DIGITAL PRODUCTION PIPELINES: EXAMINING STRUCTURES AND METHODS IN THE COMPUTER EFFECTS INDUSTRY A Thesis by DANE EDWARD BETTIS Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE May 2005 Major Subject: Visualization Sciences DIGITAL PRODUCTION PIPELINES: EXAMINING STRUCTURES AND METHODS IN THE COMPUTER EFFECTS INDUSTRY A Thesis by DANE EDWARD BETTIS Submitted to Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Approved as to style and content by: ___________________________________ ______________________________________ Karen Hillier Frederic Parke (Chair of Committee) (Member) __________________ ___________________ Joyce Juntune Phillip Tabb (Member) (Head of Department) May 2005 Major Subject: Visualization Sciences iii ABSTRACT Digital Production Pipelines: Examining Structures and Methods in the Computer Effects Industry. (May 2005) Dane Edward Bettis, B.E.D., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Prof. Karen Hillier Computer animated films require collaboration: blending artistic concept with technical skill, meeting budget constraints and adhering to deadlines. The path which production follows from initial idea to finished product is known as the pipeline. The purpose of this thesis is to collect, study and share information regarding production pipeline practices and to derive a conceptual definition. Research focused on selected companies in the United States which have produced at least one feature-length computer generated film and continue to produce them. The key finding of this thesis is a conceptual definition of digital production pipelines: A digital production pipeline must, by definition, utilize digital computing hardware and software to facilitate human work and collaboration for the overarching purpose of producing content for film. The digital production pipeline is not a structure, but rather a malleable set of components which can be arranged, configured, and adapted into new structures as needed. These malleable components are human groups with assigned task domains, and digital hardware and software systems. The human groups are normally referred to as departments or teams. The digital hardware and software systems are operating systems, software tools and applications, networks, processors, and storage. The digital production pipeline is the synergy of these two types of components into adaptable systems and structures. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to the committee members who oversaw my thesis project. To Committee Chair Professor Karen Hillier, my thanks for her availability to advise me in every aspect of the development of this thesis project, and for her keen advice and constant vigilance to ensure that this paper meets the highest standards of academic writing. I appreciate Dr. Joyce Juntune for teaching me how to use Qualitative Research, and for overseeing my execution of that method and its documentation in my thesis. I would like to thank Dr. Frederic Parke for his suggestions on my thesis concept, his critical insights on my paper, and his recollections of industry history. He also provided important advice about communicating with the computer graphics industry. Kyle Clark contributed significantly, helping me hone my thesis idea and giving me a basic understanding of the industry. I also would like to thank Kyle Clark, Fred Parke, and Beth Hofer for referring me to key individuals in the computer graphics industry. Dave Walvoord helped crystallize my thesis idea by suggesting that I confine my investigation to companies that produce feature-length purely CG animated films. Tim McLaughlin reviewed my interview questions to insure that they were ethically sound for this industry. His advice was invaluable to me. I am uniquely grateful to Dr. Rodney Hill, who allowed me to enter my undergraduate program and provided good counsel, encouragement and help throughout my studies ever since - even directing me to Dr. Juntune as a thesis committee member. Neither of my degrees would have been completed without Dr. Hill's guidance. I am indebted to the Studio and individuals who agreed to be interviewed, especially the decision makers who trusted me and allowed me to conduct my research. This paper and its organizing themes would not have been possible without their kind agreement to participate. Finally, I am grateful to my family for their encouragement and for providing a sounding board for my ideas. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Problem Statement ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background ........................................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 The Two Curtains............................................................................................................................... 9 1.3.1 The Open Curtain...................................................................................................................... 10 2. HISTORY ............................................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 A Brief 'Ancient' History.................................................................................................................. 11 2.1.1 Tron .......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Modern History of the Four Studios................................................................................................. 17 2.2.1 Context for Studio Histories ..................................................................................................... 18 2.2.2 From Tron to Toy Story ............................................................................................................ 19 2.2.3 Toy Story: The First of Its Kind ................................................................................................ 25 2.2.4 From Toy Story to the Present................................................................................................... 25 2.3 Current State of the Companies........................................................................................................ 31 3. METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................................. 32 3.1 Overview of Methodology ............................................................................................................... 32 3.2 Qualitative Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 32 3.2.1 Definitions ................................................................................................................................ 32 3.2.2 Rationale................................................................................................................................... 33 3.2.3 Traditions of Inquiry................................................................................................................. 34 3.3 Methodology in This Paper .............................................................................................................. 35 3.3.1 Verification............................................................................................................................... 36 3.3.2 Summary................................................................................................................................... 37 4. FINDINGS.............................................................................................................................................. 38 4.1 The Closed Curtain........................................................................................................................... 38 4.2 Interviews......................................................................................................................................... 38 4.2.1 Layout #2.................................................................................................................................. 38 4.2.2 Animator #5.............................................................................................................................. 39 4.2.3 Lighter #13................................................................................................................................ 40 4.3 Emergent Themes............................................................................................................................. 41 4.3.1 Theme 1: "Getting the Job Done: Trust & Respect"................................................................. 41 4.3.2 Theme 2: "Moore's War: Computer Time vs. Human Time" ................................................... 42 4.3.3 Theme 3: "Jack of All Trades, Master of One"......................................................................... 42 4.4 Pipeline Models and Processes......................................................................................................... 43 4.4.1 The Traditional Animation Process .........................................................................................