Chapter 156: Troubling Manpower

Alexander just so happen to have set the 'production compartment' as his main focus of the day and took in the compiled view once again.

On one of the major rooms, there was a huge wall reserved for sketches and story progressive arts.

There was not much plastered art though as everything was still starting out. After all, it was still far from the conceptualizing, scriptmaking, sequence arranging, scene designing, and overall storyboarding phase.

Animation is labor-intensive, patience-testing, and puts one's work attitude to the maximum without doubt.

Of course, the busy crowd of idle planners and production in the pre-production area was just one part of this compartment as the post-production area was present.

It wasn't as crowded or manned as the other counterpart though as it would still take a long way for it to be needed.

In any case, the place is mostly secluded and semi-enclosed as it beheld editing and splicing materials that complete an entire animation processing stage.

As soon as the 'animation' compartments finally fish out the sequence cels through the special processing equipments, the editing rendition would officially begin.

Editors, sound coordinators, and the director would be hard at work at that point to finally conceive the product that all had hoped and planned to see.

If they planned it at this compartment, then it was best that they see it through in this compartment as well. It was this conducive merging that made the 'production compartment to be what it is.

Aside from the synchronicity of the pre and post-progressions, it also happens to be the communal area for the animation projects.

While one area worked on this animation series, the other one would work on the other. There are clearly enough renovations to divide and accommodate these project teams from one another but a sense of competition should hopefully be ever-present whilst they get on with it.

Since about 4 animation productions could be accommodated in the entire building, the 4 teams in charge of the planning should be convened in this compartment as well.

Comparing and contrasting in such a close environment can't be helped and it should create quite an environment for everyone to work on.

The tension might lead to slip-ups but everyone doesn't want to be made a bad example. The environment should truly be able to grind some conductive excellence among the working groups.

Of course, camaraderie and mutual support system is still another aspect that is considered in such a compartmentalized and merged animation-related workplace.

It came as no doubt that Alexander was quite the supporter of introverted self-excellence but he is quite masterful when it comes to team efficiency as well.

He and old Sullivan had pretty much considered those ideas during the final planning stages of CREED's secondary warehouse that is now centered on everything about animation.

There would still be troublesome kinks here and there to work out but it should be handled well when the animation teams get the hang of it.

Anyways, Creed Comics' 12 workstations and 120 comic-making employees had been quite the testament to this kind of competition and complementary style of work design.

It shouldn't be that much of a problem to translate that successful comic sufficiency to Creed Animations as well.

----

As much description and rationalization have been done to the previously empty building, its equipmental renovations and compartmental designs were already done and dusted... for the most part.

The other compartments were missing some animation assets here and there but it won't take long for such missing pieces to be procured.

Of course, as much importance that equipment and building designs were to the accommodations of the Creed's animation capabilities, there were still other assets that would have a lot of considerable importance.

The manpower part of animation is quite the integral piece in everything else after all. However, unlike the easily objectifiable and tweakable properties of material assets, the human asset is quite quirky to work with.

Animation manpower is quite the tricky part of everything in Alexander's opinion. This time, he can't brute force everything with his high-level art skills after all.

Creed Comics could be done easy-peasy with his special memory while Creed Toys can be done with proper back and forth with Engineering and Design experts.

Creed Animation had so much more levels and needed true specialists in those specified segments to man them.

Animation matters need true experts and Alexander's semi-superior 21st-century knowledge on the matter is all but theoretical.

He had to take some steps back and it was quite fortunate that his old grandfather found the most optimal manpower to recruit.

Sullivan had pulled out a lot of his connections to find all the necessary technical people like editors and directors, dubbing masters, music specialists, and even skilled coordinators.

Finding them from this era where Hanna Barbera, Disney, and a handful few animation studios are hiring is in between easy and hard.

There were surpluses but they were also lacking for most groups. The CalArts of the era along with its animation catering collegiates are pumping out some bits of talents, so sifting through all those that wanted to be hired had been a matter of deliberations once again.

Of course, old Sullivan didn't forget that time when his little grandson clued him in on cheaper employment options and found some skilled foreigners that valued the American dollar and stable jobs.

Migrated Asians like the Chinese and even Japanese didn't seem to fit their country's rising economy. There were even some bits of struggling peers from Britain and the Latin American region.

In any case, the animation employees were truly a mix on their own. If it were to be advertised in 2010s woke society, Creed Animation would be an advocate for being open-minded and fair.

Alexander didn't want that kind of shady validation of global unity though but the cheapness of their labor.

Still, they were found and ready for action once things truly get the necessary headstart. As of the moment, they were on the verge of familiarizing with their new work environment and honing themselves on the things that they were good at.

The Creeds also needed colorist and background work. There are also other specialists on character design and all the animation areas of contention.

Essentially, they were all quick drawers that passed under Alexander's entrance trial to try and recreate his Goku drawing within 3 minutes.

Of course, no one could do it perfectly but those with a considerable degree of similarity and finesse would be on the passing mark.

They would rotate among the 4 teams to facilitate all the stuff that is necessary for hand-drawn and cel animation to work.

Everything wouldn't be so smooth-sailing though as manpower would be moot if there were no true powerful animation players to utilize them to their fullest.

Troy-jan and old Mr. Williams were the poor example that comes to Alexander's mind once again.

His assets are coming together but training their team feasibility and coordination should take some bits of time.

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"Animation is truly hard." This was Alexander's rare whispering murmurs after a bout of introspection. "Can I even do it properly?"

The entire animation compartmentalization had him quite pleased but the rest of the manpower management and talent training had him on the ropes.

Fortunately, he didn't have to worry for most of that as he was on his way to meet old Sullivan and the animation helper he had long briefed him about.

Alexander had to waste some of his Mrs. Montgomery-sanctioned leave for today as he was quite looking forward to meeting the man.

If all goes well, Creed Animations was as good as guaranteed to be a success.