Welcome to Inside The Pipeline — a behind-the-scenes look at animation production – the messy, invisible, essential work that keeps studios running. This blog is dedicated to helping studios of all sizes build better, smarter, and more sustainable animation pipelines.
🎯 Whether you’re a Pipeline TD, production coordinator, studio owner, or just getting your feet wet in the world of animation production, this blog is for you. We’re here to untangle the mess, demystify the jargon, and help your team thrive.
I’ve worked in production for 20 years, and I started this blog because I couldn’t find a place that talked about the day-to-day reality of keeping a pipeline moving — the scheduling chaos, the tool hacks, the interpersonal problem-solving, and the invisible labor that makes or breaks a project. Through Inside The Pipeline and GridFlow.pro, I want to share practical advice, explain technical topics clearly, and offer creative solutions to real pipeline problems.
This blog is for you if:
✅ You work in production and want to get better at it
✅ You love tools, workflows, and solving weird problems with people
✅ You’re curious how pipelines work (or break)
Here’s what you can expect:
💡 Practical production insights — lessons learned, tools that help, systems that slap
🧰 Tutorials and tips — from ShotGrid basics to studio culture
🤔 Pipeline philosophy and best practices — the “why” behind the “how”
🛠️ Custom utilities, scripts, and workflows — real-world system implementation
🤯 Anecdotes & mistakes — because sometimes things go sideways, and that’s worth sharing too
I want this to be a place for real talk about production — what works, what doesn’t, and how we can do better without losing our minds. I’ll be starting with beginner- and intermediate-friendly content, growing into more advanced material over time. While a lot of this blog will focus on Flow Production Tracking / ShotGrid, you’ll also see posts about other systems (fTrack, Kitsu, etc.), review tools, DCC integrations, studio operations, and more.
👇 New here? Try one of these to start:
🚀 This blog is also the beginning of my consulting work — so if you’re looking to level up your studio’s pipeline, you’re in the right place. If you’re interested, please reach out.
Thanks for being here. If you want to stay in the loop, make sure to subscribe to the newsletter and follow along on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
