If you want a career in VFX production, you need a clear picture of how the visual effects pipeline works from start to finish, because studios hire people who understand where their work fits and what they must deliver next. In this guide, I explain the full VFX process in the same way I teach it, by walking you through each stage, what the team produces at that stage, and what the next stage needs as input, so you can follow the workflow with confidence and avoid the common mistakes that slow down real projects.
Table of contents:
- What is the VFX pipeline?
- Pre-production in the VFX pipeline
- VFX production stage
- Post-production in the VFX process
What is the VFX pipeline?
The VFX pipeline is the structured workflow that takes a visual effects shot from an idea to a final approved result for film, TV, or other digital media. It breaks the full vfx process into clear stages, so you can plan the work, assign it to the right people, and deliver each part in the right order.
In practice, the visual effects pipeline is a shared roadmap. Each stage has a specific purpose, a set of tasks, and a defined output, such as:
- Tracked camera.
- Finished 3D asset.
- Simulation cache.
- Composited shot.
Because everyone works from the same workflow, the team knows what they are responsible for, what they must hand off, and what they should expect to receive from other departments. We need this because VFX work is rarely done by one person in isolation, it is built through handoffs that must stay consistent across dozens or thousands of shots.
Most pipelines span three broad phases:
- Pre-production is where you plan the approach, test ideas, and prepare assets and shot plans before filming starts.
- Production is when the live-action footage gets shot and the VFX team collects the data they will need to integrate effects properly.
- Post-production is where most of the visible VFX work happens, including tracking, animation, simulation, lighting, rendering, and compositing, until the shot meets the brief and passes review.
The scale of the project changes how the pipeline looks, but not the logic behind it. On a small production, one artist might model, texture, light, and composite the same shot, so the “pipeline” is still there, but it lives in their workflow and file organisation. On a larger show, the same work gets split across specialised teams, with strict naming rules, version control, review steps, and technical checks, because small inconsistencies multiply quickly when hundreds of people touch the same project.
Pre-production in the VFX pipeline
Pre-production is the planning phase of the VFX pipeline where you decide how you will create the shots before the cameras start rolling. It exists to remove guesswork from the vfx process, so the shoot captures the right material and the post team can build effects without avoidable rework.
In real projects, VFX starts early because many decisions affect what happens on set. You need to know whether a shot needs a greenscreen, a motion control move, a stunt extension, a digital set, or a full CG replacement before you lock locations, build sets, and schedule the crew. If you leave those decisions until after the shoot, you usually discover missing clean plates, tracking markers, lens information, reference textures, or the right lighting reference. So in the end, you either pay to fix it later or you accept a lower-quality result.
On this stage, you need to choose the technical approach that matches the budget, timeline, and creative goal. For example, you might plan to use a practical effect with a small digital cleanup instead of full CG, or you might design a shot to keep the camera move simple because complex tracking will slow down the post schedule.
Pre-production in VFX production usually includes the following steps:
- Research and development (R&D) and technical planning.
- Storyboarding and animatics.
- Concept art and design.
- Previsualisation (previs).
- Layout and production design.
- Reference photography.
Each of these steps produces material that guides the shoot and sets clear targets for the teams who take over during production and post.
Research and development (R&D) and technical planning
R&D and technical planning are done to make sure that an effect is achievable with your available time, people, and tools, and determine the exact method you'll use to build it. The main idea of this step is to know what the crew must capture on set and what the post team must deliver before production starts.
You turn the creative brief into practical choices by testing critical elements early. Run tests on camera tracking, simulation settings, and compositing approaches before the shoot because problems are cheaper to solve on test plates than on final sequences with deadlines.
Technical planning also covers the pipeline decisions that keep the project consistent, such as agreeing on frame rates, colour management, file formats, and how versions move between departments. You determine what must be captured on set and plan which shots can share assets, as this often determines whether your schedule is realistic.
The final output of this stage is a clear plan that includes tested technical proofs and on-set requirements, so the VFX pipeline can move forward with fewer surprises.
Storyboarding and animatics
Storyboarding and animatics are done to plan the shot before filming and before heavy VFX work starts, so you can see what needs to happen on screen and what you must build later. This step turns ideas into a clear visual plan that everyone can follow.
A storyboard maps out the sequence shot by shot, showing framing, camera direction, and key action beats. Once you approve that plan, you turn it into an animatic by cutting the storyboard panels into a timed sequence, often with temporary sound, rough pacing, and simple camera moves. This is where you test whether the scene reads clearly, whether the timing works, and whether any shots create unnecessary complexity for the VFX pipeline.
The output of this stage is an approved storyboard and animatic that define shot intent, timing, and camera language, so you can plan the shoot properly and give the vfx production team clear targets for what they must deliver in post.
