Customer story
Cloth Cat's Pipeline Triumph with Ynput & AYON
Cloth Cat, a leading creative services company based in Cardiff, Wales, has made significant strides in the animation and game development industry. With a strong reputation built over a decade, they have become a trusted global provider of exceptional 2D and 3D animation content. Guided by the expertise of Managing Director Jon Rennie, Cloth Cat has earned accolades for their work on high-profile projects, such as an Emmy nomination for Luo Bao Bei, as well as a BAFTA award for Ha Ha Hairies captivating audiences across multiple platforms.
In this interview, gain valuable insights into their adoption of AYON for their animation pipeline. Discover the practical benefits and strategic considerations that have propelled Cloth Cat to new heights in their quest for operational excellence.
Read on as we explore their journey and gain valuable perspectives from industry professionals:
How did you discover AYON? Has Cloth Cat previously used any similar tools?
Funny story, Milan actually used to work for me years ago when he was in university. We collaborated on a project called Ha Ha Hairies, and he helped us with early pipeline work and our transition to ftrack. We kept in touch even after he left for Prague. During a holiday in Prague, we met up, and Milan shared his passion for pipeline work and his plans for Ynput.
That’s when our journey with Ynput began. We’ve been with them since the early days. Our animation pipeline is somewhat unique, as we were among the first animation clients for Ynput. Milan had mostly been working with visual effects-based projects, which have a different workflow and pipeline requirements.
Animation involves a lot of work on numerous shots, especially with series consisting of 52 episodes, each with around 150 shots. We needed a pipeline that could handle the scale and volume of our work.
We had tried various pipelines before, but none were entirely satisfactory, especially in terms of integration. It was always a struggle to make them work seamlessly. The problem was that we often ended up discovering and refining our pipeline while production was already underway, instead of having it in place from the start.
Milan offered us a pipeline solution that was already established and used by other studios. This common pipeline approach was exactly what we needed to streamline our production process and ensure consistency. With AYON, we can have confidence that when we start a project, the pipeline will function properly right from the beginning.
Funny story, Milan actually used to work for me years ago when he was in university. We collaborated on a project called Ha Ha Hairies, and he helped us with early pipeline work and our transition to ftrack. We kept in touch even after he left for Prague. During a holiday in Prague, we met up, and Milan shared his passion for pipeline work and his plans for Ynput.
That’s when our journey with Ynput began. We’ve been with them since the early days. Our animation pipeline is somewhat unique, as we were among the first animation clients for Ynput. Milan had mostly been working with visual effects-based projects, which have a different workflow and pipeline requirements.
Animation involves a lot of work on numerous shots, especially with series consisting of 52 episodes, each with around 150 shots. We needed a pipeline that could handle the scale and volume of our work.
We had tried various pipelines before, but none were entirely satisfactory, especially in terms of integration. It was always a struggle to make them work seamlessly. The problem was that we often ended up discovering and refining our pipeline while production was already underway, instead of having it in place from the start.
Milan offered us a pipeline solution that was already established and used by other studios. This common pipeline approach was exactly what we needed to streamline our production process and ensure consistency. With AYON, we can have confidence that when we start a project, the pipeline will function properly right from the beginning.
Funny story, Milan actually used to work for me years ago when he was in university. We collaborated on a project called Ha Ha Hairies, and he helped us with early pipeline work and our transition to ftrack. We kept in touch even after he left for Prague. During a holiday in Prague, we met up, and Milan shared his passion for pipeline work and his plans for Ynput.
That’s when our journey with Ynput began. We’ve been with them since the early days. Our animation pipeline is somewhat unique, as we were among the first animation clients for Ynput. Milan had mostly been working with visual effects-based projects, which have a different workflow and pipeline requirements.
Animation involves a lot of work on numerous shots, especially with series consisting of 52 episodes, each with around 150 shots. We needed a pipeline that could handle the scale and volume of our work.
We had tried various pipelines before, but none were entirely satisfactory, especially in terms of integration. It was always a struggle to make them work seamlessly. The problem was that we often ended up discovering and refining our pipeline while production was already underway, instead of having it in place from the start.
Milan offered us a pipeline solution that was already established and used by other studios. This common pipeline approach was exactly what we needed to streamline our production process and ensure consistency. With AYON, we can have confidence that when we start a project, the pipeline will function properly right from the beginning.
How has Ynput assisted you and what factors led to your decision to use AYON?
AYON helps us in several ways, and that’s why we use it. One of the key benefits is the confidence it gives us. The tools provided by AYON have been tested and used by multiple companies, so we know we’re using industry-standard practices and reliable open-source software.
The robustness and security of AYON are crucial to us. We appreciate having a community and resources to rely on. In the past, when we built pipelines in isolation, it was challenging to troubleshoot and find solutions. But with AYON, we have a community of people working together, asking questions, and solving problems. It’s a significant advantage.
In the animation industry, companies often work in isolation. While we do communicate with each other, during a production, we’re focused on our work and may not know what other companies are doing. By contributing to a bigger project like AYON, we aim to build a robust pipeline that can benefit everyone.
Having the Ynput team available on Discord is fantastic. Whenever I have a question, I can simply type it and get a quick answer. It’s much more efficient than relying solely on in-house resources, which can become bottlenecks in the production process. Removing technical bottlenecks is crucial in animation productions, allowing artists to focus on creativity rather than file management or worrying about task handovers.
The production team needs confidence that information flows smoothly, independent of specific individuals. AYON provides us with that assurance. It’s a valuable resource that helps streamline our workflows and improves efficiency throughout the production process.
