A central tool in most VFX or animation studios is a database to track and review shots. Many, like Animal Logic, use Autodesk’s Shotgun. “We use Shotgun as the central hub for all of our versioning, reviews and production tracking,” says Sydney’s production manager Sean McAlear.
“We have a robust pipeline, with many inputs, all of which intertwine and drive automation based on ‘events’ that occur throughout the life of a shot or asset in a department. For example, if the status of a task changes to approved, a render will be generated and a version of the source files can be ‘delivered’ to another department.”
“It is also great for artists,” he continues, “as we can condense a wide range of information into a single view, which keeps artists focused on creative tasks and not trying to dig up notes from last week’s review. Which means more time is spent iterating instead of administrating. Shotgun allows us to connect the dots on all of these technical and creative data points to make sense of where we are, and where we’re going.”