Concept art and design
Concept art and design are done to define what the effect should look like before you spend time building it in 3D or shooting plates. This step gives you a clear visual target, so the VFX pipeline remains consistent across shots and artists.
You take the brief and translate it into practical visuals, such as character shapes, materials, environments, props, and mood, while keeping the design realistic for the schedule and budget. Concept artists explore options quickly, then narrow them down through reviews until they reach designs that the director and VFX team can approve. At this point, you also start thinking about what the design means for production, for example whether you need a full CG build, a partial extension, or something that must interact closely with live action.
The output of this stage is approved concept art and design sheets that set the look, scale, and key details, so modelling, texturing, and later compositing work toward the same result instead of guessing.
Previsualisation (previs)
Previsualisation (previs) is done to test how a VFX-heavy sequence will work before filming, using rough 3D scenes and temporary animation. This step helps you confirm camera moves, staging, and timing early, so you can plan the shoot and avoid building shots that do not work.
You block out environments, characters, and action with simple assets, then you set up virtual cameras that match how the scene could be filmed. This lets you check whether the story reads clearly, whether the shot order makes sense, and whether any camera move creates problems for tracking or later integration. Previs also gives you a practical way to discuss the sequence with the director, the DP, and the VFX supervisor, because everyone can react to the same visual reference instead of descriptions.
The output of previs is an approved rough 3D edit that defines camera intent, staging, and timing, and often includes basic shot breakdowns, so production and post know what they must capture and what they must build.
Layout and production design
Layout and production design are done to lock down where things sit in the scene and how the real set and the digital set will work together. This step makes the shot build practical, because you stop guessing about scale, camera space, and what must exist physically versus what can be created later in the VFX pipeline.
You align the director’s intent with physical constraints by planning set dimensions, key props, actor space, and camera positions. If a location needs a digital extension, you define the boundary between the built set and the CG area early, so the art department knows what to construct and the VFX team knows what they must replace or extend. You also consider how lighting and practical elements will support the final composite, for example, where you need interactive light, where reflections will reveal the environment, and where you must avoid unwanted obstructions that complicate post.
Reference photography
Reference photography is done to capture real-world information that helps you match CG to the plate later. It gives you a reliable visual and measurement reference, so you do not have to guess in post when you recreate lighting, materials, and scale.
On set, you photograph the environment, props, costumes, and any surfaces that will interact with VFX, using consistent angles and exposures. You also capture lighting reference, usually with HDRI panoramas and grey and chrome ball images, so the lighting team can rebuild the on-set light in a CG scene. If the shot needs an accurate spatial match, you capture measurements and set reference that helps with layout and tracking, such as set dimensions, marker placement, and camera and lens notes.
VFX production stage
The VFX production stage is where you shoot the live-action footage and collect the on-set data that makes the later vfx process possible. You use this phase to capture clean, consistent material that the post team can track, match, and integrate with CG.
This is the period of principal photography, so your VFX work happens alongside the director, cinematography team, and art department rather than after them. On VFX-heavy projects, the VFX supervisor or on-set VFX team stays close to the camera crew because small decisions on set affect weeks of post work. If you place tracking markers poorly, miss a clean plate, or fail to record lens and camera information, you force the post team to rebuild information you could have captured in minutes.
A key point is that many tasks run in parallel with shooting. While production films, the VFX team can already start preparing assets and early elements, so post does not begin from zero once filming wraps. You also use this stage to confirm that the planned approach still works in real conditions, including lighting changes, practical set differences, or performance constraints.
In most visual effects pipeline setups, this stage includes:
- 3D modelling and asset creation.
- Matte painting.
- Match move and camera tracking
- Rigging
- Animation
- FX and simulation
- Texturing
- Lighting and rendering
Let’s move to explaining these steps in more detail.
3D modelling and asset creation
3D modelling and asset creation are done to build the digital objects that will appear in the final shot, such as characters, props, or environment pieces. The purpose is to create production-ready assets that hold up in close-ups, animate correctly, and stay consistent across many shots.
You start with approved designs and then model the asset with the right level of detail for the camera distance and the delivery format. The team also builds clean topology so the asset can deform if it needs rigging, and they keep the asset organised so it works in the wider VFX pipeline. You usually create variations and levels of detail if the asset appears in multiple shot types, because what works for a hero close-up is different from what works for a background crowd or a fast-moving element.
Matte painting
Matte painting is done to create or extend environments when building a full 3D set is not necessary, or when you need a controlled, art-directed background. It helps you deliver large-scale locations, distant set extensions, or clean replacements while keeping the shot believable.
You paint or assemble a realistic environment using photo elements and digital painting, then you adapt it to the shot’s camera and lens look. If the camera moves, you project the painting onto simple 3D geometry to create parallax, so the background shifts correctly as the camera moves. Matte paintings also need to match the plate in perspective, lighting direction, atmosphere, and grain, because even a strong design fails if it does not sit in the same world as the footage.
