Time - your best friend or enemy: How to deal with deadlines in 3D content production

So, you've made the decision and already know what content you need and, most importantly, why. If not, you can start here. How do you do everything and get the best out of it? I'll say right away that we work in the field of shows and events, so production deadlines are always tight for us. Maybe somewhere, it's not like that, but for us, the absence of "needed it yesterday" is in the realm of fantasy.

Multimedia production, despite progress, is still a laborious process. Delays in the planning and confirmation stages critically steal time for polishing and bringing the content to a shining state. And of course, not all studios (mainly freelancers) are strong in time management, so it's crucial for the client to understand this in order to help themselves cope with stress and for the contractor to do their job on time and in the best possible way.

Perhaps the most common thing is the emotional attachment to the idea. There it is, the idea, shining in your head or looking simply stunning in the presentation. And psychologically, it's challenging to start because (let's be honest) it will never be the same. I don't mean to say it will be bad or of low quality, but it won't look exactly the same or be as emotional. Nothing personal—it's just the laws of psychology.

Another enemy of timeliness is when the decision-maker doesn't understand the production process and believes in its "instantaneous." It's normal not to know the studio's work process—everyone has their own competencies and focus of attention. In this case, a detailed consultation will help you understand what your journey will consist of and what milestones you will pass. Don't be afraid that it will be boring; the process is the same for studios creating blockbusters, cartoons, and your content. So, exciting facts are guaranteed for you. Are you the decision-maker? Great—then you're on the ball and won't allow any unnecessary delays or distractions from the main elements. And if it's your supervisor, you'll need to convey everything necessary to them. In this case, it's a great opportunity to ask the studio to help you with this. Design is not secret technology, and mutual understanding will significantly help in the future. So, the studio is your faithful ally and friend.

Hiccups during the confirmation stages are like sand slipping through your fingers. It seems like nothing is happening, yet time flies by. Confirmation and revisions are stages where delays often occur due to the need to obtain approval from various managers or external organizations. This can happen at any stage—during concept approval, design, or other parts of the project. Why? Differences of opinion, insufficiently discussed details at the start, and distractions of decision-makers.

Another reason for time loss is "trying to be creative": Sometimes problems arise from attempts to make changes or improvements at later stages of production after project parameters have already been approved. This can lead to additional delays and conflicts, especially if changes haven't been agreed upon in advance. Creativity is incredible, and a new idea that comes towards the end of a project is excellent, but let's prioritize—do we want something "perfect" or content that actually works during the show?

To prevent delays both at the launch stage and during production and to effectively manage project time, first and foremost, you need to understand the process of producing show content in general. Unfortunately, I won't be able to explain it here fully. But you can always ask or consult with the studio you're working with or here in the comments.

Participation in group chats, app involvement, frequency of meetings, and the length of briefings are excellent topics to discuss before the project starts. Disagreements on these issues create a complex background and tension that is further complicated by stress and approaching deadlines. Don't forget to discuss what you expect from the materials provided by the studio at each stage and listen to what quality they will deliver. Content creation is a process, and expecting final quality at the early stages is odd.

In short and urgent projects, dailies are an excellent control method—short (I'll probably mention this a couple of times—short, short) meetings where designers show their daily progress. I'll clarify upfront that the designer and the studio won't always have time to package materials nicely for you and render beautiful previews. Very often, it will be a screen capture or a style frame. But you'll see production progress, and your contractor will receive critical feedback and won't stray far from the intended direction. Why short? Because we can all do only one thing at a time. And preparing and participating in dailies means the designer isn't doing their primary work. As they say, brevity is the soul of wit. In our case, it's the wit of effective management.

A little tip—many studios use project management apps. Ask to be added there. Then, you'll be able to easily track task progress without distracting the performers from their primary work.

1. Don't leave the production of your convention to the last minute. The first step is essential, and it's worth not delaying it.
2. When planning the project, rely on the production process that your contractor will tell you about and highlight the most priority and essential parts.
3. Present the plan in a clear timeline. We live in a visual world, so this will be a great bonus for everyone.
4. Work with task lists and priorities. Even using apps like Trello, Asana, and Jira or design-specific ones like FTrack, Cerebro, and Shotgun.
5. Delegate tasks to save time and distribute the workload among team members.
6. Establish transparent workflows: timing, duration, call format, material transfer format, and meeting structure.
7. Set quality standards and clearly define what you expect at each stage of the project.
8. Use dailies (they don't necessarily have to be daily) to track progress.
9. Help contractors save time by setting limits on meetings and communication and strictly adhering to them.

I hope these strategies will be helpful! If you have any additional questions or exciting points, don't hesitate to write. Until next time!