Tools

Tools of the trade! Here are the most commonly used software in Prod.

  • 1.Flow Production Tracking:

    • Formerly Shotgun or ShotGrid

    • industry standard database and project management software

    • for So You Wanna Be Prod’s SG tutorials: click here

    • for Autodesk’s official tutorials: click here

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    2. fTrack : an alternative to Shotgrid

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    3. Microsoft Excel: commonly used for schedules, budget, and crew ramps

    • for a list of hotkeys: click here

    • shortcut charts provided by excel_and_otherstudy_material 123

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    4. Microsoft Project: commonly used for scheduling and resourcing purposes

    • can be used in tandem with Shotgrid via .csv import/export

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    5. Asana: task management and tracking tool that has AI features

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    6. Airtable: a project management software that organizes tasks and data in spreadsheet-like format

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    7. Confluence: most common wiki used for documentation; integrates with Jira

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    8.) Jira : most commonly used in Software and Tech/IT. Helps organize and manage tickets.

  • 1. RV: used to review renders at their highest quality and in the proper colour space

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    2. cineSync: commonly used to review media live and simultaneously amongst different locations.

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    3. SyncSketch: a review platform offering realtime annotation capabilities

  • 1. Outlook | Microsoft365: an email provider and application

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    2. Gmail | Google: an email provider and application

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    3. Slack: chat application that has the ability to integrate tools like Shotgrid, fTrack, Jira, and Google Workspace

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    4. Microsoft Teams: an alternative chat application and integrates well with MS Office tools, OneDrive, and SharePoint

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    5. Discord: Free communication platform allowing chat, video calls and screen sharing.

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    6. GChat / Google Chat : basic chat app that integrates Google Workspace, Gmail, and Google Calendar

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    7. Zoom: commonly used for video calls, dailies, and reviews.

  • 1.) Windows: the most common operating system for production even if artists are set up with Linux

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    2.) Linux: an operating system commonly set up for artists and supervisors

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    3.) macOS : also a common operating system for production especially for those working from home

  • 1. Google Suite / Workspace: most commonly used due to its ecosystem of user-friendly productivity and collaboration tools

    • Google Docs

    • Google Sheets

    • Gmail

    • G-Drive

    • Google Calendar

    • Google Tasks

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    2. Notion: simplified task/project management app

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    3. Trello: a kanban-style task management planner

a production glossary

the industry jargon and what they mean

Courses

Educational resources offering lessons targeted towards Production

Note: These are educational resources that others have found valuable. I have not personally enrolled in them, so I encourage you to explore and choose what best fits your goals and values.

Books

These are some of the books I’ve read and will recommend to Prod!

 

Need more recommendations?
Check out my wishlist, here!

Other Resources

Podcasts

for more topics, listen on Spotify

Shorthands

Tips in note taking.

Here are symbols and shorthand terms I use when taking notes to help with speed and brevity.