021-01-13T19:40:13.000+01:00","In 2019, the CGWire project made significant progress: dozens of studios tracked their plans with it, and 10 CG Schools adopted it for…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/jean-christophe-pagnon-joins-cgwire-as-software-engineer/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/400/1-1OcRwdq6tJ3twmvx0TfJ-Q.png","In 2019, the CGWire project made significant progress: dozens of studios tracked their plans with it, and 10 CG Schools adopted it for their student projects. This is great news, but the demand for…","/posts/jean-christophe-pagnon-joins-cgwire-as-software-engineer",{"title":3857},"jean-christophe-pagnon-joins-cgwire-as-software-engineer","posts/jean-christophe-pagnon-joins-cgwire-as-software-engineer",[3878],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"1ibQ67W1cGMaaM8hPs3nRFioE4wV3-MIPwmtcTJyUP8",{"id":3881,"title":3882,"authors":3883,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3885,"meta":3886,"navigation":15,"path":3897,"published_at":3890,"seo":3898,"slug":3899,"stem":3900,"tags":3901,"__hash__":3903,"uuid":3887,"comment_id":3888,"feature_image":3889,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3890,"updated_at":3891,"custom_excerpt":3892,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3893,"primary_tag":3894,"url":3895,"excerpt":3892,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":3882,"og_description":3892,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":3882,"twitter_description":3892,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3896,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:tnzpv-studio-sponsors-new-features-for-kitsu.json","TNZPV Studio Sponsors new Features For Kitsu",[3884],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap. By doing this, they make the software progress faster in a way that suits to their workflow. It makes the project more sustainable and allows us to add only features that are really needed. This principle is part of the fundamentals of CGWire. That’s why, from now on, we would like to showcase the studios that help us in \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/about?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">our mission\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.tnzpv.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Tu Nous Za Pas Vu studio\u003C/a>, a team of 30 people in the south of France, ordered us several improvements for the second time. TNZPV is a studio led by former teachers of Supinfocom. In their portfolio you can see projects like Team Dronix, The World According To Amazon or White Fang. They use Blender as primary software and use Kitsu to manage the tracking their productions. That’s why they are very good at shipping qualitative TV shows on time ;).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, today, we would like to share with you what you will see soon in Kitsu and what you can already see thanks to them!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"1-improved-breakdown-module\">1. Improved Breakdown Module\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>As you noticed the breakdown module of Kitsu got several enhancements including:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Display of shot castings for a whole sequence\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Capability to add same assets to several shots at the same time\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Labeling of assets (to tell if the asset is animated or fixed)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Capability to cast assets in assets (useful for the set dressing)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Export / import of the breakdown\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch3 id=\"2-shot-aggregation-at-sequence-level\">2. Shot aggregation at sequence level\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>We will add more information at the sequence level. The sequence status and the sequence briefing will be an aggregation of the sequence shots.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"3-misc\">3. Misc\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Shot frames history\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Now when you change frames of a shot the history of the changes is stored. This way you can keep track of the changes performed to define that shot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Project deletion\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>Because the project is linked with too many things, it was not possible to delete it right from the UI. We changed that by adding a deletion modal for the project with a double confirmation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>List entities without thumbnails\u003C/em>\u003Cbr>We added a new filter to allow you to list quickly entities without thumbnails. It’s practical when you make sure that all entities have a thumbnail set on it.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>To conclude, we would like to send a big thank you to TNZPV for funding these new features! Thanks to them, the breakdown module is very efficient and we had many useful additions. Last year, we had the opportunity to visit them in Arles and see how they work. We are proud to help them for their upcoming productions!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Who sponsored CGWire so far?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://unit-image.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noopener\">Unit Image\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://les-fees-speciales.coop/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noopener\">Les Fées Spéciales\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://karlabfr.wixsite.com/karlab?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noopener\">Karlab\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.cube-creative.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noopener\">Cube Creative\u003C/a>, NKI, \u003Ca href=\"https://leefilm.se/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Lee Film\u003C/a>, and \u003Ca href=\"https://3dvf.com/en/studio/solidanim/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">SolidAnim\u003C/a>, already ordered features to make Kitsu a better software. In 2019, we are going to talk more about how they help us to progress. It’s important to us that you understand better the context we evolve in. Transparency matters to us, we’ll keep informing you about how we work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 350 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3887,"comment_id":3888,"feature_image":3889,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3890,"updated_at":3891,"custom_excerpt":3892,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3893,"primary_tag":3894,"url":3895,"excerpt":3892,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":3882,"og_description":3892,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":3882,"twitter_description":3892,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3896,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"a5717fd8-1c5f-4664-8016-eadf6e338800","6fb1d0d2f9bf","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/logo.png","2020-01-06T15:43:16.000+01:00","2026-03-27T11:07:54.000+01:00","Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tnzpv-studio-sponsors-new-features-for-kitsu/","Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our…","/posts/tnzpv-studio-sponsors-new-features-for-kitsu",{"title":3882},"tnzpv-studio-sponsors-new-features-for-kitsu","posts/tnzpv-studio-sponsors-new-features-for-kitsu",[3902],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"wyDXKr00lG8g3x5lZX3VJnLcae4T4iC2Ljw4OcGt5tQ",{"id":3905,"title":3906,"authors":3907,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3909,"meta":3910,"navigation":15,"path":3923,"published_at":3914,"seo":3924,"slug":3925,"stem":3926,"tags":3927,"__hash__":3929,"uuid":3911,"comment_id":3912,"feature_image":3913,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3914,"updated_at":3915,"custom_excerpt":3916,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3917,"primary_tag":3918,"url":3919,"excerpt":3916,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3920,"og_title":3921,"og_description":3916,"twitter_image":3920,"twitter_title":3921,"twitter_description":3916,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3922,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:list-of-the-most-common-files-used-in-2d-productions.json","Most Common Files In 2D Productions (2026)",[3908],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>It is not uncommon during a production to come across a file whose extension is unknown. For instance, during a meeting, everyone is talking about a .fla file but you don’t know what it means. And of course, you don’t want to ask because you are scared to look dumb…\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In 2D, 30 years ago, everything was much more straightforward. We worked from sheets of paper, which were photocopied for the archives. The studios sent each other boxes by mail, and we stored the videos on VHSs. But now that everything is (almost) paperless, each step uses different software, and therefore different work files and export files. It also often happens that it is necessary to go through a specific type of file to build bridges between software. In the end you have to know a lot of different extensions to understand what people talk about.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s why we decided to make an exhaustive list of all the types of files you could see during a 2D production. Every time you will see a new file extension, you will know it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.7z:\u003C/strong> A 7Z file is a compressed archive created by various file compression utilities, most notably, Igor Pavlov’s 7-Zip. It uses open-source LZMA compression, which has a high compression ratio and can include strong AES-256 (256-bit) encryption. 7Z files may contain multiple directories or files compressed to save space for storage or transportation purposes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.aep:\u003C/strong> Adobe After Effect working file, It contains a video composition that includes audio, images, and video clips, a timeline, and various effects that can be applied to the movie. AEP files are used for creating professional-quality video productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.ai: \u003C/strong>Adobe Illustrator working file, a vector graphics editing program. It is composed of paths connected by points, rather than bitmap image data. AI files are commonly used for logos and print media.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.doc(x):\u003C/strong> text file, can be opened with Microsoft Word, Open Office, or Google Document. It may contain formatted text, images, tables, graphs, charts, page formatting, and print settings.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.edl:\u003C/strong> Edit Decision List File. Video editing file created by programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, and Apple Final Cut Pro stores an edit decision list (EDL). It specifies editing choices during production, includes the location of source video data and timecodes for when to use video. It allows the original project to be recreated in a separate editing system.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.fla:\u003C/strong> Adobe Animate working file, formerly Flash, a program used to draw and publish animations. It contains graphics, video, audio, and other assets. FLA files are often saved as SWF files. It’s mostly used for puppet animation. You will need a rig to use the puppet.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.jpg/jpeg:\u003C/strong> A JPG file is an image saved in a compressed image format standardized by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG). It is commonly used for storing digital photos and used by most digital cameras to save images. JPG files are among the most common image files along with PNG, TIF, and GIF.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mov:\u003C/strong> A MOV file is a common multimedia container file format developed by Apple and compatible with both Macintosh and Windows platforms. It may contain multiple tracks that store different types of media data and is often used for saving movies and other video files. MOV files commonly use the MPEG-4 codec for compression. It’s a video file that can be used as an export for animation or editing but can also be used as a delivery file.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mp3:\u003C/strong> An MP3 file is an audio file saved in a compressed audio format developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) that uses “Layer 3” audio compression. It is commonly used to store music and audiobooks with near-CD quality sound (stereo, 16-bit) and roughly 1/10 the size of a WAV or AIF file. It can be used for music placeholders on a montage\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mp4:\u003C/strong> An MP4 file is a multimedia file commonly used to store a movie or video clip, but may also contain subtitles or images. MP4 is short for MPEG-4 Part 14, which is a container format based on the QuickTime File Format (QTFF) used by MOV and QT files. It serves as a preview for an animation scene, or a montage for example.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.pdf:\u003C/strong> file for viewing a drawing or text. A PDF file is a multi-platform document created by Adobe Acrobat or another PDF application. The PDF format is commonly used for saving documents and publications in a standard format that can be viewed on multiple platforms. In many cases, PDF files are created from existing documents instead of from scratch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.png:\u003C/strong> A PNG file is an image file stored in the Portable Network Graphic (PNG) format. It contains a bitmap of indexed colors and uses lossless compression, similar to a GIF file but without copyright limitations. PNG files are commonly used to store graphics for web images. It’s often used to export animation scenes, and each png file corresponds to an animation frame\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.prproj: \u003C/strong>Adobe Premiere working file. It contains a timeline that is comprised of video and audio clips and includes transitions, special effects, and other applied edits. PRPROJ also files store project settings such as the settings for transitions, the video renderer, audio and video display format, and the capture format.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.psd:\u003C/strong> Adobe Photoshop working file. It is the native format used to save files in Photoshop. PSD files may include image layers, adjustment layers, layer masks, annotations, file information, keywords, and other Photoshop-specific elements\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.rar:\u003C/strong> compression file. It uses a higher compression ratio than typical ZIP compression and incorporates a proprietary compression algorithm that is now used by other compressors, including 7-Zip for its .7Z files. RAR files may be extracted using a variety of programs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.sbpz:\u003C/strong> ToonBoom Storyboard Pro archive file. This file is the set of working files to make this storyboard\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.sbdkp:\u003C/strong> ToonBoom Storyboard Pro working file. It’s the main software used in the industry to create Storyboard. You can also edit the animatic within. It can store picture, drawing, sound (voices and music).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.swf:\u003C/strong> Adobe Animate video file, formerly Flash, that can be played by Flash Player. It may contain vector and raster graphics.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.tga:\u003C/strong> A TGA file is a file saved in the raster graphic format designed by Truevision. It supports 8, 16, 24, or 32 bits per pixel at a maximum of 24 bits for RGB colors and 8-bit alpha channel. TGA files are used for various types of images, such as digital photos and textures referenced by 3D video games. Each TGA file corresponds to an animation frame\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.tvpp: \u003C/strong>TVpaint working file, animation software which is the closest to tradition animation. It doesn’t use puppet and rig to animate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.wav:\u003C/strong> A WAV file is an audio file that uses a standard digital audio file format utilized for storing waveform data. It allows audio recordings to be saved with different sampling rates and bitrates. And it is often saved in a 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo format, which is the standard format used for CD audio. It’s mainly used for the voices as it’s uncompressed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.wmv:\u003C/strong> is a video file based on the Microsoft Advanced Systems Format (ASF) container format and compressed with Windows Media compression. It contains video encoded with one of Microsoft’s Windows Media Video (WMV) proprietary codecs. It’s a video file that can be used to export an animation or a montage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.xls:\u003C/strong> spreadsheet file can be opened with Microsoft Excel, Open Office tor Google Spreadsheet. It contains one or more worksheets, which store and display data in a table format. XLS files may also store mathematical functions, charts, styles, and formatting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.xml:\u003C/strong> Extensible Markup Language) data file. It is formatted much like an HTML document but uses custom tags to define objects and the data within each object. XML files can be thought of as a text-based database.But most of the time it’s a file from editing software. This file is used to indicate the list of shots and their entry and exit points in the assembly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.xstage /.table: \u003C/strong>Toonboom harmony working file. A program used to draw and publish animations. It contains graphics, video, audio, and other assets. It’s mostly used for puppet animation. You will need a rig to use the puppet.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.zip:\u003C/strong> compression file, it stores files separately from each other, allowing the files to be compressed using different methods and extracted without compressing or decompressing the entire archive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s it! Now extensions won’t have any secrets for you! You will be able to understand all conversations and tackle problems effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Feel free to let us a comment if you thing that a definition is wrong or that an extension is missing!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Source:\u003Ca href=\"https://www.wikipedia.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\"> wikipedia.org\u003C/a>,\u003Ca href=\"https://fileinfo.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\"> fileinfo.com\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 270 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3911,"comment_id":3912,"feature_image":3913,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3914,"updated_at":3915,"custom_excerpt":3916,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3917,"primary_tag":3918,"url":3919,"excerpt":3916,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3920,"og_title":3921,"og_description":3916,"twitter_image":3920,"twitter_title":3921,"twitter_description":3916,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3922,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"1eb61749-5b97-4b35-a178-5e84239c6b37","8cf0ba12dd12","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-iejOUqbpOYwaPjwvKAiY1g.jpeg","2019-10-08T09:31:01.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:50:19.000+01:00","It is not uncommon during a production to come across a file whose extension is unknown. For instance, during a meeting, everyone is…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/list-of-the-most-common-files-used-in-2d-productions/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-iejOUqbpOYwaPjwvKAiY1g.jpeg","List Of The Most Common Files used in 2D Productions","It is not uncommon during a production to come across a file whose extension is unknown. For instance, during a meeting, everyone is talking about a .fla file but you don’t know what it means. And of…","/posts/list-of-the-most-common-files-used-in-2d-productions",{"title":3906},"list-of-the-most-common-files-used-in-2d-productions","posts/list-of-the-most-common-files-used-in-2d-productions",[3928],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"lblhFQqZPP-2epUhUjbBby5rHuDtDCoY4CxqiV6EtIM",{"id":3931,"title":3932,"authors":3933,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3935,"meta":3936,"navigation":15,"path":3948,"published_at":3940,"seo":3949,"slug":3950,"stem":3951,"tags":3952,"__hash__":3954,"uuid":3937,"comment_id":3938,"feature_image":3939,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3940,"updated_at":3941,"custom_excerpt":3916,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3942,"primary_tag":3943,"url":3944,"excerpt":3916,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3945,"og_title":3946,"og_description":3916,"twitter_image":3945,"twitter_title":3946,"twitter_description":3916,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3947,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:list-of-the-most-common-files-encountered-in-cgi-production.json","Most Common File Formats In CGI Production (2026)",[3934],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>It is not uncommon during a production to come across a file whose extension is unknown. For instance, during a meeting, everyone is talking about a .fbx file but you don’t know what it means. And of course, you don’t want to ask because you are scared to look dumb…\u003C/p>\u003Cp>No worry, in CGI production, there is more and more software used for particular tasks. To create a character we can easily use many tools: we will start by sketching in Photoshop, then doing the sculpt with Zbrush. We will then make the modeling under 3DS Max (or Maya), make the textures under Substance, the clothes with Marvelous, the hair with Houdini, and so on. And of course, each software has its working file type and export file type. It also often happens that it is necessary to go through a specific type of file to build bridges between software. In the end you have to know a lot of different extensions to understand what people talk about.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s why we decided to make an exhaustive list of all the types of files you could see during a CGI production. Every time you will see a new file extension, you will know it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.7z:\u003C/strong> A 7Z file is a compressed archive created by various file compression utilities, most notably, Igor Pavlov’s 7-Zip. It uses open-source LZMA compression, which has a high compression ratio and can include strong AES-256 (256-bit) encryption. 7Z files may contain multiple directories or files compressed to save space for storage or transportation purposes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.abc:\u003C/strong> Alembic is an interchangeable computer graphics file format. Its primary focus is the interchange of geometry (models) between different groups working on the same shots or the same assets. Often different departments in the same company or different studios are working on the same projects.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.aep:\u003C/strong> Adobe After Effect working file, It contains a video composition that includes audio, images, and video clips, a timeline, and various effects that can be applied to the movie. AEP files are used for creating professional-quality video productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.blend:\u003C/strong> 3D image or animation project created with Blender, an open-source 3D modeling program; contains 3D mesh data, lighting information, vertex painting, animation keyframes, NURBS objects, procedural textures, UV mapping layout, and realtime interactivity data; may also store multiple scenes in a single file.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.bvh:\u003C/strong> ASCII file that contains motion capture data for three-dimensional characters. It is used by 3ds Max’s Character Studio and other 3D animation programs to import joint rotational data. It was developed by Biovision as a standard format to save biped character motion data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.c3d: \u003C/strong>Data file saved in the Coordinate 3D (C3D) format. It is used for storing biomechanical information. It stores three-dimensional motion capture data in a compact binary structure. It is used as a standard format for biomechanics data storage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.dds:\u003C/strong> A DDS file is a raster image saved in the DirectDraw Surface (DDS) container format. It can store compressed and uncompressed pixel formats and is often used for texturing video game unit models. DDS files may also be used to store Windows desktop backgrounds or wallpapers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.doc(x)\u003C/strong>: text file, can be opened with Microsoft Word, Open Office, or Google Document. It may contain formatted text, images, tables, graphs, charts, page formatting, and print settings.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.edl:\u003C/strong> Edit Decision List File. Video editing file created by programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, and Apple Final Cut Pro. It stores an edit decision list (EDL), which specifies editing choices during production. It includes the location of source video data and timecodes for when to use video; allows the original project to be recreated in a separate editing system.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.exr: \u003C/strong>Bitmap image or raster image stored in the OpenEXR format, a high dynamic-range (HDR) image file format developed by Industrial Light & Magic; supports multi-layer images, lossy and lossless compression, and 16-bit and 32-bit pixels; used for storing deep raster images for high-quality graphics; used by raster graphics editing programs and imaging applications.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.fbx:\u003C/strong> 2D or 3D drawing saved in the Autodesk FBX format; maintains the full fidelity and functionality of the original file and can be manipulated by multiple programs; used for creating interoperability between 3D applications.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.h264:\u003C/strong> An H264 file is a video file encoded with H.264 compression, which is a popular format for high definition video. It is often used as the video format for AVCHD camcorders, HDTV, Blu-ray, and HD DVD. H264 generally refers to a video file that is an MP4 file.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.hip/.hda:\u003C/strong> Project file created by Houdini, a three-dimensional modeling and animation program; contains 3D shape definitions; may store points, lines, surfaces, fluids, and other objects; may also include project assets, such as embedded images; can be rendered into a 3D scene using Houdini.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.hipnc:\u003C/strong> 3D image file created by Houdini Apprentice, the trial version of the full Houdini 3D modeling software; stores three-dimensional objects and animation properties for a scene; can be rendered with the software, but at a reduced resolution from the full version; often used in educational settings or by artists for personal portfolio development.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.jpg/jpeg:\u003C/strong> A JPG file is an image saved in a compressed image format standardized by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG). It is commonly used for storing digital photos and used by most digital cameras to save images. JPG files are among the most common image files along with PNG, TIF, and GIF.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.ma/mb:\u003C/strong> A MA file is a project created with Maya, a 3D modeling and animation program. It contains information that defines the geometry, lighting, animation, and rendering properties of a 3D scene. MA files are saved in an ASCII text format, while binary Maya project files use the MB extension.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.materialX: \u003C/strong>MaterialX is an open standard for the transfer of rich material and look-development content between applications and renderers. MaterialX addresses the need for a common, open standard to represent the data values and relationships required to transfer the complete look of a computer graphics model from one application or rendering platform to another. It includes shading networks, patterns and texturing, complex nested materials, and geometric assignments. To further encourage interchangeable CG look setups, MaterialX also defines a complete set of data creation and processing nodes with a precise mechanism for functional extensibility.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.max:\u003C/strong> A MAX file is a three-dimensional scene file created by 3ds Max, a 3D modeling, animation, and rendering application. It may contain multiple models that include wireframes, textures, lighting effects, shading, animation, and other 3D design elements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.maxscript:\u003C/strong> MAXScript is the scripting language of 3DS MAX. It allows you to automate certain aspects of the program, such as modeling, animation, and rendering,\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mdd (pc2):\u003C/strong> Model data file used by Point Oven, a commercial suite of plugins used for transferring vertex and fcurve data between modeling programs; saves “baked” vertex data for every animation frame of a specified mesh. It allows actual vertex mesh positions, or deformations, to be exchanged between other programs that have Point Oven MDD support.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mdl:\u003C/strong> Simulation model created with Simulink, a simulation and model-based design application; contains the block diagram and block properties of the simulation\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mel:\u003C/strong> The Maya Embedded Language (MEL) is the programming language of the 3D Maya software. It is an interpreted language. Maya is characterized by its ability to be fully usable via lines of code knowing that a large part of the software (including its interface) is programmed in Mel, the rest in C++.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mov:\u003C/strong> A MOV file is a common multimedia container file format developed by Apple and compatible with both Macintosh and Windows platforms. It may contain multiple tracks that store different types of media data and is often used for saving movies and other video files. MOV files commonly use the MPEG-4 codec for compression. It’s a video file that can be used as an export for animation or editing but can also be used as a delivery file.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mp3:\u003C/strong> An MP3 file is an audio file saved in a compressed audio format developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) that uses “Layer 3” audio compression. It is commonly used to store music and audiobooks with near-CD quality sound (stereo, 16-bit) and roughly 1/10 the size of a WAV or AIF file. It can be used for music placeholders on a montage\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mp4:\u003C/strong> An MP4 file is a multimedia file commonly used to store a movie or video clip, but may also contain subtitles or images. MP4 is short for MPEG-4 Part 14, which is a container format based on the QuickTime File Format (QTFF) used by MOV and QT files. It serves as a preview for an animation scene, or a montage for example.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.mtl:\u003C/strong> Material settings file used by 3D object editing applications. It is stored with an OBJ file and describes how textures are applied to the object. It includes the name of texture bitmap files as well as the 3D positioning of the textures.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.nk:\u003C/strong> Nuke Working file. Nuke is a nodal digital compositing software.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.obj:\u003C/strong> An OBJ file is a standard 3D image format that can be exported and opened by various 3D image editing programs. It contains a three-dimensional object, including 3D coordinates, texture maps, polygonal faces, and other object information.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.ocio: \u003C/strong>OCIO profile used to manage used to modify the look of an image in a “creative” manner (as opposed to a colorspace definition which tends to be technically/mathematically defined).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.pdf:\u003C/strong> file for viewing a drawing or text. A PDF file is a multi-platform document created by Adobe Acrobat or another PDF application. The PDF format is commonly used for saving documents and publications in a standard format that can be viewed on multiple platforms. In many cases, PDF files are created from existing documents instead of from scratch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.png:\u003C/strong> A PNG file is an image file stored in the Portable Network Graphic (PNG) format. It contains a bitmap of indexed colors and uses lossless compression, similar to a GIF file but without copyright limitations. PNG files are commonly used to store graphics for web images. It’s often used to export animation scenes, and each png file corresponds to an animation frame\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.prproj:\u003C/strong> Adobe Premiere working file. It contains a timeline that is comprised of video and audio clips and includes transitions, special effects, and other applied edits. PRPROJ also files store project settings such as the settings for transitions, the video renderer, audio and video display format, and the capture format.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.psd:\u003C/strong> Adobe Photoshop working file. It is the native format used to save files in Photoshop. PSD files may include image layers, adjustment layers, layer masks, annotations, file information, keywords, and other Photoshop-specific elements\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.py: \u003C/strong>Python is an interpreted programming language, multi-paradigm and multiplatform. It promotes structured, functional, and object-oriented, imperative programming.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.rar:\u003C/strong> Compression file. It uses a higher compression ratio than typical ZIP compression and incorporates a proprietary compression algorithm that is now used by other compressors, including 7-Zip for its .7Z files. RAR files may be extracted using a variety of programs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.sbpz:\u003C/strong> ToonBoom Storyboard Pro archive file. This is the set of working files to make the storyboard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.sbsar:\u003C/strong> An SBSAR file is an archive created by Allegorithmic Substance Designer, a program used to create materials for use in 3D content, such as animations, special effects, and video games. It contains a 3D material, such as concrete, carpet, glass, marble, steel, slate, iron, metal, wood, and glass. SBSAR files are used to share materials that have been made by Substance users or are available for download with a Substance Source subscription.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.sbbkp/.sboard: \u003C/strong>ToonBoom Storyboard Pro working file. It’s the main software used in the industry to create Storyboard. You can also edit the animatic within. It can store picture, drawing, sound (voices and music).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.tga:\u003C/strong> A TGA file is a file saved in the raster graphic format designed by Truevision. It supports 8, 16, 24, or 32 bits per pixel at a maximum of 24 bits for RGB colors and 8-bit alpha channel. TGA files are used for various types of images, such as digital photos and textures referenced by 3D video games. Each TGA file corresponds to an animation frame\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.tx:\u003C/strong> Mipmaps texture file. Mipmaps save several resolutions of an image into a single texture file. It speeds up render time because it can load the high-resolution mipmap image if the object is close in the render, and smaller images when it is farther away. For this treason, both Arnold and Renderman default to using mipmap textures.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.usd:\u003C/strong> Pixar’s Universal Scene Description (USD) software tool included many features, such as importing models, creating basic primate models, and applying transformations. Transformations include organizing, rotating and scaling models, adding lights, adjusting and changing lighting and changing model materials. USD is designed to work with the modern 3D animation pipeline. Pixar uses USD to create 3D animated movies. USD uses an internal OpenGL renderer. Pixar released an open-source version of Universal Scene.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.wav:\u003C/strong> A WAV file is an audio file that uses a standard digital audio file format utilized for storing waveform data. tIt allows audio recordings to be saved with different sampling rates and bitrates. It is often saved in a 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, stereo format, which is the standard format used for CD audio. It’s mainly used for the voices as it’s uncompressed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.wmv: \u003C/strong>is a video file based on the Microsoft Advanced Systems Format (ASF) container format and compressed with Windows Media compression. It contains video encoded with one of Microsoft’s Windows Media Video (WMV) proprietary codecs. It’s a video file used to export an animation or a montage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.xaf: \u003C/strong>XML file created by the 3ds Max modeling and animation software; contains motion information for a biped, which is a model with two-feet; enables modelers to capture human accurately and creature movements for video games, movies, and other 3D animations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.xls(x):\u003C/strong> spreadsheet file, can be opened with Microsoft Excel, Open Office, or Google Spreadsheet. It contains one or more worksheets, which store and display data in a table format. XLS files may also store mathematical functions, charts, styles, and formatting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.xml:\u003C/strong> Extensible Markup Language) data file. It is formatted much like an HTML document but uses custom tags to define objects and the data within each object. XML files can be thought of as a text-based database. But most of the time it’s a file from editing software. This type of file is used to indicate the list of shots and their entry and exit points in the assembly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.zip:\u003C/strong> compression file, it stores files separately from each other, allowing the files to be compressed using different methods and extracted without compressing or decompressing the entire archive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>.zpr:\u003C/strong> Zbrush working file. ZBrush is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D/2.5D modeling, texturing, and painting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s it! Now extensions won’t have any secrets for you! You will be able to understand all conversations and tackle problems effectively.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Feel free to let us a comment if you think that a definition is wrong or that an extension is missing!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Source:\u003Ca href=\"https://www.wikipedia.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\"> wikipedia.org\u003C/a>,\u003Ca href=\"https://fileinfo.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\"> fileinfo.com\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 270 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3937,"comment_id":3938,"feature_image":3939,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3940,"updated_at":3941,"custom_excerpt":3916,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3942,"primary_tag":3943,"url":3944,"excerpt":3916,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3945,"og_title":3946,"og_description":3916,"twitter_image":3945,"twitter_title":3946,"twitter_description":3916,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3947,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"c4a85e67-11d7-4a20-ab15-5c01900fa5c4","519c54d6d1e","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-qLESIyc9UbHJkKEXyaIhdQ.jpeg","2019-10-01T11:01:01.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:50:50.000+01:00",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/list-of-the-most-common-files-encountered-in-cgi-production/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-qLESIyc9UbHJkKEXyaIhdQ.jpeg","List of the most common files encountered in CGI production","It is not uncommon during a production to come across a file whose extension is unknown. For instance, during a meeting, everyone is talking about a .fbx file but you don’t know what it means. And of…","/posts/list-of-the-most-common-files-encountered-in-cgi-production",{"title":3932},"list-of-the-most-common-files-encountered-in-cgi-production","posts/list-of-the-most-common-files-encountered-in-cgi-production",[3953],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"RVB2NLVdjDsKLwYCErPoBKlfES7HXSy8c8uDcHHnznA",{"id":3956,"title":3957,"authors":3958,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3960,"meta":3961,"navigation":15,"path":3974,"published_at":3965,"seo":3975,"slug":3976,"stem":3977,"tags":3978,"__hash__":3980,"uuid":3962,"comment_id":3963,"feature_image":3964,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3965,"updated_at":3966,"custom_excerpt":3967,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3968,"primary_tag":3969,"url":3970,"excerpt":3967,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3971,"og_title":3972,"og_description":3967,"twitter_image":3971,"twitter_title":3972,"twitter_description":3967,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3973,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-2.json","How To Choose Your Animation Studio: Part 2 (2026)",[3959],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>If you read our \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-1/\">previous post\u003C/a>, you will know that we were having doubts about our choice of an animation studio. In the end, a visit to the studio visit proved to be the nail in the coffin. The studio was under-equipped, had no immediate staffing, and the agreed budget would not have allowed them to handle the production given their lack of resources.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"finding-a-new-contractor\">Finding a new contractor\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>We had to find a new contractor. For us, there were three significant factors to consider when looking for a new animation studio:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The new animation studio must be located in the same area as the show had been significantly funded by the CNC and the region of Ile-de-France.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Time was of the essence. With broadcasters and a toy manufacturer already in on the deal, pushing back the deadline was not an option.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>It was too late in the game to secure new funding, so our budget had to remain fixed.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The advantage of encountering issues the first time around meant that we had the opportunity to fine-tune our brief and adapt how we communicate with studios. We already had a lot of scripts available so we could play with economies of scale and any potential obstacles had already been flagged up.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"working-with-a-fixed-budget-and-tight-schedule\">Working with a fixed budget and tight schedule\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>We finally managed to find a studio to take the production within the time frame and on budget. But since time was short, we needed to minimize the margin for error as much as possible. From the outset, we made sure the studio worked closely with the show’s director and first assistant to get the project off on the right foot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We took advantage of everything available to us: synopses, outlines, WIP scripts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A lot of work went into convincing our partners that this last-minute change was for the better. Showing them we had well-prepared battle plan helped, but the animation studio’s reputation was really the deal clincher.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"organization-and-sharing-of-tasks\">Organization and sharing of tasks\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>For the project to run as smoothly as possible, we worked hard to compile as much information for the studio and to find ways of working to save time and money on both ends. This is what we found to work best.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>We got a step ahead with character modeling. Running animation tests ahead of time allowed us to understand the limitations and technical constraints of what we wanted to achieve. This included stretching textures on characters in animation and limitations in movement. From there, we were able to provide a list of “do’s and don’ts” for the storyboard to the animation studio.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Prep work on the sets was a huge timesaver. We build up a bank of terrains and backgrounds that could interchangeably be assembled to create numerous different sets saving time later on down the line.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We made sure the storyboards detailed the proper placement of characters in the space and their size ratio in order to minimize layout issues.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>We also work with an experienced editor to really refine animatic and make sure the timing was tight.\u003C/strong> As a result, we managed to avoid any unnecessary animation or frame rendering.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We paid special attention to the design pack. The idea was to make this as complete and detailed as possible. For each character, we drew up nine different poses, various expressions, and looks, as well as sheets of details, such as accessories, the inside of the mouth, under the feet, etc.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Each set was linked to storyboard panel with props that had been systematically drawn from the angles detailed in the storyboard to leave no room for interpretation.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>All FX were provided with their animation key-poses.\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>We worked closely with the animation studio to create a storyboard template for the entire series to ensure that artistically and technically, it could work for everyone.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-results\">The results\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>In the end, all stakeholders were satisfied. The budget and schedule were respected and The broadcasters were really pleased with the quality of the show. The director was exhausted but happy with the work that had been done.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"takeaways\">Takeaways\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To facilitate communication and minimize the opportunity for error, do not be afraid to go into detail about everything. You need to be as clear as possible about what you want, even if that changes throughout the production cycle. You need to run your own tests beforehand to ensure that models will work with animation and work with a supervisor to oversee the characters from the beginning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you have chosen your contractor, provide them with the most complete documentation possible. The less room for interpretation, the more efficient the workflow will be. Always remember that a studio will never do better than what was sent to them. We always receive the quality we send.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 270 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3962,"comment_id":3963,"feature_image":3964,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3965,"updated_at":3966,"custom_excerpt":3967,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3968,"primary_tag":3969,"url":3970,"excerpt":3967,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3971,"og_title":3972,"og_description":3967,"twitter_image":3971,"twitter_title":3972,"twitter_description":3967,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3973,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"0eae47c4-d759-420c-98ba-59cfeac2e725","a4581e3fc02f","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-ZfHg2K0qnob5s7FTJTUoDg.jpeg","2019-08-29T15:04:06.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:47:57.000+01:00","If you read our previous post, you will know that we were having doubts about our choice of an animation studio. In the end, a visit to…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-2/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-ZfHg2K0qnob5s7FTJTUoDg.jpeg","How To Choose Your Animation Studio — Part 2","If you read our previous post, you will know that we were having doubts about our choice of an animation studio. In the end, a visit to the studio visit proved to be the nail in the coffin. The…","/posts/how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-2",{"title":3957},"how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-2","posts/how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-2",[3979],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"HI5Ff8M7KdHE39Bnq1JM_qXWvf3QVFo-BAe1AFyUxE4",{"id":3982,"title":3983,"authors":3984,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":3986,"meta":3987,"navigation":15,"path":3999,"published_at":3991,"seo":4000,"slug":4001,"stem":4002,"tags":4003,"__hash__":4005,"uuid":3988,"comment_id":3989,"feature_image":3990,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3991,"updated_at":3992,"custom_excerpt":3993,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3994,"primary_tag":3995,"url":3996,"excerpt":3993,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3997,"og_title":3983,"og_description":3993,"twitter_image":3997,"twitter_title":3983,"twitter_description":3993,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3998,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:solidanim-sponsors-data-synchronisation-between-two-kitsu-apis.json","Solidanim Sponsors Data Synchronisation Between Two Kitsu APIs",[3985],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Since the beginning of CGWire, CG studios sponsored most of the development we do. