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Pipeline vs. Movie Manufacturing

Writer's picture: Tom MikotaTom Mikota


Why I Prefer “Movie Manufacturing” Over “Pipeline”

I’m a pipeline developer. Or, more precisely, I run a consulting company that helps animation and VFX studios streamline their operations. We map out workflows, create custom tools, and deliver complete pipelines for making animated films in Unreal Engine and other digital content creation platforms.


But here’s the thing: I don’t like the word “Pipeline.” It’s a vague, catch-all term that means everything and nothing at the same time.


Instead, I think of what I do as “Movie Manufacturing.” And honestly, I take pride in that. Here’s why:


The Real Problem Studios Face


I want studios to be profitable. I want artists to do what they love and still get home on time. But here’s the reality of most studios today:

  • 70% of studio revenue goes to artist salaries.

  • 80% of artist time is spent doing non-creative tasks, like finding files.


Think about that. 56% of studio revenue is wasted on inefficiencies. That’s not art—it’s chaos. It’s like running a manufacturing plant that hasn’t yet discovered the assembly line.


To fix this, we need to think like manufacturers.



Lessons from Manufacturing


When I finished supervising and building the pipeline for the Look Dev and Textures Department at Weta Digital on Avatar, I dove deep into lean manufacturing. I studied how Toyota revolutionized the automotive industry by out-manufacturing everyone else.

Manufacturing has clear terminology for its tools and processes, like:

  • Hand Tool

  • Power Tool

  • Machine Tool

  • Assembly Line

  • Factory

  • Delivery Truck

  • Supply Chain


Each of these terms is simple, specific, and easy to understand—even for someone outside the industry.


Contrast that with the film industry. We use the word “Pipeline” for everything:

  • Pipeline = Hand Tool

  • Pipeline = Power Tool

  • Pipeline = Machine Tool

  • Pipeline = Assembly Line

  • Pipeline = Factory

  • Pipeline = Delivery Truck

  • Pipeline = Supply Chain


It’s no wonder studios struggle to hire the right people or explain their needs. Pipeline is too broad to be useful.



Studios Are Factories

Studios are essentially factories. Each department—whether internal or outsourced—operates like a standalone factory. They:

  1. Ingest inputs from other departments.

  2. Process those inputs through an internal “assembly line.”

  3. Output deliverables for downstream departments.


Inside each department, there’s a predictable workflow:

  • Start

  • Build

  • Create Art

  • Render

  • Review

  • Refresh

  • Publish


This isn’t an abstract concept; it’s reality. For example, the rise of outsourcing means studios often send specific tasks like rotoscoping, character modeling, or compositing to external “factories.” These factories handle everything a standalone studio department does.



The Vocabulary Problem

Here’s where the word “Pipeline” fails us:

  • There are over 30 separate systems required to build the backend of a studio

    • Most studios don’t even know they need these systems, let alone how to hire the right person to build them..

  • There are dozens of different software packages - each one requires about 3 years of expertise to really understand how to write code for them.

  • There are over 20 departments in a studio - even if they use the same software the way they use it is completely different.


I’ve been focused on pipelines for over 20 years, yet it wasn’t until recently that I cataloged these systems. Why? Because the word “Pipeline” doesn’t encourage us to think about the complexity—it oversimplifies it.

I’ve seen studios hire the wrong pipeline TD time and time again because “Pipeline” sounds deceptively simple. It’s not.



Why “Movie Manufacturing” Matters

I call it “Movie Manufacturing” because it reflects the structure and discipline required to make studios profitable and sustainable.

It’s about turning chaos into order, inefficiencies into automation, and overworked artists into inspired creators.


I don’t necessarily expect the term to catch on, but I’ll keep refining how I talk about this work.


Because until we address this vocabulary gap, studios will continue to waste millions—and artists will continue to burn out.



Does your studio feel more like chaos than art? Let’s fix that together.


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