What Is a VFX pipeline? A step-by-step guide for visual effects in 2025

VFX pipelines were once reserved for high-end productions with mind-boggling budgets. 

But today, everything from low-budget YouTube filmmaking to broadcast television and advertising projects will have their own version of a visual effects (VFX) workflow.

Even gaming cut scenes, virtual productions and viral TikToks can involve intricate VFX touches.

Given that your next project might benefit from a little VFX magic, it’s worth investing a few minutes to brush up on your VFX pipeline knowledge and learn how to build one that’s both effective and efficient.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the process, highlight challenges to avoid and share common best practices to help you get your VFX shots to ‘final’ without too much fuss.

What is a VFX pipeline?

Let’s start with the basics. What is a visual effects pipeline and what are the key elements of a VFX workflow? 

A VFX pipeline is aptly named: shots are fed into the pipe, flowing through every stage of the project’s video production workflow until they emerge as completed shots.

During their journey they pass through many different artist’s hands and progress through numerous stages of development until they complete their journey as final VFX shots. 

What’s the difference between special effects and visual effects?

Special effects happen on set in the real world. For example, ET is a real animatronic puppet, controlled by puppeteers during the filming of the scene, interacting with props and other actors.

Visual effects happen in a computer, like the Terminator turning into liquid metal and walking through a jail cell in Terminator 2.

Many VFX shots combine special effects and visual effects: removing the wires making a character appear to fly, or replacing a stunt person’s face with the main actor’s.

Others are entirely computer-generated (CG) visual effects shots.

Stages of the VFX pipeline

A full VFX pipeline has many stages, with dozens, if not hundreds, of talented artists, each contributing their unique skills to the same images at every step.

As with all video productions, every VFX shot moves through three main stages: 

• Pre-production

• Production

• Post-production

However, due to how long these complex shots can take to produce, VFX usually happens concurrently with the main production during all of these stages. This can have a major impact on how each stage is conducted to deliver the best possible visual effects shots. 

For example, Wicked Editor Myron Kerstein explains, “In Defying Gravity, there were shots where VFX told us it would take a year to complete. So we had to have a clear understanding of what we were doing in the edit from the start.”

In this case, the journey from the initial shot to the final composite would take over 365 days of work. So, any major changes to the timing, duration or intent of those shots would add huge delays to the overall project.

As every shot and VFX sequence will have its own unique requirements, each shot's path through the VFX pipeline will look slightly different.

That said, this overview will give you a solid sense of what might be involved for any given shot in a visual effects workflow:

Pre-production: laying the foundation

Research and development

• Concept art and design

• Layout and production design

• Testing

Storyboards and animatics

• Establishing framing

• Camera movements

• Timing

Pre-visualisation/Stunt-vis

• Simple CG version of shots based on animatics

Production: capturing the essentials

Reference photography and tracking markers on set

• Taken on set to enable VFX in post-production to match the real environment and movement in the ‘plate’ (the original shot as filmed in camera).

Modeling, rigging and texturing of 3D characters/objects

• Creating fully computer-generated characters, locations and objects from scratch

Matte painting

• Creating scenic background paintings to fill in ‘the distance’.

Virtual production in LED volumes

• A new type of visual effects workflow in which finished backgrounds are shown on huge LED screens for immersive environments without compositing.

Post-production: bringing it together

Match move and camera tracking

• Extracting camera movement data to blend VFX into the shot

Greenscreen/bluescreen removal

• Removing onset backgrounds to be replaced with VFX layers

Rotoscoping

• Masking around a moving object/character frame by frame

Animation

• Bringing a 3D character/object to life

FX and simulation

• Adding in the particle effects, liquid, fire, smoke etc. simulations

Compositing

• Blending all of the individual layers together into a final seamless shot

Lighting and rendering

• Adding CG lights and effects to deliver the final fully CG shot 

Shots can flow backward as well as forward through the pipeline as they iteratively improve through numerous revisions.

