Research notes, The art of CG supervision, Isa Alsup: http://cgsupervisor.blogspot.com/
First Half:
To the CG supervisor: it is essential that you understand the paradigms of the tools your shop uses.
Defining a pipeline
Dimensions of CG pipeline - “How a CG supervisor manages these three dimensions of the pipeline is key to it’s success” - a successful (production) pipeline needs all three.
Personnel - skills in the relevant area, Maslows hierarchy
Tools - working hardware, effective software
Procedure - Defined, clear direction and production specifications
A pipeline is not a work flow
Work flow - one persons work
Pipeline - several persons work
analogy - work flow = word
pipeline = sentence
Pipelines defined by Dane Edward Bettis in his 2005 masters thesis “Digital production pipelines: examining structures and methods in the computer effects industry”
“A digital production pipeline must, by definition, utilize digital computing hardware and software to facilitate human work and collaboration for the overarching purpose of producing content for film. A digital production pipeline is not defined by its structure; its structure is merely a manifestation of its influences. Ideally, chief among these influences should be the needs of the film, the values of the studio, the strengths of their manpower, and the software/hardware legacy of the studio. “
“A digital production pipeline is not a permanent structure, but rather a malleable set of components which can be arranged, configured, and adapted into new structures as needed. These malleable components are human groups with assigned task domains and computer systems to support them. The human groups are normally referred to as departments or teams. The digital systems are operating systems, software tools and applications, networks, processors, and storage. The digital production pipeline is the synergy of these two types of components into adaptable systems and structures for the purpose of producing a film.”
Isa Alsup’s definition of CG pipelines:
Classes of CG pipeline:
Production - the practical work
Crew (sometimes supervisors)
Graphics software, utilities
“the sequential movement of a shot through the hands of
Material - progress management of all shots
(not necessary but advisable)
Coordinators
asset management software or file systems and structural conventions
logging and documentation system (keeping track of what comes in, goes out and
“provides a mechanism for the flow of data in and out of
Approval - series of people a shot has to pass before moving on
(not necessary but advisable)
Supervisors
Collaboration tools, Project management software, spreadsheets, databases
Schematic relationship of three classes of pipelines. Large dots and ovals represent workers or automated tasks. Diagram illustrates that each pipeline has it's own project lifespan separate from others and own personnel. Yet personnel and automata in each pipeline may from time to time interact with the other pipelines' personnel and information. Diagram does not reflect the sale cycle, but rather assumes production begins with receipt of materials and initial direction and ends with delivery of materials. Note that the Approval Pipeline's functional property of being an information firewall between externally received direction and staff is also not illustrated. Pipeline interaction timing and frequency is merely suggestive.
The elements within each of these three types of pipeline
Personnel:
“comprises the artists and technicians and their skills
Tools:
“which comprises the computer hardware, film recorders,
Procedure:
“comprises the workplace policies, procedures, methods,
first example
low budget and flexibility
1. the production pipeline: the labor processes and steps
eg, small general team for a tv series production. first sage: 3d unit. second stage compositing unit. generalists with some strengths in certain areas. (strong modeller, strong dynamics artist)
2. the material pipeline: the data assets acquired, produced and delivered
Notes on each shot / piece. Spreadsheet with a list of shots noting wither they had been finished by the first stage. wither the second stage had picked them up. if they were completed...
reusable 3d asset library (managed by a modeller) 2d asset library (managed by comp guys)
3. the approval pipeline: the direction and redirection mechanism and loop
Notes on each shot by each supervisor...???
second example
1 Production pipeline
storyboarding, design, character modeling, character rigging, texture UV layout, texture painting, researchers, lighting and shaders, roto, wire removal, cleanup and tracking; specialists in modeling, animation, characters and dynamics; specialists in scripting and special programming needs; specialists in data management and film outs; specialists in green screen extraction, 2d tracking and generalist compositors and 3d animators
2 Data pipeline
Tell a coordinator where things are
3 Approval pipeline
Dailies
The Tools
“Most 3d applications today are more or less procedural, using a node basis. The origin of nodes lies in C++, which introduced the idea of objects that can contain data and methods. "Methods" means a procedure or function that can operate on the data item. An early form of nodes are simple data procedures called pipes, they are io mechanisms that allow programmers to stream data from one program to another without writing a file”
node-based compositing systems
Shake
Nuke
Eddie
Fusion
Ice
Composer
Maya
Houdini (highly procedural)
Non Node
After effects
most paint software
???