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap. By doing this, they make the software progress faster in a way that suits their workflow. It makes the project more sustainable and allows us to add only the features that are needed. This principle is part of the fundamentals of CGWire. That’s why, from now on, we showcase the studios that help us in \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/about?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">our mission\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"solidanim-and-kitsu\">Solidanim and Kitsu\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Solidanim is a French animation studio specialized in motion capture and animation. They worked on movies like Croc-Blanc or Rogue One. They were Shotgun users but this piece of software was not suited for their studio and provided average results for a high cost. For their next production, a long TV-series, they needed more efficient tools. That’s why they reached us out!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We are super glad to help them to build their next production. It will allow Solidanim to reach new ambitions. For CGWire, it’s time to work on a second TV series! Which will be the opportunity to make Kitsu more accurate for this use case. Stay tuned for new improvements!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"local-installation-synchronization\">Local installation synchronization\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>As you know, you can install Kitsu locally. For safe and efficient installation, we provide a dedicated support license. It’s already a great feature. But something was missing: installation synchronization.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s often the case that you have two different sites that require to communicate. Nevertheless, you still need the advantages of a local installation:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Capability to use it when the network is down or slow\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Performance (especially when dealing with a lot of previews)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Compliance with US requirements about confidentiality\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>The counterpart is that it cannot be accessed from another site without losing all these benefits for the other studio site. That’s why, we decided with Solidanim to add a set of features to the current version of Kitsu. We are working on adding a bunch of new commands. You will be able to:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Replicate a full Kitsu instance\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Apply events on both side by listening to the real-time feed of the Kitsu API server\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Synchronize the most recent activities.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>All of this will allow us to bring the advantage of a local installation for two different sites. It’s a great addition that will make Kitsu even more flexible. It will adapt better to your context.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Who sponsored CGWire so far?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://unit-image.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Unit Image\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://les-fees-speciales.coop/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Les Fées Spéciales\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://karlabfr.wixsite.com/karlab?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Karlab\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.tnzpv.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">TNZPV\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.akama-filmdirector.com/beyond-directing?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">NKI,\u003C/a> \u003Ca href=\"http://www.cube-creative.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Cube Creative\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/lee-film-studio-sponsors-enhanced-statistics-for-kitsu/\" rel=\"noopener\">LeeFilm\u003C/a> already ordered features to make Kitsu a better software. It’s important to us that you understand more about our partners and how we want to improve studio pipelines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 270 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":3988,"comment_id":3989,"feature_image":3990,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":3991,"updated_at":3992,"custom_excerpt":3993,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":3994,"primary_tag":3995,"url":3996,"excerpt":3993,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":3997,"og_title":3983,"og_description":3993,"twitter_image":3997,"twitter_title":3983,"twitter_description":3993,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3998,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"4d8a29e0-dad7-4761-a8e8-2b9625d80af8","fec5bb1adb84","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/Solidanim-logo.jpg","2019-08-28T09:31:01.000+02:00","2026-03-27T11:07:13.000+01:00","Since the beginning of CGWire, CG studios sponsored most of the development we do. When a company wants to see some specific features in…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/solidanim-sponsors-data-synchronisation-between-two-kitsu-apis/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/400/1-Uh93g4flf03_ITmGxbjoqw.png","Since the beginning of CGWire, CG studios sponsored most of the development we do. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap…","/posts/solidanim-sponsors-data-synchronisation-between-two-kitsu-apis",{"title":3983},"solidanim-sponsors-data-synchronisation-between-two-kitsu-apis","posts/solidanim-sponsors-data-synchronisation-between-two-kitsu-apis",[4004],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"MnXnQrwi_6bXyS5Gf-PexaOvG3L5YWhjnESWEZoy7qU",{"id":4007,"title":4008,"authors":4009,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4011,"meta":4012,"navigation":15,"path":4022,"published_at":4016,"seo":4023,"slug":4024,"stem":4025,"tags":4026,"__hash__":4028,"uuid":4013,"comment_id":4014,"feature_image":4015,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4016,"updated_at":4017,"custom_excerpt":3993,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4018,"primary_tag":4019,"url":4020,"excerpt":3993,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4021,"og_title":4008,"og_description":3993,"twitter_image":4021,"twitter_title":4008,"twitter_description":3993,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3998,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:lee-film-studio-sponsors-enhanced-statistics-for-kitsu.json","Lee Film Studio Sponsors Enhanced Statistics for Kitsu",[4010],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Since the beginning of CGWire, CG studios sponsored most of the development we do. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap. By doing this, they make the software progress faster in a way that suits their workflow. It makes the project more sustainable and allows us to add only the features that are needed. This principle is part of the fundamentals of CGWire. That’s why, from now on, we would like to showcase the studios that help us in \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/about?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">our mission\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"lee-film-and-kitsu\">Lee Film and Kitsu\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Lee Film is a Swedish animation studio producing mainly 2D animated film focusing on the very youngest audience. They did movies like \u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCvuUs0HQys&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Gordon & Paddy\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyMcWAoDPFQ&t=2s&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Dolores & Gunellen’s world\u003C/a>. For their new production, they wanted to use stronger software than spreadsheets. That’s why they reached us out!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We are super glad to help them to build their next feature film: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.screendaily.com/news/attraction-boards-swedish-animation-the-ape-star-exclusive/5139588.article?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">The Ape Star\u003C/a>. It’s a 2D handpainted animation about an orphaned girl who is adopted by a gorilla. We can’t wait to see the result!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"enhanced-statistics\">Enhanced statistics\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>Kitsu provided statistics for sequence and episode progress. It gave an excellent overview of the running production, but it lacked details. That’s why Lee Film asked us for more information.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Thanks to them, we were able to add the following features to the statistic pages:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Statistics aggregating all the tasks for a sequence or an episode\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Statistics aggregating all the tasks for a building step for all sequences and episodes\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Statistics aggregating all the tasks of the production\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Task count per status with percentages (text or charts)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Frame count per status with percentages (text or charts)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>CSV Export\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>From now on, you will know how things progress and you will be able to build production reports in a glimpse!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Who sponsored CGWire so far?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://unit-image.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Unit Image\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://les-fees-speciales.coop/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Les Fées Spéciales\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://karlabfr.wixsite.com/karlab?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Karlab\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.tnzpv.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">TNZPV\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.akama-filmdirector.com/beyond-directing?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">NKI,\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.cube-creative.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Cube Creative\u003C/a> already ordered features to make Kitsu a better software. It’s important to us that you understand more about our partners and how we want to improve studio pipelines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 270 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4013,"comment_id":4014,"feature_image":4015,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4016,"updated_at":4017,"custom_excerpt":3993,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4018,"primary_tag":4019,"url":4020,"excerpt":3993,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4021,"og_title":4008,"og_description":3993,"twitter_image":4021,"twitter_title":4008,"twitter_description":3993,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3998,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"4bafd41a-0fb8-4b51-ba34-46e89f467efd","3d94456caf10","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/1-Ir5Hd6uZKLM45c-1O8kzog.png","2019-08-13T09:46:01.000+02:00","2026-03-27T11:06:32.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/lee-film-studio-sponsors-enhanced-statistics-for-kitsu/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/400/1-Ir5Hd6uZKLM45c-1O8kzog.png","/posts/lee-film-studio-sponsors-enhanced-statistics-for-kitsu",{"title":4008},"lee-film-studio-sponsors-enhanced-statistics-for-kitsu","posts/lee-film-studio-sponsors-enhanced-statistics-for-kitsu",[4027],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"hUyv700swdVQ2j_amK2bCzdrncq631pzJDmGFbHp52U",{"id":4030,"title":4031,"authors":4032,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4034,"meta":4035,"navigation":15,"path":4048,"published_at":4039,"seo":4049,"slug":4050,"stem":4051,"tags":4052,"__hash__":4054,"uuid":4036,"comment_id":4037,"feature_image":4038,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4039,"updated_at":4040,"custom_excerpt":4041,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4042,"primary_tag":4043,"url":4044,"excerpt":4041,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4045,"og_title":4046,"og_description":4041,"twitter_image":4045,"twitter_title":4046,"twitter_description":4041,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4047,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-1.json","How To Choose Your Animation Studio: Part 1 (2026)",[4033],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>A few years ago, I took on a job managing production at a studio. It was undergoing a full restructure but the financing plan had been agreed and broadcasters locked down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Everything was on track. Next up: handling production management.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The studio had just sold its first-ever CGI production but all development had been done in 2D. Nevertheless, a toy dealer came in on the deal and bought out the selling rights to the show’s main characters. It looked like it was going to be a huge success!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"scoping-out-the-project\">\u003Cstrong>Scoping out the project\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>First things first, I started by doing due diligence. I read over the first scripts and got familiar with contracts. The deals with broadcasters and the toy manufacturer seemed pretty standard, but something was off with the draft of the contract with the animation studio. I decided to dig in deeper.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The animation studio had never seen a script or synopsis, so you can imagine my surprise when they were able to provide a quote and delivery based solely on the pitch. Since then, storylines had evolved drastically and the number of main characters increased. And the biggest change: each episode was now set in a different location. The worrying thing was that none of these changes were reflected in the quote.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Next, I turned to the visual guidelines. The 2D characters were beautiful with a distinct cuteness: big heads, small bodies, tiny limbs. The sales materials were equally as beautiful, all in pastel colors. Development has been done by a team of just two, and when I looked more closely, I realized that no modeling or animation tests had been done. Could the characters touch their faces? Could they bend over? What did they look like walking with their tiny legs?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>I needed some answers but had nowhere to go — those who had worked on the project had left as part of the restructure. As far as I could see, no time or budget has been dedicated to testing at this stage. “It must be planned for pre-production,” I concluded. I also assumed our animation contractor likely did not have access to the latest 2D designs either.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"time-for-action\">Time for action\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>I decided to go to the source and asked if I could join my producer on his next visit to the studio. Surprised, he turned to me and told me no visit has been planned. I presented my doubts that this mid-sized studio had the capacity to take on our project at the quoted price and he agreed to schedule a visit just a few days later.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"at-the-animation-studio\">At the animation studio\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It began with lunch. I tried to air my concerns regarding the many changes that had been made since the first quote. I insisted we wanted to work with them to find a solution that would suit all: to not overwhelm the team, not trim margins and stick to a fixed budget. The production would be long — we needed to get off on the right foot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Lunch ended and we were given a tour of the studio. The building was old and large, with several small rooms. Each room could easily host 10 graphic designers — even 12 in the winter if they wanted to stay warm!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We see the first room, then a second. Both are empty — not a person in sight. Something was up with the hardware, too. Shockingly few graphics tablets were on the desks and underneath, no computer towers, just disconnected screens, and keyboards on the desks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>I pointed this out to my producer. He’d also noticed that in these warm, south-facing rooms, there was no air conditioning. It was early spring and in our four-man office, it was already stuffy and warm. How do they cope here?!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From room to room, we continue to visit their office. Mentally, I count off the number of artists the space could house. I casually ask if we could bring in more artist if needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They take us to see an annex room, this time without insulation or electricity. The office was in such bad state that my producer had huge doubts that we’d be able to start production in 2 months.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>“No worries,” the contractor told us. “A little plasterboard, some extension cords and we’re good to go!”\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We end the visit in the ‘IT office’. In reality, it was a lone man in the basement, surrounded by 50 half open and partially assembled computers, all from different brands.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>“At least we’d solved the mystery of the missing computers,” I thought to myself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>How were they going to render all the footage, with such a poorly equipped studio and outdated hardware? My concerns were growing so I asked the question. The answer? Everything gets rendered at night, apparently…\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It was becoming more and more clear that the studio was going to really struggle to support our production. At the end of the day, we sat down to discuss the quote and scheduling. Around the meeting table, the contractor was nothing but reassuring about all the changes. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see a big whiteboard with their production timeline for the coming year. There is only one line: ours.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It became instantly evident that the studio was willing to do anything and everything to keep this deal, even if it meant under-valuing his work and putting his business in danger.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In mutual agreement with my producer, we decided immediately to begin looking for another contractor for our animation production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"takeaways\">Takeaways\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It is important to check several things before signing with an animation studio:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Reputation: are they reliable? Can they provide high-quality work?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Current projects: do they have the capacity to take on your project?\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Technology: is the studio operational? Is it well equipped? Are they already staffed?\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Once that you are sure that those conditions are met, send someone from your team out to the studio. The supervisor will be the touchpoint between the studio and the director.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In the long run, it will save enormous amounts of time and less back and forth trips. The supervisor can quickly identify recurring problems and correct them. In general, you’ll likely see improvements in the overall level of production by having someone to share advice on animation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now that you built the right frame to work with your animation studio, prepare to see an increase in productivity and fingers crossed that you will be able to ship your movie on time!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We dedicated this blog to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. Additionally, We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 270 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4036,"comment_id":4037,"feature_image":4038,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4039,"updated_at":4040,"custom_excerpt":4041,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4042,"primary_tag":4043,"url":4044,"excerpt":4041,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4045,"og_title":4046,"og_description":4041,"twitter_image":4045,"twitter_title":4046,"twitter_description":4041,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4047,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"def11e6c-6d85-44d2-b6bc-ce3d960b104f","e1f28f43cbe1","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-vpZeLg3fd4oBFfDsNAqR2w.jpeg","2019-07-26T09:56:01.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:47:44.000+01:00","A few years ago, I took on a job managing production at a studio. It was undergoing a full restructure but the financing plan had been…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-1/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-vpZeLg3fd4oBFfDsNAqR2w.jpeg","How To Choose Your Animation Studio — Part 1","A few years ago, I took on a job managing production at a studio. It was undergoing a full restructure but the financing plan had been agreed and broadcasters locked down. The studio had just sold…","/posts/how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-1",{"title":4031},"how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-1","posts/how-to-choose-your-animation-studio-part-1",[4053],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"EjATESfj36c1eXOym_XXQAsCokz9yUr_noJI_3gcoUE",{"id":4056,"title":4057,"authors":4058,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4060,"meta":4061,"navigation":15,"path":4071,"published_at":4065,"seo":4072,"slug":4073,"stem":4074,"tags":4075,"__hash__":4077,"uuid":4062,"comment_id":4063,"feature_image":4064,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4065,"updated_at":4066,"custom_excerpt":3892,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4067,"primary_tag":4068,"url":4069,"excerpt":3892,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4070,"og_title":4057,"og_description":3892,"twitter_image":4070,"twitter_title":4057,"twitter_description":3892,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3896,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cube-creative-studio-sponsors-enhanced-playlists-for-kitsu.json","Cube Creative Studio Sponsors Enhanced Playlists  for Kitsu",[4059],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap. By doing this, they make the software progress faster in a way that suits their workflow. It makes the project more sustainable and allows us to add features that are really needed. This principle is part of the fundamentals of CGWire. That’s why, from now on, we would like to showcase the studios that help us in \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/about?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">our mission\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"cube-creative-studio-and-kitsu\">Cube Creative Studio and Kitsu\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Cube Creative is a renown French studio. Among many productions, they worked on qualitative TV shows like \u003Ca href=\"http://www.cube-creative.com/selected-works/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#film/kaeloo-pilote\" rel=\"noopener\">Kaeloo\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.cube-creative.com/selected-works/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#film/athleticus\" rel=\"noopener\">Athléticus\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.cube-creative.com/selected-works/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#film/trangranimo\" rel=\"noopener\">Tangranimos\u003C/a>. They are famous for their efficient production management team. Recently, they made the buzz by shifting their pipeline from 3dsMax to Blender, which allowed them to increase significantly their productivity and their quality.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For one of their TV Show, Cube Creative uses Kitsu to share their progress with their Producer and perform reviews with their Director. Reviewing was super efficient while dealing with assets. But with assets, most of the reviews happen one by one. And it was not enough for them to review their shots. That’s why, they needed new features to review their shot in a playlist. Improving the playlist module will allow them to ship their shots faster and grab better feedback from the Director.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"playlist-improvements\">Playlist Improvements\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The improvements that will be shipped soon in playlists are:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Better transition between shots\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Capability to comment and annotate shots directly from the playlist\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Compare your playlist with the previous steps (layout, animation)\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"playlists-download\">Playlists download\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To ship their client faster, Cube asked us to allow to download the entire playlist as a single movie or as an archive containing all the shots from the playlist.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"production-live-feed\">Production Live Feed\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Because all of this will lead to much more events during the production, we’ll add a live feed that relates all the addition done in the current production. You will be able to filter it by task type or task status. You will be able to see only the last posted previews too.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To conclude, we would like to send a big thank you to Cube Creative for funding these new features! Thanks to them, it will be super easy to build review playlists and see what’s going on with the production. The overall quality of the TV shows tracked with CGWire will be improved!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"who-sponsored-cgwire-so-far\">\u003Cstrong>Who sponsored CGWire so far?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://unit-image.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener nofollow noopener noopener\">Unit Image\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://les-fees-speciales.coop/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener nofollow noopener noopener\">Les Fées Spéciales\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://karlabfr.wixsite.com/karlab?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener nofollow noopener noopener\">Karlab\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.tnzpv.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">TNZPV\u003C/a> and NKI already ordered features to make Kitsu a better software. It’s important to us that you understand more who are our partners and how we want to improve studio pipelines. That’s why we cover every sponsoring on our blog!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your own problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 200 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4062,"comment_id":4063,"feature_image":4064,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4065,"updated_at":4066,"custom_excerpt":3892,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4067,"primary_tag":4068,"url":4069,"excerpt":3892,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4070,"og_title":4057,"og_description":3892,"twitter_image":4070,"twitter_title":4057,"twitter_description":3892,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3896,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"52cdec56-410a-4a3e-a052-2c1a904300b7","5c1617abda9f","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/1-28DY2Fdkfcc4X2j6FBBdUA-1.png","2019-04-16T10:01:00.000+02:00","2026-03-27T11:06:16.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cube-creative-studio-sponsors-enhanced-playlists-for-kitsu/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/300/1-28DY2Fdkfcc4X2j6FBBdUA.png","/posts/cube-creative-studio-sponsors-enhanced-playlists-for-kitsu",{"title":4057},"cube-creative-studio-sponsors-enhanced-playlists-for-kitsu","posts/cube-creative-studio-sponsors-enhanced-playlists-for-kitsu",[4076],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"79ZoEaZvUAKhWo_N0ALXjCwfiIe3vHykHFHAuNnpAYE",{"id":4079,"title":4080,"authors":4081,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4083,"meta":4084,"navigation":15,"path":4097,"published_at":4088,"seo":4098,"slug":4099,"stem":4100,"tags":4101,"__hash__":4103,"uuid":4085,"comment_id":4086,"feature_image":4087,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4088,"updated_at":4089,"custom_excerpt":4090,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4091,"primary_tag":4092,"url":4093,"excerpt":4090,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4094,"og_title":4095,"og_description":4090,"twitter_image":4094,"twitter_title":4095,"twitter_description":4090,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4096,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-apply-the-scrum-method-to-a-cartoon-tv-show-production.json","How To Apply The Scrum Method To a Cartoon TV Show Production (2026)",[4082],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>My name is Gwénaëlle Dupré, I worked in cartoon TV show production for more than 13 years, I get through all the positions: from Second Director Assistant director to Head of Production, but also as Technical Director. Because of this extensive experience, when studios face complex situations, the first person they think about is me! I like that, it always leads me to interesting productions. But the counterpart is that I have to be creative all the time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>A few years ago, I worked on a production that was very ambitious with a lot of funding. Unfortunately, one of the investors, a toy dealer decided to leave the project. It resulted in an underfunded project. To deal with that, they changed the contractor animation studio. The new studio had a lower price but did not have the skill set to meet the deadlines or the quality expected. As you guess, quickly problems occurred and things went really wrong.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Halfway through the first season, the production was almost a year behind schedule. Worst, the quality was way below expectations. This is when they decided to call me. They knew that I love challenges and that I will probably accept their mission. And they were right. But this time I put one condition: I have total control on how we are going to work and how the money will be spent. After a few discussions, they accepted and the deal was done!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now, let’s go back to the state of the production. It was the first time I saw a broadcaster refusing an episode due to its low quality. At the animation stage, 80% of the shots were sent back in retakes. Reasons were mainly technical: missing head, pop of color, wrong lighting on the background, extra arms on the characters, etc. Obviously, we had to work a lot to ship the first season. It was very exhausting and there was no way to keep doing things the same way. That’s why, for the second season, everyone agreed to change the workflow (producer and contractor). But one question remained: change it for what?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>I did some research, trying to find the magical management methodology that would make everything great. There was no obvious way to improve our situation. Until one night, I had a drink with some friends who work as software engineers in another industry. I explained to them my situation. They smiled, it reminded them so much their job. This is where I heard for the first time about the Agile methodology.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"agile-methodology-fundamentals\">Agile methodology: fundamentals\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Because I didn’t know the main principles of agile methodologies, I did like everyone else: I typed \u003Cem>Agile Method\u003C/em>ology in a search engine. There were tons of results: it was like I discovered a whole new word. I spent the night reading articles on the web and especially on Wikipedia.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is what I found: Agile methodologies are based on an iterative, incremental and adaptive development cycle. They must respect four fundamental values expressed in twelve principles.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The 4 core values are described in the official agile Manifesto:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Individuals and their interactions\u003C/strong> over processes and tools. \u003Cem>It reminded me that the relationship between all the peers and especially between the animators and the director is essential.\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Operational software\u003C/strong> rather than exhaustive documentation. \u003Cem>It makes me think about the fact that the image in the frame must be fine. What happens outside the frame doesn’t matter.\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Collaboration with customers\u003C/strong> more than contractual negotiation. \u003Cem>We work closely with our customers. And when issues occur, we work with customers to look for a solution rather than looking for a lawyer.\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Adapting to change\u003C/strong> more than following a plan. \u003Cem>Artistic retakes, Director changes or shot simplification are not deterministic.\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>So, all the main principles are applicable to the animation. I introduce my peers to them. Everyone felt we were on the right track.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"scrum\">SCRUM\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Once I learned the agile principles, I realized that there were several types of practical methodologies. I was looking for a “cooking recipe” to apply. Once again, Wikipedia helped a lot. \u003Cbr>I chose the most popular methodology named SCRUM. Which is based on three main concepts:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Transparency\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>SCRUM emphasizes having a common language between the team and management. This common language should allow any observer to quickly get a good understanding of the project. It says too that everyone should be informed of the progress and the main decisions.\u003Cbr>→ We set up a common vocabulary and made extra efforts to be more explicit when sending retake requests. We made retake information accessible to everyone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Inspection\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>At regular intervals, SCRUM proposes to take stock of the different artifacts produced, in order to detect any undesirable variation.\u003Cbr>→ We were already doing this inspection work on the producer side while getting the delivery. What was missing is that no-one checked the work on the contractor side! We set up quality check on the contractor side.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Adaptation\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>If drift is noticed during the inspection, the process must be adapted.\u003Cbr>→ We identified the recurring retakes and find ways to not have them anymore.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We thought, on the producer side, we had something that could work. We had a strong common ground, and it was more about a change of habits than about reinventing the wheel!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"convince-the-contractor\">Convince the Contractor\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It was obviously necessary to convince the studio contractor. What made things easier is that SCRUM is based on iterative and incremental progress. It’s similar to our animation process (layout T1, T2 …, Anim T1, T2, etc). So we had a good start. \u003Cbr>But, finally, we convince them by emphasizing the facts that it will not only benefit the quality of the animation, but also the quality of life. At this time the turnover at the animation studio was a huge issue! One week to another you weren’t sure to talk to the same people, artist or production staff. So, the risk to get things worst by changing the way we work was small. And the outcome could be high.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"main-phases-of-scrum-implementation\">Main phases of SCRUM implementation\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>There were 4 important things that we wanted to put in place:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Splitting the step teams (layout, animation…) into smaller teams of 4/5 people, called the SCRUM Teams (S-Teams). Every team had its own representative.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Doing preparation meetings before each sprint.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Running daily meetings within the Scrum teams.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Perform review meetings at the end of each stage.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We wrote custom guides for all positions. For the customer, for the production managers, for the supervisors of each step. Everyone had a common language and common processes.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"setting-up-the-scrum-teams-s-team\">Setting up the SCRUM Teams (S-Team)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The first step was to split large teams into smaller teams. The goal was to have seniors, mids and juniors in the same team, to improve the global level of everyone and prevent juniors from being left behind. Then, for each team, we selected a representative. The supervisor of the artist floor would mainly talk with the representative (instead of everyone) which would give him more time to check the final delivery.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To apply those changes, we had to build trust. So, when I was in the animation studio, I spent a lot of time explaining to the teams who am I, what was I doing here, and what was the purpose of all of these. There were about 40 to 70 peoples per stage, and the meeting room was not that big.\u003Cbr> I had to do the same presentation for several batches of people. I remember I made jokes during my speech to make them more comfortable. For the first group, it went good, people were laughing, they asked questions. It was the same with the second group. When I spoke in front of the third group, people stared at me. They kept silent: no laugh and no question. Same thing with the 4th group. I was worried, but finally, things went back to normal with the 5th group. Still, there was something bugging me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then, I spent had face-to-face discussion with CG artists. Asking a question in front of a lot of people can be scary, I wanted to give them the opportunity to talk to me directly, in a safe environment. Quickly, I realized that artists have different native languages: Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, … And that they didn’t all understand English! I understood why I had no reaction during some of my meetings. Some of them understood nothing. Worst, they were isolated when they work. This was the main reason behind the insane turnover of the production. So, I added another constraint to my S-Teams: each of them should have at least one English speaker able to translate it to all other team members!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"rethink-the-way-we-deal-with-retakes\">Rethink the way we deal with retakes\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Now we had a new team organization. The most important thing to fix was the number retakes. Having between 70 and 90% retake in T1 leads to a vicious circle. It means that the time allowed for the next episode is reduced by the time of the retakes. It was like the teams had 2 episodes to do at the same time. The quality went down. Therefore, we kept a high rate of retake.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, the first step was to reduce quickly the number of retakes running. We decided to dedicate a S-Team to the retakes while others would focus on the new shots from the next episode. But, when a CG artist was assigned to this position it was often seen as a punishment. The motivation of the retake team went down quickly. To avoid that problem, we decided that each week it would be a different team that would be responsible for the retakes.\u003Cbr> This time, it was a success, the number of running retakes reduced quickly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the vicious circle was broken, we had fewer retakes per episode to handle. We were able to bring the amount of retakes back to normal. So, we dispatched retakes to all S-Teams, there was no more a team dedicated to them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When a team took retakes, we made sure that they were handled by the whole team. Prior to that, it was the animator who did the shot who handled the retakes for that shot. \u003Cbr>The first benefit was that it allowed to have a fresh look from other animators, which improved the overall quality. The second benefit was that juniors (who obviously had more retakes) were able to not spend too much time on their shots. The seniors and the mids were able to fix their retakes faster. Better they were able to tell the juniors what they did wrong. Juniors acquired skills faster.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"setting-up-agile-sprints\">Setting up agile sprints\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>With SCRUM, you define meetings (named rituals) on a regular basis. The time frame between the main rituals is named a sprint. We decided to go for one week sprint. It means that at the beginning we defined a todo-list for one week (sprint planning) and at the end of the week we discussed the result (retrospective). \u003Cbr>At each sprint, the S-Teams chose themselves which sequences would be made. Most of the time, the sequence needed several sprints to be done.\u003Cbr>The immediate benefit was that the initial brief was kept fresh in mind and was not forgotten after weeks of work. Prior to that, the production was working on a cycle of 6 weeks, which was too long. It was hard to remember the Director brief. Shortening the shipping cycle led to more accurate shots.\u003Cbr>The second benefit was to improve shots hook up. The teams worked on shots that followed each other, it was easier for them to exchange posings or animations and to check the hook up between the shots.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"daily-meeting\">Daily meeting\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The point that was difficult to put in place was the daily scrum. The goal was for the artists to show what they did the day before to the other artist of their S-Team, and make sure that everyone gives his opinion. Shyness was hard to break, but once it was acquired and accepted by everyone, the number of technical retakes dropped quickly. With 5 couples of eyes on a shot, the slightest pop of color, or extra arm was quickly spotted and corrected.\u003Cbr>The overall animation improved. A junior could show his work and a senior gave him advice. By making things systematic, we managed to remove the “shame” factor of having to ask for help.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"task-board\">Task board\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Each S-Team wrote their name and the name of the sequence they choose to work on a card. All the cards were put on a task board. We stored shots by states of progress: To Do, In Progress, To Check, Question. Each day after the daily scrum, the representative of each S-Team updated the task board.\u003Cbr>The supervisor could, therefore, focus on the shots to check or look at the shots that had questions. He didn’t waste time anymore to collect the information. He had only to go around the studio to see where his teams were. He knew exactly on what he should work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The other advantage was also for the production team. They didn’t have to go and check artist per artist what they were doing. They just have to look at the board and know immediately the progress of the show. It saved a lot of time. We were able to focus on the planning for the future, instead of checking for the past.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"sprint-review-and-retrospective\">Sprint review and retrospective\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Sprints reviews and retrospectives were the least successful. The goal was for the whole studio to get together to watch the episode at the end of a sprint. For instance, the animation could give its opinion on the layout and help to avoid future retakes.\u003Cbr>But it took too long to move everyone and watch an episode (26 minutes x 3 steps layout, animation, and compositing). In the end, there were only the supervisors who were watching the previous stage to give their feedback. In some way, we found a solution but it didn’t involve everyone as we wanted at the beginning.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"how-we-made-sure-that-our-new-methodologies-were-applied\">How we made sure that our new methodologies were applied\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To make thing happened quicker \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-4-send-an-animation-supervisor-overseas/\">we sent an Animation Supervisor\u003C/a> and a Layout Supervisor on site, to ensure that the methodologies were properly applied, to correct the technical problems and also to improve the overall quality.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Overall it was a big success. We delivered the season 2 on time with a much better quality. All of these, without exceeding the initial budget.\u003Cbr>We went down from 70% retake in T1 to 30%. CG Artists were happier, the turnover was close to zero at the end of the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By adapting SCRUM methodology to our production we improved the communication among peers. It allowed us to fix the biggest issues (language problems and lack of skills of juniors). Then, we were able to avoid retakes and shorten the feedback loop. Finally, everyone was more motivated and the overall quality increased a lot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When dealing with production management, there is no silver bullet. Nevertheless, we encourage you to try new things and fine-tune already existing methodologies to adapt it to your needs. The SCRUM agile methodology worked great for us. You should give it a try. Results can go much beyond expectations!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We have a Discord channel where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Our vibrant community of TDs and Production Managers will be super happy to welcome you, so join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4085,"comment_id":4086,"feature_image":4087,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4088,"updated_at":4089,"custom_excerpt":4090,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4091,"primary_tag":4092,"url":4093,"excerpt":4090,"reading_time":2293,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4094,"og_title":4095,"og_description":4090,"twitter_image":4094,"twitter_title":4095,"twitter_description":4090,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4096,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"6a97d09a-5a65-4ed5-847a-a18d6c8e3307","bc09c72e40b0","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-uUC81rul5YgFhVxzbSAxuw.jpeg","2019-04-10T11:00:17.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:47:28.000+01:00","My name is Gwénaëlle Dupré, I worked in cartoon TV show production for more than 13 years, I get through all the positions: from Second…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-apply-the-scrum-method-to-a-cartoon-tv-show-production/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-uUC81rul5YgFhVxzbSAxuw.jpeg","How To Apply The Scrum Method To a Cartoon TV Show Production","My name is Gwénaëlle Dupré, I worked in cartoon TV show production for more than 13 years, I get through all the positions: from Second Director Assistant director to Head of Production, but also as…","/posts/how-to-apply-the-scrum-method-to-a-cartoon-tv-show-production",{"title":4080},"how-to-apply-the-scrum-method-to-a-cartoon-tv-show-production","posts/how-to-apply-the-scrum-method-to-a-cartoon-tv-show-production",[4102],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"YjxgGqHrmmAAdkTvXl9f-TfynjKQ0IV06wEEP8R5ueI",{"id":4105,"title":4106,"authors":4107,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4109,"meta":4110,"navigation":15,"path":4123,"published_at":4114,"seo":4124,"slug":4125,"stem":4126,"tags":4127,"__hash__":4129,"uuid":4111,"comment_id":4112,"feature_image":4113,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4114,"updated_at":4115,"custom_excerpt":4116,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4117,"primary_tag":4118,"url":4119,"excerpt":4116,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4120,"og_title":4121,"og_description":4116,"twitter_image":4120,"twitter_title":4121,"twitter_description":4116,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4122,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-prepare-your-production-part-4-send-an-animation-supervisor-overseas.json","How To Prepare Your Production (2026) - Part 4: Send An Animation Supervisor Overseas",[4108],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Some productions require to work with an animation studio overseas. It’s great to dispatch the work and limit budget but it brings uncertainty. To minimize the risks, you have to keep in mind that the more accurate and precise information you will give to your contractor, the less time they will lose to think about what they should do. In that case, what we all do is to send them a detailed roadmap they can use while doing their job. Unfortunately, most of the time, the roadmap isn’t enough to ensure good results.