Production Pipeline

 As my idea has changed a lot, the ideas and project were still very jumbled in my head and I did not feel that I had a clear idea of what I was doing to even understand it myself never mind describing it to someone else. In order to get my ideas for this project in order and start to create an action plan and structure for myself,  I decided to create a production pipeline that would include all the stages I need to take to complete my new idea. 

I researched animation production pipelines and I came across one produced by Pixar

(Stories | Pixar's USD Pipeline, 2022).

Their style document was clear and easy to understand, to help me get the idea straight in my head I decided to create my own pipeline using pixar's style.

This helped me see all the stages that I needed to complete for my own project, in a clear visual way. This helped me considerably and it was once I created this that I began to understand my own project much more clearly. From here I broke the stages down further to see what I needed to complete at each stage, this will help me with timing and to understand the aims of each stage.

As I will now be creating a pitch bible style document instead of a research proposal, I wanted a visual way of presenting my production pipeline. As the pipeline I had made was only a way of getting the structure organised and out of my head, I had used the Pixar layout very closely when creating it, I don't want to include a copy of someone else's work in my pitch bible, I  needed to think of a way I could present my pipeline that was unique and relevant to my work and ideas. 

I first thought I could do a game style layout

But I realised this didn't really fit the stop motion and VR area of animation nore did it fit the fantasy style that I had started to decide my puppets would be based within. Using the idea of having the puppets and characters I would be making based on fantasy I decided that this would be the best aesthetic to use. 

I read and watch a lot of fantasy and the first thing that came to mind when I thought of this was a map. I thought that using a map would fit the style I was aiming for and would also create a nice visual path to follow the production stages. I first drafted up a layout for the map using a free ‘Old Paper Texture’ (Maps) and Lab, 2022) and then added some rough details.

After this I outlined and painted that map in adding some details that commonly feature on maps, such as mountains, trees and rivers.

I then added ,y production schedule to this layout and added a red dotted line to direct the eye.

For the breakdown I added points and using a smaller font wrote down some of the stages. I did this so that the final map has the details for each production stage, but so that at a glance the pipeline still looks like a map and the points just look like location names. 

This is my finished map so far, I think it does need a bit more refining before it goes in the production log, such as the breakdown points having detail if they look more like locations. I also need to make the start point clearer. But overall I think this visually represents my production pipeline and fits the theme and idea I am aiming for. I don't think it is as clear as the Pixar style one, but it definitely fits my idea better, which as I need a visual representation of my pipeline to go in the pitch bible is better. 

Renderman.pixar.com. 2022. Stories | Pixar's USD Pipeline. [online] Available at: <https://renderman.pixar.com/stories/pixars-usd-pipeline> [Accessed 11 February 2022].

(Maps), K. and Lab, S., 2022. Kraft Dirty Paper Texture + (Maps). [online] Texturise.club. Available at: <http://www.texturise.club/2014/05/kraft-dirty-paper-texture-maps.html> [Accessed 11 February 2022].