ENDA Episode 218→ The time when ENDA understood the extension of a project (Part 3)
Yes, you might have more control over the image because everything is built from scratch… but by that same logic, feedback can be far more expensive to address:
Handling production timelines is hard, but it can be even more demanding in animation.
Yes, you might have more control over the image because everything is built from scratch… but by that same logic, feedback can be far more expensive to address:
🔹 If a character’s animation changes, the sequence often needs re-rendering, and lighting and comp may need adjusting too.
🔹 If a set model changes, you may have to redo UVs and shading, then relight, rerender, and recomposite.
🔹 If an FX simulation changes, it needs re-rendering, and comp often has to adapt to the new motion.
So what happens when you have to do all of this with weekly deliveries on an animated series?
The answer: you need awareness of others.
When I worked on animated series, that was the key to finishing on time. It wasn’t about being a genius compositor. It was about being able to work with and communicate with every other department.
Modelling has its own pressures. Texturing has its own constraints. Lighting moves at a different pace than compositing. Understanding those differences and reaching practical agreements is what starts to set you apart and brings you closer to thinking like a Lead.
Technical organisation matters too. When your scripts are clean, you can build templates and save time across repeated tasks.
I remember clearly how those two things, communication and organised scripts, helped me push through client notes that seemed impossible within the time frame. And yet, they got done.
A good reminder that comp isn’t always about the program, it’s about how you manage everything outside the software as well.
The journey continues...
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