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Deciding to build the animation step overseas, is a little bit like making a whole another production elsewhere. If there are issues, the producer will realize it very late in the process. It’s hard to see the problems before the animation is delivered. For a cartoon TV Show, it means that they can appear when two or three other episodes are going to be sent to the overseas contractor again. At that time it will become really hard to fix things. That’s why you should consider sending your Animation Supervisor on-site.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — —\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is the fourth article of our series about the production setup:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/p/4d5a6ef1ccf1?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Part 1: The contracts\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-animation-production-part-2-the-schedule/\">Part 2: The Schedule\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-3-set-up-rituals/\">Part3: Set up rituals\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — —\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-detailed-roadmap\">The detailed roadmap\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Before sending anyone there, you should ensure that they have a clear overview of the work to achieve. For that, send them a roadmap containing the following:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>A do-and-don’t about animation\u003C/li>\u003Cli>How your characters should move and turn\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The final designs\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Your characters specificity\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A brief for the whole episode and one per specific sequence\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The type of animation do you want\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Animation references\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Make sure there is no room for interpretation in the storyboard\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Include backgrounds and characters that are more developed than a line and a circle.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-animation-supervisor\">\u003Cstrong>The Animation Supervisor\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Now it’s time to consider sending someone there to manage the animation correctly. And of course, make sure there is a line in your budget for an Animation Supervisor on-site.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You may think it is an extra expense and you don’t have the money for it. But now imagine the cost of having an animation studio that doesn’t understand your references, or that don’t have the technical level to follow the quality guideline within the schedule. This kind of events will lead you to hire more CG Artists to create additional references, to spend more time in the checking of the animation, and to spend even more time on dealing with retakes. It will generate frustration on both sides and expenses will seriously raise.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And if the animation studio does good, you will have the opportunity to improve dramatically the quality of the animation. Your characters will have a strong personality and the animation will be awesome. It will be good publicity for your studio and for your contractor. The broadcasters will be more than happy with this TV Show.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"they-won%E2%80%99t-adapt-if-you-send-wrong-directives\">\u003Cstrong>They won’t adapt if you send wrong directives\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Now let’s review some bad things that can happen when working with a contractor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animation studio will send you back exactly what you asked them. If your storyboard doesn’t have the backgrounds in every panel, or if the posing is not correct, they won’t fix it for you. For the background example, they will use the background listed on the leadsheet but they won’t correct the perspective or the framing. They cannot afford to do more.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It means you will only realize the poor quality of your pack when you receive the animation 4 weeks later. The production of each side will spend plenty of time on the phone and no one will agree on what they have sent/receive.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It means also the director will receive the animation, he will spend the day to check it, and in the evening, he will write his email.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On day two, the studio will receive the email, correct the animation, and send it back. On day three, the director will receive the retake. Three days later, the problem should be fixed!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With an Animation Supervisor on site, he will realize immediately that something is wrong with the storyboard or the package. He will phone the production, explain the issue, and give his solution. On the same day, problems are solved, the animation will be as good as or even better than on day three of our previous example. If it’s the same issue that comes back again and again, the Animation Supervisor will be able to do a meeting about this and be sure it won’t happen again. Instead of always writing the same retakes on the retake list!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"cultural-gap\">\u003Cstrong>Cultural gap\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Keep in mind that if you work with animation studios overseas, you should be aware of the cultural differences between your two countries.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You will need to be extra clear on your explanation. A simple gesture like waving the hand to say hello, or shaking your fist when you are mad, could be wrongly interpreted overseas because they may not react like you on this kind of situation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Having an Animation Supervisor will help to ease the communication between the director and the animation team. The director won’t have to spend all his time on this step and keep focusing on the other steps where he is really needed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Animation Supervisor will also be able to give you feedback about the material you send, and he will pinpoint the weakness or the uncertainties. He will also be able to give you an accurate report of the situation and update your schedule if needed. If unfortunately, the animation studio will have some delay, the Supervisor will be the first to know it, and you will be aware of the situation more quickly.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"other-animation-studios-involved\">\u003Cstrong>Other animation studios involved\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>When you deal with an overseas studio you don’t know, there is a possibility that it won’t have the manpower to do the whole show. The animation studio may decide without you, to share the animation with another studio. You won’t be aware of it. It will increase the discrepancies between the episodes. Without an Animation Supervisor on the Animation Studio, you would never be aware of it and spend extra time and money to understand and correct this issue!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes they also use the possibility to work with animation school to gain time and money, but the quality won’t be what you have expected.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"lack-of-manpower\">\u003Cstrong>Lack of manpower\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>If you are in a hurry to choose quickly an animation studio, you may only choose him based on a phone call and pictures of their office. However, it can happen that they wait for the first payment to buy hardware and hire people. It means you can have a 3 month time with no work because the animation studio is hiring and looking for hardware. Of course, it’s not planned on your schedule. If you have sent an Animation Supervisor, he could have told it to you already.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"unskilled-teams\">\u003Cstrong>Unskilled teams\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It happens that the team simply doesn’t have the required skill level to perform the job. In that case, your Animation Supervisor will have to train the team at the lunch break and during the weekend. It will clearly raise the quality of global animation. When you receive duties, it’s better if you can fulfill them!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Keep in mind too that most of the time the studio won’t brief specifically the team for a difficult sequence or episode. It’s something that the Animation Supervisor can deal with. He will act as the director to make sure everything runs smoothly.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"turnovers\">\u003Cstrong>Turnovers\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>You should expect a lot of turnovers; it’s very rare that you finish the production with the same artists than at the beginning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you have an Animation Supervisor on site, he will ensure that each new CG Artist gets on board quickly. He will be able to train them, describe the animation style, and explain the do-and-don’t specifically for this production. The turnover will be transparent of the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the same way, if on the producer’s side there is also some turnover, the new ones will be able to rely on the Supervisor, he will be able to explain how the production is working.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"why-your-animation-supervisor-needs-to-stay-during-the-whole-production\">\u003Cstrong>Why your Animation Supervisor needs to stay during the whole production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>If the Supervisor stays at the studio only for one or two months it’s a good start, he will be able to set up a good process. But if he leaves, it won’t last. He will only be able to fix the issues and not to anticipate them. The old habits will come back. The overall quality will go down and there will be more pressure for the retakes.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">\u003Cstrong>To sum up\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The work quality of an animation studio always depends on the quality of the material you sent. They will never do more than what you ask.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you want quality animation, spend a bit more time on the references and design package you will send to your contractor. Make sure that your roadmap is clearly understood. Prepare the main pack in collaboration with your Animation Supervisor. Then, send him to the animation studio. He will be your link with them and will be able to manage the work done properly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We have a Discord channel where you can discuss your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Our vibrant community of TDs and Production Managers will be super happy to welcome you, so join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4111,"comment_id":4112,"feature_image":4113,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4114,"updated_at":4115,"custom_excerpt":4116,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4117,"primary_tag":4118,"url":4119,"excerpt":4116,"reading_time":249,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4120,"og_title":4121,"og_description":4116,"twitter_image":4120,"twitter_title":4121,"twitter_description":4116,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4122,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"4c2fa4cc-e847-4ecc-9510-ff1140328109","af578e094872","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-w0YcpMhPGBRBeQ25G9g-iA.jpeg","2019-02-13T12:49:26.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:49:29.000+01:00","Some productions require to work with an animation studio overseas. It’s great to dispatch the work and limit budget but it brings…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-4-send-an-animation-supervisor-overseas/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-w0YcpMhPGBRBeQ25G9g-iA.jpeg","How To Prepare Your Production - Part 4: Send An Animation Supervisor Overseas","Some productions require to work with an animation studio overseas. It’s great to dispatch the work and limit budget but it brings uncertainty. To minimize the risks, you have to keep in mind that…","/posts/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-4-send-an-animation-supervisor-overseas",{"title":4106},"how-to-prepare-your-production-part-4-send-an-animation-supervisor-overseas","posts/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-4-send-an-animation-supervisor-overseas",[4128],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"94ll4nBDeNZ1x0_ZXN9QmRYXlWD0LqFFKLZ0W1_uGuw",{"id":4131,"title":4132,"authors":4133,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4135,"meta":4136,"navigation":15,"path":4147,"published_at":4140,"seo":4148,"slug":4149,"stem":4150,"tags":4151,"__hash__":4153,"uuid":4137,"comment_id":4138,"feature_image":4139,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4140,"updated_at":4141,"custom_excerpt":4142,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4143,"primary_tag":4144,"url":4145,"excerpt":4142,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4146,"og_title":4132,"og_description":4142,"twitter_image":4146,"twitter_title":4132,"twitter_description":4142,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3896,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:nki-studio-sponsors-ldap-integration-for-kitsu.json","NKI studio sponsors LDAP integration for Kitsu",[4134],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap. By doing this, they make the software progress faster in a way that suits their workflow. It makes the project more sustainable and allows us to add only features that are really needed. This principle is part of the fundamentals of CGWire. That’s why, from now on, we would like to showcase the studios that help us in \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/about?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">our mission\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"nki-studio-and-kitsu\">NKI Studio and Kitsu\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Recently, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.akama-filmdirector.com/beyond-directing?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">NKI\u003C/a>, a renowned VFX studio located in France, Paris, ordered us LDAP integration for its local installation. NKI is a studio famous for is TV advertisings like the ones for Nissan, Cartier or Givenchy. They are a team of 20 on average. They provide their client with high-quality pictures.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>They use Kitsu to track their shot fabrication. Our local installation allows them to keep a high level of confidentiality while taking advantage of fast network performance. To make sure that it integrates properly with their existing tools (asset manager, chat room), they needed to synchronize their Kitsu userbase with their ActiveDirectory instance.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"ldap-integration\">LDAP integration\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Because ActiveDirectory is compatible with the LDAP protocol, we decided to implement LDAP support into the Kitsu API. The result is that they can now import all the persons listed in their ActiveDirectory into Kitsu. And when authentication occurred, Kitsu API refers to the ActiveDirectory server to validate the credentials. That way it is not needed that CG artists create a new account. They can reuse the same credentials that they use for the other tools of the company.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To conclude, we would like to send a big thank you to NKI for funding this new feature! Thanks to them, local installation of Kitsu can now be plugged to the main user directory. That way it ensures a better integration with all of the studio tools. We are super glad to know it will help them to ship better productions!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Who sponsored CGWire so far?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://unit-image.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noopener\">Unit Image\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://les-fees-speciales.coop/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noopener\">Les Fées Spéciales\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://karlabfr.wixsite.com/karlab?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noopener\">Karlab\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.tnzpv.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">TNZPV\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.cube-creative.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noopener\">Cube Creative\u003C/a> already ordered features to make Kitsu a better software. It’s important to us that you understand more about our partners and how we want to improve studio pipelines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss your own problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 170 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4137,"comment_id":4138,"feature_image":4139,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4140,"updated_at":4141,"custom_excerpt":4142,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4143,"primary_tag":4144,"url":4145,"excerpt":4142,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4146,"og_title":4132,"og_description":4142,"twitter_image":4146,"twitter_title":4132,"twitter_description":4142,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3896,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"36453b70-9308-4233-85b0-376d59428ab6","65b09260e4a3","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/1-rnJEgcf4YjnP3iKY6g784w.png","2019-02-07T08:51:00.000+01:00","2026-03-27T11:06:53.000+01:00","Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific features…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/nki-studio-sponsors-ldap-integration-for-kitsu/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/300/1-rnJEgcf4YjnP3iKY6g784w.png","/posts/nki-studio-sponsors-ldap-integration-for-kitsu",{"title":4132},"nki-studio-sponsors-ldap-integration-for-kitsu","posts/nki-studio-sponsors-ldap-integration-for-kitsu",[4152],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"b-4-eg9yEE9fXs7zRGnhKnVprDTBZKd0lQO9jhiRZAE",{"id":4155,"title":4156,"authors":4157,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4159,"meta":4160,"navigation":15,"path":4173,"published_at":4164,"seo":4174,"slug":4175,"stem":4176,"tags":4177,"__hash__":4179,"uuid":4161,"comment_id":4162,"feature_image":4163,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4164,"updated_at":4165,"custom_excerpt":4166,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4167,"primary_tag":4168,"url":4169,"excerpt":4166,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4170,"og_title":4171,"og_description":4166,"twitter_image":4170,"twitter_title":4171,"twitter_description":4166,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4172,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-prepare-your-production-part-3-set-up-rituals.json","How To Prepare Your Production (2026) | Part 3 Set up rituals.",[4158],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>As a young production manager, you may not know how to position yourself toward the other teams. You may be too friendly, but if you do so, at some point, they won’t see you as a leader, but as a friend. They will share information with you but they will not follow you anymore.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At the opposite, you can become a tyrant. You decide to never listen to anybody but yourself. You become rude with people and give orders instead of direction. In that case, your team won’t trust you either. It surely does more damage than good to the production, especially to the spirit of the team. And by the way, ruthlessness is often a signal that you are already not part of the team anymore.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This situation can be very dangerous and even jeopardize the production. If the team doesn’t follow your lead, you won’t be able to manage it properly. You are the only person with the right information to lead all the teams. If you mess it up, the whole production may fail.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The situations described above may sound like caricatures, but we all faced them at some point in our career, especially during the first years. It’s tough to avoid them. I’ve been trapped myself into them and I had hard times to recover the situation. That’s why in this article I want to share with you what I learned from it. During my 10+ years as CG Production Manager/Head of Production, I identified best practices that will help you. With them, you will avoid bad situations and know when you have to change something.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — —\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is the third article of our series about the production setup:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/p/4d5a6ef1ccf1?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Part 1: The contracts\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-animation-production-part-2-the-schedule/\">Part 2: The Schedule\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Part3: Set up rituals\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — —\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"give-a-weekly-to-do-list-schedule-to-your-team\">Give a weekly to-do list schedule to your team\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Each artist needs to know clearly, what is important or not. They also need to know in which order they have to do their work. Each week, take the time to do a schedule with priorities to each team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>NB: If you have issues to estimate the correct amount of time of a task you can refer to our \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-animation-production-part-2-the-schedule/\">\u003Cem>previous article about the schedule\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you estimate the right amount of time needed per asset or shot, you can do the team schedule. My preference is a calendar type presentation. They will know day by day what they have to do, what meeting they have to attempt. You can do it weekly or every two weeks. It depends on the pace of your production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you have done it for the teams, do the same for the director. Write down all the briefs, the validation, and the meetings he will have during his week. This way, he will have dedicated time frames for everything and will not miss anything.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can also report this information in the supervisor’s schedules. They will know when the director is available for them. It will ease communication, and make sure everyone can reach each other.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you are interested you can \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/en/spreadsheets.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">download a schedule template\u003C/a> on our website. If you want to go further about your relationship with CG artists, you can also read this article: \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/cgwire/how-to-track-properly-the-cg-artist-progress-b1267f8b0a39?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">How to properly track the progress of a CG Artist.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"set-rituals\">Set rituals\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>From the beginning of the production, plan all the weekly meetings, one for the brief, one for the validation and let everybody know!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It will help the team to focus on what they have to do during the week and nothing else. Questions and discussions will happen during the meetings. The more focus they will be, the better the job they’ll do. They will also have time to prepare the review if they know the date. Even better if the day is always the same, it will become a ritual, and they will trust and follow even more their calendar.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The important part of having a briefing at the beginning of the week is to regroup a maximum of the question at the same time and answer to them in front of everybody. The answers might help other teams. In addition, it will save time for everybody if every CG Artist doesn’t ask the same question to the director.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"prepare-you-communication-in-case-of-frozen-production\">Prepare you communication in case of frozen production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It’s common to see the production or part of it frozen. It’s not something fun but it can happen and it’s part of the job to deal with it. Your role is to make sure things get the smoother possible.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In that situation, the best thing is to express clearly and as soon as possible when the CG Artists will have a none expected break. All the CG Artists know this misfortune happens. But, they will get mad if you told them at the last minute! They have a personal life that is impacted by this change. The least you could do is to give them information on time so they can get organized accordingly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you can’t precisely predict when the break will occur, at least let them know there will be one. Explain to them why they have to go home and for how long if you can.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When they leave, don’t forget that talents are rare. Other productions are probably contacting them to hire them. So, the most important thing to do is to keep in touch with them on a regular basis! Call them to explain how the situation is evolving and let them know when they will come back. They will appreciate your professionalism and won’t be tempted to look for other productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The CG Artist will never be mad at you because of a break, but they will blame you if you don’t inform them. So don’t leave them and the dark by communicating properly about what is happening.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">To sum up\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>My belief is the more the team know about the state of the production, the smoother it will be. Explain to them clearly what they have to do, and in which order. Give them rituals, it will help the CG Artists to keep organized and focused. The most important is to explain them clearly every situation, good or bad.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In my experience, when I am honest and transparent with the team, they understand the situation, and never complain about it. Let the CG Artist feels he is part of your team, ask for his advice. Most of the time, they will help you and make things simpler in return. Adopt this mindset early in the production. Because if you don’t do it well, it’s something hard to fix.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In other words, you don’t have to become friend with each of the CG Artist. But if you explain them sincerely the situation and your decisions, they will trust you. With trust, people really feel they are in the same boat, and enjoy going in the same direction as you. They will accept you as the captain and will do their best to deliver the movie on time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We have a Discord channel where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Our vibrant community of TDs and Production Managers will be super happy to welcome you, so join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4161,"comment_id":4162,"feature_image":4163,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4164,"updated_at":4165,"custom_excerpt":4166,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4167,"primary_tag":4168,"url":4169,"excerpt":4166,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4170,"og_title":4171,"og_description":4166,"twitter_image":4170,"twitter_title":4171,"twitter_description":4166,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4172,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"6746ecab-f19d-428d-b61e-abdab0c4339b","5e1d7dc55ae4","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-rU6KNs9KfdROiENL-UQTNA.jpeg","2019-01-09T09:31:01.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:49:14.000+01:00","As a young production manager, you may not know how to position yourself toward the other teams. You may be too friendly, but if you do so…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-3-set-up-rituals/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-rU6KNs9KfdROiENL-UQTNA.jpeg","How To Prepare Your Production | Part 3 Set up rituals.","As a young production manager, you may not know how to position yourself toward the other teams. You may be too friendly, but if you do so, at some point, they won’t see you as a leader, but as a…","/posts/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-3-set-up-rituals",{"title":4156},"how-to-prepare-your-production-part-3-set-up-rituals","posts/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-3-set-up-rituals",[4178],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"3uA-UigEEe5mXQ2vvKs4Z8ELwpDU-Ctn76xrF8Qprt0",{"id":4181,"title":4182,"authors":4183,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4185,"meta":4186,"navigation":15,"path":4196,"published_at":4190,"seo":4197,"slug":4198,"stem":4199,"tags":4200,"__hash__":4202,"uuid":4187,"comment_id":4188,"feature_image":4189,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4190,"updated_at":4191,"custom_excerpt":3892,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4192,"primary_tag":4193,"url":4194,"excerpt":3892,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4195,"og_title":4182,"og_description":3892,"twitter_image":4195,"twitter_title":4182,"twitter_description":3892,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3896,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:tnzpv-studio-sponsors-january-features-for-kitsu.json","TNZPV studio sponsors January features for Kitsu",[4184],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Since the beginning of CGWire, most of the development we do is sponsored by CG studios. When a company wants to see some specific features in our software, they pay us to bring them on top of our roadmap. By doing this, they make the software progress faster in a way that suits to their workflow. It makes the project more sustainable and allows us to add only features that are really needed. This principle is part of the fundamentals of CGWire. That’s why, from now on, we would like to showcase the studios that help us in \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/about?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">our mission\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This month, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.tnzpv.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Tu Nous Za Pas Vu studio\u003C/a>, a team of 30 people in the south of France, ordered us several improvements. TNZPV is a studio led by former teachers of Supinfocom. In their portfolio you can see projects like Team Dronix, The World According To Amazon or White Fang. They use Blender as primary software. They use Kitsu to manage the tracking of assets for a Cartoon TV Show they work on as a contractor. Kitsu is there too for tracking short and feature films they produce themselves.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, today, we would like to share with you what you will see soon in Kitsu, our production tracker, thanks to them!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"1-improved-filters\">\u003Cstrong>1. Improved filters\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>TNZPV wants to filter tasks with or without assignation, they want to be able to exclude some results. So we are going to add new syntaxes in the search filter. For instance, the following query will allow you to display all non characters assets with unassigned modeling tasks:modeling=unassigned -chara\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"2-side-panel\">2. Side panel\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To make task browsing faster, they would like to have a side panel displayed on asset and shot lists. It would show the main information of a task: last preview and comments. That way you won’t lose the context when opening a task and you will be able to switch quickly from a task to another.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"3-custom-columns\">3. Custom columns\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>When you do a production, it happens that you need to add extra information to your assets or shots. It’s not about the brief, you simply need to add an attribute to it, for example you want to separate indoor or outdoor environment. In other words, we are going to add the capability to add metadata to shot and assets on a per production basis.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To conclude, we would like to send a big thank you to TNZPV for funding theses new features! Thanks to them, enhanced filtering, Side panel and Custom columns will soon be availble in Kitsu. We had the opportunity to visit them in Arles and see how they work. We are proud to help them for their productions!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Who sponsored CGWire so far?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://unit-image.fr/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Unit Image\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://les-fees-speciales.coop/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Les Fées Spéciales\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://karlabfr.wixsite.com/karlab?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Karlab\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.cube-creative.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Cube Creative\u003C/a> already ordered features to make Kitsu a better software. In 2019, we are going to talk more about how they help us to progress. It’s important to us that you understand better the context we evolve in. Transparency matters to us, we’ll keep informing you about how we work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We propose a Discord channel where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. We are already 160 to share tips and ideas. Join us, TDs and Production Managers from all over the world will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4187,"comment_id":4188,"feature_image":4189,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4190,"updated_at":4191,"custom_excerpt":3892,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4192,"primary_tag":4193,"url":4194,"excerpt":3892,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4195,"og_title":4182,"og_description":3892,"twitter_image":4195,"twitter_title":4182,"twitter_description":3892,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":3896,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"6da348f4-152b-4f00-92d4-5dd8076c4800","301405ed23e1","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/logo-1.png","2019-01-07T13:15:21.000+01:00","2026-03-27T11:07:38.000+01:00",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/tnzpv-studio-sponsors-january-features-for-kitsu/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/300/1-DreYKYgL39LK_Y38aI-6uA.png","/posts/tnzpv-studio-sponsors-january-features-for-kitsu",{"title":4182},"tnzpv-studio-sponsors-january-features-for-kitsu","posts/tnzpv-studio-sponsors-january-features-for-kitsu",[4201],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"5BNgGvRr_XV5Lch5qV-MzR8bVRBjcjdhuyTiu7uGkCg",{"id":4204,"title":4205,"authors":4206,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4208,"meta":4209,"navigation":15,"path":4222,"published_at":4213,"seo":4223,"slug":4224,"stem":4225,"tags":4226,"__hash__":4228,"uuid":4210,"comment_id":4211,"feature_image":4212,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4213,"updated_at":4214,"custom_excerpt":4215,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4216,"primary_tag":4217,"url":4218,"excerpt":4215,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4219,"og_title":4220,"og_description":4215,"twitter_image":4219,"twitter_title":4220,"twitter_description":4215,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4221,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-prepare-your-animation-production-part-2-the-schedule.json","How To Prepare Your Animation Production (2026) |  Part 2: The Schedule",[4207],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Every production relies on a schedule. It’s something you can’t avoid and that will follow you during all the production lifetime. So, it’s better to be confident about what you put into it! The good news is that in this post, we are going to share with you the best practices to build it properly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — —\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This is the second article of our series about the production setup:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/p/4d5a6ef1ccf1?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">Part 1: The contracts\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Part 2: The Schedule\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — —\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"scheduling-is-difficult-and-requires-all-the-team-onboard\">Scheduling is difficult and requires all the team onboard\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Prior to doing the estimation and setting deadlines, remember that you should rely on your supervisors to evaluate the amount of work for the team. You don’t have to be alone in the dark to achieve this task.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You will notice too that supervisors will be glad to help you. They would rather spend time with you to build a coherent planning than fighting a non-sense schedule during the production! Even better, engaging them in the process will make them more motivated and will make future conflicts solving easier.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>NB: Keep in mind that preparing a good planning requires experience. To estimate tasks, it’s simpler if you have already tracked CG artist progress in a previous production. So, if you are a young production manager, don’t be scared to make mistakes. It will require some trial and errors, it’s part of the learning process.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"how-to-estimate-the-length-of-a-task\">How to estimate the length of a task\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>However, to be able to start a discussion with someone, you need to have an idea of your estimations, even if you are not sure about them. So, decide about rough estimations before iterating on them with your supervisors.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To begin, list all the tasks to do before the next known milestone. If you are not sure about your milestones, look for it in \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-1-the-contracts/\">your contracts\u003C/a>. Once everything is clear, warm up your calculator!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Any kind of production, a TV show, a feature film or a short, comes with a script. From it, you can do a breakdown which will give you the number of assets and sequences to build. That’s enough information to do simple math and set rough deadlines.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let say you have 10 characters to do in 5 days with a team of 8 CG artist. First, you need to identify which ones are more important; for example, you have four main characters and six secondary characters. Now we can calculate how much time have CG artists to reach their deadline:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The first step is to bring back everything at the same level. Let’s consider that building a simple character is our unit of measure. The main characters are 3 times more detailed than the secondary characters are. Let’s say a secondary character costs 1. Therefore, four main characters will be almost the same than creating 4 x 3 secondary characters, for an overall cost of 12.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The second step is to establish how much time a CG Artist can spend on a simple character. You now have 12 + 6 = 18 characters to do in 5 days, with a team of 8 CG Artists. It means your team must be able to 18 / 5 = 3.6 characters a day. Each artist must ship the equivalent of 3.6 / 8 = 0.45 simple characters a day.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Now we have the right information, we are able to build a schedule for our Character team and dispatch the work to them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>By the way, it already helps you to anticipate problems. A thing you can notice from our example is that a CG artist cannot handle by himself the building of a main character (it requires 6 days and we only have five). For that kind of situation, we have three solutions:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Lower down your quality expectation by using five days instead of six to create a main character.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Split the main character work on two CG Artists (give the facial to one and the body to another).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Rely on a senior CG artist for the main characters.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>This arithmetic is a way to establish a first timeline to discuss with your supervisors. They will help you refine it and find the right dispatching. With more experience, you will achieve more accurate estimation and the iteration with your supervisors will go faster.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-right-schedule-for-the-right-person\">The right schedule for the right person\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Your schedule will serve different purposes and be used by different people. So you need to decline it in several shapes depending on his reader:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>A rough schedule (per month and per steps) that helps you to adjust your budget and to discuss with all stakeholders. It gives too an overview of the production major steps to everyone.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A detailed schedule for each department that helps your supervisors to keep in sync with the global view of the production, to manage their team more accurately and to be more aware of the dependencies with the previous and the next steps.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A day to day calendar that serves as the to-do list for your team.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"planning-representation-bar-chart\">Planning representation (Bar Chart)\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>We covered how to decide the length of the schedule, what kind of schedule we need, now let’s talk about the visual representation of the schedule. For that let’s make thing simple and use the most common representation, the Gantt chart (bar chart). It has many advantages and a few flaws. Let’s review them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Pros\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>You never lose the overview of your production\u003C/li>\u003Cli>You can check easily the links between the tasks\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Each line can represent a person or a team, so you can keep an eye on your manpower\u003C/li>\u003Cli>You can highlight time margins, bank holidays and vacations\u003C/li>\u003Cli>You can easily move around a task and still see the dependencies with the previous and the next ones\u003C/li>\u003Cli>It works for small and big projects\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Cons\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>It’s not easily printable on a long production, you may need 2 or 3 A3 paper sheets!\u003C/li>\u003Cli>You need to update it by hand if (like most of the people) you are doing the schedule with a spreadsheet\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"add-time-margins-to-your-schedule\">Add time margins to your schedule\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Now we have properly set up the schedule, we are going to deal with the fact that your schedule will change over time. It’s a fairy-tale to think everything will go according to the plan. Do you really think no one will have even a day of delay?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Adding safeties to your schedule is mandatory! Yeah, it’s an option to take more people when deadlines become closer. But life will teach you that it’s better to prevent it. Trust me, managing delay by having time between each episode and each step is always the right decision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Add some extra time after each storyboard before the start of a new one. And apply it to the very first steps of the production too. It’s almost mandatory for the storyboard Artists to have at least one week of delay. Especially if you don’t have a storyboard Supervisor. In that case, the Director has to do everything by himself. He won’t have the time to properly brief the storyboard artists and you will have to expect many retakes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Keep in mind all the bank holidays and the school breaks. People will take vacations, and hiring someone else in the meantime may not be as effective as it sounds. The new CG Artist will not be acclimated to the show as the rest of your team. It will require time for him to be effective.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you fill comfortable with your schedule, show it to your Director and your supervisors. If everybody feels at ease with it, then you will have more chance they will promote it rather than fighting against it.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"share-your-schedule\">\u003Cstrong>Share Your Schedule\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>When everything is set, print your schedule and hang it everywhere! The CG Artists need to know where they are going. Consider too that they are very sensitive to stress. The more information you can give to them, the more comfortable they will be with their work. Don’t keep them in the dark for their own protection, it makes won’t lead to good things.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"update-your-schedule-but-don%E2%80%99t-overwrite-it\">Update your schedule but don’t overwrite it.\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Your schedule needs to always be up-to-date. It must reflect the reality of the production. Otherwise, you won’t be able to report or to warn of any future delay. You also need to have a true, clear view of the progress of an episode or the whole production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But don’t overwrite your main schedule with the updates. Your main schedule is on every contract and on your direction’s offices. If you constantly update the schedule but don’t keep track of the changes, you won’t realize as much delay you have compared to the main schedule. And if you redo your schedule and postpone frequently several tasks, you could think that everything is ok and blindly ignore delays.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, do your best to keep somewhere the main revisions of your schedule. It will help a lot to fulfill what you promised and to understand the situation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">To sum up\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Having a good planning implies a lot of work and responsibilities. It must always be up to date and properly shared with all the team. And remember that you don’t have to do it alone! All the stakeholders can give you information and will be glad to participate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Don’t forget that a schedule must match an audience too. When you need to share an official schedule with someone, always ask yourself what will they do with it? Do they need the global picture or a detailed schedule? For example, at a meeting with your producer, bring your updated rough schedule, not a day-to-day calendar!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The schedule will organize the production and the life of everybody involved (you included!) It’s a double-edged sword. If you mess it up, your production can become a nightmare. If you do it well, everything will run smoothly and you will achieve an amazing project!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cg-wire.com/en/spreadsheets.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">To illustrate this article we prepared planning templates in Google Spreadsheet. Click on this link to get them\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We have a Discord channel where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Our vibrant community of TDs and Production Managers will be super happy to welcome you!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4210,"comment_id":4211,"feature_image":4212,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4213,"updated_at":4214,"custom_excerpt":4215,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4216,"primary_tag":4217,"url":4218,"excerpt":4215,"reading_time":199,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4219,"og_title":4220,"og_description":4215,"twitter_image":4219,"twitter_title":4220,"twitter_description":4215,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4221,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"a1a28649-3df3-4a36-82f8-0818f32c3a1a","cc413d0d8455","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-PJURdfWBahGUxcnEJVyhxQ.jpeg","2018-12-19T09:26:01.