I suspect that, in any profession, there is a tendency to get so comfortable with one’s own industry-related terminology that we become totally unaware of just how perplexing it is to those outside the industry. It may, in fact, be necessity to do so.

But recently I realized I was using a term that I take for granted: “rendering.” It’s part of every single project we do in the video dept., and I even hear the word used in the media whenever the next big Pixar/Dreamworks is near release. Despite this, my guess is that a majority of people, when asked “What is rendering,” would respond something like “…Something to do with computers or movies or animation or something…”

So…What is rendering?…I’m glad you asked…

There are plenty of places on the web that explain, in detail, what rendering is, so for you (the inquisitive client) I’ll attempt to explain it in a familiar context and relate it to that which matters most: time.

Time is honey….I mean…money.

Think of the process of creating an animation (or any video production for that matter) like you would cooking. You’ve never made this particular dish before, but based on passed experience you have a good idea of what ingredients to start with and how to go about combining them.

So, you begin. And as you mix, stir, and knead (what is that you’re making, anyway?), you pause to take note of smells, colors, and consistencies. Despite the fact that you haven’t cooked it yet (3 hours at 350°), you also do a taste sample, just to see if you’re on the right track. You realize it needs a-little-of-this and a-pinch-of-that.” You taste it again……maybe just a little more………..perfect!

Why did you bother doing this? Why not just whip it up the best you know how, and put it in the oven? Then, when it is done, you can just go back and make it again if it’s not what you wanted.

The answer is obvious. You evaluate it as early in the process as possible so you can make changes before you commit it to the oven. Even if you had made an extra batch just in case, it will still take an additional 3 hours to cook it after you make the necessary changes. You’ve lost that time, and since you can’t delay Thanksgiving, you’re just going to have to spend this time mentally preparing yourself to accept your mother-in-law’s cooking advice.

The act of putting something in the oven to cook is the culinary equivalent of rendering in the world video production, except that it can often be measured in days, or weeks as opposed to hours. To get all the animation “flavors” (motion, timing, textures, lighting, reflections) to work together, we need to let the animation cook inside the computers for awhile…how long depends on the recipe, as well as quantity.

Two choices for dinner: take it or leave it.

You can’t skip the rendering process anymore than you can skip the cooking process. What we can do, however, is sample the animation throughout the early stages of creation.

Each step of the animation process is an opportunity to take a sample.

These samples give us an idea of whether we’re on track to our desired outcome, and allow us to make adjustments if necessary before it goes “in the oven”. It is usually more flexible that “take it or leave it,” but make no mistake: choices are made, and ingredients are added.

Culinarily (it’s a word…trust me) speaking, if you’ve already mixed the ingredient in, you most likely can’t take it back out. Similarly, each stage of the animation process contains some new choices to be made, while other choices cannot be undone without throwing away some or all of what you already made.

A five-star production team will be forthright throughout the project, and will clarify those choices throughout the process, guiding you through them to the finished product.

Because, as with all things media-production-related, the key to ending up with the product you want is more than just working with an experienced team….

…it’s also working with a team that you feel comfortable with and that isn’t afraid to have you in “the kitchen.”