PART 5: PRODUCTION, COMPOSITING AND COLOUR AT ANIMAL LOGIC

Our final behind-the-scenes breakdown of life at Animal Logic focuses on the production side of animation and VFX at the studio, along with compositing and colour grading

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Well, we’ve reached the end of our special deep dive into Animal Logic. For this final insight, 3D World gets the lowdown on production and what that vital role plays in managing so many visual effects and animation projects. Plus, we look at how the studio has a unique way of handling the compositing and colour grading process in its film work.

PRODUCTION FOCUS

We might all be familiar with what it means to model characters or complete shots, but what does ‘production’ mean, in the context of visual effects and animation? The production team’s role is in the creation, support and devising of strategic plans towards the completion of a particular project.

“We create plans and schedules based on initial assumptions,” outlines Sydney production manager Sean McAlear. “We support the execution of the production and give leadership to the rest of the production team, take on advice of the creative leadership and ultimately, we revise our initial plans and schedules as the creative evolves. The key is being willing and able to acknowledge an idea that will make the film better, but result in a complete rework of the schedule to accommodate it, and being excited about the challenge.”

A typical day in production at Animal Logic tends to involve many different aspects. It might include pulling the latest shot data for internal and client reporting and adjusting crew and completion schedules based on availability and budget. There’s also a heavy management side to a day in production, as Sydney’s production manager Hannah Roberson attests.