CG Production Principles: Keeping Your Money On The Screen & Off The Floor
Full Conference 
One-Day Full Conference
Thursday, 11 December, 13:45 - 15:30
Room 312
Level: Intermediate
Are you satisfied with your production relationships, communication, adaptation, and high-quality delivery? Animation-industry veteran Kevin Geiger helps you analyse these questions with his unique organizational insight and signature presentation style. You will never look at your pipeline or your studio the same way again.
How much of your money makes it onto the screen? Got a leaky pipeline? Is your workflow trickling? Does your team approach work like a film, or like a science project? Can you roll with last-minute story changes? What economies of scale do you employ?
The global animation industry is as competitive as ever, with merciless markets, unforgiving audiences, and leaner profit margins. Yet independent and major productions alike seem content to burn through money (and people) as though they have resources to spare. This sort of waste is so pervasive in our industry that it is routinely acknowledged with a winking "you-know-how-production-is" acceptance. This attitude is not only irresponsible, it is also unsustainable. And it is easily addressed through insightful, considerate, and fearless assessment and action.
This course begins with an examination of the human factors and organizational considerations that are the foundation of all production (dys)function. Next, it covers workflow considerations and strategies, establishment (and erosion) of balance, common heuristic assumptions and errors, and the importance of clarity and adaptation within the studio environment. A series of "Golden Rules" for production leads into the characteristics of a balanced pipeline, an overview of a robust non-linear production pipeline, and specific departmental examples. Finally, the course reviews asset management with an eye toward organisation, flexibility, and transparency. The presentation concludes with a micro/macro view of the production paradigm, and the synergistic orchestration of these parts into a transcendent whole.
Prerequisites
A working understanding of CG production processes and terminology.
Intended Audience
Artists, supervisors, managers, producers, and executives.
Instructor
Kevin Geiger
Animation Options LLC
Instructor Bio
Kevin Geiger has extensive experience in the animation and effects industry, including more than 10 years with Walt Disney Feature Animation, where as CG Supervisor on "Chicken Little" he and his team created a comprehensive CGI pipeline from scratch and set a new standard for cartoony 3D character animation. As president and CEO of Animation Options LLC, director of the non-profit Animation Co-op, and frequent international speaker, Kevin Geiger is a well-regarded source of information and support within the global animation community.