Match move and camera tracking
Match move and camera tracking recreate the real camera move in 3D so CG aligns to the plate. If tracking is off by even a small amount, everything that follows looks wrong, no matter how good the render is.
The tracker starts by analysing the plate frame by frame, then solves a virtual camera that matches the lens behaviour and movement. On-set data helps a lot here, lens info, sensor size, and a few reliable measurements can turn a shaky solve into a stable one. When the solve looks correct, the team also checks scale and orientation, because a “smooth” track can still be the wrong size and that breaks contact and perspective later.
Rigging
Rigging prepares a 3D model for animation by giving it a control system that behaves predictably. The point is to make movement clean and repeatable, not to let every shot become a technical fight.
A rigger builds the skeleton and control handles, then tests whether the asset deforms properly during the poses that matter for the shot. Problems are fixed here, not during animation, because a bad rig forces workarounds that slow down approvals. On shows with many shots, rigging also sets standards for how controls are named and organised, so multiple animators can pick up the same asset without relearning it.
Animation
Animation creates the motion and performance of CG elements so they match the shot’s intent and edit timing. It sits on top of the tracked camera and approved layout, so the movement stays locked to the plate.
Animators block the main action first, then refine timing and contact until it holds up in the exact camera angle that will be rendered. If a CG element must interact with live action, animation needs precise alignment, otherwise the compositing team ends up trying to hide sliding feet, drifting hands, or missed impact moments.
FX and simulation
FX and simulation generate motion that follows physical rules, so the shot reads as believable instead of “placed on top.” This work usually starts only after animation and layout are stable, because sims depend on correct timing and collision.
The FX artist builds a setup that can be iterated fast, caches results, then adjusts behaviour until it matches the shot, not a generic preset. The key discipline here is control, the sim should stay consistent between versions and from shot to shot, otherwise the sequence loses continuity and approvals slow down.
Texturing
Texturing defines how an asset looks when light hits it, so it matches the materials in the plate. Without strong textures, lighting work turns into guesswork and assets keep looking artificial.
Texture artists use references from pre-production and the shoot, then build maps that hold up in the actual camera distance used in the shot. They also keep textures consistent across shared assets, because one version of a prop cannot look clean in one shot and worn in the next unless the story calls for it.
Lighting and rendering
Lighting and rendering match CG to the plate’s lighting and camera response so the result feels like it was filmed, not generated. This step turns finished assets into images that can be judged properly in review.
Lighting starts from the scene setup and reference captured on set, then the lighter adjusts intensity, direction, and shadow behaviour until it sits in the plate’s world. Rendering is where quality decisions become real, sampling, noise, motion blur, and render times must be balanced so shots can iterate quickly without falling apart in close-up.
Post-production in the VFX process
Post-production is the final phase where filmed footage turns into VFX shots through a controlled, step-by-step workflow. It matters because clean handoffs and consistent version control stop small issues from becoming expensive rework.
Once production wraps, teams start working from the latest plates and agreed technical settings, such as colour management, frame rate, and delivery specs. Post is also where VFX, editorial, music, and sound come together into one finished sequence, so changes need to stay organised and traceable across departments.
Post-production in the visual effects pipeline usually includes:
- Compositing
- Rotoscoping and masking
Compositing
Compositing combines the plate and all VFX elements into one shot that holds up in motion and in context with the cut. It is where mismatches get exposed, and where a good pipeline saves time.
The compositor integrates elements by matching colour, contrast, grain, and edge behaviour, then fixes shot-specific issues that only appear once everything is layered together. A large part of compositing is also version discipline, keeping track of what changed, what note it answers, and what upstream update might affect the shot next.
Rotoscoping and masking
Rotoscoping and masking separate parts of the plate so CG can sit behind, in front of, or between live-action elements. It is a core post step because compositing cannot integrate properly without clean mattes.
Roto artists track shapes over time, refine edges, and keep mattes stable under motion blur and changing focus. The work also needs to match the shot’s goal, a soft edge might be correct in shallow depth of field, while a hard edge might be needed for a sharp foreground holdout.
Final word
If there is one thing to remember about the visual effects pipeline, it is that every stage exists to protect the next one from guesswork and rework. When you understand how the full vfx process flows from planning to shooting to post, you start thinking like a professional, because studios do not just need artists who can use tools, they need people who can deliver the right work at the right point in vfx production.
If you want structured training that matches how the industry works, CADA can help. We had bachelor degree programme for digital artist that covers the core areas behind modern VFX work, including 3D animation, 3D modelling, texturing, and compositing, with a clear focus on production-ready workflows and portfolio outcomes.