Mike Young of Mike Young Productions, which produces Jakers!, places emphasis on management to keep budgets low. He strives to make decisions quickly, which streamlines the production process. Courtesy of & © Mike Young Productions.

Discussing the differences in higher-budget ($1,000,000 and up) and lower-budget CG, Mike Young, co-founder, producer and partner at Mike Young Productions, places the emphasis on management. “This sort of budget ($1,000,000 per episode) would be a wish-fulfillment fantasy for us. The average Nickelodeon/Cartoon Network/ Disney Channel show costs an average of $500-600,000 per episode. Ours are in the range of $350-$400,000. We probably use management and staff more efficiently than big studios. The decision-making process both creatively and in terms of management is quicker and more streamlined.

“Often the big studios have staff hanging around for management decisions, as well as many meddling noodlers -- one major studio recently told us that a certain executive ‘costs them a million dollars every time he walks in the room’ and changes his mind about something or other at the wrong stage in the process. Yet we have won more Emmys for our shows than any other comparable studio during the last four years.”

Young tries to stay ahead in production techniques in order to maintain low budgets. For example, his company was the first to use India for production. Pet Alien courtesy of & © Mike Young Productions.

That says a lot for the quality of their productions, which include shows like Dive Olly Dive!, Growing Up Creepie, I Got A Rocket!, Jakers!, Pet Alien, Toddworld and He-Man. But how do they maintain such high quality while overcoming the challenges of low-budget production? “Run between the bigger boys' legs, stay ahead in production techniques,” says Young. “We were the first to use India for production, first to use live-action reference to back up our storyboards, first to use management teams on multiple series, provide long-term jobs for our artists and not hire and fire like the majors. Our pay rates are comparable to all the others, yet our output is much higher.”

When I asked Young what happens when he discovers he must cut back on visual effects due to budget constraints, he responded in just two words: “Never happens.” As for making adjustments to their pipeline and workflow for low-budget projects, Young pretty much reiterated what Patty Jordan and Seth Piezas had previously stated: “Multi-tasking teams, producers who know the state of the art and are very experienced in their field (3D CGI, 2D, Flash).”

To sum up what we have learned about the essentials for creating low-budget CG, first you need versatile artists who can multi-task and work together as a team. Next you need to develop a consistent style, and you must have effective time-management, especially when it comes to rendering. Staying up-to-date on the latest production techniques and picking the scenes where you feel you can get the most bang for your buck are essential. Finally, it may help to have a Zen monk on your staff.

J. Paul Peszko is a freelance writer and screenwriter living in Los Angeles. He writes various features and reviews, as well as short fiction. He has a feature comedy in development and has just completed his second novel. When he isn't writing, he teaches communications courses.