Crafting An Animation Production Pipeline: A Quick Reference Guide

 

 

Tired of needing a more transparent workflow when it comes to making animations? 

Whether you’re new to animation or a seasoned pro, having a reliable system helps streamline your workflow and completes projects quickly and efficiently without sacrificing quality. 

Well, it’s no secret that creating a successful animation production requires an effective pipeline. By following the process and working with an experienced animation maker, you can create high-quality animations that engage and entertain the audience.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the steps from pre-production to post-production involved in creating an animation pipeline. So let’s dive right into creating an effective animation pipeline!

Crafting an animation production pipeline

Typically, an animation pipeline details the plan and process of delivering inspiring animated content from start to finish with maximum efficacy. 

Generally, this is broken down into three stages of production: pre-production, production, and post-production pipelines.

Animation pre-production pipeline

Pre-production is a vital component of the animation process and should be given great attention, specifically with regard to client input. As this stage is prior to actual animation, they must have enough opportunity to express their ideas.

• Concept development

After the production team works with the client to fill out their initial briefing, research is conducted by the group to construct a concept for the future masterpiece. This concept outlines the goal of your video and details how it will look upon completion. Also, it serves as the basis for your final product’s central narrative.

• Mood board development

Mood boards effectively give clients a clear visual representation of the style and “mood” they can expect from the project. In addition, the collection of references, visuals, illustrations, fonts, and more provides them with insight into how each component will work together to create the final video concept.

• Scenario production

Creating a compelling scenario is a crucial step in any animation production. It consists of a script, visual references, and the voiceover that brings it all together. 

In addition, the client or studio can develop the script, while examples should accompany visuals for easier comprehension.

• Storyboarding

Every action and the in-video event are initially represented through successive illustration sketches. To begin with, a rough storyboard is created so the client can evaluate it faster and provide feedback or necessary revisions, if any are needed. 

Ultimately, the finalised version of the storyboard consists of all elements considered, alongside visual descriptions and their appropriate voiceover text for each frame.

• Animatic & sound

Following the completion of the storyboards, they are compiled into an animatic. To ensure that timing is accurate, music, voiceovers, and sound effects will be included at this stage.

• Character development & style-framing

During this phase, the production team begins to craft the business video characters, defining their appearance, emotions, and interactions with their environment. 

Additionally, character development can occur simultaneously with the style-framing stage; each character and background gets drawn out in full detail and coloured right away before being eventually added to the final shot of any video.

Animation production pipeline

• Illustration

Upon completion of the pre-production phase, it’s time for the artists to begin illustrating all characters, objects, and backgrounds according to the storyboard and style frame that was previously agreed upon. Moreover, they also create illustrations fit for further animation.

• Voiceover casting & recording

At this point, the video agency selects the actor with a voice that matches the project’s narrative and will captivate viewers on their journey through the video. This vocal support is as important as the visual elements in crafting a successful production.

• Animation

Crafting animated characters and objects, along with shot transitions, is the most challenging aspect of video production. Here, animation makers must guarantee the visual movements on-screen accurately portray the desired story and atmosphere.

Animation post-production pipeline

• Creating and adding sound effects and tracks

Concluding the animation production process, sound designers carefully craft and record their own music or find appropriate stock tracks that generate mixes. Furthermore, they blend voiceover with sound effects that bring life to any project.

• Rendering

The production team perfectly renders the final video, guaranteeing no bugs in sight. Additionally, they ensure source files remain available for future use.

Now that you understand the three stages of creating an animation production pipeline, you can start planning your own process. With a little bit of planning, you can create animations that will amaze your clients and help your business succeed.