ABSTRACT
If you are lucky, you work at a production studio where there is already a tested and reliable tracking system in place. If you have such a jump start, creating new charts or templates to suit your style of working and/or the unique requirements of the project should be expected. If, on the other hand, you don’t have a fully developed system in place, you will have to determine the best approach to getting one set up for your show. When prepping for a project, make sure to allow enough time to sort out this critical element and work with an IT expert and your CG supervisor (if applicable) to determine the best path to follow. As you make your selection, you need to ensure that your
system is flexible and nonlinear. Take into account the basicsthat materials will be revised multiple times and story and editorial changes will affect production dates constantly. Your system will need the capacity to be adaptable, keep detailed records, and easily update information as priorities change throughout the schedule. Building from scratch can be costly, but if that option is available to you, be sure to allot enough time to determine workflow and shot progression through the production pipeline, as programming the process will inevitably take longer than expected. There are also off-the-shelf products that can be licensed and/or used as a template to be tailored for your specific project. It may be that you are responsible for only the pre-production and post-production tracking systems if you have a subcontractor handling the production and therefore you do not need a complex system for that part of the work. In this case, it may make sense to keep your costs down and to create something relatively simple in-house such as the charts offered in this chapter. With that said, be sure to check that your subcontractor has a tracking system in place with the ability to provide you with any necessary data you may require.
