How Fika Stays Nimble in the World of Virtual Production with ftrack

Fika Entertainment is an Australian-based virtual production studio with a focus on animation production and VFX content that is accessible, fast and cost-effective. The company is passionate about helping clients all over the globe “revolutionize their stories” through innovative technology, helping them create exciting content for film, television and animation projects.

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In addition to animation, Fika helps the rapid spin out of IP experiences like theme activations, short-form content and immersive media. Recently Fika has worked with Wildbrain Spark to create the animated series Teletubbies Let’s Go!, as well as Mattel to create the American Girl, Girl of the Year Series 2023.

Jordan Vincent, CEO, Fika

Jordan Vincent is the CEO at Fika. She’s been with the company since it was founded in 2019 out of Deakin University’s Deakin Motion Lab. In 2015, Jordan led the team that created the Alchemy Pipeline, a technology solution that makes up the core service offering at Fika.

We spoke with Jordan to find out more about how Fika is using ftrack to keep the team on top of projects and production schedules and stay technologically nimble while serving global clients.

Standing out in the Australian Creative Industry

Fika creates animation using motion capture and real-time engines; the real-time process threads from storyboards to the final product. This differentiates the kind of pipeline that Fika uses to manage projects, allowing them to be highly flexible with the content the team creates. It’s important that Fika takes an interactive approach to production, “and really draw on strong performances by actors to bring the characters to life,” says Jordan.

Serving Global Clients from Down Under

“We have been able to use the time differences and distances to our advantage,” says Jordan of serving an international clientele. “Leveraging the power of time zones, our team diligently works throughout the day while our clients rest.” As the Fika team wraps up, they submit comprehensive reviews for their clients to receive at the start of their work day. “This seamless process enables clients to distribute our insights across departments and provide consolidated feedback before the day’s end,” says Jordan. This approach has allowed Fika to accelerate project delivery and optimize results for its clients—making everyone happy.

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Trusting a Single Source of Truth

When Fika was looking for production software it was a priority that the solution be highly customizable, affordable, easy to use, and flexible. They chose ftrack to help the team schedule, keep track of, and review progress on projects. With ftrack “production and artists alike can quickly check the asset library to ensure there are no double-ups, and see where any shot, asset or edit is up to at any time,” says Jordan. “This has been hugely important while working remotely.”

“The most important thing that ftrack does for us is provide us with a source-of-truth for the project—something that can be referred back to for the entire life cycle of the project.”

Jordan Vincent

Customizable Viewing for the Entire Team

On top of using ftrack as a single source of truth for production assets and edits, the team has found the ability to customize and change views is a game-changer. “Having different views, depending on the different information you are seeking, for the different points in the pipeline and how different people like to work has made it very effective and easy to use.” Says Jordan.

Customizable Task Column Views in ftrack Studio

Better Workflows Save Time

The team at Fika relies heavily on the scheduling and reviewing features in ftrack. “We have also loved being able to bring together the latest version of shots into a sequence to review as a whole.” Says Jordan. Using ftrack they can easily and quickly ensure continuity to ensure animation sequences are coming together properly, well before the shot goes through the entire pipeline. This saves Fika time by being able to catch any mistakes early.

The Best Way to Collaborate with Clients

Fika uses ftrack’s media review tool to collaborate with clients, make notes and work together internally on projects. Using the sync function, the team never has to worry about video delay or inaccuracies.

“We also love the ability to quickly compare versions. The side-by-side and overlay features mean the difference between iterations are quickly highlighted, which streamlines our review sessions, and enhances our teams’ collaboration and productivity.” Says Jordan.

Staying Nimble in the Virtual Production World

In the ever-evolving virtual production industry, it’s important to stay nimble. This means being on top of cutting-edge technologies and workflows without project disruptions. “The ability to create custom schemas to fit various workflows, depending on the product and project, means we can quickly and effectively pivot our pipeline to best suit the project.” Says Jordan.

By having ftrack in its tech stack, Fika has managed to stay nimble, delight its clients, and continuously improve both workflow and project efficiencies.

Source:Frack