Animation vs. VFX: What’s the Difference (and Which One’s Right for You?)

If you’re exploring careers behind the scenes in film, TV, or streaming, you’ll quickly run into two major worlds: Animation and VFX (Visual Effects).

They share similar job titles, pipelines, and software - but the work, day-to-day experience, timelines, and studio culture can be a little different.

If you’re considering production management or coordination roles, understanding these differences can help you choose the environment where you’ll thrive.

---

What Is Animation? (Specifically: Full CG Animation)

In full CG animation, everything you see on screen is created digitally - characters, environments, cameras, lighting, you name it. There’s no live-action footage to start from.

Think LEO, The LEGO Movie, Shrek, or long-form TV like Arcane.

Animation studios build worlds completely from scratch, which means the pipeline is highly structured and sequential:

Concept → Modeling → Rigging →Surfacing →Layout → Animation → Lighting →FX→ Compositing

That predictability is part of what defines animation production.

Common Roles in Animation Pipelines:

• Concept Artists

• Modelers & Texture Artists (building and surfacing characters & environments)

• Riggers (making the 'skeleton' enabling characters to be moved)

• Animators (performance and acting)

• Lighting, FX & Compositing Artists

• Production Assistants / Coordinators / Managers

For Coordinators:

In animation, work tends to follow a more predictable, linear pipeline.

For Coordinators, the focus is on:

• Tracking shot/asset progress clearly

• Maintaining steady schedules

• Managing review + revision cycles

• Ensuring dependencies are ready before animation begins

If something slips early (like rigs or story changes), it impacts all the downstream departments.Success here looks like keeping the pipeline flowing without bottlenecks.

---

What Is VFX (Visual Effects)?

VFX enhances or extends live-action footage - whether that’s replacing a sky, adding a dragon, cleaning up wires, or building entire digital environments around actors.

Rather than creating every frame from scratch, VFX teams integrate digital elements into real-world plates.

This can involve:

• CG creatures or props

• Digital doubles

• Set extensions

• Explosions, water, smoke, and magic effects

• Invisible cleanup work (which you’re not supposed to notice)

Typical VFX Projects:

• Blockbusters (Wicked, Guardians of the Galaxy)

• Streaming series (The Mandalorian, The Witcher)

• Commercials & cinematics

Common Roles in VFX:

• Matchmove / Tracking Artists

• Roto / Paint Artists

• FX / Simulation Artists

• Lighting & Rendering Artists

• Compositors

• Modelers, Riggers  & Texture Artists 

• Animators 

• Production Coordinators / Managers

For Coordinators:

VFX work is tied to live-action plates, which means there are more unknowns, changes, and external dependencies. Schedules shift as client notes evolve, editorial updates come in, or creative direction changes.

For Coordinators, the focus is on:

• Responding to changing priorities quickly

• Tracking multiple sequences in parallel

• Managing deliveries to external stakeholders (client/editorial)

• Coordinating cross-timezone teams and vendors

It’s more dynamic, sometimes reactive, and tends to have faster turnaround cycles.

---

Tools Coordinators Use in Both Worlds

Regardless of pipeline, production teams rely on the same core tools:

Tool	Purpose
Flow Production Tracking (ShotGrid)	Track assets, shots, versions, schedules, reviews & notes
ftrack	Production tracking & review
SyncSketch	Review notes and feedback
Google Sheets / Excel	Custom tracking, crew planning, delivery logs

Artists may use different creative tools (e.g., Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Blender), but production sits across all departments - guiding the workflow.

---

How the Workflows Compare

Aspect	Full CG Animation	VFX
Source Material	Fully digital creation	Built on filmed plates
Pipeline Flow	Sequential and predictable	Overlapping, iterative, client-driven
Review Style	Internal creative approvals	Director / studio client feedback loops
Working Pace	Gradual, steady, planned	Fast-paced and reactive
Coordinator Focus	Asset + shot progress through departments	Shot versions, notes, deliveries, turnovers

Which One Fits You?

Ask yourself:

Question	If you answer…	You may prefer…
Do you enjoy building worlds from scratch?	Yes	Animation
Do you like adapting to unexpected challenges?	Yes	VFX
Do you prefer structured pipelines?	Yes	Animation
Do you like high-energy, fast turnaround environments?	Yes	VFX
Do you want to work directly with clients/directors?	Yes	VFX
Do you enjoy working closely with a stable, internal creative team?	Yes	Animation

There’s no “better” - just different.

And many production coordinators eventually work in both.

---

Ready to Explore This Career in a Structured, Guided Way?

The Mayhem Production Coordinator Course teaches you the actual workflows used in studios today - across both full CG animation and VFX pipelines.

You’ll learn:

✅ How to track shots & assets in Flow Production Tracking & Spreadsheets

✅ How to schedule and manage pipelines step-by-step

✅ How to work with artists, supervisors, and clients

✅ Real-world production reporting, delivery workflows, and review processes

→ Explore the Course Here

And if you’d like early bird pricing and workshop invites, join the mailing list:

👉 Sign up at the bottom of the page.