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:48:46.000+01:00","Every production relies on a schedule. It’s something you can’t avoid and that will follow you during all the production lifetime. So, it’s…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-animation-production-part-2-the-schedule/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-PJURdfWBahGUxcnEJVyhxQ.jpeg","How To Prepare Your Animation Production |  Part 2: The Schedule","Every production relies on a schedule. It’s something you can’t avoid and that will follow you during all the production lifetime. So, it’s better to be confident about what you put into it! The good…","/posts/how-to-prepare-your-animation-production-part-2-the-schedule",{"title":4205},"how-to-prepare-your-animation-production-part-2-the-schedule","posts/how-to-prepare-your-animation-production-part-2-the-schedule",[4227],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"itS3PeydShegyALrYFx7QbFhL5nhRdW9DECut3nJkfU",{"id":4230,"title":4231,"authors":4232,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4234,"meta":4235,"navigation":15,"path":4248,"published_at":4239,"seo":4249,"slug":4250,"stem":4251,"tags":4252,"__hash__":4254,"uuid":4236,"comment_id":4237,"feature_image":4238,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4239,"updated_at":4240,"custom_excerpt":4241,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4242,"primary_tag":4243,"url":4244,"excerpt":4241,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4245,"og_title":4246,"og_description":4241,"twitter_image":4245,"twitter_title":4246,"twitter_description":4241,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4247,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-prepare-your-production-part-1-the-contracts.json","How To Prepare Your Production (2026): Part 1 The Contracts",[4233],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>Preparing a production is always a difficult task. It’s like reading the future into a crystal ball! However, you can prepare yourself for most of the issues you may encounter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In these series, we’ll cover five major points to secure. For each of them, we will dedicate a full article. As a first topic, I chose the production contracts. I’m going to tell you everything needed for you, your contractors and your clients.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first thing is to make sure you have a copy of all legal documents related to the project, or at least an extract with the useful information. And of course, it’s even better if you can be part of the writing of these contracts! Your insight can help to ease some tricky point and you will be better informed.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-contract-for-the-client\">\u003Cstrong>The contract for the client\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Most of the time your clients will be the broadcasters of your movie. On this kind of contract, you will find two parts:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>One about the schedule, the budget, and the delivery milestones\u003C/li>\u003Cli>One about the technical specificity of the deliveries\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>You need to take extra care of the first part but read also the technical one. It can be tough to read but don’t worry, your post-production contractor will do most of the heavy lifting. Keep in mind that this information can be a lifesaver. For example, if your clients want to receive a physical support, you can save time and money to suggest them numerical files instead.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Take notes of the number of the deliveries required. Be careful, the information can be spread in different parts. Especially if a client has his own library and wants a backup duplicate. It’s important to not forget a delivery!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You need to highlight and report the milestones on your schedule. Most of the time you will be paid at the beginning, the middle and the end of particular steps of the production. You need to be aware of these steps to manage your project properly and to give the right information to your accounting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You will also find the detail of the validation steps. The number of days the clients have to validate or ask for a retake. This period cannot be shortened which affects your schedule. You will also find how much time you spend on discussing the retakes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For the technical part, forward it to your post-production contractor. You will also find details for your animation contractor, like the frame rate, the resolution, etc.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-contract-for-the-animation-contractor\">\u003Cstrong>The contract for the animation contractor\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It’s the most important contract for you as production team. The information is critical for your schedule and your organization. Also in terms of technical delivery and milestones. It contains mainly:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The time the contractor has to do the first animation retake (Take 1)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The time your team have to check the animation\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The number of back and forth allowed\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The time the animation has to achieve other retakes (Takes)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The time you have to check the retakes\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The percentage of artistic retakes allowed\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The price for the extra retakes\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Keep in mind all this information, and organize your teams and schedule according to it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You need to take extra care of the technical parts. The animation chart should describe what work you will send to them and how they should deliver it:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Storyboard\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Color backgrounds\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Graphics and screen designs\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Animation size and field guide\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Animation\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Animation colors & pre-compositing\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Animation length\u003C/li>\u003Cli>In between\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>It’s the common ground for everybody. Stick to it to avoid any flaw in the collaboration with your contractor.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-contract-for-the-post-production-contractor\">\u003Cstrong>The contract for the post-production contractor\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Once again, this contract is in two parts: schedule/budget and technical. The technical part will be the gathering of all the clients’ technical contracts.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Your post-production contractor is responsible for the client’s acceptation of the delivery. It’s important to detail every step on the contract.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s also the last step of your production; any delay on the previous steps will influence them. The setting of their schedule is very tricky. For most of their steps like the editing, the SFX, the foleys, and the mix, they will have to book a specific person and a specific room. It can be difficult for them to have flexibility on their schedule.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">\u003Cstrong>To sum-up\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The contracts are the bare bones of your production. It’s the roadmap that everybody will follow. It eases the communication by defining common grounds, but also it protects you if something goes wrong.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Being well aware of your contract will be a first good step for damage control on your production later. So make sure you carefully understand them and communicate their content to the rest of the team!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The next article will describe how you should handle the schedule of your production. Stay tuned!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We have a Discord channel where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Our vibrant community of TDs and Production Managers will be super happy to welcome you, so join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4236,"comment_id":4237,"feature_image":4238,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4239,"updated_at":4240,"custom_excerpt":4241,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4242,"primary_tag":4243,"url":4244,"excerpt":4241,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4245,"og_title":4246,"og_description":4241,"twitter_image":4245,"twitter_title":4246,"twitter_description":4241,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4247,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"6572a621-7d38-4f3e-9b14-b1dc46ef37e8","4d5a6ef1ccf1","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-VlGVrAYURbKzjLprcWQpSw.jpeg","2018-12-11T16:05:16.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:49:01.000+01:00","Preparing a production is always a difficult task. It’s like reading the future into a crystal ball! However, you can prepare yourself for…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-1-the-contracts/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-VlGVrAYURbKzjLprcWQpSw.jpeg","How To Prepare Your Production: Part 1 The Contracts","Preparing a production is always a difficult task. It’s like reading the future into a crystal ball! However, you can prepare yourself for most of the issues you may encounter. In these series, we’ll…","/posts/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-1-the-contracts",{"title":4231},"how-to-prepare-your-production-part-1-the-contracts","posts/how-to-prepare-your-production-part-1-the-contracts",[4253],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"Z8X53RDQBQaWQHoC9VTAqdk_C2ocwBXZWIyL37ISeps",{"id":4256,"title":4257,"authors":4258,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4260,"meta":4261,"navigation":15,"path":4273,"published_at":4265,"seo":4274,"slug":4275,"stem":4276,"tags":4277,"__hash__":4279,"uuid":4262,"comment_id":4263,"feature_image":4264,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4265,"updated_at":4266,"custom_excerpt":4267,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4268,"primary_tag":4269,"url":4270,"excerpt":4267,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4271,"og_title":4257,"og_description":4267,"twitter_image":4271,"twitter_title":4257,"twitter_description":4267,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4272,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:kitsu-new-features.json","Kitsu New Features",[4259],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>We’ve been busy over the past few months building Kitsu 0.8! In this article you will find all the recent additions we made to Kitsu our production tracker!\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"new-features\">New features\u003C/h3>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-uD8VJiqcu1zMZou_.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch4 id=\"pictures-videos-annotation\">Pictures/videos annotation\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The biggest news is that you can now annotate your previews. Whether it’s a picture or a video you will be able to add your drawings! You can use Kitsu to pinpoint details without writing long texts!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-Juzt8rgFeCVp33_H.gif\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-ROyfWGgw1Kb-v8xr.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch4 id=\"we-are-tv-show-ready-\">We are TV-Show ready!\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Kitsu can now handle episodes and a larger amount of shots and assets! When creating a new production, select the TV Show type. Then you will be able to separate shots and assets by episodes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It was the opportunity too to improve the navigation. Drop down menus are now available on all the pages related to current production. They allow you to switch from production, episodes or entities at any time!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-OPYgq1KhYBvOpynX.gif\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-N5Jn1fTPMERrkuEP.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch4 id=\"team-section\">Team section\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>You can allocate CG artists and supervisors to dedicated productions. This way they can only see productions they are part of. Studio managers can still see every production.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-IO873gQ96bpvmG1x.gif\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-iUGi1g7iau8-5rog.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch4 id=\"time-sheets\">Time sheets\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>You won’t have to stay behind your CG artists and take note of everything they are doing anymore. The CG artists will now be able to easily fill the time sheet by themselves. Their only task will be to set a number of hours on each task they are assigned to.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-mATXWeUsRFX5ZyAH.gif\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-4zETTqfPfhzKDYbn.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch4 id=\"production-information\">Production information\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>We added more information on the production level like \u003Cem>fps\u003C/em>, \u003Cem>ratio, \u003C/em>and r\u003Cem>esolution\u003C/em>. Now the CG artists won’t have to guess or keep asking this information to their supervisors. Moreover, you won’t have to hang them above every desk anymore!\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-nkQYtH9fZTupAvX7.gif\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-23CMBsrClUh86PBX.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Ch4 id=\"delete-function\">Delete function\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>You can force the removal of a shot or an asset without having to delete all their tasks anymore. You can also go beyond the cancellation and remove them definitely. Safety first but clarity is important too!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s it! We hope you will all enjoy these new features. More goodness is on the way. Stay tuned!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>At CGWire, we develop a production tracker named Kitsu. It’s here to help the production by managing all the heavy lifting for you:\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Task dispatching\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Preview validations (publish, comments and retakes)\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Breakdown management\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Time tracking\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Easy deployment to the whole studio\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Instant sharing\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Up-to-date production reports\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you are interested, ask for \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noopener\">\u003Cem>a trial instance\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> and give us your feelings about what we do!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4262,"comment_id":4263,"feature_image":4264,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4265,"updated_at":4266,"custom_excerpt":4267,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4268,"primary_tag":4269,"url":4270,"excerpt":4267,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4271,"og_title":4257,"og_description":4267,"twitter_image":4271,"twitter_title":4257,"twitter_description":4267,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4272,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"b2c8c85b-41e4-4e95-aaf2-5e1241415978","be0cf87a796a","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/0-uD8VJiqcu1zMZou_.png","2018-12-03T08:36:01.000+01:00","2021-01-14T14:40:04.000+01:00","We’ve been busy over the past few months building Kitsu 0.8! In this article you will find all the recent additions we made to Kitsu our…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/kitsu-new-features/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1080/0-uD8VJiqcu1zMZou_.png","We’ve been busy over the past few months building Kitsu 0.8! In this article you will find all the recent additions we made to Kitsu our production tracker! The biggest news is that you can now…","/posts/kitsu-new-features",{"title":4257},"kitsu-new-features","posts/kitsu-new-features",[4278],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"VtY4Lk6iXUj37BOsHPVfpT1WKd36pJWAtNndgaaetdo",{"id":4281,"title":4282,"authors":4283,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4285,"meta":4286,"navigation":15,"path":4299,"published_at":4290,"seo":4300,"slug":4301,"stem":4302,"tags":4303,"__hash__":4305,"uuid":4287,"comment_id":4288,"feature_image":4289,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4290,"updated_at":4291,"custom_excerpt":4292,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4293,"primary_tag":4294,"url":4295,"excerpt":4292,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4296,"og_title":4297,"og_description":4292,"twitter_image":4296,"twitter_title":4297,"twitter_description":4292,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4298,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-handle-animation-retakes-in-a-cartoon-tv-show.json","How To Handle Animation Retakes In A Cartoon TV Show (2026)",[4284],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>In a Cartoon TV show, it’s usual to have the animation work done outside of the studio. It can happen in the same country or overseas. For both, the process is the same. They will send you their delivery shot by shot. Then, the Director and the Animation Supervisor will check the work done and will eventually send retake notes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You shouldn’t be surprised to have a lot of retakes in the first episodes. It’s natural. Everybody learns how to work with each other. After the first episodes, if you still have a lot of back and forth, you can consider it as a sign for a bigger issue.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In that case, you need first to identify clearly what kind of retakes you face the most. It will help you to tackle the problem properly. Understanding the symptoms is the first step to find a cure!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"identify-the-type-of-retake\">Identify the type of retake\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Some retakes are the result of a deeper problem. Here are some examples of retakes. For each of them, we will tell you how to react to them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Careless mistake\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s a sign that the animation team doesn’t have the time to check their work before shipment. The number of retakes, when there are not enough animators, can overwhelm them. Your schedule is certainly too tight for them. You can either stretch your schedule or handle this kind of retakes yourself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>References or artistic recommendation not followed\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It can be due to a change of teams just before the production starts, or after the first episodes. It can also be the sign of turn over on your contractor side. In that case, you have to brief them again and give them time to adapt to the specific style of the TV show.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Artistic retakes\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It happens when the client or the director have changed their mind, they want an animation style that was not initially briefed. It could be due to the fact the client/director may have changed during the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In that, case you have two options:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The Client or the Director adapts/changes his brief.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>You manage to have extra money to adapt the production schedule.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Retake was not performed\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Most of the time it’s because the retake itself can’t be understood. You need to phone your contractor immediately to know what’s wrong and how you can help them… During the writing of the retakes, explain clearly the intents. Draw a lot, and if you can, give an animated example.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The most important advice I can give you is to send an animation supervisor to your contractor. I know it’s a lot of money and your budget surely don’t allow it. But, if in the middle of your production you are months behind your schedule, then you will have spent more money than the cost of sending an animation supervisor. So cut somewhere else, find the money.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The animation supervisor will save your day. He will ensure the quality constancy during all the episodes. He will drastically reduce the number of technical retakes. The contractor team needs to see him, to feel his leadership right in the room. More than that, only him will be able to tell you what kind of delay you can expect, and what you can do about it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>One last thing to know: if you are behind schedule, only quality can save your production from the wrath of your client.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"count-the-number-of-artistic-retakes\">Count the number of artistic retakes\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Artistic or creative retake is a demand that wasn’t expected by the animation studio. It’s a direction change from the Director or from the Client.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Per the contract, a small number is allowed, but if you exceed this number, then the production will have to pay for them. It’s mandatory because this kind of retake is time-consuming for everybody.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So be careful, ask your team to highlight them. It will ease your tracking. This information is important if the production goes wrong.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"track-your-percentage-of-shots-in-validation-or-retake-state\">Track your percentage of shots in validation or retake state\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Keep an eye on your validation/retake percentage (aka number of back and forth). You have to keep in mind that it’s the same team that ships an episode and its retakes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you didn’t have plan time for the retakes on your schedule, it means the animators will have to do the next episodes and the retakes of the first one during the same period of time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then during the third episode, they will have to split their time between T1 (first retake) of ep03, T2 of ep02 and T3 of ep01, and so on. Now, let’s say you have 400 shots per episode and that at the first retake, you have 60% of shots concerned and that at the second retake, you still have 40% of shots concerned. It means the animators have to do during the same period:\u003C/p>\u003Cp>400 x (animations for ep003) + 240 x (retakes for ep002) + 96 x (retakes for ep001) = 736 shots\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It means that they have almost only half of the time initially planned to do the new episode. If you have 3 to 5% of retakes on a third retake, consider it as done. Your episode is good enough, making it perfect will consume everybody’s energy to get these retakes done.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Sometimes it’s quicker to do the retakes by yourself than trying to explain the situation to everybody. Nevertheless, send the retake note and your correction to your contractor. They need to know what’s going on. Better, they will learn from this.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, as we mentioned in \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/cgwire/cg-production-the-hidden-cost-of-retakes-d677fe0a9669?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">a previous article\u003C/a>, Remember too that retakes have a hidden cost.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"accept-you-will-have-retakes-at-the-animation-stage\">Accept you will have retakes at the animation stage\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Until the unexpected appears, you can prepare yourself to ease things when it’s time to check the delivery. The storyboards need to be crystal clear, be sure there is no room for interpretation. Send references as much as possible. Redact a “do and don’t” and share it with everybody (in-house and to your contractor).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Give the checking process for late retakes (3rd and 4th) to the assistants. They have the capabilities to tell if a retake is done or not, and it will give more time to your director and animation supervisor to focus on the first retakes. Don’t hesitate to do some retakes in-house if it’s easier and faster for everybody. Keep in mind that only quality saves the day.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">To Sum up\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Retakes are an inevitable part of a production. The more prepared you’ll be, the fewer retakes you can expect. The animation step is also very demanding for the production team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To make things as smooth as possible, you need to have an overview of the production, keep track of the percentage and the general progress of the episodes and the whole show. You need also to take care of details; they are the indicator of the health of your contractor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We have a Discord channel where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Our vibrant community of TDs and Production Managers will be super happy to welcome you, so join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4287,"comment_id":4288,"feature_image":4289,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4290,"updated_at":4291,"custom_excerpt":4292,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4293,"primary_tag":4294,"url":4295,"excerpt":4292,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4296,"og_title":4297,"og_description":4292,"twitter_image":4296,"twitter_title":4297,"twitter_description":4292,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4298,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"d611268c-8f69-47f7-a66e-5f7d7ec8d462","6ee8490b5a3d","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-Y1zZK3fLQN54kseJEnowUw.jpeg","2018-11-21T12:29:53.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:48:12.000+01:00","In a Cartoon TV show, it’s usual to have the animation work done outside of the studio. It can happen in the same country or overseas. For…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-handle-animation-retakes-in-a-cartoon-tv-show/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-Y1zZK3fLQN54kseJEnowUw.jpeg","How To Handle Animation Retakes In A Cartoon TV Show","In a Cartoon TV show, it’s usual to have the animation work done outside of the studio. It can happen in the same country or overseas. For both, the process is the same. They will send you their…","/posts/how-to-handle-animation-retakes-in-a-cartoon-tv-show",{"title":4282},"how-to-handle-animation-retakes-in-a-cartoon-tv-show","posts/how-to-handle-animation-retakes-in-a-cartoon-tv-show",[4304],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"ea30p_XkPVHAziMMM1tkkryTzltVFY3oGrRbrT7vHQo",{"id":4307,"title":4308,"authors":4309,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4311,"meta":4312,"navigation":15,"path":4325,"published_at":4316,"seo":4326,"slug":4327,"stem":4328,"tags":4329,"__hash__":4331,"uuid":4313,"comment_id":4314,"feature_image":4315,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4316,"updated_at":4317,"custom_excerpt":4318,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4319,"primary_tag":4320,"url":4321,"excerpt":4318,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4322,"og_title":4323,"og_description":4318,"twitter_image":4322,"twitter_title":4323,"twitter_description":4318,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4324,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-manage-unexpected-urgency-in-an-animation-movie-production.json","How To Manage Unexpected Urgency In An Animation Movie Production (2026)",[4310],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>As Production Manager, you are prepared for everything. You have done your schedule for the whole production. You have included all the bank holidays. You know that people will take 2 weeks of vacation during the summer and that no one will be here between Christmas and New Year eve. You have carefully plan your schedule during the school's breaks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But you know that it won’t be enough. So you add one extra week between all steps. It should help to absorb any delay and can be easily ignored if everything sticks to the schedule.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You have your perfect paper planning. You attend meetings with all your supervisors, director, contractors, anyone who is part of the production. Now you feel prepared! Nothing can stop you, it’s time to print your schedule and hang it into the artist room.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Every Monday morning, you update the weekly schedule for everybody with their priority list. Everything goes according to plan.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>However, one day, someone will enter your office holding his weekly schedule, shaking his head and ask: What should I do?\u003Cem> … please, stay calm.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Reasons for that are numerous, but mostly it’s due to an unexpected event. Here are a few examples:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>The contractor suddenly do not deliver on time (earlier or later)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>The client change is mind\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Something has been forgotten\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Due to the unexpected, your priority list is now incomplete and the consequences are unknown. Even if you had plenty of time to prepare your schedule/priority list, now you have to take decisions in the blink of an eye!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To achieve that, you will need to know as much information as possible about your assets and shots. The more details you can gather, the clever your decision will be.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"focus-on-the-next-step-needs\">\u003Cstrong>Focus on the next step needs\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>When people ask you what they should do, it means, most of the time, you have to decide between two assets or two shots, or between two other entities that should be done during the same period. Prefer the one that is closest to be finished. Don’t overthink your decision. The \u003Cem>what is left to do\u003C/em> criteria is most of the time the right choice.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At least you will have something finished and the next stage will be able to work with it. It won’t stop your production and you will have one less thing to think about.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This decision will buy you a bit more time to warn your client about a delay or hire new people to help you. The goal is to finish something in order to be able to run other steps on it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For example, a Modeling Artist will ask you what he should do first between two assets: a car or a table. The car is the only asset missing on some shots to be finished, and the table will appear on a shot where other assets are missing too. In that case, choose the car, you will be able to give work immediately to the animators and then to the lighting artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If the assets are both ready to be used by the next stage, then choose the one that will appear in the most shots. It will give work to more people and won’t stop the production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"do-not-change-priorities-until-the-current-work-is-finished\">\u003Cstrong>Do not change priorities until the current work is finished\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>If you have an urgent task to be done, then avoid as much as possible to switch an artist from an unfinished task to a new one.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Switching tasks is a loss of time because the artist needs to be briefed again. He will have to focus on a new job without clearing his mind from the previous one. He won’t work as fast as he could have. There is also the risk of forgetting the unfinished asset. Worst, the next stage could receive the asset or shot uncompleted.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you can wait until an asset is finished before starting a new one, it’s a better move for all the production stakeholders.\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-rdKNDb-5UY49_UfW6Z_JWw.jpeg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/max/1200/1-rdKNDb-5UY49_UfW6Z_JWw.jpeg 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w1000/max/1200/1-rdKNDb-5UY49_UfW6Z_JWw.jpeg 1000w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-rdKNDb-5UY49_UfW6Z_JWw.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1200px) 1200px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Photo by Miranda Wipperfurth on Unsplash\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-sum-up\">To sum up\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Be well prepared is the most important thing. It’s important too that you clearly communicate the priorities, don’t do too many things in parallel and focus on what can allow the next step to start.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>However, during the lifetime of a production, fires can start everywhere: a client can change is mind, a contractor can be late or one of your main artists can take some days off. \u003Cbr> As the production, you need to be one-step ahead of your artists. Your eyes need to be on the current stage, but your mind must be on the next one. It’s the only way to know what to do in case of fire and how to avoid bloating the production. But, being the firemen fixing problems should be the exception, not the norm. Make sure you don’t need to be fireproof to build your next movie like a rockstar!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG Production Management and CG Pipeline. We have a Discord channel where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others. Our vibrant community of TDs and Production Managers will be super happy to welcome you, so join us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4313,"comment_id":4314,"feature_image":4315,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4316,"updated_at":4317,"custom_excerpt":4318,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4319,"primary_tag":4320,"url":4321,"excerpt":4318,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4322,"og_title":4323,"og_description":4318,"twitter_image":4322,"twitter_title":4323,"twitter_description":4318,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4324,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"4947f0cd-3dd9-42dd-9b3e-23ab59aaf7c7","5bd2f66943b1","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-ia2c7xZ9MblVeK5B5XNg4A.jpeg","2018-11-14T09:31:01.000+01:00","2026-03-27T10:48:26.000+01:00","As Production Manager, you are prepared for everything. You have done your schedule for the whole production. You have included all the…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-manage-unexpected-urgency-in-an-animation-movie-production/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-ia2c7xZ9MblVeK5B5XNg4A.jpeg","How To Manage Unexpected Urgency In An Animation Movie Production","As Production Manager, you are prepared for everything. You have done your schedule for the whole production. You have included all the bank holidays. You know that people will take 2 weeks of…","/posts/how-to-manage-unexpected-urgency-in-an-animation-movie-production",{"title":4308},"how-to-manage-unexpected-urgency-in-an-animation-movie-production","posts/how-to-manage-unexpected-urgency-in-an-animation-movie-production",[4330],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"vzpSsJLH64XQuFpF_3mNk2rnhmjWXLuxobEZ1qUbdIE",{"id":4333,"title":4334,"authors":4335,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4337,"meta":4338,"navigation":15,"path":4351,"published_at":4342,"seo":4352,"slug":4353,"stem":4354,"tags":4355,"__hash__":4357,"uuid":4339,"comment_id":4340,"feature_image":4341,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4342,"updated_at":4343,"custom_excerpt":4344,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4345,"primary_tag":4346,"url":4347,"excerpt":4344,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4348,"og_title":4349,"og_description":4344,"twitter_image":4348,"twitter_title":4349,"twitter_description":4344,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4350,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:why-tracking-your-cameras-like-your-assets-is-mandatory.json","(2026) Why Tracking Your Cameras Like Your Assets Is Key",[4336],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>In a CGI production, the camera defines the shot. The background set, the props, the FXs and the animation of the characters are all related to it. And when it’s about motion capture, it’s event wider, it defines the whole sequence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When you have a look at the characteristics of a camera, it becomes obvious:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Frame range (frame in, frame out and duration of the shot).\u003C/li>\u003Cli>3D Coordinates (in and out)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Path and speed\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Lenses (focus, f-stop, and focal length)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Name\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>One more thing you have to keep in mind is that these data will evolves during the lifetime of a production. Let’s dig deeper into it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>NB: \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdeverly/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>Stéphane Deverly\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>, on our Slack channel, mentions this attempt of \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"http://camerareports.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#goals\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>standardization\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> by the VES.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-camera-lifecyle\">\u003Cstrong>The Camera Lifecyle\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Col>\u003Cli>The first notion of a camera appears in the production script. The words depict an attempt for framing and movements.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Then on the storyboard, the framing gets more precise: we set the camera angles and the action.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>When we work on the animatic/previz , we add the length of the shots and the speed to the camera definition.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>At the layout stage, you define the 3D space coordinates and the lenses of the camera. The layout artists will have to test several cameras, so expect to name each of them.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>As you can see, building a camera is a slow process. At each steps of the movie, we add more information and features to it. And because things are not always simple in a production, there are back and forths for each steps.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"camera-validation\">Camera Validation\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Of course, each stage implies a validation from the supervisors, the director, and the client. Because, from the script to the layout, a client validation is required, it becomes more and more difficult to make changes over time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But why would you change a camera? Here are a few reasons:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>It can be a retake asked by the client.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A technical issue was noticed by the team.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Sometimes changing the camera can solve a problem. So, moving the camera can ease the work of everyone. It can be smarter than performing huge retakes.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"who-relies-on-the-camera-data\">\u003Cstrong>Who relies on the camera data?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Every team after the layout stage will need to use the camera.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The animation stage is the trickiest, because the camera can still change while we are late in the production. Sometimes it’s easier to move a bit the camera than animating all the assets of a shot. The FXs, the post-animation, the lighting, and rendering will need them too. They simply can’t work without it. It’s the starting point of their job.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Everybody takes advantage of the camera frame. For instance there is no point to do a FX out of frame, or a blendshape on a character when we only see his back. All kind of effects require high computation. So, avoiding rendering things out of range is often smarter. It’s the same when doing the lighting of the shot. We are at a polishing stage. It would be pointless to work on it if the camera was not the final one.\u003Cbr>The rendering is the most expensive stage of a production. If you miss some frames it will cost you time because you will have to render them again and redo the compositing. If you have extra frames which won’t be used it’s also a waste of time and money: for the render farm and for the compositing artists.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Worst scenario, the camera is not the validated one and the shot is rendered and composited. The client will refuse the shot and you will have to do the render and compositing again at your own expense. No need to say how a bad communication around the camera to use can be a killer for a production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"good-practices\">\u003Cstrong>Good practices\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>That’s why we recommend you some good practices to secure the camera. Let’s go!\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Double-check with the client how much you can adjust the camera when he validates it at a previous stage. Then, share the information with your team.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Identify the validated camera and name it.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Always compare the shots at each stage. Look at the pictures side by side to detect if the camera has moved. If something got wrong you better have to know it early.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Be explicit when communicating about your retakes. Tell if the retake is about the camera or about the position of the assets (props/characters/background sets) on the frame. And say it out loud!\u003C/li>\u003Cli>In case of retake make sure that the layout team take the relay. They will adjust the camera and give a new name to, and finally they will export it. Everybody will be aware of the change. On the other side, if the animation team fixes the camera, then nobody else will notice the modification. The risk of using a wrong camera gets high.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Check the length of the shot and burn the frames or the timecode on the pictures. Everyone will be able to see it if something went wrong.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Make sure to export the validated camera in a specific folder (or location) and let people know where to find it.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Write down the frame in and frame out of each shot on your production tracker software. Write them down next to the frame range, add the name of the camera used for the shoot too.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Engage CG Artists. Make sure they double check their shot frame ranges and cameras.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-subsyqrqlQSnV8k0dR6vWA.jpeg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003Cfigcaption>Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/xGTj5hTsj4I?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText\" data-href=\"https://unsplash.com/photos/xGTj5hTsj4I?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText\" class=\"markup--anchor markup--figure-anchor\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dustin Kirkpatrick\u003C/a> on \u003Ca href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText\" data-href=\"https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText\" class=\"markup--anchor markup--figure-anchor\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Unsplash\u003C/a>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Ch4 id=\"you-need-to-track-your-cameras-period\">\u003Cstrong>You need to track your cameras, period\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>As you noticed, you have to be very confident about your camera state. All the teams rely on cameras. Missing frames or extra frames cost money and time. It brings stress. If your animation team or FX team do some work that are out of range, it won’t be seen. Then again, it’s a waste of time and money and it affects morale.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The best way to avoid these issues is to manage you camera like an asset. It’s not much extra work and can be achieved by following these simple rules:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Include it in your asset table, add validation steps to it.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Make sure that the export occurs at the right place.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Define a good and consistent naming system\u003C/li>\u003Cli>From that ensure that you and your team work with the right camera.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Having accurate information about cameras will save you a lot of stress. So be tough with the camera data tracking. All your team will enjoy it and you will sleep better at night!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>At CGWire, we develop a production tracker named Kitsu. It’s here to help the production by managing all the heavy lifting for you:\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Task dispatching\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Preview validations (publish, comments and retakes)\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Breakdown management\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Time tracking\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Easy deployment to the whole studio\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Instant sharing\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Up-to-date production reports\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you are interested, ask for \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noopener\">\u003Cem>a trial instance\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> and give us your feelings about what we do!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4339,"comment_id":4340,"feature_image":4341,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4342,"updated_at":4343,"custom_excerpt":4344,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4345,"primary_tag":4346,"url":4347,"excerpt":4344,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4348,"og_title":4349,"og_description":4344,"twitter_image":4348,"twitter_title":4349,"twitter_description":4344,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4350,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"0e424c01-25ec-4735-9f04-40e030bcc506","a8487adf54bf","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-R-7-hO75C8taFE4G9VaPiA.jpeg","2018-11-06T11:21:29.000+01:00","2026-03-26T11:03:07.000+01:00","In a CGI production, the camera defines the shot. The background set, the props, the FXs and the animation of the characters are all…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/why-tracking-your-cameras-like-your-assets-is-mandatory/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-R-7-hO75C8taFE4G9VaPiA.jpeg","Why tracking your cameras like your assets is mandatory","In a CGI production, the camera defines the shot. The background set, the props, the FXs and the animation of the characters are all related to it. And when it’s about motion capture, it’s event…","/posts/why-tracking-your-cameras-like-your-assets-is-mandatory",{"title":4334},"why-tracking-your-cameras-like-your-assets-is-mandatory","posts/why-tracking-your-cameras-like-your-assets-is-mandatory",[4356],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"Jta6qMIHBQCgNbPsgYLdSk2cl0KRMFvoEMUUCJQTHRA",{"id":4359,"title":4360,"authors":4361,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4363,"meta":4364,"navigation":15,"path":4376,"published_at":4368,"seo":4377,"slug":4378,"stem":4379,"tags":4380,"__hash__":4382,"uuid":4365,"comment_id":4366,"feature_image":4367,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4368,"updated_at":4369,"custom_excerpt":4370,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4371,"primary_tag":4372,"url":4373,"excerpt":4370,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4367,"og_title":4374,"og_description":4370,"twitter_image":4367,"twitter_title":4374,"twitter_description":4370,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4375,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:spreadsheets-lifecycle-in-a-cartoon-tv-show.json","(2026) Spreadsheets Lifecycle In a Cartoon TV Show",[4362],{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},"\u003Cp>You were hired to manage this new TV Show. You feel the excitement of working on a new production. It may be one of your first jobs as a Junior Production Manager, or you can be in a familiar territory as an experimented one, you still enjoy as much beginning a new project.