Switching Without Slowing Down Production

Every studio hesitates before changing its production tracker. You have deadlines, artists in the middle of shots, and producers relying on stable data every day.

A poorly handled migration can create confusion and cost real money.

Kitsu is built with that reality in mind.

We do not force a sudden change. We let studios transition at their own pace while production goes on.

You can move one project at a time, or even one department at a time, without interrupting deliveries.

A Migration Plan That Matches How Studios Actually Work

You are not expected to figure everything out alone. Migration can be handled in collaboration between your team and CGWire.

The process is grounded in real production workflows:

1. We review your current setup including projects, task structures, and roles
2. We translate your pipeline into Kitsu without forcing unnecessary changes
3. We import your data and verify that everything is usable
4. We train supervisors first so they can guide their teams
5. We roll out to artists with clear and simple task views
6. We adjust your instance based on real usage, not assumptions

For most studios, it takes days to a few weeks depending on complexity.

Keeping Your Data Intact and Usable

Your production data is your history, your decisions, your communication.

Kitsu allows you to import structured data through CSV or API, so you can bring over:

• Projects, sequences, episodes
• Team members and clients
• Assets and shots with their versions
• Task structures and assignments
• Status workflows
• Comments and production notes

If you are coming from another tool, Kitsu helps you extract and reorganize that data so it fits cleanly.

Running Both Systems If You Need Reassurance

Some studios prefer to validate everything before committing.

You can run your existing system alongside Kitsu for a short period. During that time, your producers can compare progress reports, task updates, artist assignments, and time tracking data. It gives your team confidence that nothing is missing or misaligned.

Once everything matches expectations, switching fully is an easy decision.

Training That Respects Each Role

Adoption usually fails when tools feel disconnected from daily work.

Kitsu avoids that by focusing on how different roles actually operate:

• Artists get clear task lists and simple update workflows
• Supervisors focus on reviews, annotations, and approvals
• Producers track schedules, quotas, and budgets

Training is adapted to each role with live sessions, practical examples, and direct support during rollout. We make sure each person understands how Kitsu helps them do their job faster.

Integration Without Rebuilding Your Pipeline

Most studios already have a working pipeline. Their concern is whether a new tool will force a rebuild.

Kitsu is designed to fit in, not replace.

With its REST API and Python client, your technical team can connect it to:

• DCC tools for publishing previews directly
• Asset pipelines for production management
• Render farm systems for tracking outputs
• Internal asset systems if you already have one
• Review workflows already used by supervisors

An artist can publish a playblast from their DCC tool and have it automatically appear in Kitsu with the correct task and version without manual upload.

Open Source Means Control, Not Dependency

Switching tools should not create a new dependency.

Kitsu being open source gives you options:

• You can host it in the cloud or on your own infrastructure
• You can access and audit your data at any time
• You can adapt it if your pipeline evolves

This is particularly important for studios working with clients who require strict data control or specific infrastructure setups.

Built by People Who Understand Production Reality

CGWire is not a generic software vendor. The team combines software development with production experience and works closely with studios across different sizes and pipelines.

We operate transparently, improve the product continuously, and focus on making production management less complex.

A Safer Way to Move Forward

Switching production tracking tools always carries some level of risk. The difference comes from how that risk is managed.

With Kitsu, you can move progressively, keep production running, preserve your data, and we keep on supporting your team at every step.

Keep in mind that if your current system is creating friction between departments, staying with it also has a cost.

Migrating to Kitsu is not about changing tools for the sake of it: we give your studio a system that scales with your projects and supports your team without adding unnecessary complexity.