Softimage
flame (autodesk)
luster (autodesk)
real flow (next limit)
Combustion (autodesk)
Mental Images' Mental Ray
Eyeon's Digital Ftision
(this also doubles as a list of software it would be wise to be aware of)
“Not all programs in use today are node based, but because C++ is the most common language for major programming projects, the underlying code usually resolves into object methods”
Forms of pipeline design (elements that influence it’s design)
Specialization by skill / labour - the most common, people work in their specialt
Specialization by technology - the pipelines stages are the tools it moves through. Maya, Houdini, After effects.
Specialization by style - Fully animated, Believable effects, 2d, 3d, corporate, kids
Specialization by “project orientated generalization” - using generalists to prepare for unknowen demands
“The best form of CG production pipeline is the one that can best
Size of (production) pipeline
one artist - Work flow
two artists - The split is usually between modelling (including skinning and rigging) and everything Else
three or more, divisions will depend on skill sets / requirements for the job
Rigging, skinning
Shaders, texturing, lighting, rigging, particle dynamics, water dynamics, cloud dynamics.
Key extraction, rotoscope, cleanup, wire removal, rough or layouts, final effects.
Personnel
Recruitment - company location
Young graduates living close in dense centers
Older experienced workers commuting from quiet suburbs
Companies are hiring younger less experienced workers for cheaper labour but with reduction in pipeline efficiency.
Outsourcing will deplete the skilled labour pool.
Labour issues for a VFX shop
Aim: Keep costs low + productivity high
Boutiques - Freelancers working from home
Studios - outsource labour intensive work abroad.
VFX supervsor is like the captain of the ship
CG supervisor is his first mate
analogy by Stuart Robertson
Communication through the production staff
Isa recommended twitter - except setting up an extra account for every job you go through could become tedious and annoying. Setting up a privet group (if possble) would work better.
Alternative: cotweet, recommended by Torey Avarez to Isa’s Linked in group
This moves onto collaborative documentation.
Use a database with files. - archaic
Google docs - free!
File maker pro
Defining a pipeline
Dimensions of CG pipeline - “How a CG supervisor manages these three dimensions of the pipeline is key to it’s success” - a successful (production) pipeline needs all three.
Personnel - skills in the relevant area, Maslows hierarchy
Tools - working hardware, effective software
Procedure - Defined, clear direction and production specifications
A pipeline is not a work flow
Work flow - one persons work
Pipeline - several persons work
analogy - work flow = word
pipeline = sentence
Pipelines defined by Dane Edward Bettis in his 2005 masters thesis “Digital production pipelines: examining structures and methods in the computer effects industry”
“A digital production pipeline must, by definition, utilize digital computing hardware and software to facilitate human work and collaboration for the overarching purpose of producing content for film. A digital production pipeline is not defined by its structure; its structure is merely a manifestation of its influences. Ideally, chief among these influences should be the needs of the film, the values of the studio, the strengths of their manpower, and the software/hardware legacy of the studio. “
“A digital production pipeline is not a permanent structure, but rather a malleable set of components which can be arranged, configured, and adapted into new structures as needed. These malleable components are human groups with assigned task domains and computer systems to support them. The human groups are normally referred to as departments or teams. The digital systems are operating systems, software tools and applications, networks, processors, and storage. The digital production pipeline is the synergy of these two types of components into adaptable systems and structures for the purpose of producing a film.”
Isa Alsup’s definition of CG pipelines:
- A VFX pipeline belongs to one of three classes:
- production (task) primary
- material (data) secondary
- approval (meta-data) tertiary
- A VFX pipeline is comprised of four structural dimensions:
- leadership
- personnel
- tools
- methods
- A VFX pipeline utilizes technology but is not the technology
- A VFX pipeline divides a work-flow into separate and meaningful tasks assigned to two or more persons
- A VFX pipeline tasks divisions are determined using a tree of specialization across the three dimensions
- The VFX pipeline structural form is dictated by
- the functional mission,
- resources available and
- company culture
- A VFX pipeline is malleable
Classes of CG pipeline:
Production - the practical work
Crew (sometimes supervisors)
Graphics software, utilities
“the sequential movement of a shot through the hands of
artists and technicians who produce elements and
refinements leading to a finished product”
Material - progress management of all shots
(not necessary but advisable)
Coordinators
asset management software or file systems and structural conventions
logging and documentation system (keeping track of what comes in, goes out and
hopefully what we still have)
“provides a mechanism for the flow of data in and out of
the production pipeline, the flow of data between artists
and technicians and the archival and retrieval of reusable
assets”
Approval - series of people a shot has to pass before moving on
(not necessary but advisable)
Supervisors
Collaboration tools, Project management software, spreadsheets, databases
“provides interfaces, a historical record and regulates the
process of giving direction, clarifying direction and securing
approval for the work done in the production pipeline”
Schematic relationship of three classes of pipelines. Large dots and ovals represent workers or automated tasks. Diagram illustrates that each pipeline has it's own project lifespan separate from others and own personnel. Yet personnel and automata in each pipeline may from time to time interact with the other pipelines' personnel and information. Diagram does not reflect the sale cycle, but rather assumes production begins with receipt of materials and initial direction and ends with delivery of materials. Note that the Approval Pipeline's functional property of being an information firewall between externally received direction and staff is also not illustrated. Pipeline interaction timing and frequency is merely suggestive.