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But whatever your skill level, you know that a big part of your job will be to produce spreadsheets, many spreadsheets… These tables are the backbone of a production. You create and use them at every stage:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Recording the name of the people in the team\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Storing the task assignments\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Listing the asset casting of an episode\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Collect specific details for an animator\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Build your progress report\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Spreadsheets are the major tool of the production: everybody relies on it. That’s why the information has to be up-to-date and accurate. It’s the main communication tool.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"day-1-of-the-production\">Day 1 of the production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Here you are at day 1 on this new production! You already have prepared many things. Among them, you have a lot of information to share: the contact list, the scripts breakdown, the todo list for the Director and the Artists…\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you already worked on TV Show Productions, you probably have your own templates. If it’s not the case, at least, the studio will provide you some. You will have to adapt them for this new production, and probably for each episode.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"sharing-the-spreadsheets\">\u003Cstrong>Sharing the spreadsheets\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Spreadsheets are not lifeless. Once you have created them, others will use them, maybe just to read it but most of the time your spreadsheets will be modified by others. To make this happen, you have three options:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Your sheets are based on a desktop software. All the users need it on their computers. You have to ask your IT to install the software for them and pay the extra licenses for each supervisor/artists who will need an access to the spreadsheets.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>If it’s a web app linked to an email account, they will need a professional account. Same money issue here: you will have to pay a license for each one. Otherwise, they will use their personal email and it will become a security issue.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>If part of your team is elsewhere, you will have to share your spreadsheets via email or online file storage. You will have a lot of back and forth.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Ch4 id=\"first-steps-of-the-production\">\u003Cstrong>First steps of the production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>At the beginning of the production, you have to inform people, dispatch the work to do. You are already printing many sheets to share the information. Things run smoothly, you only have to manage one episode. You can take good care of each spreadsheet. Everything goes well.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>And sometimes you feel you have to do twice the job. Let’s take an example with storyboard breakdown and leadsheet. The only difference between them is the way you display the information. These two documents don’t serve the same purpose and different people use them. If you have technical skills, you can link the data of your breakdown to your leadsheet. But, still, it will require some work to be properly done.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>This kind of problems can be your first headache for this production. Fortunately, it’s the beginning, you have time. Everything is ok.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"ongoing-production\">\u003Cstrong>Ongoing production\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>We are several months later. Some episodes are at the animation stage, others at the storyboard stage, and the newest are still at the script stage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You already have a lot of spreadsheets. You use them on a daily basis. You spend time juggling between tabs. The difference between now and the beginning of the production is that people contribute to your spreadsheets and add data by themselves.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Director, the Background Supervisor, the Animation Supervisor are working on them, sometimes all at the same time. The more people use documents, the more mistakes happen. They missed a line, they fill the wrong tab or sometimes squash an entire tab…\u003C/p>\u003Cp>After spending hours to fix the spreadsheets, you think about damage control. One solution is to copy the spreadsheet and give one copy to each supervisor, director etc. You wait for them to fill it, then you synchronize all the documents.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s so time-consuming that you start to work late. You may think of bringing work at home. You spend all your time on these spreadsheets because they are necessary for the production. To make sure that everyone is on the same page, they need to be neat and accurate. You may even lose the big picture of the production because you are too focused on the details. Things are getting tough.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"people-outside-of-the-studio\">\u003Cstrong>People outside of the studio\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It’s common that you have to share information with people who are not physically located inside the studio. For instance, you will email your files to Artists or Directors who don’t work in the building. They don’t have access to your network so they have to wait for your email, and you have to wait for their answers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Waiting for listings, drawings and videos increase the latency of a production. When finally, you receive all the elements, you still have to check them and maybe ask for more details. The back and forth begin.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-production-report\">\u003Cstrong>The production report\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Your head of production or your producer will ask you to do production reports. It’s important for them to communicate the progress to all shareholders and have an overview of the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you have technical skills you can create reports automatically filled by the data from the spreadsheets. Even with that, you will have to double check your spreadsheet to be sure the formula is not broken by mistake, or if anyone deleted them by mistake.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you don’t have the skills, you create them from scratch. You juggle through all your tabs and compile the data to build a coherent and accurate report… and by the way, you have one more spreadsheet!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"production-tracking-software\">Production tracking software\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Production tracking softwares are here to help. They allow you to manage all these data in shared database and display them in dedicated UI.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To create a better show, your artists need to totally focus on their creative work and should be able to rely on the production for everything else. That’s why these kinds of tools can greatly enhance the productivity of your team. It allows everyone to collaborate, they are more error-proof, and provides easy to read UI. You don’t have to manage hundreds of files and it’s easier to keep everyone on the same page.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"wrapping-up\">\u003Cstrong>Wrapping up\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Let’s sum up everything! During the lifecycle of the production, you are going to create at least half a dozen spreadsheets per episode. A TV show has an average of 52 episodes. If you do the maths, you understand that you will have to create, maintain, analyze, share, check and double check 312 spreadsheets during the production lifetime.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let me assume you have five episodes running at a different stage in the same period. If we consider that you have two tabs per spreadsheet, you will have almost thirty tabs opened to track these episodes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When someone asks questions about these episodes, they expect that you find quickly the answer for them. You are the keeper of the spreadsheets, people consider you as the main source of information. It’s a great responsibility, assume it and be proud of it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>At CGWire, we develop a production tracker named Kitsu. It’s here to help the production by managing all the heavy lifting for you:\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Task dispatching\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Preview validations (publish, comments and retakes)\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Breakdown management\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Time tracking\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Easy deployment to the whole studio\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Instant sharing\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Cem>Up-to-date production reports\u003C/em>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>If you are interested, ask for \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>a trial instance\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> and give us your feelings about what we do!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4365,"comment_id":4366,"feature_image":4367,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4368,"updated_at":4369,"custom_excerpt":4370,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4371,"primary_tag":4372,"url":4373,"excerpt":4370,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4367,"og_title":4374,"og_description":4370,"twitter_image":4367,"twitter_title":4374,"twitter_description":4370,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4375,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"c409efab-d000-4b8c-85a9-7ed57ee5509c","5c179e4d7264","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-MoED9Zm-SDNhmBVCDhXX4A.png","2018-10-30T21:20:26.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:56.000+01:00","You were hired to manage this new TV Show. You feel the excitement of working on a new production. It may be one of your first jobs as a…",{"id":287,"name":288,"slug":289,"profile_image":290,"cover_image":8,"bio":291,"website":8,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":292},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/spreadsheets-lifecycle-in-a-cartoon-tv-show/","Spreadsheets Lifecycle In a Cartoon TV Show","You were hired to manage this new TV Show. You feel the excitement of working on a new production. It may be one of your first jobs as a Junior Production Manager, or you can be in a familiar…","/posts/spreadsheets-lifecycle-in-a-cartoon-tv-show",{"title":4360},"spreadsheets-lifecycle-in-a-cartoon-tv-show","posts/spreadsheets-lifecycle-in-a-cartoon-tv-show",[4381],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"WX-Uzgsv5XZSoirSiHdsrBnOFbvqQvO0ozsO0ibOJs4",{"id":4384,"title":4385,"authors":4386,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4388,"meta":4389,"navigation":15,"path":4401,"published_at":4393,"seo":4402,"slug":4403,"stem":4404,"tags":4405,"__hash__":4407,"uuid":4390,"comment_id":4391,"feature_image":4392,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4393,"updated_at":4394,"custom_excerpt":4395,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4396,"primary_tag":4397,"url":4398,"excerpt":4395,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4399,"og_title":4385,"og_description":4395,"twitter_image":4399,"twitter_title":4385,"twitter_description":4395,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4400,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:gwenaelle-dupre-joins-cgwire-as-product-manager.json","Gwenaelle Dupre joins CGWire as Product Manager",[4387],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Ch3 id=\"gwena-lle-dupr-joins-cgwire-as-product-manager\">Gwenaëlle Dupré joins CGWire as Product Manager\u003C/h3>\u003Cp>If you’ve been following our project you probably noticed that recently CGWire made significant progress: productions tracked with our products were successfully shipped, new clients have used the product and Kitsu is now TV Show ready. For all the reasons above, I felt comfortable enough to move on to the next step and expand the founding team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When I worked with Unit Image on implementing the Zou API for their pipeline, I had the opportunity to work closely with the production team. Gwenaëlle was part of it. She was handling major productions like the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsoIUHDrPcg&ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">trailer of Beyond Good and Evil 2\u003C/a>. I really enjoyed our interactions, especially when talking about studio process. Her insights were very helpful when we worked in improving the Unit Image pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It also allowed me to know more about her background. She worked for more than 10 years as production manager on many kinds of productions : 2D and CG TV shows, CG short movies and commercials (in studios like Marathon or Zodiak). She was involved in small and large teams. She also had the opportunity to work in Malaysia where she handled the entire technical aspects of this studio. Needless to say, her insights are valuable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Months later, I heard she was looking for a new challenge in which she can use both her production skills and make a wise usage of software to manage a production. \u003Cbr>At the same time it became obvious to me that the CGWire project required more than software development activity. Building good products require to spend time with users, to provide informative materials and make sure that the experience is smoother as possible. To get the best product possible, we needed someone dedicated to these aspects. That’s why I reached out Gwenaëlle to ask her if she would be ready to handle them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>When she saw what the software was already capable of, she understood the potential. She has always worked in CG to help studios build better movies. To her, joining a project like CGWire was the opportunity to help studios at a much larger scale. It resonated with what she wants to achieve. And the best point: she felt totally connected with the core values of the project: simplicity, craftmanship and collaboration. After some time of reflection the answer was obvious to her and she jumped into the boat!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you can guess: today, I’m super happy to announce that Gwenaëlle is part of the CGWire project, as product manager and business partner! You might have already noticed her first delivery: Kitsu has now a clear documentation. And this is just the beginning of her many contributions. Feel free to send her \u003Ca href=\"mailto:gwen@cg-wire.com\">an email\u003C/a> if you have any questions about our solutions or production management!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/gw%C3%A9na%C3%ABlle-dupr%C3%A9-a335223/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Linkedin Account\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-2-j05rVKSfzedr0Ld5ezag.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003Cfigcaption>On her spare time, Gwenaëlle likes to paint Gundam figurines!\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>",{"uuid":4390,"comment_id":4391,"feature_image":4392,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4393,"updated_at":4394,"custom_excerpt":4395,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4396,"primary_tag":4397,"url":4398,"excerpt":4395,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4399,"og_title":4385,"og_description":4395,"twitter_image":4399,"twitter_title":4385,"twitter_description":4395,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4400,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"1f40a2fd-99ed-42da-b462-f595aa59ef7f","a3819e4ca071","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-x0wkZyNXkFnPBlFZlsvTjw.png","2018-10-04T11:22:52.000+02:00","2021-01-14T15:06:07.000+01:00","If you’ve been following our project you probably noticed that recently \nCGWire made significant progress: productions tracked with our…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/gwenaelle-dupre-joins-cgwire-as-product-manager/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/400/1-x0wkZyNXkFnPBlFZlsvTjw.png","If you’ve been following our project you probably noticed that recently CGWire made significant progress: productions tracked with our products were successfully shipped, new clients have used the…","/posts/gwenaelle-dupre-joins-cgwire-as-product-manager",{"title":4385},"gwenaelle-dupre-joins-cgwire-as-product-manager","posts/gwenaelle-dupre-joins-cgwire-as-product-manager",[4406],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"u6Ux799eu3rH4uLi6R0n-ltcTSj_zxMousvxs2sNz6o",{"id":4409,"title":4410,"authors":4411,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4413,"meta":4414,"navigation":15,"path":4428,"published_at":4418,"seo":4429,"slug":4430,"stem":4431,"tags":4432,"__hash__":4434,"uuid":4415,"comment_id":4416,"feature_image":4417,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4418,"updated_at":4419,"custom_excerpt":4420,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4421,"primary_tag":4422,"url":4423,"excerpt":4420,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4424,"og_title":4425,"og_description":4426,"twitter_image":4424,"twitter_title":4425,"twitter_description":4426,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4427,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:how-to-track-properly-the-cg-artist-progress.json","How To Keep Track Of The Progress Of Your CG Artists (2026)",[4412],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>One of the key point of production management is to keep information \u003Cbr>about the current state of the production up to date. It ensures \u003Cbr>everyone is on the same page and that nothing is missing. Better yet, \u003Cbr>once collected, the data will make it possible to have both a macro and \u003Cbr>a detailed point of view such as: overall progress of a department and \u003Cbr>back-and-forth communication for a given task. Though this may sound \u003Cbr>good in theory, but updating data all along the production is a tedious \u003Cbr>task. Which is why, in this article we are going to explore how to meet \u003Cbr>that manually and automatically.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"two-ways-to-track-the-information\">\u003Cstrong>Two ways to track the information\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To log all the information about the production, you have two options:\u003C/p>\u003Col>\u003Cli>Having a strong team of production managers\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Make CG artists report their progress by themselves.\u003C/li>\u003C/ol>\u003Cp>The first option sounds more natural but it can become risky if your team doesn’t perform well. When the studio grows, it will bring new challenges to your production team, scaling can become complicated and hard to handle.\u003Cbr>The risk there is that the production keeps on grabbing information while they should plan the production, anticipate future issues and give the overall direction.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The second option relies on collaboration: everyone report by himself his progress. It may sound obviously more efficient, but CG artists are \u003Cbr>working under a lot of pressure and reporting is not their priority. It \u003Cbr>could lead to a bad quality for data. But when your studio scales, you don’t have much choice. In the following, we will discuss how to build a collaborative tracking in your studio.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"quality-over-precision\">\u003Cstrong>Quality over precision\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Before going further, we would like to note something. To make tracking works, you need qualitative data. If the information you are looking at is wrong or incomplete, you won’t be able to take good decisions. The reporting you will look at will be misleading. Something that should be helpful becomes a problem.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To achieve quality you should not insist for too much precision. It may \u003Cbr>not sound intuitive but nitpicking for details will make tracking harder \u003Cbr>and more painful for everyone. People won’t do it properly. Your data \u003Cbr>won’t be good. That’s why you should look for the minimal information required and make sure you have correct data before going for more details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let’s take an example. If you have a complex asset, you may be tempted to divide the work in many tasks. If you have only one artist, it’s useless to do that. Even if you have several people working. The overhead created by this addition may confuse you more than having all the details you want.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"define-your-workflow\">\u003Cstrong>Define your workflow\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Before jumping right into the tracking, you should clarify your workflow. Once you have a clear idea about how things are going, you will be in a better position to decide what to track. Do not try to track everything from day 1. Start small then go iteratively by adding elements to your tracking setup on a regular basis.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Examples of things to track:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Progress through task status changes\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Time spent on a task\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Daily quotas of animation (in seconds)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Impact of an asset modification on the rest of the production\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"tools-to-report-time-spent\">\u003Cstrong>Tools to report time spent\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Time tracking is one of the most wanted information. To achieve it, most of studio owners want to rely on automation to track CG artist progress. With a strong and efficient pipeline, it can be partly done. For instance changing a task status to work in progress and saving the \u003Cem>start date \u003C/em>are things that can be automatically set. Another example is when the CG artist opens and saves a scene related to his tasks, it could save the information in the database. It’s the same to note when the task is finished.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It gives you an idea of what started when. So tracking time spent could be done the same way: you could measure how long an application is active on the CG artist desktop. It looks good but it can lead to unexpected result, people may be tempted to cheat the system and unexpected situation could lead to wrong data.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Another option is to rely on a manual tool that can be accessed via the CG artist todo-list through a web app or through the CG tools.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"ui-design\">\u003Cstrong>UI design\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To ensure people are motivated enough to report in the tools, the first thing is to provide them with good UIs. If there are any difficulties to report progress, the artist can be irritated to use the tool and tend to forget to fill information or worst fill it with wrong information.So you should make sure artists can find quickly his task and report time spent. Make sure there is no need to think to submit his report. \u003Cbr>To make it short, provide clear and simple UIs that go straight to the point.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"give-back-data\">\u003Cstrong>Give back data\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The more information the CG artist can see, the better. By allowing him to see an overview of the production, giving him notifications about changes on his tasks or related tasks, you show him/her the benefits of reporting. It brings the information, he needs to work more efficiently. This way he feels responsible and more motivated to share his progress.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"delightful\">\u003Cstrong>Delightful\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To finish you can even make it delightful. For instance you can publish recent previews and allow them to show their approval by liking a preview or not. When something is done, you can reward this success with a funny picture. You can show him too analytics demonstrating his progress over the time.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-conclude\">\u003Cstrong>To conclude\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To lead properly your production, you need as much data as possible. But what matters most is the quality of the data. To achieve that you should make everything possible to allow CG artists to share information about their progress: have a clear workflow, provide them with good UIs, show that the information can be helpful, and make the reporting fun!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With the right data, you will be able to manage a full production with serenity!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>At CGWire we propose a production management software dedicated to small and mid-size studios. If you are interested, visit our \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"http://cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>website\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> and give us your feelings about what we do!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4415,"comment_id":4416,"feature_image":4417,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4418,"updated_at":4419,"custom_excerpt":4420,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4421,"primary_tag":4422,"url":4423,"excerpt":4420,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4424,"og_title":4425,"og_description":4426,"twitter_image":4424,"twitter_title":4425,"twitter_description":4426,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4427,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"350513e5-a7de-4e4b-9bf2-758b10e5d7d6","b1267f8b0a39","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-sKpJmj16sJwoAIkAlhkYgQ.jpeg","2018-07-23T00:59:38.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:42.000+01:00","One of the key point of production management is to have up to date information about the current state of the production.\n\nOne of the key point of production management is to have up to date information about the current state of the production. It ensures that everyone is on the same page and that",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/how-to-track-properly-the-cg-artist-progress/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-sKpJmj16sJwoAIkAlhkYgQ.jpeg","How To Properly Track The Progress Of A CG Artist","One of the key point of production management is to have up to date information about the current state of the production.","One of the key point of production management is to have up to date information about the current state of the production. It ensures that everyone is on the same page and that nothing is missing…","/posts/how-to-track-properly-the-cg-artist-progress",{"title":4410},"how-to-track-properly-the-cg-artist-progress","posts/how-to-track-properly-the-cg-artist-progress",[4433],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"WyDYpRcN6j6IsLe8I4ioJqrzNxo9EbKB60ZA_l_lXDA",{"id":4436,"title":4437,"authors":4438,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4440,"meta":4441,"navigation":15,"path":4453,"published_at":4445,"seo":4454,"slug":4455,"stem":4456,"tags":4457,"__hash__":4459,"uuid":4442,"comment_id":4443,"feature_image":4444,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4445,"updated_at":4446,"custom_excerpt":4447,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4448,"primary_tag":4449,"url":4450,"excerpt":4447,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4451,"og_title":4437,"og_description":4447,"twitter_image":4451,"twitter_title":4437,"twitter_description":4447,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4452,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cgwire-annecy-festival-2018-mifa.json","CGWire @ Annecy Festival 2018 (MIFA)",[4439],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>The Annecy Festival is to animation movies what is Cannes Festival to traditional movies. It’s the opportunity for producers, directors and studios to meet and discuss about upcoming projects. There visitors can watch the best upcoming movies and enjoy exhibitions. Alongside the movie festival, stands the MIFA. It’s the business part of the fesival. This is where most of the networking happens. The many discussions that occur here will shape the future of animation movies. No need to say how much it matters to be there!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s the opportunity too for software editors to showcase their latest features and their new products. As you guess, CGWire will have a booth and will participate to talk about pipeline including open source tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We’ll be glad to see you at our booth where we will do demonstration of Kitsu our Production Manager software (validation tracking, breakdown and playlists). We are super excited to show you our product and discuss with you about Production Management and Pipeline!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Our talk will start at 4pm (16h) at l’Impérial Palace. Our booth is the number 2.000 and will be located in the new technology area. See you there!\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4442,"comment_id":4443,"feature_image":4444,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4445,"updated_at":4446,"custom_excerpt":4447,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4448,"primary_tag":4449,"url":4450,"excerpt":4447,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4451,"og_title":4437,"og_description":4447,"twitter_image":4451,"twitter_title":4437,"twitter_description":4447,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4452,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"a289eff9-ae45-401d-8bc8-d48cf724a6a7","8a4c21da0059","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-1oSiTw1EenvOopBHKzfSHg.jpeg","2018-06-11T00:16:01.000+02:00","2021-01-14T14:56:15.000+01:00","The Annecy Festival is to animation movies what is Cannes Festival to traditional movies. It’s the opportunity for producers, directors and…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cgwire-annecy-festival-2018-mifa/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/790/1-1oSiTw1EenvOopBHKzfSHg.jpeg","The Annecy Festival is to animation movies what is Cannes Festival to traditional movies. It’s the opportunity for producers, directors and studios to meet and discuss about upcoming projects. There…","/posts/cgwire-annecy-festival-2018-mifa",{"title":4437},"cgwire-annecy-festival-2018-mifa","posts/cgwire-annecy-festival-2018-mifa",[4458],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"_vR0aOnFkLAWXQNU6Pwcr6bbTtXXeIK8uRPZIzYNSww",{"id":4461,"title":4462,"authors":4463,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4465,"meta":4466,"navigation":15,"path":4479,"published_at":4470,"seo":4480,"slug":4481,"stem":4482,"tags":4483,"__hash__":4485,"uuid":4467,"comment_id":4468,"feature_image":4469,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4470,"updated_at":4471,"custom_excerpt":4472,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4473,"primary_tag":4474,"url":4475,"excerpt":4472,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4476,"og_title":4477,"og_description":4472,"twitter_image":4476,"twitter_title":4477,"twitter_description":4472,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4478,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:list-of-open-source-technologies-for-your-cg-pipeline.json","List of Open Source Technologies for Your CG Pipeline (2026)",[4464],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>When we started CGWire we were looking for open-source technologies to go faster to build CG pipelines. We found numerous of them but it took us a lot of time and we didn’t have a central repository to share them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>At the same time we noticed that in the world of stoftware engineering, it’s a common practice to build “\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/sindresorhus/awesome?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">awesome\u003C/a>” lists of technologies and resources related to a field. Those lists are parcitpative, everyone can contribute by bringing its additions. It makes things easier for everyone: users can find resources easily and authors can reference their work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It was obvious to us that it was a missing part of the CG world. So, we decided to create an awesome list of free and open source technologies related to CG pipeline. It already contains more than 70 technologies and several people contributed to it. If you are interested in it, we invite you to visit it and add your own links to it by clicking on the link below:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\">\u003Ca class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/awesome-cg-pipeline?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">cgwire/awesome-cg-pipeline\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">awesome-cg-pipeline - List of open-source technologies that help in the process of building a pipeline for CG…\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\">\u003Cspan class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">github.com\u003C/span>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG pipeline and production management. If you are interested in software strategy, you will probably enjoy our articles. We have a Discord channel too where you can discuss about your own problems / solutions and learn from others.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4467,"comment_id":4468,"feature_image":4469,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4470,"updated_at":4471,"custom_excerpt":4472,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4473,"primary_tag":4474,"url":4475,"excerpt":4472,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4476,"og_title":4477,"og_description":4472,"twitter_image":4476,"twitter_title":4477,"twitter_description":4472,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4478,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ac5807a2-2296-4940-b82c-dd755ef95af6","767ef36a7d44","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-YO1Kkcm9-zq28_f6PeUmzA.png","2018-05-14T11:11:12.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:50:03.000+01:00","When we started CGWire we were looking for open-source technologies to go faster to build CG pipelines. We found numerous of them but it…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/list-of-open-source-technologies-for-your-cg-pipeline/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1014/1-YO1Kkcm9-zq28_f6PeUmzA.png","List of Open Source Technologies for Your CG Pipeline","When we started CGWire we were looking for open-source technologies to go faster to build CG pipelines. We found numerous of them but it took us a lot of time and we didn’t have a central repository…","/posts/list-of-open-source-technologies-for-your-cg-pipeline",{"title":4462},"list-of-open-source-technologies-for-your-cg-pipeline","posts/list-of-open-source-technologies-for-your-cg-pipeline",[4484],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"JKASlyau6u-pvTEkHu5z8TpUhDQvm77frkvyIHbL3e8",{"id":4487,"title":4488,"authors":4489,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4491,"meta":4492,"navigation":15,"path":4504,"published_at":4496,"seo":4505,"slug":4506,"stem":4507,"tags":4508,"__hash__":4511,"uuid":4493,"comment_id":4494,"feature_image":4495,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4496,"updated_at":4497,"custom_excerpt":4498,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4499,"primary_tag":4500,"url":4501,"excerpt":4498,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4502,"og_title":4488,"og_description":4498,"twitter_image":4502,"twitter_title":4488,"twitter_description":4498,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4503,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:build-your-file-hierarchy-in-a-glimpse-with-cgwire.json","Build Your CG Movie File Hierarchy In A Glimpse With CGWire",[4490],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Everytime we visit a studio or discuss with a CG Artist about pipelining, the question of the file hierarchy comes at some point. It may look simple but truth that it requires a lot of attention and tweaking. We already covered that topic in a \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-a-proposal-for-your-file-hierarchy/\">previous article\u003C/a> so we won’t go into the details. What we want to show you today, is how easy it is to build and manage your file tree with CGWire API and its Python client.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let’s go for our first Pipeline tutorial!\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"1-configuration\">1. Configuration\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>We assume you have a \u003Ca href=\"https://zou.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com#install\" rel=\"noopener\">running version installed\u003C/a> on your server and accessible through your local network. If it is not the case and wan to start quickly, you can run an API instance through our Docker container.$ docker build -t cgwire .\u003Cbr>$ docker run \\\u003Cbr>     -ti -rm \\\u003Cbr>     -p 80:80 \\\u003Cbr>     -—name cgwire \\\u003Cbr>     -v zou-storage:/var/lib/postgresql \\\u003Cbr>     -v zou-storage:/opt/zou/zou/thumbnails \\\u003Cbr>     cgwire\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once the API is up, it’s easy to generate your file hierarchy with a simple python script. In the following we assume that the API is accessible from the \u003Ccode>http://localhost/api\u003C/code> endpoint\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Prior to write our Python script, it requires you install the API client (\u003Ca href=\"http://gazu.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Gazu\u003C/a>) in your Python dependencies: \u003Ccode>pip install gazu\u003C/code>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now we are ready, can write our script (name: \u003Ccode>build_file_tree.py\u003C/code>), we must start by configuring the Python client and log in it to the API:import gazugazu.set_host(\"http://localhost/api\")\u003Cbr>gazu.log_in(\"admin@example.com\", \"default\")\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"2-assets-and-shots\">2. Assets and shots\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Once the Python client is properly connected to the API, you can run the script that will create the elements of your production. Here, we create a simple production with three assets and three shots:new_prod = gazu.project.new_project(\"Super production\")\u003Cbr>characters = gazu.asset.new_asset_type(\"Characters\")\u003Cbr>props = gazu.asset.new_asset_type(\"Props\")rabbit = gazu.asset.new_asset(new_prod, characters, \"Rabbit\")\u003Cbr>monkey = gazu.asset.new_asset(new_prod, characters, \"Monkey\")\u003Cbr>chair = gazu.asset.new_asset(new_prod, props, \"Chair\")episode = gazu.shot.new_episode(new_prod, \"E01\")\u003Cbr>sequence = gazu.shot.new_sequence(new_prod, episode, \"SE01\")\u003Cbr>shot = gazu.shot.new_shot(new_prod, sequence, \"SH01\")\u003Cbr>shot = gazu.shot.new_shot(new_prod, sequence, \"SH02\")\u003Cbr>shot = gazu.shot.new_shot(new_prod, sequence, \"SH03\")\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"3-tasks\">\u003Cstrong>3. Tasks\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>All the elements of our production are now set up. We can move to the next part, creating the related tasks:modeling = gazu.task.get_task_type_by_name(\"Modeling\")\u003Cbr>setup = gazu.task.get_task_type_by_name(\"Setup\")\u003Cbr>animation = gazu.task.get_task_type_by_name(\"Animation\")\u003Cbr>render = gazu.task.get_task_type_by_name(\"Render\")for asset in gazu.asset.all_assets_for_project(new_prod):\u003Cbr>    gazu.task.new_task(asset, modeling)\u003Cbr>    gazu.task.new_task(asset, setup)for shot in gazu.shot.all_shots_for_project(new_prod):\u003Cbr>    gazu.task.new_task(shot, animation)\u003Cbr>    gazu.task.new_task(shot, render)\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"4-file-tree\">4. File tree\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>We can now move to the final step, creating the folders of our file hierarchy:import os\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>gazu.files.set_project_file_tree(new_prod, \"simple\")\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>for asset in gazu.asset.all_assets_for_project(new_prod):\u003Cbr>    for task in gazu.task.all_tasks_for_asset(asset):\u003Cbr>        path = os.path.dirname(\u003Cbr>            gazu.files.build_working_file_path(task))[1:]\u003Cbr>        )\u003Cbr>        os.makedirs(path)\u003Cbr>        \u003Cbr>for shot in gazu.shot.all_shots_for_project(new_prod):\u003Cbr>    for task in gazu.task.all_tasks_for_shot(shot):\u003Cbr>        path = os.path.dirname(\u003Cbr>            gazu.files.build_working_file_path(task))[1:]\u003Cbr>        )\u003Cbr>        os.makedirs(path)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s it! We now have all our file hierarchy. Let’s see the result:$ tree -d my_root_folder\u003Cbr>└── productions\u003Cbr>    └── super_production\u003Cbr>        ├── assets\u003Cbr>        │   ├── characters\u003Cbr>        │   │   ├── monkey\u003Cbr>        │   │   │   ├── modeling\u003Cbr>        │   │   │   └── setup\u003Cbr>        │   │   └── rabbit\u003Cbr>        │   │       ├── modeling\u003Cbr>        │   │       └── setup\u003Cbr>        │   └── props\u003Cbr>        │       └── chair\u003Cbr>        │           ├── modeling\u003Cbr>        │           └── setup\u003Cbr>        └── shots\u003Cbr>            └── se01\u003Cbr>                ├── sh01\u003Cbr>                │   ├── animation\u003Cbr>                │   └── render\u003Cbr>                ├── sh02\u003Cbr>                │   ├── animation\u003Cbr>                │   └── render\u003Cbr>                └── sh03\u003Cbr>                    ├── animation\u003Cbr>                    └── render\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The \u003Ca href=\"https://zou.cg-wire.com/file_trees/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">folder can be customized\u003C/a> through templates that will match your need. Here is the one we used:{\u003Cbr>  \"working\": {\u003Cbr>    \"mountpoint\": \"/my_root_folder\",\u003Cbr>    \"root\": \"productions\",\u003Cbr>    \"folder_path\": {\u003Cbr>      \"shot\": \"<Project>/shots/<Sequence>/<Shot>/<TaskType>\",\u003Cbr>      \"asset\": \"<Project>/assets/<AssetType>/<Asset>/<TaskType>\"\u003Cbr>     }\u003Cbr>}\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To sum up, with a simple script we generated production information and generated all the required folder to work properly. And the good news is that it scales easily for a production with thousands of assets and shots. We would be glad to know what you think about it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG pipeline and production management. If you are interested in file hierarchy scripting, you will probably enjoy our articles. We have a Discord channel too where you can discuss about your own problems and solutions and learn from others.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4493,"comment_id":4494,"feature_image":4495,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4496,"updated_at":4497,"custom_excerpt":4498,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4499,"primary_tag":4500,"url":4501,"excerpt":4498,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4502,"og_title":4488,"og_description":4498,"twitter_image":4502,"twitter_title":4488,"twitter_description":4498,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4503,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"e840c3c5-2bb7-4489-9209-d66c8c41ae01","14a476430b66","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-LCa3v5MqT0NQGAz7oq87uQ.png","2018-05-09T13:47:46.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:49:04.000+01:00","Everytime we visit a studio or discuss with a CG Artist about pipelining, the question of the file hierarchy comes at some point. It may…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/build-your-file-hierarchy-in-a-glimpse-with-cgwire/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/705/1-LCa3v5MqT0NQGAz7oq87uQ.png","Everytime we visit a studio or discuss with a CG Artist about pipelining, the question of the file hierarchy comes at some point. It may look simple but truth that it requires a lot of attention and…","/posts/build-your-file-hierarchy-in-a-glimpse-with-cgwire",{"title":4488},"build-your-file-hierarchy-in-a-glimpse-with-cgwire","posts/build-your-file-hierarchy-in-a-glimpse-with-cgwire",[4509,4510],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"wkfahF-94hqbO7qMp6HBSutcpRN8bFUOCN4c8l5Z_tk",{"id":4513,"title":4514,"authors":4515,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4517,"meta":4518,"navigation":15,"path":4531,"published_at":4522,"seo":4532,"slug":4533,"stem":4534,"tags":4535,"__hash__":4537,"uuid":4519,"comment_id":4520,"feature_image":4521,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4522,"updated_at":4523,"custom_excerpt":4524,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4525,"primary_tag":4526,"url":4527,"excerpt":4524,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4528,"og_title":4529,"og_description":4524,"twitter_image":4528,"twitter_title":4529,"twitter_description":4524,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4530,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:agile-cg-pipeline.json","On Agile CG Pipelines (2026)",[4516],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Agile methodologies are well known among the web industry. They are designed to handle unpredictability of building software, especially in fast-changing environment. They could fit very well with the development of a CG studio pipeline. Nevertheless few actually apply them and instead, prefer to respond to the continuous flow of unexpected needs on a day-to-day basis. This occurs because the stress is very high and what is built during a production is not easily reusable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On the opposite side, sometimes studios want to build big projects from scratch that cover all aspects of a CG pipeline. It takes years of development, and most of the time leads to many frustration to finally never ship.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Essence of Agile methodologies\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So why use agile methodologies while developing your pipeline? Agile is well fitted to make you more comfortable with unpredictable environments and it manages the chaos well.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first thing to take in consideration is that to ensure a project success, the most crucial part is communication. Every one needs to always be on the same page. That’s what agile does. The main idea behind it, is to keep everyone on track by ensuring that all shareholders communicate properly through regular rituals.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Agile is aimed at being adapted for your team. What works for a studio or company may not work for you. No matter what you start with, it’s better to begin from the two most widely used frameworks: SCRUM and Kanban. Then we encourage you to remove, modify or add rituals to make it fit better with your culture.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Kanban\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-iSHSRId5FAmZz3lnMqebMA.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Kanban is well suited for maintenance and it can be utilized to deal with your daily CG studios need. It is simple, everyone follows the same board made of post-it columns. The left column is continuously alimented by demands. Each column represent a step of the build process (code, test, validation for instance). You show progress on a task by moving the related post-it in the column describing the task status. And it comes with one simple rule: you are not allowed to have more than x cards at the same step. So, you stop everything when there is bottleneck in a column until it is removed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>From time to time meetings are organized to discuss the current state of development and to see what could be improved.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Overall, the goal is to make sure that everyone knows what’s happening and nothing get stuck waiting for something. It is great for usage on a daily basis but it does make it harder to envision the long term.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>SCRUM\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-e8poplNLosYKCYVKMmlLKA.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-scrum/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">SCRUM\u003C/a> is better for mid-long term developments. It makes sure that everyone agree on the priority and includes regular demonstration of the progress. Every thing follows the rythm of the sprints. What will be done is decided at the beginning of a sprint and doesn’t change until the next sprint.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Precise roles are given to each member of the team: product owner (handles priorities and functional requirements), developer (build the product) and scrum masters (make sure that the agile methodology is well understood and properly applied).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can roughly determine what will be achieved during upcoming sprints. That way you can build a roadmap that can be communicated to all departments and to the top management.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>SCRUM is great for to keep people focused and motivated. It’s good to report to your hierarchy too but it’s not really designed to deal with emergency.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Conclusion\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Agile means adaptive. So it’s no surprise it could be used in a production environment too. At CGWire, we highly recommend you to apply them to build your pipeline and production tools. It will make every department interaction much more fluid.