Common challenges in a VFX pipeline

Given all of the moving parts described in a modern visual effects workflow, it’s natural there are some creative and organizational challenges. Some of the most common ones include:

Complexity

The reason for doing a visual effects shot in the first place is to create something that is either technically or creatively complex — or both at the same time.

These shots require a lot of pre-production planning regarding what to shoot on the day, what can be captured in camera and what will need to be created in Post.

Some visual effects shots require the development of whole new systems and processes, such as the creation of motion capture suits and facial tracking cameras or 360-degree bullet-time rigs as used in The Matrix.

If something goes wrong on the day, it’s the job of the on-set visual effects supervisor to say, “Yes, we can fix it in Post.” And very often, they’re under pressure to say they can move mountains. But even the best-laid plans can lead to additional problems to solve in post-production, and that all adds time and cost.

There’s also the technical workflow challenge of building a VFX pipeline that flows accurately and consistently. It has to consistently move the images from one artist to the other in the correct formats, codecs, resolutions and compression ratios to ensure the delivery of pristine results at the end.

Working with multiple artists

Visual effects is the definition of a team sport in video production, with dozens of very talented artists each adding their specialized skills to the process bit by bit.

For example, a computer-generated character could have the following artists contribute to its creation:

• Concept artist

• Modeller

• Rigger

• Costume designer

• Texture painter

• Animator

• Supervising animator

• CG Director of Photography (lighting)

• Effects and simulations (hair, fur, cloth etc.)

• Rendering technicians

• Director

All of this creative collaboration is often happening remotely, or with different departments handling each part of the process separately. This makes the need for excellent communication, consistent workflow processes and end-to-end systems-thinking crucial.

As we'll explore in more detail later, tools like LucidLink help distributed creative teams work together seamlessly. By enabling real-time collaboration on a shared cloud filespace, LucidLink ensures every artist has instant access to the latest assets, no matter where they are in the world. This cuts delays and keeps complex workflows on track.

Constant change 

Another challenge, particularly financially for the VFX vendors charged with delivering these shots, is that the scope of work is constantly changing. 

Yes, they may have seen an early storyboard of an ‘intergalactic space battle’ — but what happens when the director says he doesn’t want seven ships in the shot; he now needs 70?

Visual effects shots are always an iterative process, moving from an initial vague idea to a more precise final decision. But that evolution requires substantial time, money and patience for creative exploration. 

Remote collaboration and maximizing VFX tax relief

The global VFX market is constantly shifting as different regions compete for production work through tax incentives and competitive labor costs. 

This mobility offers studios exciting opportunities. But distributed workforces also create new challenges in terms of ensuring efficiency and creative quality.

Take the UK's recently enhanced VFX tax relief. Studios can now claim 29.25% rebate on VFX spend, without the previous 80% cap constraint. This change is could attract £175 million in additional spending annually, making the UK an even more attractive hub for VFX work.

But capitalizing on these opportunities requires more than just relocating work. Studios need workflows that can connect global talent with local tax advantages. LucidLink makes this possible by helping studios:

• Access UK talent, while collaborating with artists worldwide in real-time

• Keep projects moving with instant file access — no matter where teams are based

• Scale resources up or down to match production needs

• Maintain security and creative standards across all locations

By building a cloud-based pipeline that supports both remote collaboration and local tax benefits, studios can:

• Maximize regional tax incentives without sacrificing global talent

• Reduce costly production delays and infrastructure overhead

• Adapt quickly to new opportunities in different regions

• Keep creative teams focused on quality, not technical hurdles.

Beyond maximizing tax relief, here are five more ways to build a solid VFX pipeline.

5 best practices for VFX pipelines 

The best way to solve some of these common challenges is with industry-standard best practices. We’ll also cover how you can use LucidLink as the backbone of your VFX pipeline.