The elements within each of these three types of pipeline
Personnel:
“comprises the artists and technicians and their skills
“and personalities
Tools:
“which comprises the computer hardware, film recorders,
scanners, and other devices together with the software
needed to operate them and any other workplace tools,
equipment and furniture and facilities --automation and
"robots" are tools”
Procedure:
“comprises the workplace policies, procedures, methods,
proprietary techniques, and so forth and embraces the
company's corporate culture”
first example
low budget and flexibility
1. the production pipeline: the labor processes and steps
eg, small general team for a tv series production. first sage: 3d unit. second stage compositing unit. generalists with some strengths in certain areas. (strong modeller, strong dynamics artist)
2. the material pipeline: the data assets acquired, produced and delivered
Notes on each shot / piece. Spreadsheet with a list of shots noting wither they had been finished by the first stage. wither the second stage had picked them up. if they were completed...
reusable 3d asset library (managed by a modeller) 2d asset library (managed by comp guys)
3. the approval pipeline: the direction and redirection mechanism and loop
Notes on each shot by each supervisor...???
second example
1 Production pipeline
storyboarding, design, character modeling, character rigging, texture UV layout, texture painting, researchers, lighting and shaders, roto, wire removal, cleanup and tracking; specialists in modeling, animation, characters and dynamics; specialists in scripting and special programming needs; specialists in data management and film outs; specialists in green screen extraction, 2d tracking and generalist compositors and 3d animators
2 Data pipeline
Tell a coordinator where things are
3 Approval pipeline
Dailies
The Tools
“Most 3d applications today are more or less procedural, using a node basis. The origin of nodes lies in C++, which introduced the idea of objects that can contain data and methods. "Methods" means a procedure or function that can operate on the data item. An early form of nodes are simple data procedures called pipes, they are io mechanisms that allow programmers to stream data from one program to another without writing a file”
node-based compositing systems
Shake
Nuke
Eddie
Fusion
Ice
Composer
Maya
Houdini (highly procedural)
Non Node
After effects
most paint software
???
Softimage
flame (autodesk)
luster (autodesk)
real flow (next limit)
Combustion (autodesk)
Mental Images' Mental Ray
Eyeon's Digital Ftision
(this also doubles as a list of software it would be wise to be aware of)
“Not all programs in use today are node based, but because C++ is the most common language for major programming projects, the underlying code usually resolves into object methods”
Forms of pipeline design (elements that influence it’s design)
Specialization by skill / labour - the most common, people work in their specialt
Specialization by technology - the pipelines stages are the tools it moves through. Maya, Houdini, After effects.
Specialization by style - Fully animated, Believable effects, 2d, 3d, corporate, kids
Specialization by “project orientated generalization” - using generalists to prepare for unknowen demands
“The best form of CG production pipeline is the one that can best
fulfill the production mission with the lowest investment in new
personnel tools and procedures”
Size of (production) pipeline
one artist - Work flow
two artists - The split is usually between modelling (including skinning and rigging) and everything Else
three or more, divisions will depend on skill sets / requirements for the job
Rigging, skinning
Shaders, texturing, lighting, rigging, particle dynamics, water dynamics, cloud dynamics.
Key extraction, rotoscope, cleanup, wire removal, rough or layouts, final effects.
Personnel
Recruitment - company location
Young graduates living close in dense centers
Older experienced workers commuting from quiet suburbs
Companies are hiring younger less experienced workers for cheaper labour but with reduction in pipeline efficiency.
Outsourcing will deplete the skilled labour pool.
Labour issues for a VFX shop
Aim: Keep costs low + productivity high
Boutiques - Freelancers working from home
Studios - outsource labour intensive work abroad.
VFX supervsor is like the captain of the ship
CG supervisor is his first mate
analogy by Stuart Robertson
Communication through the production staff
Isa recommended twitter - except setting up an extra account for every job you go through could become tedious and annoying. Setting up a privet group (if possble) would work better.
Alternative: cotweet, recommended by Torey Avarez to Isa’s Linked in group
This moves onto collaborative documentation.
Use a database with files. - archaic
Google docs - free!
File maker pro
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