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once agile is accepted by everyone, the biggest challenge you will face will be to apply rigorously the rituals. You will notice that it’s very easy to dismiss them (non-tech people tend to always find a good reason to not be there). But they are the backbone of the methodology, once your meeting are not planned every time on the same schedule, things will fall apart and you will be back to your day-to-day organization. So be tough with rituals.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As a take away, this is our advice to you: start from Kanban method for the running needs and the SCRUM method for more reusable development. Adapt them to your culture and your schedule. Once you are comfortable \u003Cbr>with it, be very strict and be disciplined. Making a movie is hard, building software is hard, if you want to be above the competition, you can’t afford approximation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG pipeline and production management. Interested in software strategy and animation movies? You will probably enjoy \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>all our articles\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>. We have a \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"http://forum.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noopener noopener\">\u003Cem>forum\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> too where you can discuss about your own problems/solutions and learn from others.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4519,"comment_id":4520,"feature_image":4521,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4522,"updated_at":4523,"custom_excerpt":4524,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4525,"primary_tag":4526,"url":4527,"excerpt":4524,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4528,"og_title":4529,"og_description":4524,"twitter_image":4528,"twitter_title":4529,"twitter_description":4524,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4530,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"cec8ee6b-403f-4087-92cb-23e89c7e63e3","3005f5f7f7f1","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-nt3EFutd4ODGvnzJ_yK_cw.jpeg","2018-03-20T01:40:41.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:03:44.000+01:00","Agile methodologies are well known among the web industry. They are designed to handle unpredictability of building software, especially in…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/agile-cg-pipeline/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-nt3EFutd4ODGvnzJ_yK_cw.jpeg","Agile CG Pipeline","Agile methodologies are well known among the web industry. They are designed to handle unpredictability of building software, especially in fast-changing environment. They could fit very well with…","/posts/agile-cg-pipeline",{"title":4514},"agile-cg-pipeline","posts/agile-cg-pipeline",[4536],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"Hy5P9q7ZcSUVso_iPpOG__AM56uulDnevTcKLm2feLA",{"id":4539,"title":4540,"authors":4541,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4543,"meta":4544,"navigation":15,"path":4556,"published_at":4548,"seo":4557,"slug":4558,"stem":4559,"tags":4560,"__hash__":4562,"uuid":4545,"comment_id":4546,"feature_image":4547,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4548,"updated_at":4549,"custom_excerpt":4550,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4551,"primary_tag":4552,"url":4553,"excerpt":4550,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4547,"og_title":4554,"og_description":4550,"twitter_image":4547,"twitter_title":4554,"twitter_description":4550,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4555,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-shot-casting.json","Shot Casting In A CG Pipeline (2026)",[4542],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Every shot in a CG production is made of assets built mainly by Modeling and Setup departments. These assets can be of any kind: character, props, environment, and the list goes on. The asset list can be roughly determined in the storyboard and become more precise at the layout step. But it is something that can change until the very end, even after rendering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Every fabrication step requires a clear list of what is present in the scene to allow efficient among the departments. Which is why in the following, we will discuss the levels of precision you can have and in which case it can be useful to make transition smoother.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"list-of-assets-present-in-the-shot\">List of assets present in the shot\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The most basic thing you can have is the list of assets that will appear in a shot. This list will be used mainly by the production managers. It will allow them to know which shots are impacted by a change on an asset. It is also a good way to estimate the importance of an asset all along the movie.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The casting is great for Pipeline TDs too. From that information, they can make a simple scene builder that will import automatically all the assets present in the scene. TDs can also help Production Managers to build the list with some tools. Because building this listing can take a lot of time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Exemple : Shot 01 is made of Agent327, SuperEvil, Gun, Cars, Street\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"list-and-number-of-assets-present-in-a-shot\">List and number of assets present in a shot\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The next information you can add is the number of assets present in the shot. It’s not very important for production management but it will make scene builders more accurate. The artist won’t need to duplicate an imported model and will be able to guess how complex the scene will be.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Exemple : Shot 01 is made of Agent327 (1), SuperEvil (1), Gun (1), Cars (3) Street (1)\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"list-of-instance-of-assets-present-in-a-shot\">List of instance of assets present in a shot\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The most accurate solution is to store an entry for each asset instance present in a shot. It can be cumbersome, so we recommend to use this solution only if you have enough time to do it properly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With the instance list, you will have two new possibilities :\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Track the work done and the state of a single instance. It’s common to have to change a model or a setup only for a given scene. Production managers can know which asset caused extra work on a shot.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Generate and import files per instance. It will allow you to not recompute too much things in case you change a single element of your scene.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Listing all instances will bring a lot to your automation and communication. But it can make things more complex and will require a significant extra amount of work. So be careful when including this kind of data in your production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Exemple : Shot 01 is made of Agent327–1-wounded, SuperEvil-1, Gun-1, Car-1-blue, Car-2-red, Car-3-broken, Street-1\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"final-words\">Final words\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>In this article we covered the casting of a single shot. But sometimes you need to see the casting at a higher level : at the sequence level or at the episode level (especially for TV shows). Of course, you can apply the same principle as well, but the basic listing should be enough.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s it about casting! It may sound simple but it is a tedious thing to manage and it’s one of the most important information to share on a production. That’s why we decided to cover it. But we are certain that you probably have your own point of view about it. So feel free to share your opinion in the comments!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Did you like this article? We invite you to read our blog post about \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/cg-pipeline-asset-management-and-dependencies-634b28a1a49a?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>asset management and dependencies\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>, it is related and could be helpful to understand how a good pipeline could save your production!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4545,"comment_id":4546,"feature_image":4547,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4548,"updated_at":4549,"custom_excerpt":4550,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4551,"primary_tag":4552,"url":4553,"excerpt":4550,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4547,"og_title":4554,"og_description":4550,"twitter_image":4547,"twitter_title":4554,"twitter_description":4550,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4555,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"3440a99d-3aef-43e4-9605-599226a40374","6410cb090b12","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-PjYKKKZV0g3la2qV43qKtw.jpeg","2017-12-12T02:25:14.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:12.000+01:00","Every shot in a CG production is made of assets built mainly by Modeling and Setup departments. These assets can be of any kind: character…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-shot-casting/","CG Pipeline: Shot Casting","Every shot in a CG production is made of assets built mainly by Modeling and Setup departments. These assets can be of any kind: character, props, environment, and the list goes on. The asset list…","/posts/cg-pipeline-shot-casting",{"title":4540},"cg-pipeline-shot-casting","posts/cg-pipeline-shot-casting",[4561],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"vNncf9lI8miSF1_Nw9P-mfr1hpOvhqOVvQIMvunTgs4",{"id":4564,"title":4565,"authors":4566,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4568,"meta":4569,"navigation":15,"path":4582,"published_at":4573,"seo":4583,"slug":4584,"stem":4585,"tags":4586,"__hash__":4588,"uuid":4570,"comment_id":4571,"feature_image":4572,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4573,"updated_at":4574,"custom_excerpt":4575,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4576,"primary_tag":4577,"url":4578,"excerpt":4575,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4579,"og_title":4580,"og_description":4575,"twitter_image":4579,"twitter_title":4580,"twitter_description":4575,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4581,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cgwire-software-suite-available-on-the-docker-hub.json","CGWire Software Suite Available On The Docker Hub In 2026",[4567],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Past month was very busy for CGWire. On november 13th we introduced our software solution at a CG event that occured annually at Angoulême in France, The \u003Ca href=\"https://www.rencontres-animation-formation.org/presentation-radi.php?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">RADI\u003C/a> meetup. Many reknown French studios were there and it was a great opportunity to show what we achieved so far.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It was great to be present but we wanted to turn it into a more important milestone. That’s why after disussing with the community, we decided to make things spicier by adding CGWire to the Docker Hub! Thanks to \u003Ca href=\"http://github.com/pilou-/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Pilou\u003C/a>, senior software engineer who helped us, we were able to build and publish a Docker image on time. The result was good: at the conference, we had good reactions and many people were able to try our software.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But, more precisely, what does it mean? It means that any IT can now set up a trial instance of the CGWire stack in a minute. Prior to that, you had to run into a complex documentation to install it. Thanks to this pre-built image, it’s now easier to set up Kitsu, our Production Management Software on a computer to test it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let’s see how it works (we assume you already have Docker installed on your machine). To start with it, you can run the following command:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>docker run -d -p 80:80 --name cgwire cgwire/cgwire\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Once finished, simply open your navigator at \u003Ccode>http://localhost\u003C/code> . If everything worked fine, you should see this screen:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-61VXrq4OrBcUUdHlHddv4w.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\">\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Login with \u003Ccode>admin@example.com\u003C/code> as email and \u003Ccode>default\u003C/code> as password. Good news, you can enjoy Kitsu to manage your production!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The Github repository is available \u003Ca href=\"http://github.com/cgwire/cgwire/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">here\u003C/a>. Please do not use this image in production, it is not reliable for that. We’ll publish later more robust configurations.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As usual, we would be glad to have your feedback about this image and Kitsu in general! Feel free to post on the \u003Ca href=\"https://forum.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">forum\u003C/a> or directly on the \u003Ca href=\"https://forum.cg-wire.com/t/kitsu-feedback/50?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">dedicated post\u003C/a>. Thank you for your attention!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We also propose free online trial instance of Kitsu our production managament software, simply drop us \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:contact@cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>an email\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> and we will come back soon to you with a domain name for your trial instance!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4570,"comment_id":4571,"feature_image":4572,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4573,"updated_at":4574,"custom_excerpt":4575,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4576,"primary_tag":4577,"url":4578,"excerpt":4575,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4579,"og_title":4580,"og_description":4575,"twitter_image":4579,"twitter_title":4580,"twitter_description":4575,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4581,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"8dc1c8fb-6a1f-4bfe-a882-c5438d230579","9b0fab252e30","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/2021/01/1-6ae1TinIoXeUs28aeHBqRg.jpeg","2017-12-05T15:53:19.000+01:00","2026-02-20T06:04:15.000+01:00","Past month was very busy for CGWire. On november 13th we introduced our software solution at a CG event that occured annually at Angoulême…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cgwire-software-suite-available-on-the-docker-hub/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/770/1-6ae1TinIoXeUs28aeHBqRg.jpeg","CGWire Software Suite Available On The Docker Hub","Past month was very busy for CGWire. On november 13th we introduced our software solution at a CG event that occured annually at Angoulême in France, The RADI meetup. Many reknown French studios were…","/posts/cgwire-software-suite-available-on-the-docker-hub",{"title":4565},"cgwire-software-suite-available-on-the-docker-hub","posts/cgwire-software-suite-available-on-the-docker-hub",[4587],{"id":172,"name":27,"slug":30,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":26},"noUsHYez8YlKfge7W-2db-DEnHJHlItd4S004AyPG0k",{"id":4590,"title":4591,"authors":4592,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4594,"meta":4595,"navigation":15,"path":4607,"published_at":4599,"seo":4608,"slug":4609,"stem":4610,"tags":4611,"__hash__":4613,"uuid":4596,"comment_id":4597,"feature_image":4598,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4599,"updated_at":4600,"custom_excerpt":4601,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4602,"primary_tag":4603,"url":4604,"excerpt":4601,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4598,"og_title":4605,"og_description":4601,"twitter_image":4598,"twitter_title":4605,"twitter_description":4601,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4606,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-in-house-development-vs-commercial-solution.json","In-House Development vs Commercial Solution For A CG Pipeline (2026)",[4593],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>We all have our own way of working. Depending on our context, our team or our culture we can approach the exact same problem with very different styles. This explains why such diversity exists in the way productions are built. Which is why Pipeline TDs tend to make tools that match the specificities of their studio; it makes their pipeline more accurate and powerful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Disclaimer: CGWire proposes off-the-shelf solutions but in this article, we’ll do our best to stay objective!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>However, it’s undeniable that sometimes, buying off-the-shelf solutions is much faster, plus it can come with extra features that could not have been developed in a pinch of time. It may sound better and easier but not without a downside: the fact that you will have to adapt to the software. So what do you do? Well, in this article, we are going to explore the pros and cons of both ways in order to help you taking the decision that is right for you.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"in-house-development\">In-house development\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>First off, what we mean by In-house development: it’s when you build a tool from scratch and use it. Only your team knows the internals. It could hardly be shipped in another studio.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Pros\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>In-house tools match accurately the needs of a given production or a given process\u003C/li>\u003Cli>You notice the benefits quickly\u003C/li>\u003Cli>They are easy to learn: since you made it, it’s easier to explain how it works\u003C/li>\u003Cli>It can be a competitive advantage for your studio\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Through iterations, it can lead to great tools\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Cons\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Lesser quality: most of the time in-house software are not as battle-tested as commercial ones and they don’t follow a strict QA process that a software vendor can have\u003C/li>\u003Cli>It may become costly over time : managing the maintenance can be very time consuming\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Once you make a tool for a production, it may be useless for the next ones. So many in-house development will be trashed. It’s not really an issue but you still have to keep it in mind.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"commercial-solution\">Commercial solution\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>A commercial solution is a software that you can buy through a website or a vendor e.g.: Shotgun, Ftrack or Arnold.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Pros\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>You add a lot of features to your pipeline in a second\u003C/li>\u003Cli>You take advantage of years of development and expertise\u003C/li>\u003Cli>A dedicated support is available\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Your artists may be familiar with it already because they saw it in another studios\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Great when handling standard duties that any studio face\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Cons\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>You are dependent on the shop behind the software (it can close or change the pricing for instance)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>There are many hidden costs (support, extensions, configuration…)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>There is no silver bullet: no commercial software will fit perfectly to your needs. It means you will have to adapt your process to it\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"decision-factors\">Decision factors\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Additionally, we consider that three points should be taken in consideration when doing your choice: strategy, culture and budget. Some studios consider that R&D is their key advantage, others consider it as their network. Some studios needs to reach the expectation of a given client they need to improve their tooling, others will have to ship productions in a short time frame, etc. Studio goals will have a big influence on your decision.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The budget is obviously an important parameter. Having a team of engineer is expensive and it doesn’t bring immediate revenue. It’s a long term investment. If you’re tight on budget, it’s probably better to look for commercial solutions than in-house development. Last but not least the culture of the studio has a deep impact on the workings of things.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For instance, in France we have \u003Cem>Buf\u003C/em> studio who was famous for having only in-house software. It made them stand out of the crowd for decades. \u003Cem>Illumination\u003C/em> made big efforts on their render tools and asset manager while they rely heavily on Shotgun for their production management. \u003Cem>Cube Creative\u003C/em> is known for its automation and its capability to ship a lot of shots. \u003Cem>Unit Image\u003C/em> is known for the quality of this picture. The style of your studio will have a deep influence on deciding whether to write quick and dirty developments with fast results, to build quality tools that gives you key advantage or simply relying on rock solid tools with proven track record.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-conclude\">To conclude\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>When choosing between building a software and buying it, there is no black and white answer. It depends on several factors such as budget, team size, studio culture or strategy of the studio. Most likely, in the end, you will probably have a combination of both options. It boils down to finding a balance between the two options.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As Douglas from Blur Studio suggested on our Slack channel, the most important thing is to keep your architecture modular. This way, you can change components easily when your context evolve or if you consider that you made the wrong choice on a given part. So be prepared to replace components of your pipeline on a regular basis.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>NB: If you want to dig further in modular architecture, we recommend you \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://8thlight.com/blog/uncle-bob/2012/08/13/the-clean-architecture.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>the clean architecture article\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> of Uncle Bob.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In short: keep your pipeline agile and flexible by making it modular. Choose commercial solutions for big and common tasks, build your own tools to develop your competitive advantage and do that in respect of the nature of your studio!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG pipeline and production management. If you are interested in software strategy, you will probably enjoy our articles. We have a \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"http://forum.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>forum\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> too where you can discuss about your own problems and solutions and learn from others.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4596,"comment_id":4597,"feature_image":4598,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4599,"updated_at":4600,"custom_excerpt":4601,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":3708,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4602,"primary_tag":4603,"url":4604,"excerpt":4601,"reading_time":174,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4598,"og_title":4605,"og_description":4601,"twitter_image":4598,"twitter_title":4605,"twitter_description":4601,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4606,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"192457d3-dd4f-4f90-ad67-a576d480fdf5","29666fc635d9","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-oZXmY8cSXYGvImmJe4x2Dg.jpeg","2017-10-24T19:58:46.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:10.000+01:00","We all have our own way of working. Depending on our context, our team or our culture we can approach the exact same problem with very…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-in-house-development-vs-commercial-solution/","CG Pipeline: In-House Development vs Commercial Solution","We all have our own way of working. Depending on our context, our team or our culture we can approach the exact same problem with very different styles. This explains why such diversity exists in the…","/posts/cg-pipeline-in-house-development-vs-commercial-solution",{"title":4591},"cg-pipeline-in-house-development-vs-commercial-solution","posts/cg-pipeline-in-house-development-vs-commercial-solution",[4612],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"0qTw2emqhCPs4eEJKuHcG_5_4yLujuOR2TzoaBSiTfY",{"id":4615,"title":4616,"authors":4617,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4619,"meta":4620,"navigation":15,"path":4632,"published_at":4624,"seo":4633,"slug":4634,"stem":4635,"tags":4636,"__hash__":4639,"uuid":4621,"comment_id":4622,"feature_image":4623,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4624,"updated_at":4625,"custom_excerpt":4626,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4627,"primary_tag":4628,"url":4629,"excerpt":4626,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4630,"og_title":4616,"og_description":4626,"twitter_image":4630,"twitter_title":4616,"twitter_description":4626,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4631,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:say-welcome-to-our-brand-new-forum.json","Say Welcome To Our Brand New Forum",[4618],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>A few months ago, we started a community of CG Pipeline Engineers. To achieve that, we invited people to discuss on a private Slack channel. We were pleasantly surprised by the result. It was a field of ideas, on top of that, there were many tips and knowledge on best practices that were shared. People from different studios were able to meet and discuss on these topics. However, at some point we faced two limitations: the content could not be indexed on a search engine and the Slack history is deleted on a regular basis.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Which is why we decided to open a public \u003Ca href=\"https://forum.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">forum\u003C/a> where people could talk about CG Pipeline and CG Production Management. This forum will be a good place for the community to share different topics and to keep track of most important subjects. Search engine indexation will also allow new people to find the forum and the community. Of course, a category is dedicated to CGWire software support. Such as Free and Open Source technology, we think it’s important for users to be able to help each other easily. Finally we will be posting feedback requests about our next upcoming features here in the forum.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The technology that is being used to manage the forum is called \u003Ca href=\"https://www.discourse.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Discourse\u003C/a>. It’s a proven software that provides a very nice user interface. We hope you’ll enjoy it! We are very excited to see what could come out of this. Don’t hesitate to participate and ask any questions you want, we’ll be glad to answer and help you! Join us on \u003Ca href=\"https://forum.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">https://forum.cg-wire.com\u003C/a> !\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4621,"comment_id":4622,"feature_image":4623,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4624,"updated_at":4625,"custom_excerpt":4626,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4627,"primary_tag":4628,"url":4629,"excerpt":4626,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4630,"og_title":4616,"og_description":4626,"twitter_image":4630,"twitter_title":4616,"twitter_description":4626,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4631,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ee81e153-06d4-491f-ab78-73537955d1e8","aafb325121e6","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-tue5tT1QZwaBn74i_QY96w.png","2017-10-16T00:32:27.000+02:00","2021-01-14T14:52:49.000+01:00","A few months ago, we started a community of CG Pipeline Engineers. To achieve that, we invited people to discuss on a private Slack…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/say-welcome-to-our-brand-new-forum/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1151/1-tue5tT1QZwaBn74i_QY96w.png","A few months ago, we started a community of CG Pipeline Engineers. To achieve that, we invited people to discuss on a private Slack channel. We were pleasantly surprised by the result. It was a field…","/posts/say-welcome-to-our-brand-new-forum",{"title":4616},"say-welcome-to-our-brand-new-forum","posts/say-welcome-to-our-brand-new-forum",[4637,4638],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"F6-3UlDM-PX0A7yK2YUi4UMb-pLw8HoH-ZML5FCNugY",{"id":4641,"title":4642,"authors":4643,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4645,"meta":4646,"navigation":15,"path":4657,"published_at":4650,"seo":4658,"slug":4659,"stem":4660,"tags":4661,"__hash__":4663,"uuid":4647,"comment_id":4648,"feature_image":4649,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4650,"updated_at":4574,"custom_excerpt":4651,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4652,"primary_tag":4653,"url":4654,"excerpt":4651,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4649,"og_title":4655,"og_description":4651,"twitter_image":4649,"twitter_title":4655,"twitter_description":4651,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4656,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-production-the-hidden-cost-of-retakes.json","The Hidden Cost of Retakes In A CG Production (2026)",[4644],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>At each step of fabrication, a validation is needed. During the process, there are numerous back-and-forth between producers, directors and CG artists to iterate towards the best result. This is the reason why the process of making a movie differs from an industrial one. A movie production is a continuous discussion to negotiate changes based on the artistic value of an asset and the time available. So, it seems natural for people to always ask for more improvements once a shot or an asset is shipped. The term that is used to describe the fact that a change was asked is “retake”. Some called it “take” to make it even shorter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But at some point, everyone arrives at a consensus and it stops. With good production management tools, like Shotgun, Ftrack, Attract or Kitsu, discussions can be tracked properly. You can have an history of required changes and know what asset or shot are in a retake state. Though it’s a positive point, there are two dimensions which are often harder to follow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The first challenge is the number of retakes. Building 3 shots with no retakes has a significantly different impact on the budget than having 40 retakes on a single shot. The nature of the retake is an important thing to record too. Changing a simple aspect at the compositing step requires much less work than having to rethink the setup of one of the main characters. A good way to deal with it, is to count every time a retake is being performed. Or better yet, counting the time spent on each retakes of an asset.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The second aspect is to figure out who is going to handle the changes. If a senior CG artist is involved, it has much more impact on the budget than if it is a junior or an intern who made the fixes. Once again, if you can mix your retake tracking with a time-tracking based on seniority, it could help to identify the costly asset or shots.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Evaluating the cost of shot or an asset is deeply tied to the number, the time spent and the nature of the retakes that occur in the process of building a movie. If you can track all these aspects you will know which part of the production cost you more. It will allow you to anticipate potential problems earlier and to learn from your previous productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>At CGWire we are currently working on a production management software dedicated to small and mid-size studios that mainly do 3D. If you are interested \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:frank@cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>contact us\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>, we would be glad to show you our tool and have your feedback!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4647,"comment_id":4648,"feature_image":4649,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4650,"updated_at":4574,"custom_excerpt":4651,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4652,"primary_tag":4653,"url":4654,"excerpt":4651,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4649,"og_title":4655,"og_description":4651,"twitter_image":4649,"twitter_title":4655,"twitter_description":4651,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4656,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"b2c78df4-8246-4115-b12a-faa223c75076","d677fe0a9669","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-g7aCfYQra2ms_rahdxaJmg.jpeg","2017-09-13T00:26:34.000+02:00","At each step of fabrication, a validation is needed. During the process, there are numerous back-and-forth between producers, directors and…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-production-the-hidden-cost-of-retakes/","CG Production: The Hidden Cost of Retakes","At each step of fabrication, a validation is needed. During the process, there are numerous back-and-forth between producers, directors and CG artists to iterate towards the best result. This is the…","/posts/cg-production-the-hidden-cost-of-retakes",{"title":4642},"cg-production-the-hidden-cost-of-retakes","posts/cg-production-the-hidden-cost-of-retakes",[4662],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"Tg7sKymLWA7XywY3YYURnBAgfeLCilw16lOY_bqghtM",{"id":4665,"title":4666,"authors":4667,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4669,"meta":4670,"navigation":15,"path":4683,"published_at":4674,"seo":4684,"slug":4685,"stem":4686,"tags":4687,"__hash__":4689,"uuid":4671,"comment_id":4672,"feature_image":4673,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4674,"updated_at":4675,"custom_excerpt":4676,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4677,"primary_tag":4678,"url":4679,"excerpt":4676,"reading_time":632,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4680,"og_title":4681,"og_description":4676,"twitter_image":4680,"twitter_title":4681,"twitter_description":4676,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4682,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-the-best-graph-database-for-your-cg-production-data.json","The Best Graph Database for Your CG Production Data In 2026",[4668],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>As we mentioned in a previous blog post, A CG production can be represented as a graph structure. A movie is made of shots which are generated from scene files which are themselves made of elements linked by relationships. Nevertheless, when we store production data into a database, we tend to use a flat description of the data. And when it’s time to chose a database, the most common choice is to rely on relational databases.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Using a relational database is a good choice: it’s safe and does the job well. But, nowadays, a few database technologies propose to store your data directly formatted as graphs. Initially, they are mostly used to deal with social networks or banking use cases. But it’s no suprise that they caught the attention of many Technical Directors and Developers from CG studios. Because of the growing interest for graph databases, we decided to look closer at them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The information of a graph will make you more agile. Graph storage allows to save the dependencies of all your assets and set the versions of the elements casted in a shot. And because stored graphs are directed, you can easily compute a sequence of operations to build or rebuild an element of the scene. Which means more reactivity when the director wants to try new things.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now we have a good incentive to use graph databases, we are going to have a look at major open source graph databases available on the market.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"example-use-case\">Example use case\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To explore these databases, we propose to implement the data graph of the props animation described in our previous article named \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/cg-pipeline-asset-management-and-dependencies-634b28a1a49a?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">CG production as a Graph\u003C/a>. The approach will be to store the steps required to build the props and include it in a given shot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The most common thing we want to do with graph is to obtain all the impacts of a change on a given element. To illustrate this, we will perform a query that retrieve the elements impacted by the change on the mesh of the props.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We’ll provide Python snippets to show how to use each database. Then we’ll run a quick benchmark. We will compare how long it takes to run 10 000 times our sample query on a i7–6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz . Note that this benchmark includes the Python client, we consider that you will only use your database through it. That’s why we include it in our measures.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"main-databases\">Main databases\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The main databases we will study are the following:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://neo4j.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Neo4j\u003C/a> (Java)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.arangodb.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">ArangoDB\u003C/a> (C++)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://cayley.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Cayley\u003C/a> (Go)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://orientdb.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">OrientDB\u003C/a> (Java)\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"cayley\">Cayley\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Cayley is a graph database distributed by Google written in Go. It looks promising on many aspects (configurable backend, community driven) but currently the documentation is close to inexistant. Whatever, let’s see what we can do with.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First, download the binaries related to your platform, initialize the database and run the http server which will that allow us to perfoms queries. Database initialization doesn’t mean you have to give data, it’s just needed to create the database files../cayley init -db bolt -dbpath /tmp/testdb\u003Cbr>./cayley http --dbpath=/tmp/testdb  --host 0.0.0.0 --port 64210\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You can notice here that another DB technology is involved (Bolt). It’s because Cayley is a layer above an existing database. You can either use traditional key value stores or relational database as backend.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now let’s go with the Python client code. We want to store all our assets, scenes, shots and their relations. To achieve that, we need to install the Python driver:pip install pyley\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Cayley is based on the concept of triplet. Everything is a vertex linked to another one: the triplet is made of three vertices: the two elements we want to link and the link vertex (kind of edge). You can add a label on each triplet, so in Cayley the term for this data structure is “quads”. \u003Cbr>Unfortunately the Python client is not complete and does not support Quad creation. So we need to create our quads via requests, a standard Python HTTP client (Cayley provied a REST API):def create_quad(quad):\u003Cbr>    path = “\u003Ca href=\"http://localhost:64210/api/v1/write?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://localhost:64210/api/v1/write\u003C/a>\"\u003Cbr>    return requests.post(path, json=[quad])\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now let’s proceed to the quad creation:quads = [\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-concept”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “props1-texture”\u003Cbr>    },\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-concept”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “props1-mesh”\u003Cbr>    },\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-texture”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “props1-model”\u003Cbr>    },\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-mesh”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “props1-model”\u003Cbr>    },\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-mesh”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “props1-rig”\u003Cbr>    },\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-mesh”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “props1-keys”\u003Cbr>    }\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-rig”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “props1-keys”\u003Cbr>    },\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-model”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “shot1-image-sequence”\u003Cbr>    },\u003Cbr>    {\u003Cbr>        “subject”: “props1-keys”, \u003Cbr>        “predicate”: “dependencyof”, \u003Cbr>        “object”: “shot1-image-sequence”\u003Cbr>    }\u003Cbr>]for quad in quads:\u003Cbr>   create_quad(quad)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s it. As you can see we already have stored all our data and set relation between them. If you create again similar quads, nothing will change and there will be no duplicates.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now let’s perform our query about the impact of a rig change on the production:from pyley import CayleyClient, GraphObject\u003Cbr>client = CayleyClient(\"\u003Ca href=\"http://localhost:64210/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://localhost:64210\u003C/a>\", \"v1\")graph = GraphObject()\u003Cbr>query = graph.V(“props1-mesh”)\u003Cbr>    .Out()\u003Cbr>    .All()\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To get our desired data, we had to specify which vertex (here our texture) of which we want to study the impact of. Then we just asked the outer the vertex of wich the texture is element of. We can chain the call depending on the depth of the impact we want to study. A recursive traversal is available but the Python client doesn’t implement it yet. Finally we made our performance tests. It took 50 seconds to run ten thousands time this query.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The visualization UI doesn’t work well and is not very intuitive to use. Which is sad because Neo4j and Arango have working UIs that allow to display your graph.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Cayley is a very simple database. With a single concept, the quad representation, it allows to represent our data. Querying is very easy too and based on standard graph query language such as \u003Ca href=\"http://tinkerpop.apache.org/docs/current/reference/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Gremlin\u003C/a> (you can chose your favorite query language). Unfortunately the project is still poorly documented and the Python client is uncomplete. That’s why despite its clean and simple design we cannot recommend to use Cayley in production.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"neo4j\">Neo4j\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Neo4j is the most mature solution of all. The enterprise behind it offers compelling entreprise solution for support and \u003Ca href=\"https://neo4j.com/editions/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">extra features\u003C/a> (monitoring, backup, improved querying…). That’s a big advantage if you need to feel very safe due to hard contracts with your clients. But to start with it, we reommend using the community edition. This is this version that we’ll cover in this article.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Because we are just experimenting, we are going to use the official Docker to play with Neo4j:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>docker run \\    --publish=7474:7474 --publish=7687:7687 \\    --volume=$HOME/neo4j/data:/data \\    neo4j\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>Now we can install the Python driver:pip install neo4j-driver\u003C/p>\u003Cp>First things first, let’s initialize the connection with the database and the query session. At first connection they will ask you to set a password, you can do it through the last line of the snippet below:from neo4j.v1 import GraphDatabase, basic_authdriver = GraphDatabase.driver(\u003Cbr>    \"bolt://localhost:7687\",\u003Cbr>    auth=basic_auth(\"neo4j\", \"tests\")\u003Cbr>)\u003Cbr>session = driver.session()\u003Cbr># session.run(\"CALL dbms.changePassword('tests')\")\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then let’s add helpers to create asset nodes, shot nodes and relation edges. The python client does not provide a strong API, it justs allow to perform requests directly with the in-house language of Neo4j named Cypher. There is CREATE command but we’ll use MERGE because it acts as CREATE if not exists:def create_asset(name):\u003Cbr>    session.run(\u003Cbr>        \"MERGE (a:Asset { name: $name })\",\u003Cbr>        name=name\u003Cbr>    )def create_shot(name):\u003Cbr>    session.run(\u003Cbr>        \"MERGE (a:Shot { name: $name })\",\u003Cbr>        name=name\u003Cbr>    )def create_relation(asset1, asset2):\u003Cbr>    session.run(\u003Cbr>        \"MATCH (a:Asset { name: $asset1 }), (b:Asset { name: $asset2 })\"\u003Cbr>        \"MERGE (a)-[r:ELEMENT_OF]->(b)\",\u003Cbr>        asset1=asset1, asset2=asset2\u003Cbr>    )def create_casting(asset, shot):\u003Cbr>    session.run(\u003Cbr>        \"MATCH (a:Asset { name: $asset }), (b:Shot { name: $shot })\"\u003Cbr>        \"MERGE (a)-[r:CASTED_IN]->(b)\",\u003Cbr>        asset=asset, shot=shot\u003Cbr>    )\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you can see the syntax is easy to read and learn. We can add as many fields we want on a single node.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now we have our functions, let’s populate our graph:create_asset(\"Props 1 concept\")\u003Cbr>create_asset(\"Props 1 mesh\")\u003Cbr>create_asset(\"Props 1 texture\")\u003Cbr>create_asset(\"Props 1 rig\")\u003Cbr>create_asset(\"Props 1 model\")\u003Cbr>create_asset(\"Props 1 keys\")\u003Cbr>create_shot(\"Shot 1\")create_relation(\"Props 1 concept\", \"Props 1 texture\")\u003Cbr>create_relation(\"Props 1 concept\", \"Props 1 mesh\")\u003Cbr>create_relation(\"Props 1 mesh\", \"Props 1 model\")\u003Cbr>create_relation(\"Props 1 texture\", \"Props 1 model\")\u003Cbr>create_relation(\"Props 1 mesh\", \"Props 1 rig\")\u003Cbr>create_relation(\"Props 1 mesh\", \"Props 1 keys\")\u003Cbr>create_relation(\"Props 1 rig\", \"Props 1 keys\")create_casting(\"Props 1 model\", \"Shot 1\")\u003Cbr>create_casting(\"Props 1 keys\", \"Shot 1\")\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now we can take advantage of the expressive query language to perform our traversal. Note the star inside the arrow. It means that will traverse all nodes until there is no more out connections.result = session.run(\u003Cbr>    \"MATCH (:Asset { name: 'Props 1 mesh' })-[*]->(out)\"\u003Cbr>    \"RETURN out.name as name\"\u003Cbr>)for record in result:\u003Cbr>    print(\"%s\" % record[\"name\"])session.close()\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We’re done! Result records are easy to display and analyze. They are Python dicts containing the fields specified at creation. Running ten thousand times our request lasted 3.5 seconds (it drops to 17 seconds if you open/close the session each time).\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-jxPmsYBVm3zMdPOgDejKfw.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"651\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/max/800/1-jxPmsYBVm3zMdPOgDejKfw.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-jxPmsYBVm3zMdPOgDejKfw.png 651w\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Displaying of the graph in the neo4j UI\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Overall, Neo4j is full featured and does the job well and it’s fast compared to others. Its strong query language and its many features will allow to perform the most common use cases you will have with your graph. The official Python client is a bit thin, but the community provides an interesting alternative with \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/robinedwards/neomodel?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">a client built like an ORM\u003C/a>. Last but not least, the database is here since a long time and the entreprise behind it is very active. So, it makes Neo4j the safer choice of this review.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>NB: here is \u003Ca href=\"https://hackernoon.com/life-after-1-year-of-using-neo4j-4eca5ce95bf5?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">a real life feedback about Neo4j\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"with-arangodb\">With ArangoDB\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>ArangoDB is a versatile database that allows document storage and graph storage all along. Recently, it have gained in popularity, it’s the reason why we included it to the test. It comes with handful features like easy deployment on a cloud infrastructure and helpers to build REST API. But for this article we’ll focus on the graph storage and its query system.