Teams & Departments

The Story Department at Netflix Animation Studios is essential in transforming scripts into visual narratives. This team, which includes Story Artists, Story Revisionists, and Heads of Story, is responsible for visualizing and structuring the film's storyline through detailed storyboards and artistic sequences. Their storyboards provide the roadmap for each department. The Story Artist's meticulous work enables seamless collaboration across all production stages, ensuring that the film's visual, emotional, and narrative elements align with the Director's vision. Their contribution is essential to the production's overall success, helping to set the tone, pacing, and direction of the animated project, ultimately creating a powerful experience for the audience.

The Art Department at Netflix Animation Studios plays a crucial role in shaping the visual identity of each project. Comprising Visual Development Artists, Character Designers, Art Directors, Production Designers and more, this team collaborates to create a rich, emotionally engaging visual language that enhances storytelling. Their work ensures that characters are relatable and the worlds they inhabit feel believable. By developing a distinct, cohesive aesthetic for each project, the Art Department deepens the audience's emotional connection, crafting a memorable and immersive viewing experience that resonates with viewers on a deeper level.

Modeling artists craft the essential 3D forms for characters, props, and environments. Collaborating closely with the Art Department to bring concept designs to life as three-dimensional assets partnering with downstream departments with the oversight of VFX and Asset Supervisors. Their work lays foundational groundwork ensuring every element aligns with the project's creative vision and provides a robust framework for the production processes

Rigging artists create the digital skeletons and control systems that allow characters and objects to move. Their technical expertise enables animators to bring dynamic performances to life. By collaborating with the Animation and Modeling teams, rigging artists ensure that every character's movements support the storytelling.

Surfacing artists breathe life into 3D models by adding texture, colour, and material details that define their final appearance. Working closely with the Art Department, VFX Supervisor, and Asset Supervisor, they employ techniques like fur and feather grooming, texture painting, and shading to apply everything from skin textures to intricate fabric patterns and environmental details. Their artistry ensures each asset not only reflects the project's creative vision but also provides a solid foundation for the production processes, seamlessly integrating into the animated world.

Matte painting artists create photorealistic backgrounds and environments that seamlessly integrate with immersive set elements. Using a mix of traditional techniques and digital tools, they craft intricate landscapes, cityscapes, and vistas that support the story. Collaborating with the Creative Leadership and VFX Supervisor, they ensure the work reflects the project's full vision. Their attention to detail and creativity bring depth and stylization, enhancing the atmosphere and immersing audiences in the animated world.

Layout artists work closely with directors and creative teams in shaping a film's visual storytelling. They plan the composition, character staging, and camera angles for each scene. Using cinematographic principles and technical expertise in 3D animation, the layout artists establish the foundations for the animation process and provide options for the final film edit.

Previs (pre-visualization) artists create rough animated sequences to plan camera movement, timing, blocking, and staging before final production begins. They work closely with the director and creative teams to explore storytelling possibilities, helping to clarify the film’s vision and ensure that key sequences align with the overall narrative direction.

Animators bring character concepts to life on screen through their artistic and technical skills. They carefully craft movements, expressions, and interactions, giving each character distinct traits that connect with the audience. At Netflix Animation Studios, animators focus on both how and why characters move, reflecting their emotions and motivations. Every gesture and expression is designed to fit the character's personality, creating a sense of authenticity. By honing in on these subtle details, animators make characters not just visually appealing, but emotionally captivating, forming lasting connections with viewers and driving the story with depth and personality.

Crowd artists bring life to scenes by populating them with large groups of simulated characters or creatures. Their technical and creative skills ensure that crowd behaviors feel natural and purposeful. From bustling cityscapes to epic battle scenes, their work adds scale, depth, and richness to the animated world.

Specializing in simulations for cloth, hair, feathers and muscles; Character Effects artists bring characters to life by adding layers of complexity and dynamic secondary motion, enriching their overall appeal and richness. Their work ensures that these components move naturally and in harmony with the animation while maintaining the film's unique style and artistic vision.

The Effects team add impactful visual elements to animated projects, including fire, water, smoke, explosions, and magical effects. With an eye for detail, and sense of timing, they use evolving technologies to develop techniques and sophisticated simulations to bring these elements to life, enhancing key moments, and creating a more immersive environment.

Lighting is a vital storytelling tool that sets the mood, directs audience attention, and enriches the narrative. Lighting artists, with their creative and technical skills, convey emotions, define time and place, and add depth and dimension to scenes; enhancing the overall visual and emotional impact of the story.

Compositing artists are responsible for seamlessly integrating elements such as characters, backgrounds, effects and lighting to create a final polished image. They work closely with other departments to bring consistency and visual coherence throughout the scenes and often contribute to look development on key sequences; ensuring that every frame maintains the intended aesthetic and atmosphere of the film.

The Netflix Animation Studios Post-production and Editorial teams work closely with film creative leadership from story conception to the final picture, bringing the Director's vision to life and assembling and delivering a compelling experience to the audience. Our Editorial, Music, Sound, Color timing, Post Engineering, Post Services, and additional Post Production teams all play an important part in ensuring that our final animated films are high-quality, engaging, and culturally relevant to our viewers.

Production Management professionals, from Production Assistants to Producers, are vital to the smooth operation of Netflix Animation Studios projects. They oversee every stage of production, allowing creative teams to focus on storytelling while managing logistics. Balancing creative vision with practicalities, they ensure films are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest quality. Their adaptability, problem-solving, and leadership help navigate the complexities of animation production. Through clear communication and expert organization, they keep teams coordinated, track progress, and address challenges, ensuring all departments work together seamlessly to achieve the filmmakers' artistic vision.

Netflix Animation Studios Technology teams are committed to developing cutting-edge tools and providing essential support for our expanding portfolio of animated features. As key contributors to our strong culture of collaboration, opportunity, and partnership, they work closely with artists and management to determine the most effective technology solutions across all aspects and locations of NAS. Our Technology teams, which include Pre-Production Technology, Production Technology (Technical Directors), Research and Development (R&D), Technology Project Management and Technology Talent Management, play a critical role in standardizing departmental tools and workflows. By collaborating across our locations and with external partners, Technology ensures streamlined studio innovation, tools and project success.

Studio Overhead and Corporate teams in Burbank, CA, Sydney, AUS, and Vancouver, CAN—including Content, Business Affairs/Legal, Talent (HR, Artist Management and Recruitment), Finance, Marketing, Casting, Production Strategy, and more—provide the essential support that enables feature animation at Netflix's global Production, Artistic and Technology teams to excel in their craft areas. Each member of our studio overhead team plays a vital role in the creation of our films, and the strength of these departments ensures our continued growth and future NAS success.