Outsourcing Inbetweening

Good day all.

This is my first and certainly not my last post. This Forum has been a blessing since last night, the moment I discovered it.

I am a fresh graduate of Software Engineering that has been engaged by an overseas broadcasting company to accumulate, assemble and evaluate the procedure of producing an Animation somewhat-similar to 'The Simpsons' or 'Family Guy'.

Now, I have also been appointed to list my own recommendations regarding the process, and cost versus quality (taking into account the timing to produce such animations) and forward some of the necessary information to a colleague engaged in the business plan, and financing.

As a software engineer, I have by instinct, searched to produce animation by the aid of software, namely Mirage (or others you may recommend), and in the hope of using others to be imported into Mirage, such as sound, sound effects, the use of pressure-sensitive graphic tablets, etc.

While viewing the 2-D animations produced by proficient artists using Mirage, specifically Rusty Mills' Sample 1 (I like his illustration), convinces me that Mirage may be the main software to be used in such animations. Though his sample is short, I wonder on how long it took to produce his sample, or even yet, a 22 minute episode.

I am well aware that 4-6 animators will be needed, with a learning curve to acquire (though Bauhaus online training and forum community may make this process easier), I have downloaded the 30 day trial to see how long the learning process may take.

From what I have gathered so far, I am inclined to believe that that the process is composed of seven or eight main steps:

* writing the script
* the table read
* recording voices and editing the soundtrack
* creating the storyboard
* creating the animatic
* creating the color
* editing the color
* adding sound effects and music

Where I would hope Mirage would play a part in, would be in the animatics, I do understand that creating the animatic would be creating the main keyframes for them to be sent abroad (outsourcing), for 'in-betweening'. I do hope I did understood this procedure correctly.

As for the creating and editing the color, I suppose Mirage is quite sufficient for handling these tasks (as it would be cheaper, instead of outsourcing this task as well) - or any other software you may recommend.

By digitalizing this operation as much as possible, I suspect it would greatly reduce the expenses of retakes, and the time to finalize them.

Please do indicate to me any misjudgement of the procedure or anything you think would be relevant to my engagement.

My target is creating a 22 minute pilot episode with the potential of producing 18 episodes in the future.

I would like to know the pricing of the inbetweening and cleanups, as well as the names of the representative companies and/or contacts.

Cheers.