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Let’s code! To make our testing we need first an Arango instance up and running. Let’s use Docker again to spawn it:docker run -p 8529:8529 -e ARANGO_ROOT_PASSWORD=openSesame arangodb/arangodb:3.2.1\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then we install the Python client:pip install python-arango\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now we can write our Python script, the first step will be to initialize our database:from arango.client import ArangoClientclient = ArangoClient(username='root', password='openSesame')\u003Cbr>db = client.create_database('cgproduction')\u003C/p>\u003Cp>As you can see the database creation is very straightforward. The only problem is that it raises an exception if the database already exists. It means that if you want to achieve idempotence with your script, you will have to write your own “get or create” method. It’s the same for every creation we’ll do in the following. Be prepared to augment this Python driver.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The next step is to define our graph and configure the collections that will store vertices and edges information:dependencies = db.create_graph('dependencies')shots = dependencies.create_vertex_collection('shots')\u003Cbr>assets = dependencies.create_vertex_collection('assets')casting = dependencies.create_edge_definition(\u003Cbr>    name='casting',\u003Cbr>    from_collections=['assets'],\u003Cbr>    to_collections=['shots']\u003Cbr>)\u003Cbr>elements = dependencies.create_edge_definition(\u003Cbr>    name='element',\u003Cbr>    from_collections=['assets'],\u003Cbr>    to_collections=['assets']\u003Cbr>)\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Arango graph storage is based on its own document storage system. Each vertex is stored as a json entry in a collection. Edges are a little bit different. They are stored in a similar fashion, but the collection definition requires more information: the inner vertex collection and the outer one. Edges are always directed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Now we have our database properly configured, we can add our data:# Insert vertices\u003Cbr>assets.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_key': 'props1-concept', 'name': 'Props 1 Concept'})\u003Cbr>assets.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_key': 'props1-texture', 'name': 'Props 1 Texture'})\u003Cbr>assets.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_key': 'props1-mesh', 'name': 'Props 1 Mesh'})\u003Cbr>assets.insert({'_key': 'props1-rig', 'name': 'Props 1 Rig'})\u003Cbr>assets.insert({'_key': 'props1-model', 'name': 'Props 1 Model'})\u003Cbr>assets.insert({'_key': 'props1-keys', 'name': 'Props 1 Keys'})\u003Cbr>shots.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_key': 'shot1-image-sequence', \u003Cbr>     'name': 'Shot 1 Image sequence'})# Insert edges\u003Cbr>elements.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-concept', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'assets/props1-texture'})\u003Cbr>elements.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-concept', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'assets/props1-mesh'})\u003Cbr>elements.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-texture', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'assets/props1-model'})\u003Cbr>elements.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-mesh', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'assets/props1-rig'})\u003Cbr>elements.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-mesh', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'assets/props1-model'})\u003Cbr>elements.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-mesh', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'assets/props1-keys'})\u003Cbr>elements.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-rig', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'assets/props1-keys'})\u003Cbr>casting.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-model', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'shots/shot1-image-sequence'})\u003Cbr>casting.insert(\u003Cbr>    {'_from': 'assets/props1-keys', \u003Cbr>     '_to': 'shots/shot1-image-sequence'})\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once our data properly imported, we can proceed to our query:traversal_results = dependencies.traverse(\u003Cbr> start_vertex=’assets/props1-mesh’,\u003Cbr> direction=’outbound’\u003Cbr>)for result in traversal_results[“vertices”]:\u003Cbr>   print(result[“name”])\u003C/p>\u003Cp>With this simple request we get all our impact of a modification of the props 1 mesh. The result is easy to analyze and the query is configurable (for instance you can chose between a depth first traversal and a breath first traversal).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Arango provides a traversal object that allows you to build particular path. Some helpers are available too, like shortest path finding or path length retrieval. It should cover most of your needs in term of graph querying.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Last but not least, you can visualize your graph in the Arango web UI:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-WSrxSHlMqQ9JiMG6SlrmWg.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"605\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/max/800/1-WSrxSHlMqQ9JiMG6SlrmWg.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-WSrxSHlMqQ9JiMG6SlrmWg.png 605w\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">The overall web UI is slicker than neo4j UI but the graph representation is less explicit\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>Overall, the ArangoDB and Python client are simple to understand and well documented. It provides many helpers to play with our graph and the visualization tools makes things even easier. But it looks slower than neo4j. Running 10 000 times our query took 26s. Despite these results, it’s still our favorite database of this test. Arango is very developer-friendly. It is the best choice to experiment quickly with graph databases. And because the company behind looks very active, it seems to be a safe choice for a production usage too.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"orientdb\">OrientDB\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>OrientDB is here for a while now (since 2010). But because of the very bad feedback about it (see comments too), we decided to not cover this database in this article. It’s too risky to use it in a CG production environment.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"alternatives\">Alternatives\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>There are still alternatives. By playing with traditional database, you can have similar features as with graph database. One option is to use Postgres with its recursive joins. It will allow you to cover simple use cases of graph traversal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Another option, which looks great if you want to be able to do fuzzy searches, is to use Elastic Search and store all vertices and edges as JSON documents (similar approach as ArangoDB). Read this \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@imriqwe/elasticsearch-as-a-graph-database-bc0eee7f7622?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">full article\u003C/a> to have more information about the subject.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"visualisation\">Visualisation\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Having graph data is great but you may want to build tools that shows your data at some point (and outside of the built-in UIs).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There are two good libraries for Qt that allows to build graph easily:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/clemenssielaff/ZodiacGraph?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">ZodiacGraph\u003C/a>: a powerful C++ library which is fast and flexible.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/LeGoffLoic/Nodz?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Nodz\u003C/a>: a Python library easy to use.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Another option is to use Javascript libraries for in-browser or \u003Ca href=\"https://electron.atom.io/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Electron\u003C/a> applications. Here are some:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://sigmajs.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">SigmaJS\u003C/a>: fast and well documented library\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://js.cytoscape.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Cytoscape\u003C/a>: versatile and robust.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://d3js.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">d3.js\u003C/a>: harder to use but limitless.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-conclude\">To conclude\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>From our study, it looks like ArangoDB is the most user friendly database and its document storage aspect will make your production data management easier. But it’s still a young DB. If you need speed or if there is a lot of money at stake and if you are looking for a safer choice go for Neo4j, which does the job well and looks more robust. Finally Cayley looks good on many aspects has a great design and could be the best choice to complement an already existing relational database, but is still too undocumented and young to be used in production. So, to sum up: try ArangoDB first!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The question about what problems solve graph representation and storage for pipeline TDs remain. The main use case for us is to generate easily the sequence of actions needed to rebuild a shot when a change occurs. The other one is to provide easily a representation of the production on which people can discuss.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We hope you enjoy this article. We are still very new to graph databases. We would be glad to know what you think about it and read your production experience with these technologies: comments are welcome!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG pipeline and production management. If you are interested in graph databases for CG productions, you will probably enjoy all our articles. Read our \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/facilitating-cg-graphists-to-focus-more-on-the-artistic-aa8f801edf20?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>first blog post\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to know more about us!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4671,"comment_id":4672,"feature_image":4673,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4674,"updated_at":4675,"custom_excerpt":4676,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4677,"primary_tag":4678,"url":4679,"excerpt":4676,"reading_time":632,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4680,"og_title":4681,"og_description":4676,"twitter_image":4680,"twitter_title":4681,"twitter_description":4676,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4682,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"f1d45cdb-64ab-4845-8b93-7f2f792e49f3","4cedc9e49065","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-I4a6MOBxYhgQsBRcwbShRw.jpeg","2017-09-04T10:56:01.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:53:20.000+01:00","As we mentioned in a previous blog post, A CG production can be represented as a graph structure. A movie is made of shots which are…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-the-best-graph-database-for-your-cg-production-data/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-I4a6MOBxYhgQsBRcwbShRw.jpeg","CG Pipeline: The Best Graph Database for Your CG Production Data","As we mentioned in a previous blog post, A CG production can be represented as a graph structure. A movie is made of shots which are generated from scene files which are themselves made of elements…","/posts/cg-pipeline-the-best-graph-database-for-your-cg-production-data",{"title":4666},"cg-pipeline-the-best-graph-database-for-your-cg-production-data","posts/cg-pipeline-the-best-graph-database-for-your-cg-production-data",[4688],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"alQcQf_eJ_tEX2UOV9OeLeXUE0lu-t7VQ_w5id6urb0",{"id":4691,"title":4692,"authors":4693,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4695,"meta":4696,"navigation":15,"path":4708,"published_at":4700,"seo":4709,"slug":4710,"stem":4711,"tags":4712,"__hash__":4714,"uuid":4697,"comment_id":4698,"feature_image":4699,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4700,"updated_at":4701,"custom_excerpt":4702,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4703,"primary_tag":4704,"url":4705,"excerpt":4702,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4699,"og_title":4706,"og_description":4702,"twitter_image":4699,"twitter_title":4706,"twitter_description":4702,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4707,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-files-and-nodes-metadata.json","Files and Nodes Metadata In A CG Pipeline (2026)",[4694],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>Having a shared database for all your tools is mandatory to ensure a good flow between them. But sometimes you need a simpler access to particular data. Reaching information about a node or a file directly is more efficient than querying a database. But the question is how to store and query your metadata locally?\u003C/p>\u003Cp>There are two simple ways to achieve that. The first one is to add a text file in the same folder as your file. Inside it, data can be structured following standard syntax like \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOML?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">TOML\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">YAML\u003C/a> or \u003Ca href=\"https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">JSON\u003C/a>. The second way is to rely on node properties. Most modeling tools propose to add key/value pairs to a node. These simple pairs allow you to add many interesting information to all the part of your scene. For instance, you can set :\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Links with assets or shots from the database\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Which part of the scene it is (body, face, environment, etc)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Add informative tags like: hires, lowres, proxy, tocache, etc.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>A good use case for tags is to identify what should be exported from the scene during the \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/cg-pipeline-publishing-preview-and-production-management-c51d7ae7ffec?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">publishing\u003C/a> of a fabrication step.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s still a good idea to store this meta data in a shared database. Provide a quick access to information doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share it with the other tools.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>NB: Our \u003Ca href=\"https://zou.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Zou API\u003C/a> allows to store non structured data on all assets and file entries. We simply added a JSON field to our main types. That way you can add specific information to your shared production data without thinking about the schema of your entities.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The more information you share, the more efficient the team will be. Every bit of additional information you can give is useful. Especially when you have to deal with complex scenes involving thousands of assets. That’s why local metadata can improve the productivity of your production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG pipeline and production management. If you are interested in asset nodes metadata, you will probably enjoy our articles. Read our \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/facilitating-cg-graphists-to-focus-more-on-the-artistic-aa8f801edf20?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>first blog post\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to understand who we are and what we do.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4697,"comment_id":4698,"feature_image":4699,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4700,"updated_at":4701,"custom_excerpt":4702,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4703,"primary_tag":4704,"url":4705,"excerpt":4702,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4699,"og_title":4706,"og_description":4702,"twitter_image":4699,"twitter_title":4706,"twitter_description":4702,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4707,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"5d5bb6d7-4ed7-4e0a-a59f-11238e8a57d4","fc5ac7d3748e","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-adh4mxqlTdZX_tsADuoIbw.jpeg","2017-07-21T00:57:58.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:09.000+01:00","Having a shared database for all your tools is mandatory to ensure a good flow between them. But sometimes you need a simpler access to…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-files-and-nodes-metadata/","CG Pipeline: Files and Nodes Metadata","Having a shared database for all your tools is mandatory to ensure a good flow between them. But sometimes you need a simpler access to particular data. Reaching information about a node or a file…","/posts/cg-pipeline-files-and-nodes-metadata",{"title":4692},"cg-pipeline-files-and-nodes-metadata","posts/cg-pipeline-files-and-nodes-metadata",[4713],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"Zsk-B_c8ZoMKJPnCH3OyTHc16CYsy7tb09GL6XYuIqA",{"id":4716,"title":4717,"authors":4718,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4720,"meta":4721,"navigation":15,"path":4732,"published_at":4725,"seo":4733,"slug":4734,"stem":4735,"tags":4736,"__hash__":4738,"uuid":4722,"comment_id":4723,"feature_image":4724,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4725,"updated_at":4701,"custom_excerpt":4726,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4727,"primary_tag":4728,"url":4729,"excerpt":4726,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4724,"og_title":4730,"og_description":4726,"twitter_image":4724,"twitter_title":4730,"twitter_description":4726,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4731,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-file-cleaning-and-quality-checking.json","File Cleaning And Quality Checking In CG Pipelines (2026)",[4719],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>For CG artists, working on a new file which is clean means more productivity. When nodes are properly named, when positions of elements are standard, when there is no remaining artefact and when all references are properly done, it’s much easier to do a good job. You understand the scene quicker and it’s easier to select nodes. Unfortunately, clean files are not really common. So, the first steps achieved by CG artists, before jumping into the artistic stuff, are boring cleaning actions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But why people deliver dirty files? Because it’s hard to remember what is required once the job is done. After long hours of work, CG artists are not really motivated any more to handle the cleaning. To make things worst they don’t always know what is expected to make the file “clean”. They can be tempted to ship without doing anything in order to make the file proper.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But what is great with boring tasks is that they can be automated. Most CG software allow Python scripting. It means you can build a simple tool that handle all the dirty work for you. By implementing quality checking scripts, you can ensure that the file is ready to be published. They can be run independently and provide a report of what is wrong or good (a list of status for each criteria).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It can be compared to the practice of unit testing used by software engineers. A main script runs many sub-scripts. Each subscripts perform tests. The the main script provides a report listing successful and failed sub-scripts. It allows to know what works and what need to be fixed into the code.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Another thing you can automate is the fixing of the failed checks. When there is something wrong (like, for instance, special chars in a node name), you can include another script that will perform the fix required (in our example, it would remove special chars from the node name).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Automating the action of checking a scene and fixing what is wrong can save a tremendous time to CG artists. It doesn’t require a lot of development and quality checks can be coded by technical artists. If you want to implement a pipeline, it is a great task to start with. You will avoid bad surprises and artists will be happier!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>CGWire is a software shop that crafts \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noopener\">\u003Cem>open source tools\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to make your pipeline more efficient. If you are interesting in what we do and think it can help, feel free to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:contact@cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>contact us\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4722,"comment_id":4723,"feature_image":4724,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4725,"updated_at":4701,"custom_excerpt":4726,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4727,"primary_tag":4728,"url":4729,"excerpt":4726,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4724,"og_title":4730,"og_description":4726,"twitter_image":4724,"twitter_title":4730,"twitter_description":4726,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4731,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"0fd25c7f-d7c2-43d8-84f0-eaa636245f73","39e47604aab2","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-yfEu1ov2TXZ4AA2Tg8jguA.jpeg","2017-07-11T09:12:05.000+02:00","For CG artists, working on a new file which is clean means more productivity. When nodes are properly named, when positions of elements are…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-file-cleaning-and-quality-checking/","CG Pipeline: File Cleaning And Quality Checking","For CG artists, working on a new file which is clean means more productivity. When nodes are properly named, when positions of elements are standard, when there is no remaining artefact and when all…","/posts/cg-pipeline-file-cleaning-and-quality-checking",{"title":4717},"cg-pipeline-file-cleaning-and-quality-checking","posts/cg-pipeline-file-cleaning-and-quality-checking",[4737],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"sL4bdHagIioUYidligWhIxRG2qc1MYYigYpVLVMSKpA",{"id":4740,"title":4741,"authors":4742,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4744,"meta":4745,"navigation":15,"path":4758,"published_at":4749,"seo":4759,"slug":4760,"stem":4761,"tags":4762,"__hash__":4764,"uuid":4746,"comment_id":4747,"feature_image":4748,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4749,"updated_at":4750,"custom_excerpt":4751,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4752,"primary_tag":4753,"url":4754,"excerpt":4751,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4755,"og_title":4756,"og_description":4751,"twitter_image":4755,"twitter_title":4756,"twitter_description":4751,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4757,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-asset-management-and-dependencies.json","Asset Management And Dependencies In CG Pipelines (2026)",[4743],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>One the principal reason to track every file and asset in a production is to manage the dependencies between them. It’s crucial to know what needs to be recomputed and validated when a change occurs. As the number of elements grows, it becomes more tedious to follow everything properly. If you draw every connection between each element, it will lead you to a giant directed graph that is difficult to manage. Nevertheless, it’s still mandatory to deal with it properly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Tracking files is basically what your pipeline does. It stores the location of all your files and makes sure that it is related to a build step. It’s even better when your pipeline stores the dependencies between files.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But looking at files is like looking at a low level representation of your production. Working at the file level is great when you think locally about a problem (like referencing an element) but when you want to discuss about what happens on a larger scale (like the final rendering of a shot), this representation is too granular. That’s why we often prefer to deal with assets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Assets are abstraction of files, it’s like talking of concepts instead of precise elements. For instance it happens when you talk only about textures, not about .jpeg or .png files. Assets can be anything like models, animation keys, shaders, FX, etc. Here we don’t talk about folders or file name. Dealing with assets allow to not think anymore in output file and working files, it allows to focus on the main concept of the production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If needed, you can even group assets together to add another level of abstraction. For instance, an animation group contains rigs and animation keys, a texture group contains flat textures and shaders.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Once you can represent things with assets, it’s easier to master your production graph. You can manage more efficiently your build process and dependencies. When you change an asset you know what assets need to be recomputed instantly. It’s a great communication tool for your team and for your softwares. All the stackholders of the project can exchange ideas around it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We talked a lot about graphs. Graphs are composed of vertices (nodes) and edges. Our assets can be considered as the vertices (nodes) but what the edges represent? Edges are worflow steps. A step takes one or several asset as input and leads to another asset as output. For instance, modeling is the action that melt textures, meshes and shaders into a full model. Setup action takes the mesh as input and leads to rigs.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To conclude and illustrate that article let see some representations of production elements:\u003C/p>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-PiZJ-_jBwCApGZf3d15_3w.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"481\" height=\"401\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Graph representation of a props building\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-RPwf2k5MvjwLt8DJGAXgxQ.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"501\" height=\"481\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Graph representation of a shot building\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cfigure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-tniNe0RXXWZU1IQNezn3_Q.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/size/w600/max/800/1-tniNe0RXXWZU1IQNezn3_Q.png 600w, https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-tniNe0RXXWZU1IQNezn3_Q.png 800w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 720px) 720px\">\u003Cfigcaption>\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\">Example: it’s easy to see the impact of a retake on a rig\u003C/span>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003Cp>As you can see, it’s easy to notice the impact of a change once we have our graph representation and the right tools to manage it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s all for this article. We hope it will convince you to have a graph presentation of your production. Using nodes and edges will improve your communication with CG artists, supervisors and production managers… Which means more time spent on the artistic and less stressful situation!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Writing mainly about production and pipeline doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy looking at beautiful pictures too. If you would like broader topics and curated content about the CG industry in general, you can follow us on \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/cgwirekitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Twitter\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4746,"comment_id":4747,"feature_image":4748,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4749,"updated_at":4750,"custom_excerpt":4751,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4752,"primary_tag":4753,"url":4754,"excerpt":4751,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4755,"og_title":4756,"og_description":4751,"twitter_image":4755,"twitter_title":4756,"twitter_description":4751,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4757,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"e81e95fd-5a3f-4bb8-a11b-0a10918d5df6","634b28a1a49a","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-tniNe0RXXWZU1IQNezn3_Q.png","2017-07-05T09:42:24.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:58:03.000+01:00","One the principal reason to track every file and asset in a production is to manage the dependencies between them. It’s crucial to know…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-asset-management-and-dependencies/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/907/1-tniNe0RXXWZU1IQNezn3_Q.png","CG Pipeline: Asset Management And Dependencies","One the principal reason to track every file and asset in a production is to manage the dependencies between them. It’s crucial to know what needs to be recomputed and validated when a change occurs…","/posts/cg-pipeline-asset-management-and-dependencies",{"title":4741},"cg-pipeline-asset-management-and-dependencies","posts/cg-pipeline-asset-management-and-dependencies",[4763],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"D3DdgCn7RIJsBkJCtf8G_p9bT_azXMLeUaUbnsq9muY",{"id":4766,"title":4767,"authors":4768,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4770,"meta":4771,"navigation":15,"path":4784,"published_at":4775,"seo":4785,"slug":4786,"stem":4787,"tags":4788,"__hash__":4791,"uuid":4772,"comment_id":4773,"feature_image":4774,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4775,"updated_at":4776,"custom_excerpt":4777,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4778,"primary_tag":4779,"url":4780,"excerpt":4777,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4781,"og_title":4782,"og_description":4777,"twitter_image":4781,"twitter_title":4782,"twitter_description":4777,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4783,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:book-review-production-pipeline-fundamentals-for-film-and-games.json","Production Pipeline Fundamentals for Films and Games: Book Review (2026)",[4769],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>In any field, whatever your expertise level is, it’s a good idea to stop by in order to study the state of the art of your profession. Our favourite way to achieve that is to read books considered as references. But in the CG industry, the good readings are rare. Fortunately, when we decided to look for a good book, after a few searches, we noticed that one was standing over all others: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.crcpress.com/Production-Pipeline-Fundamentals-for-Film-and-Games/Dunlop/p/book/9780415812290?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Production Pipeline Fundamentals for Film and Games\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s a book written by Renée Dunlop who acted for 20 years as an editor, technical writer and journalist in the CG industry. She shares with us what she learned about pipelines by observing the major actors of a production. To illustrate this and have different point of views, the book is completed by interviews of experienced people who worked on a CG or game pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>NB: in this blog post we will focus only on film pipelines.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"production\">Production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>CG Productions have a deterministic canvas but the content varies a lot and they involve a lot of creative work. That’s why they require a particular approach and a lot of flexibility.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>So, to Renée, transparency and clear communication are key elements of a CG production success. In a first place, she explains the \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/cg-production-pre-production-production-and-post-production-c4723a62ca1c?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">main stages of a production\u003C/a>. Then she goes into the details by describing each steps from concept to compositing, she describes everything. She considers that everything should be documented to improve communication between stackholders. Then she tackles all the things management should handle: budget forecast, hiring calendar, hardware requirements and service provider booking.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Then Renée describes how validation are processed: where it happens, how you should compare shots, how to do proper note tracking, how to review delivery, and how to ship the final delivery by handling colorimetry and managing sound synchronisation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"pipeline\">Pipeline\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>This is the main subject of the book. It emphasizes the need of a proper compartmentalization of the fabrication steps. For that Renée encourages you to document properly what is required and created at each step of the production. It will make the life much easier for your software team when implementing tools that manage automatically the transition between steps.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>But, automating non-artistic steps face a difficulty: file management. Dealing with a lot of big files, leads quickly to a mess. Which is why, she explores solutions for your folder structure, file naming and metadata storage. Through an in-depth comparison, she discussed the pros and cons of version control versus (file versioning on the disk) vs source control (central repository for versions, the file system is not accessible directly).\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Renée will introduce you too to the best practices in management of software projects. CG studios are not always familiar with it. So her insights can be very helpful. She notably compared waterfall and agile methodologies.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally she encourages you to adapt your pipeline to your context. to understand the values of the company, the type of production built and what is expected from the people involved.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"hardware\">Hardware\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The book describes the impact of the tooling on the hardware. All the computing, working files and outputs require tremendous storage, CPU capabilities and network bandwidth. She proposes strategies to deal with that complexity based on configuration management, cloud rendering, caching of most accessed files and smart backuping.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-future\">The Future\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The last chapter is dedicated to upcoming trends. It gives you hints about what to follow like virtual machines based workstations, collaborative modeling through WebGL and file standardization via open formats. It’s great source of ideas for your Research and Development team.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Production Pipeline Fundamentals is a must read for anyone new coming into the CG industry. It covers all the main aspects mandatory of a CG pipeline. Chapters are accurate and complete and the interviews added all along the way will give you different perspectives.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For professionals with years of experience, it’s still a very good reading. You can find new ideas, learn how it is done in video game industry and see how big studios deal with the complexity of a CG pipeline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>To sum up: Production Pipeline Fundamentals is highly recommended!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This blog is dedicated to CG pipeline and production management. If you are interested in this book, you will probably enjoy our articles. Read our \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/facilitating-cg-graphists-to-focus-more-on-the-artistic-aa8f801edf20?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>first blog post\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to understand who we are and what we do.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4772,"comment_id":4773,"feature_image":4774,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4775,"updated_at":4776,"custom_excerpt":4777,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4778,"primary_tag":4779,"url":4780,"excerpt":4777,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4781,"og_title":4782,"og_description":4777,"twitter_image":4781,"twitter_title":4782,"twitter_description":4777,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4783,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"8e6a0263-aebe-48d5-adef-c2523ddfc898","8efc50fadae6","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-533IOIVQKJArjDNdcztcEg.jpeg","2017-06-13T11:21:49.000+02:00","2026-02-20T06:04:06.000+01:00","In any field, whatever your expertise level is, it’s a good idea to stop by in order to study the state of the art of your profession. Our…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/book-review-production-pipeline-fundamentals-for-film-and-games/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/384/1-533IOIVQKJArjDNdcztcEg.jpeg","Book Review: Production Pipeline Fundamentals for Film and Games","In any field, whatever your expertise level is, it’s a good idea to stop by in order to study the state of the art of your profession. Our favourite way to achieve that is to read books considered as…","/posts/book-review-production-pipeline-fundamentals-for-film-and-games",{"title":4767},"book-review-production-pipeline-fundamentals-for-film-and-games","posts/book-review-production-pipeline-fundamentals-for-film-and-games",[4789,4790],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"2Mt_n7MDTlNxKNiXRyHgrfHQQM1DkHYNx78K_lc8pM4",{"id":4793,"title":4794,"authors":4795,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4797,"meta":4798,"navigation":15,"path":4810,"published_at":4802,"seo":4811,"slug":4812,"stem":4813,"tags":4814,"__hash__":4816,"uuid":4799,"comment_id":4800,"feature_image":4801,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4802,"updated_at":4549,"custom_excerpt":4803,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4804,"primary_tag":4805,"url":4806,"excerpt":4803,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4807,"og_title":4808,"og_description":4803,"twitter_image":4807,"twitter_title":4808,"twitter_description":4803,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4809,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-take-advantage-of-your-render-farm-at-every-step-of-the-production.json","Take Advantage of Your Render Farm at Every Step of the CG Production (2026)",[4796],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>The render farm allows graphic designers and render team to submit computing jobs to a range of server. That way they can handle very intensive computing and make sure that workstations stay available for designers. The render farm is a mandatory component to make sure that all shots will be delivered on time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Rendering the final shots is the most common use case of a render farm. But what else makes it game changing? Beside allowing you to deliver your final output, they can fasten your production at each step. In this article, we’ll review all what you can delegate to it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Modeling and image rendering\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Early on during the modeling process, graphic designers needs to render their scene to test material parameters. Hi-poly meshes and complex texturing lead quickly to hours of rendering. Being able to compute this rendering on a dedicated group of computers can save tons of times by avoiding to block the workstaton for long hours.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Texture baking\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s the process of pre-rendering textures. The main idea is to turn the render of complex materials in a simple texture. Even if it’s just done for one object, it may require several long renderings. It’s a good idea to send it to the render farm too.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Animation cache\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Animators like to provide variants of their animations. These tests require the computation of cache files, the coordinates of all vertices for each frame of the animation. Each generation can take long minutes and sometimes hours. No doubt that you will prefer to have this happening on your render farm that on you graphic designer machine.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>FX Simulation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>FX simulations requires huge computation. It is hardly parrallelizable (it means it will stick long on one core of your farm). So, the render farm won’t make it much faster but it will allow to run plenty of them at the same time and will free the workstation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Preview generation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>If you do a proper validation tracking, you need a preview to discuss on at every step validation. It can be generated very fast but sometimes, it could lead to dozens of minute rendering. It’s better if it’s done on the render farm and that the result is sent directly to your \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/cg-pipeline-publishing-preview-and-production-management-c51d7ae7ffec?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">validation tracking\u003C/a> tool.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Shot generation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>It’s obvious but the final shot rendering is the most intensive computing activity. Generating the final output is the primary goal of the render farm. The question here is mostly how to prioritise the renderings. Most render farm managers allow to give priority to important jobs. But it’s not always easy to determinate which one matters the most.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Compositing\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Complex compositing rendering, especially for high resolution, is another good thing to push to your farm. It will allow you to make more tests on tuning the parameters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this article we covered what can be done in a render farm. Once you set up a proper pipeline to allow people to push things to it, you will notice a lot of productivity and qualitiy improvement. But you are going to have a new problem soon. How you are going to manage the workload? Render farms consume a lot of network bandwidth and file storage. Even if they can handle many jobs, people will push too much computation the farm can deal with. These problens can quickly become an headache. Fortunately we are here to help. So stay tune for our upcoming articles or feel free to \u003Ca href=\"mailto:contact@cg-wire.com\">contact us\u003C/a>!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>CGWire is a software shop that crafts \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>open source tools\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to make your pipeline more efficient. If you are interesting in what we do and think it can help, feel free to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:contact@cg-wire.com\">\u003Cem>contact us\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4799,"comment_id":4800,"feature_image":4801,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4802,"updated_at":4549,"custom_excerpt":4803,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4804,"primary_tag":4805,"url":4806,"excerpt":4803,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4807,"og_title":4808,"og_description":4803,"twitter_image":4807,"twitter_title":4808,"twitter_description":4803,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4809,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"dbfc2466-a6b3-4a94-bc90-c6bab9ebb4a1","94dbea36744","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-ykAEE4nsK7Sy9zwpVDWsTg.jpeg","2017-06-08T20:28:41.000+02:00","The render farm allows graphic designers and render team to submit computing jobs to a range of server. That way they can handle very…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-take-advantage-of-your-render-farm-at-every-step-of-the-production/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1024/1-ykAEE4nsK7Sy9zwpVDWsTg.jpeg","CG Pipeline: Take Advantage of Your Render Farm at Every Step of the Production","The render farm allows graphic designers and render team to submit computing jobs to a range of server. That way they can handle very intensive computing and make sure that workstations stay…","/posts/cg-pipeline-take-advantage-of-your-render-farm-at-every-step-of-the-production",{"title":4794},"cg-pipeline-take-advantage-of-your-render-farm-at-every-step-of-the-production","posts/cg-pipeline-take-advantage-of-your-render-farm-at-every-step-of-the-production",[4815],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"tEMr9y9Ce0Eg0yr2bpF_UFGpv6qqmIi6aBJwXdi6i6U",{"id":4818,"title":4819,"authors":4820,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4822,"meta":4823,"navigation":15,"path":4835,"published_at":4827,"seo":4836,"slug":4837,"stem":4838,"tags":4839,"__hash__":4841,"uuid":4824,"comment_id":4825,"feature_image":4826,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4827,"updated_at":4828,"custom_excerpt":4829,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4830,"primary_tag":4831,"url":4832,"excerpt":4829,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4826,"og_title":4833,"og_description":4829,"twitter_image":4826,"twitter_title":4833,"twitter_description":4829,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4834,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-production-graphic-designer-relationship-management.json","Artists Relationship Management For CG Productions (2026)",[4821],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>In a CG production CG artists are rockstars. Management and Technical Directors make sure they’d have everything they will need in order to create our next favorite movies. Moreover, most CG artists are freelance workers who hops from one studio to another. So, keeping track of who is currently in the studio and keeping up to date information about artists is an important activity for the production.\u003Cbr>In this blog post we will discuss what are the information that you would need concerning the CG artists for better task assignation and proper follow-up.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"contact-information\">Contact information\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Obviously, the first thing you will need are contact informations (name, e-mail and phone number) to get ahold of the person easily.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The second thing will be their public social media links such as Linkedin or eventually Twitter. A portfolio link can be great too if you want to remember the artist style.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Finally, linking an avatar to all these informations will add a visual marker to your contact. It doesn’t necessarily need to be their actual picture, just something that will help you identify the person in a glimpse.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"current-situation\">Current situation\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It may sound weird but it’s better to note who is currently working in your studio and who aren’t. It will be useful for your pipeline tools to decide to restrict access or not. Better yet, it will allow you to filter unactive individuals and see who is working or who you can call.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Every time you change the status to inactive you can set a date as a reminder. That way you will know who you didn’t see for a long time.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"current-situation-in-the-studio\">Current situation in the studio\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Do not forget that people in your studio needs your attention. The key is to know who is working on which project and the number of tasks currently handled by each CG arstist. That way you will know who is overworked or who is waiting for new shots or assets.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"skills\">Skills\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Knowing in which specific field people are good at is always useful, especially for assigning tasks. So asking your co-worker to mention what they prefer to do helps a lot. Modeling, animation, rigging are simple ways to describe that skills. Generalist is a good skill to mention as well when the person in question can help on all the part of the project. Don’t try to be too precise, evaluating skills is hard and constantly changes depending on the reference.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"salary\">Salary\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Average salary expected by the team member can be useful to build your budget estimation and current budgeting. The drawback is that this information is sensitive. So, you won’t be able to share this list easily unless you have a permission scheme or maintain two different versions of the table.