Are there any drawbacks of using AYON? Something that you would do differently?
Honestly, I don’t think there are any drawbacks. It would be great if we had an in-house team dedicated to pipeline development, but that’s not feasible for us. The biggest benefit of using AYON is that it allows us to access a robust pipeline solution without the need for a large R&D budget or a dedicated team. We have a small in-house crew of eight people, and the rest of our team consists of contractors based on project needs. It’s challenging for us to fund continuous R&D efforts on a permanent basis. So, in that sense, there’s really no downside to using AYON because it aligns with how things should work now.
In the past, we’ve struggled with custom workflows and software that didn’t always communicate seamlessly. Open standards, not just for pipelines but also for things like open shaders and open timelines for editing, present an opportunity to break free from being locked into a single software ecosystem. We want to ensure that we’re working with the latest equipment and software and that we can hire people who understand the software, regardless of the specific tools they use. The ability to have interoperability and communication between different software solutions is crucial. It removes the risk of being limited to a single software and allows us to find the best solutions for our needs.
Using AYON has solved many challenges and made things easier for our crew. Interestingly, the pandemic also forced us to experiment and innovate. When we had to work from home, we had to figure out how to synchronize our work across locations. Milan and I worked together to experiment and found solutions using tools like Google shared drive, which allowed us to work efficiently in a remote setup.
Are there any drawbacks of using AYON? Something that you would do differently?
Honestly, I don’t think there are any drawbacks. It would be great if we had an in-house team dedicated to pipeline development, but that’s not feasible for us. The biggest benefit of using AYON is that it allows us to access a robust pipeline solution without the need for a large R&D budget or a dedicated team. We have a small in-house crew of eight people, and the rest of our team consists of contractors based on project needs. It’s challenging for us to fund continuous R&D efforts on a permanent basis. So, in that sense, there’s really no downside to using AYON because it aligns with how things should work now.
In the past, we’ve struggled with custom workflows and software that didn’t always communicate seamlessly. Open standards, not just for pipelines but also for things like open shaders and open timelines for editing, present an opportunity to break free from being locked into a single software ecosystem. We want to ensure that we’re working with the latest equipment and software and that we can hire people who understand the software, regardless of the specific tools they use. The ability to have interoperability and communication between different software solutions is crucial. It removes the risk of being limited to a single software and allows us to find the best solutions for our needs.
Using AYON has solved many challenges and made things easier for our crew. Interestingly, the pandemic also forced us to experiment and innovate. When we had to work from home, we had to figure out how to synchronize our work across locations. Milan and I worked together to experiment and found solutions using tools like Google shared drive, which allowed us to work efficiently in a remote setup.
Why did you decide to use Ynput’s pipeline services? What benefits does it bring you?
The paid service gives us confidence in the pipeline and immediate access to support when we need it. Although we’re currently using AYON for smaller projects, we know we can scale up quickly if needed.
We can communicate with the Ynput team and discuss upcoming developments or changes we anticipate, such as integrating the Blender 3D animation software. By letting them know our plans and the demands we expect, we can ensure that we have a plan in place to support those future needs. This eliminates the need to scramble and hire someone when a project lands, which can be challenging, especially in an area like Cardiff where finding experienced pipeline professionals is difficult.
With Ynput, we have access to a dedicated group of pipeline experts who have experience working with other clients as well. The location doesn’t matter as long as the quality of the work is good. Supporting an open-source platform like AYON is also important to me because it allows for contributions from a wider community and encourages knowledge-sharing. It’s about giving back and ensuring that we’re not locked into closed systems that can’t keep up with new technologies.
Open source software provides a breadth of knowledge in the industry and helps avoid bottlenecks. With AYON, we hope to see that knowledge base grow and benefit the animation industry as a whole.
How would you describe the implementation phase of AYON?
The collaboration during the initial implementation phase with AYON went really well. Since I already knew Milan, it made things easier for us to communicate. I even visited Prague and their offices, which was great.
Overall, I didn’t feel like I missed anything significant because having someone close by whom you can talk to and work with is always beneficial. However, what I appreciated the most was their expertise and experience in rethinking our production process. They guided us on how to organize our production in a way that would make the pipeline much smoother.
In the past, we were trying to fit our own method into a structure that didn’t quite work. With Ynput, they had insights from their own productions and other visual effects and animation projects, so they knew how to streamline things. They provided valuable advice on how to improve our workflow, and it made a real difference.
We haven’t encountered any major problems, and it’s been a great benefit to have their expertise and support. Everything has been running smoothly, and we’re really happy with the collaboration.
How would you assess the overall collaboration experience?
The cooperation with Milan and Ynput has been incredibly valuable and transformative for our company. Looking at the last 10 years, they came into the picture at just the right time, helping us improve our pipeline and streamline our processes.
The support we receive, whether through Discord or phone calls, has been exceptional. I no longer have to worry about finding expertise or hiring someone specifically for pipeline management because I have access to all of that through Ynput. This newfound confidence allows me to focus more on delivering high-quality animation services to my clients, knowing that the pipeline is reliable and efficient.
AYON has been a game-changer for our company.
Disclaimer: Please note that any references to “AYON” in this article are in relation to the product formerly known as “OpenPype”. The interview with Jon Rennie, Managing Director of Cloth Cat, was conducted prior to the rebranding of OpenPype to AYON in version 4. Therefore, any mentions of AYON should be understood as referring to OpenPype.
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