Here are five best practices for building and using a VFX pipeline:

• Rigorous planning

• Constant communication

• Collaborative teams

• Consistent workflows

• Efficient file sharing 

Rigorous planning

Technical directors and VFX supervisors must conduct extensive research and development to determine the most suitable software, creative approaches and technical requirements needed to successfully deliver each shot.

Post-producers and VFX supervisors must also design and maintain a VFX pipeline that will make all of this possible. This means testing the pipeline during pre-production to ensure it can withstand the demands of the full production workload and schedule.

Constant communication

The day-to-day experience of working with visual effects involves having weekly or daily review meetings to track the progress of the hundreds (or thousands) of VFX shots that a typical feature film project might involve.

These meetings give key decision makers, such as the director, producers, editor, VFX supervisors and department heads, a chance to share their feedback on the shot's current status and move it on to the next stage of development.

But communication is also flowing through in notes on VFX turnovers from editorial, comments on review links, executive emails, internal Slack messages and many other routes. 

Keeping all of these lines of communication open, unified and comprehensible is crucial to the VFX pipeline flowing fluidly. When communication breaks down, so does the pipeline.

Collaborative teams

As already mentioned, a major challenge for any VFX workflow is harnessing the creative potential of globally dispersed artistic talent and skill.

Finding a way to schedule, manage and facilitate the best possible creative collaboration between all of these people in service of the final project is the secret to extracting more than the sum of the parts.

Famously, Steve Jobs designed Pixar’s headquarters to breed serendipitous encounters between all of the creative and technical employees working there. 

Finding digital equivalents to encourage collaboration and creative problem-solving across teams is essential. 

Consistent workflows

On very large VFX productions multiple vendors and studios may be involved in individually supplying hundreds of shots to the main production. 

Maintaining a consistent VFX workflow and technical pipeline across every vendor makes managing the whole pipeline much more efficient. It also makes it easier to trade additional shots from one supplier to another if an unmeetable deadline looms.

This consistency will be established in the initial design and build of the VFX pipeline, based on the VFX supervisors’ experience and that of every vendor involved.

Efficient file sharing and management 

Ensuring every artist has access to the files they need when they need them is fundamental to hitting deadlines and maximizing productivity. It’s also crucial that everyone always works on the latest version of the shot to avoid redundant effort.

Having a system in place that can handle thousands of image sequences (the bread and butter of VFX workflows) often resulting in very large files needing to be distributed around the globe at a moment's notice is a foundational piece of VFX pipeline infrastructure.

LucidLink — the backbone of Oscar-winning VFX pipelines

The principles behind all of these best practices make using LucidLink as the backbone for your VFX pipeline a smart choice. Here’s a few reasons why.

Seamless access to files of any size

LucidLink makes it easy for VFX teams to send large files to collaborators and to get instant access to those files, regardless of how huge they are.

By acting like a local drive, our platform integrates directly into your existing workflows. So there’s no need to learn new tools or processes. Everything lives in the cloud, but feels as responsive as if it’s right there on your device.

Work faster with file streaming technology

Our unique file streaming technology slices files into small, accessible blocks. This means you can start working on the specific frames or assets you need right away, without waiting for entire files to download. 

Secure real-time collaboration 

LucidLink’s secure filespace updates in real time, ensuring that any changes made to files are instantly visible to your entire team. This keeps everyone on the same page and eliminates version control issues.

The result? Incredibly simple collaborative file storage that keeps everyone in sync with zero effort, yet can scale instantly to onboard hundreds of new users in a few clicks.

Here’s how animators, compositors and creative leads delivered the Oscar-winning short film The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse using LucidLink as the backbone of their production pipeline.

How AI could change VFX pipelines

Despite the hype, AI is not yet a magic button.

While some of the current AI-generated text-to-video end results can look impressive at first glance, the underlying tools and models don’t yet feature the levels of control and customization that are required for demanding visual effects work.