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"to-conclude\">To conclude\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The main challenge in storing data about CG artists is to keep important information up to date without acting like a spy and without overhelming you with unrelevant things. You need to know what is happening when they are inside and how to contact them when they are outside. In the following, we listed the infomation we mentioned in this article:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Avatar\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Name\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Email\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Phone Number\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Links (Linkedin, portfolio, …)\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Skills\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Active or not\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Last presence in the studio\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Amount of tasks / time assigned\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>Once you have a clear overview, you can do your job more efficiently. Communication is easier, follow ups can be scheduled and trust is strengthened.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"footnote-introducing-kitsu\">\u003Cem>Footnote: Introducing Kitsu\u003C/em>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/kitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Kitsu\u003C/a> is the production management tool we develop. We aim to provide simple user interfaces for small and midsize studios to make production management easier. The first module we are working on is the people list. To illustrate this article, we use the mockups we made. Feel free to \u003Ca href=\"mailto:contact@cg-wire.com\">tell us\u003C/a> what you think about it!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>What do you think about CG artist relationship management? Help us in improving this article by commenting it. We’ll be glad to know how you deal with graphic designer relations!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4824,"comment_id":4825,"feature_image":4826,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4827,"updated_at":4828,"custom_excerpt":4829,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4830,"primary_tag":4831,"url":4832,"excerpt":4829,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4826,"og_title":4833,"og_description":4829,"twitter_image":4826,"twitter_title":4833,"twitter_description":4829,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4834,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"1a003fb9-5761-4768-8dfa-08cea0466f31","fbbc405537b6","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-xZ-7c4ihaD6-Npc8C5nlgA.png","2017-05-29T11:15:29.000+02:00","2026-03-27T11:00:33.000+01:00","In a CG production CG artists are rockstars. Management and Technical Directors make sure they’d have everything they will need in order to…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-production-graphic-designer-relationship-management/","CG Production: CG Artists Relationship Management","In a CG production CG artists are rockstars. Management and Technical Directors make sure they’d have everything they will need in order to create our next favorite movies. Moreover, most CG artists…","/posts/cg-production-graphic-designer-relationship-management",{"title":4819},"cg-production-graphic-designer-relationship-management","posts/cg-production-graphic-designer-relationship-management",[4840],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"tGKZ_qwFxJzHdlpmVwyo7_8i_kI7-X2uftxaXQK636U",{"id":4843,"title":4844,"authors":4845,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4847,"meta":4848,"navigation":15,"path":4861,"published_at":4852,"seo":4862,"slug":4863,"stem":4864,"tags":4865,"__hash__":4868,"uuid":4849,"comment_id":4850,"feature_image":4851,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4852,"updated_at":4853,"custom_excerpt":4854,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4855,"primary_tag":4856,"url":4857,"excerpt":4854,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4858,"og_title":4859,"og_description":4854,"twitter_image":4858,"twitter_title":4859,"twitter_description":4854,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4860,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-publishing-preview-and-production-management.json","Validation, Preview and Publishing In A CG Production (2026)",[4846],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>One of the most critical action of a production is the validation step. Every assets and components built must be reviewed by directors and supervisors before being shipped. Every validation is a strong decision and can be either technical or artistic. If the reviewed component is not accepted, it leads to more work and cost for the whole studio. On the other side, when enough shots have been validated, parts of the budget are unblocked and fuel the studio. Hence, it matters a lot for the production management to have a proper validation tracking.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In this blog post we’ll discuss what should be tracked and how your pipeline can help to make the validation faster.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"history-tracking\">History tracking\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Because every validation decision implies commitment and budget impacts, you should better know who said what and when. The most common tool we see in studios is Google Spreadsheet. You can build very informative tables with it and you can access it from anywhere. Which makes it very useful. But, unfortunately, except the production team, people are not very eager to fill it. Worst, previous changes are hard to access.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s why we recommend the usage of more complete solutions like Shotgun or Ftrack. It will allow to have a clear history of the conversations and you will be able to browse easily the state of your production. Their price may seem high but they will save you tons of time. Additionally, knowing how many back and forth happened is important to identify which shots or assets require double attention.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"preview\">Preview\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>For validating an item, going on the machine of the graphist and see the result is not very effective. So, you should think about building a preview publishing process. Whether it is to store movies or pictures of rendered items \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/cg-pipeline-a-proposal-for-your-file-hierarchy-7825a163de1e?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">in a dedicated folder \u003C/a>or uploading it in a specialised software, you will need to establish a tracking system too. When an artist consider that his work is done he should tell you that a preview is ready to be seen and should note which working file was used to make this preview. On the same way, every comment should be linked to related preview to avoid any misunderstanding.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"delivery\">Delivery\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Once the component validated, things are not done yet. You should build the resulting file for the team who will handle the next step. The generated files are different from the working files (cache files for animation, low resolution and high resolution models for the modeling…). That’s why source files must be tracked too. The created file should be linked to a validation and a working file. It’s useful for validation and in case something should be rendered again.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"pipeling-the-whole-thing\">Pipeling the whole thing\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The good news is that among all the grunt work required to make this, you can automate several things. The generation of the preview can be done via scripts/plugins and be sent to your tracking software on a simple click from the graphist. Output file can be automatically generated after a validation. Relations between your comments, your working files, your output files and your previews can be stored in a indexed databased. From that data store your R&D team can build tables and charts to provide you with an overview and details of the status of your production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Following the progress of a CG movie production is tedious. It requires patience, commitment and excellent communication. Fortunately, production team, supervisors and graphists can be assisted by software solution in this task. All this hard work may look secondary at first but when it’s done properly it changes completely the production. Bad surprises are avoided and more flexibility is brought to your fabrication. It leads to less stress and faster results which means more time spent on the artistic and better overall quality!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>We are a software shop that crafts \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>open source tools\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> to make your pipeline more efficient. If you are interesting in what we do and think it can help, feel free to \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:contact@cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003Cem>contact us\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4849,"comment_id":4850,"feature_image":4851,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4852,"updated_at":4853,"custom_excerpt":4854,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4855,"primary_tag":4856,"url":4857,"excerpt":4854,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4858,"og_title":4859,"og_description":4854,"twitter_image":4858,"twitter_title":4859,"twitter_description":4854,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4860,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"b1dad9e0-b505-4154-90e0-8612aea65bba","c51d7ae7ffec","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/2560/1-Aww5zN-UY_33lX7DgspgqA.jpeg","2017-05-22T14:44:48.000+02:00","2026-03-27T11:01:08.000+01:00","One of the most critical action of a production is the validation step. Every assets and components built must be reviewed by directors and…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-publishing-preview-and-production-management/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-Aww5zN-UY_33lX7DgspgqA.jpeg","CG Production: Validation, Preview and Publishing","One of the most critical action of a production is the validation step. Every assets and components built must be reviewed by directors and supervisors before being shipped. Every validation is a…","/posts/cg-pipeline-publishing-preview-and-production-management",{"title":4844},"cg-pipeline-publishing-preview-and-production-management","posts/cg-pipeline-publishing-preview-and-production-management",[4866,4867],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"JtbbRAL5xi1AL1nROpMjA8oafO0jT7pLpJsLqbJEIeM",{"id":4870,"title":4871,"authors":4872,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4874,"meta":4875,"navigation":15,"path":4888,"published_at":4879,"seo":4889,"slug":4890,"stem":4891,"tags":4892,"__hash__":4894,"uuid":4876,"comment_id":4877,"feature_image":4878,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4879,"updated_at":4880,"custom_excerpt":4881,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4882,"primary_tag":4883,"url":4884,"excerpt":4881,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4885,"og_title":4886,"og_description":4881,"twitter_image":4885,"twitter_title":4886,"twitter_description":4881,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4887,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-a-proposal-for-your-file-hierarchy.json","CG Pipeline: A Proposal For Your File Hierarchy (2026)",[4873],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>File storage is still a big issue for any CG production. The \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/cg-pipeline-series-list-of-the-most-popular-cg-tools-7fb39ff6d062?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">many software involved\u003C/a> lead to a constellation of files in which it’s hard to find his way.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>In a perfect world, you would use a dedicated database where files can be queried, accessed, and stored through their metadata. Unfortunately, most studios cannot afford to set up this kind of solution. The simplest alternative is to rely on a classic file system. But to avoid any confusion, it’s mandatory to enforce a file system structure. This is what we propose to discuss in this blog post.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Note that all our paths are written in lowercase, without special chars or space. These rules allow maximizing readiness and compatibility with software and tools.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-root-folder\">\u003Cstrong>The Root folder\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Your root folder name should be very explicit composed of \u003Cem>the productions\u003C/em> folder and the name of the production:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>productions/big_buck_bunny\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\n\u003Ch4 id=\"the-state-folders\">The state folders\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Before describing our content We need one folder for the working files and one for the published files\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>productions/big_buck_bunny/working\nproductions/big_buck_bunny/export\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\n\u003Ch4 id=\"the-type-folders\">\u003Cstrong>The type folders\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>In your production, you will mainly build assets and shots. So let’s separate clearly these two concepts:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>productions/big_buck_bunny/working/assets\nproductions/big_buck_bunny/working/shots\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-asset-folders\">The asset folders\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>To fold properly your assets, we propose you make folders by asset categories. Then each asset should have its distinct folder. Finally, we think, it’s better to have a directory for the main steps of the asset building. Don’t be too specific or you will end with myriads of folders:\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode class=\"language-bash\">prod...ing/assets/characters/rabbit/modeling\nprod...ing/assets/characters/rabbit/rigging\nprod...ing/assets/characters/rabbit/texturing\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-shot-folders\">The shot folders\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>The folders should describe the shot hierarchy (episode/chapter, sequence, and shot). Then for each shots, we store the files in a folder describing the main steps of the shot building.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>prod...ing/shots/ep001/se001/sh001/animation\nprod...ing/shots/ep001/se001/sh001/fx\nprod...ing/shots/ep001/se001/sh001/compositing\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>If you don’t have an episode or chapter you can skip the \u003Cem>ep001\u003C/em> folder.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The main issue here is sometimes you have to deal with animation running on several shots. We recommend using either symbolic links or to work only on the first shot concerned by the animation.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"the-asset-in-a-shot-folders\">The asset in a shot folders\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It happens that variants of assets must be done for a specific shot or that animation is built separately for each asset. In that case, we create an \u003Cem>assets\u003C/em> folder inside the shot folder. In that folder, we’ll create a folder per asset. No need to add a folder for the asset type.\u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>prod...ing/shots/ep001/se001/sh001/assets/rabbit/animation\nprod...ing/shots/ep001/se001/sh001/assets/rabbit/modeling\n\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Ch4 id=\"file-naming\">File naming\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>It’s better to transcript all the information in the file name too. In some software, only the file name is displayed in the window title. So, it’s better to make it explicit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>asset: \u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>big_buck_bunny_assets_characters_rabbit_modeling.max\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>shot: \u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>big_buck_bunny_ep001_se001_sh001_animation.max\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Cp>asset in shot: \u003C/p>\u003Cpre>\u003Ccode>big_buck_bunny_ep001_se001_sh001_rabbit_animation.max\u003C/code>\u003C/pre>\u003Ch4 id=\"departments-and-specific-file-hierarchy\">Departments and specific file hierarchy\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Some departments may have different ways to deal with files. It can be a good idea to have a different file hierarchy for each department. In that case, make sure to document it properly.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"final-words\">Final words\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>That’s it! With this simple file hierarchy, you should be able to store properly all your files. Which means less headache and less stress for your next productions.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Enforcing a file structure can lead to file duplication and sometimes more processes for your CG artists. You shouldn’t be scared of that. The file structure is part of the communication between people. And in a project, good communication is what matters the most. So it’s better to accept minor drawbacks. You will gain much more inefficiency when looking for the right files.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Even better, it will allow you to develop tools that will be able to work automatically on your file system. Pipeline tooling is mandatory to scale your studio. In later blog posts, we’ll give you ideas on what to build and how to make it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Writing mainly about production management and pipelines doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy looking at beautiful pictures too. If you would like broader topics and curated content about the CG industry in general, you can follow us on \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/cgwirekitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Twitter\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4876,"comment_id":4877,"feature_image":4878,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4879,"updated_at":4880,"custom_excerpt":4881,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4882,"primary_tag":4883,"url":4884,"excerpt":4881,"reading_time":37,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4885,"og_title":4886,"og_description":4881,"twitter_image":4885,"twitter_title":4886,"twitter_description":4881,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4887,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"dd26ae0b-0906-4e0e-a44a-eab9398856fb","7825a163de1e","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-NRDdvzPCpmkgCu17iuO4pQ.jpeg","2017-05-15T23:57:32.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:57:46.000+01:00","File storage is still a big issue for any CG production. The many softwares involved lead to a constellation of files in which it’s hard to…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-a-proposal-for-your-file-hierarchy/","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-NRDdvzPCpmkgCu17iuO4pQ.jpeg","CG Pipeline: A Proposal For Your File Hierarchy","File storage is still a big issue for any CG production. The many softwares involved lead to a constellation of files in which it’s hard to find his way. In a perfect world, you would use a dedicated…","/posts/cg-pipeline-a-proposal-for-your-file-hierarchy",{"title":4871},"cg-pipeline-a-proposal-for-your-file-hierarchy","posts/cg-pipeline-a-proposal-for-your-file-hierarchy",[4893],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"E2GZKE9nqHTFDfbOAHbezsNiyLbqXTEFbqoYgRdL_UA",{"id":4896,"title":4897,"authors":4898,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4900,"meta":4901,"navigation":15,"path":4913,"published_at":4905,"seo":4914,"slug":4915,"stem":4916,"tags":4917,"__hash__":4919,"uuid":4902,"comment_id":4903,"feature_image":4904,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4905,"updated_at":4906,"custom_excerpt":4907,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4908,"primary_tag":4909,"url":4910,"excerpt":4907,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4904,"og_title":4911,"og_description":4907,"twitter_image":4904,"twitter_title":4911,"twitter_description":4907,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4912,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-production-pre-production-production-and-post-production.json","CG Pre-production, Production and Post-production (2026)",[4899],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>The thing to understand about production management is the main steps of a movie production. You probably already know these concepts. But to start our production management blog post series we wanted to properly frame the main stages of a production. In the following, we’ll present each stages briefly and discuss the impacts on the pipeline and production team.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"pre-production\">Pre-production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>This is the time where storyboard and concepts (2D designs for characters, environment, etc.) are made. It’s the time where ideas are tested and artistic R&D is done. It’s a very exciting moment where the project finds its shape.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>The production team is in charge to set the planning and the budget. Production will size the team and start building. Decisions regarding investments in hardwares and new softwares will be decided during that time as well.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For the pipeline team, it’s the moment to adapt the existing tools to the upcoming work. It’s also the opportunity to experiment new in-house or commercial softwares.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"production\">Production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>At this stage, the work is running. There is not much place left for experimentation or improvisation. Most of the bonus time is dedicated to the handle the director’s changes.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For the production team, the main job consists in making sure that all the information are properly communicated, deadlines are well respected and that validation are properly tracked. The hiring process still runs at that time for specific tasks or to reinforce teams\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For the pipeline the priority is maintenance. When there is time left, writing quick and dirty scripts to help CG artists is the priority.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"post-production\">Post-production\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Special effects, cloth and hair simulations are done before the compositing (it requires a lot of computation). Then it’s time to make last improvements and integrate everything together: shot transition, sounds and visual effects. Then, the delivery files are built and the final backups are done. Finally the post mortem of the production can be done!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For the production team it’s the rush. Everything must be ended on schedule. They have to ensure that everything is properly shipped.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>For the pipeline team, if all the scene dependencies were properly tracked, things are quieter. People can spend more time on R&D or improving the tooling. The focus is already on the next production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>That’s all. Hopefully now you have a better picture on the main stages of a CG production and know \u003Ca href=\"https://medium.com/@cgwire/cg-pipeline-series-list-of-the-most-popular-cg-tools-7fb39ff6d062?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\">the main softwares that are being used\u003C/a>, we can go deeper into the details and let you know.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Writing mainly about production management and pipeline doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy looking at beautiful pictures too. If you would like broader topics and curated content about the CG industry in general, you can follow us on \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/cgwirekitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Twitter\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Picture by \u003Ca href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielgm/8505252736/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Gabriel Garcia Marengo\u003C/a>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4902,"comment_id":4903,"feature_image":4904,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4905,"updated_at":4906,"custom_excerpt":4907,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4908,"primary_tag":4909,"url":4910,"excerpt":4907,"reading_time":2242,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":4904,"og_title":4911,"og_description":4907,"twitter_image":4904,"twitter_title":4911,"twitter_description":4907,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4912,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"e16999bb-b039-470b-910d-692b263983af","c4723a62ca1c","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/1200/1-780emq1ujMj9kVohb9d5vQ.jpeg","2017-05-09T00:40:19.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:58:32.000+01:00","The thing to understand about production management is the main steps of a movie production. You probably already know these concepts. But…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-production-pre-production-production-and-post-production/","CG Production: Pre-production, Production and Post-production","The thing to understand about production management is the main steps of a movie production. You probably already know these concepts. But to start our production management blog post series we…","/posts/cg-production-pre-production-production-and-post-production",{"title":4897},"cg-production-pre-production-production-and-post-production","posts/cg-production-pre-production-production-and-post-production",[4918],{"id":223,"name":68,"slug":75,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":72},"W2snaXSD-0DzzRSi0XExj1XopF2Y0D08-BtrOYBRIHs",{"id":4921,"title":4922,"authors":4923,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4925,"meta":4926,"navigation":15,"path":4938,"published_at":4930,"seo":4939,"slug":4940,"stem":4941,"tags":4942,"__hash__":4944,"uuid":4927,"comment_id":4928,"feature_image":4929,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4930,"updated_at":4931,"custom_excerpt":4932,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4933,"primary_tag":4934,"url":4935,"excerpt":4932,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":4936,"og_description":4932,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":4936,"twitter_description":4932,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4937,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:cg-pipeline-series-list-of-the-most-popular-cg-tools.json","Most Popular CG Pipeline Tools (2026)",[4924],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>The softwares involved in a CG production are key components of the project success. Which is why, to be able to evolve in this field, you’d better know them. They are so important that software names has become part of the vocabulary in all the studios. Everyone expect you to understand what they mean when they mention Nuke or V-Ray.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>On top of it all, there are more and more softwares. So if you want to set up a pipeline for your studio, it’s better to know which does what. So to start with our CG pipeline series we decided to list the main softwares available on the market.\u003C/p>\u003Ch4 id=\"generalistic\">Generalistic\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Generalistic tools allow you to perform the main operations required to build a animation movie : modeling, texturing, rigging, animation and rendering. They are the root of the production and will structure all your work\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Maya\u003C/a>: It’s the default choice for the bigger studios. Many artists know how to work with it and its high customisability make it the first choice for complex pipelines.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.autodesk.fr/products/3ds-max/overview?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">3DSMax\u003C/a>: Lots of small shops love 3DS. Its feature list may be less attractive than Maya but it’s a simpler tool. Its plugins are numerous and make incredible work. This is the main reason why small teams are more productive with it.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://blender.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Blender\u003C/a>: It’s a Free and Open Source software. So, it means it doesn’t come with any license fee and is highly customisable. It works great, but the downside is that most artists are not familiar with it and it has less features than its proprietary competitors.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.sidefx.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Houdini\u003C/a>: Houdini is a complete suite but it attracts people mostly for its VFX capabilities. Through a nodal system, it allows to build more complex effects. For other aspects it performs well too. And because of the progress made at each version, it’s considered as a big challenger of Autodesk solutions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.maxon.net/en/products/cinema-4d/overview/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Cinema 4D\u003C/a>: It is one of the simplest tool. It’s great to start with 3D and it works better with very small productions.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"modeling\">\u003Cstrong>Modeling\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Even if most of the modeling is done inside generalistic tools, recently, we saw emerging tools specialized for precise tasks of the modeling process. Here is the list of the most popular of them.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://pixologic.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">ZBrush\u003C/a>: This modeling software allows to build 3D models like you were a sculptor. Be aware that its user interface is particular.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.autodesk.com/products/mudbox/overview?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Mudbox\u003C/a>: It’s the Autodesk equivalent of ZBrush. It may be a little bit less powerful but it offers a better integration with Maya or 3DS Max.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.marvelousdesigner.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Marvelous\u003C/a>: It’s a tool focused on textile. Using tradition fashion design technics; it allows you to create various and realistic clothes.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://3dcoat.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">3DCoat\u003C/a>: It’s a all-in-one tool box to bring your models to the next level through advanced shading and sculpting.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"texturing\">Texturing\u003C/h4>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.foundry.com/products/mari?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Mari\u003C/a>: It has a similar approach as ZBrush but with texturing. It allows to paint textures directly on the 3D model.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.allegorithmic.com/substance?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Substance\u003C/a>: It allows you to build texture in many ways: 3D painting, materials generator and library, and procedural toolset.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"compositing\">Compositing\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>When the images are ready, the cheapest way to adjust and improve them is to work directly on the rendered shots. Another common usage is to include VFX or matte paintings in a traditional movie shot.\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.foundry.com/products/nuke?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Nuke\u003C/a>: Nuke propose a nodal approach of video compositing. It makes it harder to manage but also allows you to create very impressive shots. It is also non-destructive, the original movie is kept intact and can always be changed.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.adobe.com/fr/products/aftereffects.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">After Effects\u003C/a>: After is the Photoshop of video compositing. It can deliver good results quickly but it comes with limitations when you have to deal with complex shots. Beware that his approach is destructive, you lose original information.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/fusion?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Fusion\u003C/a>: Cheaper alternative to Nuke. It has a nodal system too and can provide great results too for modest productions.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"2d\">2D\u003C/h4>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.toonboom.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">ToonBoom\u003C/a> (Storyboard Pro and Harmony): It’s now the standard of the industry to manage story boards. Their animation tools do a great job too.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.adobe.com/fr/products/photoshop.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Photoshop\u003C/a>: No need to introduce you one of the most used software in the digital art industry. In 3D productions, it mostly helps with texturing and matte painting.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.adobe.com/fr/products/animate.html?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Animate CC\u003C/a>: It’s the Flash animation tool from Adobe, modernized and compatible with HTML5.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://tvpaint.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">TVPaint\u003C/a>: A wonderful tool to handle 2D animation. It’s better adapted for hand-drawn animations.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://krita.org/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Krita\u003C/a>: It’s the best open source tool for digital painting. Its popularity is growing fast among the studios.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"rendering\">Rendering\u003C/h4>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.solidangle.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Arnold\u003C/a>: It is considered the best render engine but also as the most expensive.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.vray.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">VRay\u003C/a>: Fast and comes with many capabilities. The drawback is its complexity but fortunately, its large community provides a lot of tutorials.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.autodesk.com/products/mental-ray-standalone/overview?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Mental Ray\u003C/a>: It’s not considered as the best render engine but it has the advantage of being free.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://renderman.pixar.com/view/renderman?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Renderman\u003C/a>: This engine is made by Pixar. It provides great results but requires technical skills to be used at its full potential\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/dev/render/cycles/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Cycles\u003C/a>: It’s the render engine from the Blender foundation. It provides good results while being free and open source.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://guerillarender.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Guerrilla\u003C/a>: Great control over lightning, it is easily customization (lua or python scripting) and comes with a scene builder. Its performances are above the market too.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Lookdev / Scene Assembly\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>You may want to work on the artistic aspect of things before building your shots. Good news, there are tools dedicated to this job!\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/isotropix/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Clarisse\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.foundry.com/products/katana?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Katana\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://guerillarender.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Guerilla\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"render-farm-manager\">Render Farm Manager\u003C/h4>\u003Cp>Once your studio is getting bigger you will need to do more and more intensive rendering. For that a render farm will be mandatory. To manage it and follow the state of your rendering jobs, you will need a dedicated software. Here is the short list of the most reliable:\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://deadline.thinkboxsoftware.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Deadline\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.renderpal.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Render Pal\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.royalrender.de/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Royal Render\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Ch4 id=\"production-management\">Production management\u003C/h4>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://guerillarender.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Shotgun\u003C/a>: It’s the standard of the industry. It fits well with any kind of projects and make the joy of many development team. But this great set of features come with a complexity and need of customisation. It often leads to hiring a dedicated software engineer to integrate it in your pipeline.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ftrack.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Ftrack\u003C/a>: It’s Shotgun’s biggest challenger. It comes with similar features with a more modern interface. It’s simpler but a little bit less flexible than Shotgun.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://nim-labs.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">NIM Labs\u003C/a>: NIM is more focused on the asset management part and the publishing / validation of files. It provides a ready to use scene opener and saver and a simple validation tool.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.toonboom.com/products/producer?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Producer\u003C/a>: it’s dedicated to work with Harmony / Toonboom tool suite. It’s mainly aimed at 2D productions.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"http://cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">Kitsu\u003C/a>: it’s the main tool we develop at CGWire. We focus on simplicity and ease of use. It makes production management accessible to anyone.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>That’s it! This list gives you a quick glimpse of the softwares implied in CG production. If you start your next production from scratch and want to choose your own tools, be aware, than sometimes the best solution is not to take the best software for the task. Using a generalist software can make a smoother pipeline and provide you with a better overall quality. At the end of the day, It really depends of the people and the budget available to you!\u003C/p>\u003Cp>We hope you enjoy that overview. If you think think that a software is missing, please mention it in the comments, we will gladly add it to the list.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>NB: We also maintain a list of Free and Open Source software that you could use in your pipeline, feel free to contribute : \u003Ca href=\"https://github.com/cgwire/awesome-cg-pipeline/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https://github.com/cgwire/awesome-cg-pipeline/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Writing mainly about softwares and pipeline doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy looking at beautiful pictures too. If you would like broader topics and curated content about the CG industry in general, you can follow us on \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/cgwirekitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Twitter\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem>!\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4927,"comment_id":4928,"feature_image":4929,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4930,"updated_at":4931,"custom_excerpt":4932,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4933,"primary_tag":4934,"url":4935,"excerpt":4932,"reading_time":138,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":4936,"og_description":4932,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":4936,"twitter_description":4932,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4937,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"aaf9eeef-fbbc-4089-a5db-1066cba357b6","7fb39ff6d062","https://storage.ghost.io/c/be/86/be86007c-1b95-476e-8b3b-895720c0d138/content/images/max/800/1-xuNUOx_iYm6nbhEtcy0n6w.png","2017-04-24T01:29:45.000+02:00","2026-03-27T10:59:10.000+01:00","The softwares involved in a CG production are key components of the project success. Which is why, to be able to evolve in this field…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":1679,"name":79,"slug":85,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":82},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/cg-pipeline-series-list-of-the-most-popular-cg-tools/","CG Pipeline: List Of The Most Popular CG Tools","The softwares involved in a CG production are key components of the project success. Which is why, to be able to evolve in this field, you’d better know them. They are so important that software…","/posts/cg-pipeline-series-list-of-the-most-popular-cg-tools",{"title":4922},"cg-pipeline-series-list-of-the-most-popular-cg-tools","posts/cg-pipeline-series-list-of-the-most-popular-cg-tools",[4943],{"id":1679,"name":79,"slug":85,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":82},"wItVOtWN9j9E692JYUKk_Pb87LLtEHnTd-KBS6wkvPE",{"id":4946,"title":4947,"authors":4948,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"html":4950,"meta":4951,"navigation":15,"path":4961,"published_at":4954,"seo":4962,"slug":4963,"stem":4964,"tags":4965,"__hash__":4967,"uuid":4952,"comment_id":4953,"feature_image":8,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4954,"updated_at":4955,"custom_excerpt":4956,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4957,"primary_tag":4958,"url":4959,"excerpt":4956,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":4947,"og_description":4956,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":4947,"twitter_description":4956,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4960,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"ghost/posts:facilitating-cg-graphists-to-focus-more-on-the-artistic.json","Facilitating CG Artists To Focus More On The Artistic",[4949],{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},"\u003Cp>CGWire is a new company that allows graphic designers and producers to focus more on the artistic side of their work. We propose software solutions and services to make both your production management and pipeline more efficient. We want to share what we learn throughout our journey, which is the reason behind this blog.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Producers and TDs are the backbone of the CG production. They offer the framework to graphic designers to showcase their artistic realisations. There are already numerous content platform that talks about how to make beautiful pictures. But posts about wiring fabrication steps together with budgeting are rare. Which is why on this blog, we will write about the invisible work of the people behind the scenes of CG production.\u003C/p>\u003Cp>Our content will be divided into three categories :\u003C/p>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>CG Production related content : interviews and best practices on validation tracking, hiring, cost tracking and more.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>CG Pipeline related content : interviews and best practices on setting up a pipeline for a CG production.\u003C/li>\u003Cli>Software development tutorials : how to add more value to your common CG tools by writing scripts.\u003C/li>\u003C/ul>\u003Cp>We hope you will enjoy our mission and we can’t wait to read your comments! If you want to meet us and help us bringing more Production/Pipeline related content, we’ll be glad to talk with you. For that \u003Ca href=\"http://contact@cg-wire.com/?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noopener\">drop us an email!\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Focusing on “behind the scene” doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy looking at beautiful pictures too. If you would like broader topics and curated content about the CG industry in general, you can follow us on \u003C/em>\u003Ca href=\"https://x.com/cgwirekitsu?ref=blog.cg-wire.com\" rel=\"noreferrer\">\u003Cem>Twitter\u003C/em>\u003C/a>\u003Cem> !\u003C/em>\u003C/p>",{"uuid":4952,"comment_id":4953,"feature_image":8,"featured":102,"visibility":11,"created_at":4954,"updated_at":4955,"custom_excerpt":4956,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"custom_template":8,"canonical_url":8,"primary_author":4957,"primary_tag":4958,"url":4959,"excerpt":4956,"reading_time":2983,"access":15,"comments":102,"og_image":8,"og_title":4947,"og_description":4956,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":4947,"twitter_description":4956,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":4960,"email_subject":8,"frontmatter":8,"feature_image_alt":8,"feature_image_caption":8},"4c22f2bb-949c-4fd3-a7a7-4537dc415a7f","aa8f801edf20","2017-04-15T17:32:54.000+02:00","2026-03-26T10:58:57.000+01:00","CGWire is a new company that allows graphic designers and producers to focus more on the artistic side of their work. We propose software…",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154,"profile_image":155,"cover_image":156,"bio":157,"website":158,"location":159,"facebook":8,"twitter":160,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"threads":8,"bluesky":8,"mastodon":8,"tiktok":8,"youtube":8,"instagram":8,"linkedin":8,"url":161},{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"https://blog.cg-wire.com/facilitating-cg-graphists-to-focus-more-on-the-artistic/","CGWire is a new company that allows graphic designers and producers to focus more on the artistic side of their work. We propose software solutions and services to make both your production…","/posts/facilitating-cg-graphists-to-focus-more-on-the-artistic",{"title":4947},"facilitating-cg-graphists-to-focus-more-on-the-artistic","posts/facilitating-cg-graphists-to-focus-more-on-the-artistic",[4966],{"id":136,"name":61,"slug":64,"description":8,"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"url":60},"uud-FdXsF8DUd91olljgerNcFWIdFWWLv42qO6rdpjA",[4969,4973,4977,4981,4985,4989,4993],{"id":6,"title":7,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":4970,"name":7,"navigation":15,"path":16,"seo":4972,"slug":18,"stem":18,"__hash__":19},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":4971,"url":14},{"posts":13},{"description":8},{"id":21,"title":22,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":4974,"name":27,"navigation":15,"path":28,"seo":4976,"slug":30,"stem":30,"__hash__":31},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":4975,"url":26},{"posts":25},{"description":8},{"id":33,"title":34,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":4978,"name":34,"navigation":15,"path":39,"seo":4980,"slug":41,"stem":41,"__hash__":42},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":4979,"url":38},{"posts":37},{"description":8},{"id":44,"title":45,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":4982,"name":49,"navigation":15,"path":50,"seo":4984,"slug":52,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":4983,"url":48},{"posts":13},{"description":8},{"id":55,"title":56,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":4986,"name":61,"navigation":15,"path":62,"seo":4988,"slug":64,"stem":64,"__hash__":65},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":4987,"url":60},{"posts":59},{"description":8},{"id":67,"title":68,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":4990,"name":68,"navigation":15,"path":73,"seo":4992,"slug":75,"stem":75,"__hash__":76},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":4991,"url":72},{"posts":71},{"description":8},{"id":78,"title":79,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":4994,"name":79,"navigation":15,"path":83,"seo":4996,"slug":85,"stem":85,"__hash__":86},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":4995,"url":82},{"posts":37},{"description":8},[4998,5002,5006,5010,5014,5018,5022],{"id":6,"title":7,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":4999,"name":7,"navigation":15,"path":16,"seo":5001,"slug":18,"stem":18,"__hash__":19},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":5000,"url":14},{"posts":13},{"description":8},{"id":21,"title":22,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":5003,"name":27,"navigation":15,"path":28,"seo":5005,"slug":30,"stem":30,"__hash__":31},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":5004,"url":26},{"posts":25},{"description":8},{"id":33,"title":34,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":5007,"name":34,"navigation":15,"path":39,"seo":5009,"slug":41,"stem":41,"__hash__":42},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":5008,"url":38},{"posts":37},{"description":8},{"id":44,"title":45,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":5011,"name":49,"navigation":15,"path":50,"seo":5013,"slug":52,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":5012,"url":48},{"posts":13},{"description":8},{"id":55,"title":56,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":5015,"name":61,"navigation":15,"path":62,"seo":5017,"slug":64,"stem":64,"__hash__":65},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":5016,"url":60},{"posts":59},{"description":8},{"id":67,"title":68,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":5019,"name":68,"navigation":15,"path":73,"seo":5021,"slug":75,"stem":75,"__hash__":76},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":5020,"url":72},{"posts":71},{"description":8},{"id":78,"title":79,"body":8,"description":8,"extension":9,"meta":5023,"name":79,"navigation":15,"path":83,"seo":5025,"slug":85,"stem":85,"__hash__":86},{"feature_image":8,"visibility":11,"og_image":8,"og_title":8,"og_description":8,"twitter_image":8,"twitter_title":8,"twitter_description":8,"meta_title":8,"meta_description":8,"codeinjection_head":8,"codeinjection_foot":8,"canonical_url":8,"accent_color":8,"count":5024,"url":82},{"posts":37},{"description":8},1776340304245]