Modeling the Process of Animation Production

Abstract

In this study, a work process model for animation production is developed. Interviews with animation studio workers and surveys of their working diaries and shot progress charts are conducted to create a framework for the work processes. The work hours necessary for each operation of the work project are expressed using a gamma function. Workers are classified into two categories, managers and animators, and their behavioral rules are modeled. To establish a rule for the determination of the operation sequence order for an animator to perform multiple work operations, four typical dispatching rules, often used in a scheduling theory, are selected, and the one that is closest to actual data is regarded as the rule that the animator actually follows. As a result of the analysis, it is found that the Earliest Due Date (EDD) and SLACK are closest to actual animators’ behavioral rules. Managers are also found to move the sub-deadline (a deadline of each operation) up about 30% earlier than the actual deadline. The knowledge we obtain is that, in order to realize better working conditions, animators should determine their operation sequence order by using SLACK, and managers should designate subdeadlines by keeping a balance between the prevention of deadline violation and the reduction of overtime work.