Supporting, not replacing, creative roles

AI will certainly have a dramatic impact on the VFX industry in the years to come, but most likely in an augmenting role rather than entirely replacing jobs. 

For example, current AI-powered tools can assist with a lot of the cumbersome work of frame-by-frame rotoscoping, matte creation and depth masking. But not to the level of a trained rotoscope artist tackling thorny shots.

Inspiration and ideation

In the pre-production’s look development stage, text-to-image tools like Midjourney can help make the ideation and inspiration process much more efficient. But again, the tools lack the level of finesse or collaborative back and forth that sitting with a trained concept artist with years of experience can deliver.

A common challenge with ‘black-box’ AI tools is the lack of transparency in their underlying models. If the system's developers make changes, users may struggle to consistently generate the same characters or visuals over time.

As with any evolving technology, the true impact of AI on creative workflows remains to be seen. 

Best VFX pipeline software

A smooth VFX pipeline is only as strong as the tools that power it. Let's explore the essential software that keeps modern VFX workflows running smoothly — from tracking every shot to bringing visual magic to life.

Best software for tracking VFX pipelines

Keeping complex VFX projects on track is an art in itself. These tools help teams coordinate assets, track progress and ensure nothing falls through the cracks:

• Hiero by Foundry: think of Hiero as your VFX project's command center. Built for seamless integration with Nuke, it helps teams track shots, manage tasks and review work in progress — all in one place. Perfect for studios handling multiple complex shots and tight deadlines.

• Prism Pipeline: a versatile tracking solution that grows with your team. Whether you're working in Maya, Blender or other creative tools, Prism keeps everyone synchronized with real-time asset tracking and task management. Ideal for teams that need flexibility without sacrificing organization.

Best software for creating VFX

These are the powerhouse tools where VFX magic happens. Each brings something unique to your creative arsenal:

• Adobe After Effects: the Swiss Army knife of motion graphics and compositing. Whether you're creating eye-catching effects or refining complex animations, After Effects' extensive plugin ecosystem and intuitive workflow make it indispensable for modern VFX work.

• Nuke by Foundry: when it comes to high-end compositing, Nuke sets the standard. Its node-based workflow and deep compositing capabilities make it possible to tackle even the most complex VFX challenges. No wonder it's the go-to choice for major film and TV productions.

• Blackmagic Fusion: a powerful alternative that shines in 3D compositing and VR workflows. With real-time rendering capabilities and a robust feature set, Fusion offers professional-grade tools without breaking the bank.

• Autodesk Maya: the industry standard for bringing imagination to life in 3D. From creating photoreal characters to crafting dynamic environments, Maya provides the depth and flexibility needed for serious VFX production.

• Blender: the open-source powerhouse that keeps getting better. With a complete suite of 3D tools and a vibrant community, Blender proves that professional-grade VFX tools don't always need a premium price tag.

Building your ideal VFX pipeline

Choosing the right tools isn't about following trends — it’s about finding what works for your team and projects. Consider:

• The scale and complexity of your projects

• Your team’s expertise and learning curve preferences

• Budget constraints and ROI

• Integration with your existing workflows

Remember: even the best VFX tools need a solid foundation. Ensure your team always has reliable access to your projects with a centralized cloud filespace that supports real-time collaboration and makes working with large media files a breeze.

A strong VFX pipeline powers stunning creative 

Creating stunning visual effects consistently means adding structure to your creative process.

A well-designed VFX pipeline helps your team work smarter, collaborate more smoothly and bring your wildest creative visions to life.

Whether you're working on your first indie film or pushing the boundaries of CGI, the right workflow can mean the difference between frustration and getting in the flow. 

Tools like LucidLink are changing the game, underpinning your VFX workflow so you can focus on creating amazing visuals, instead of wrestling with technical hurdles.

Ready to simplify your VFX pipeline? Start your free trial today to see LucidLink in action.