Production
The Role of the Producer During the Production Phase
Production is the stage of the process in which the producer's multi-tasking skills are truly tested. The producer is the glue that holds everything together and, as such, usually works a significant number of hours during the production stage in order to juggle his or her many responsibilities. On most projects, when production ramps up, portions of the show are still in pre-production. The producer needs to be on top of all steps from a budgetary, creative, and technical standpoint in addition to taking care of all of the project's external needs such as marketing and consumer products. The following is the list of elements completed in pre-production that are integral to starting the production phase:
- Finalized art direction
- Character and prop designs
- Location designs
- Rigged and surfaced models and props with test animation complete (3D CGI)
- Textured and surfaced environments (3D CGI)
- The voice track*
- The storyboard*
- The story reel/animatic/leica reel*
- Exposure sheets (TV and DTV only since on features production starts with workbook)
In television series and direct-to-video projects, these items are considered final before the start of production. On features, all items marked above with an asterisk are works in progress. As a storyboard sequence is approved, it enters the production stream. Once it is workbooked and scenes are created, they go through production at a different pace and are frequently altered or, when necessary, deleted. Due to these revisions, the storyboard, story reel, and voice track are rarely final until the picture is locked in preparation for post-production.
Having already created a workable budget, running a production efficiently has a few principal requirements...
...continued in Producing Animation, Chapter 9: Production.
