---
title: 'How Anime is Actually Made'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=PDeKedh80pw'
video_id: 'PDeKedh80pw'
date: 2026-07-28
duration_sec: 480
---

# How Anime is Actually Made

> Source: [How Anime is Actually Made](https://youtube.com/watch?v=PDeKedh80pw)

## Summary

Anime production is a complex, multi-stage process involving a large team of specialists. From initial concept to final distribution, it typically takes over a year to produce a 12-episode series. This summary breaks down the key stages: pre-production, production, and post-production.

### Key Points

- **Anime Production Complexity** [00:00] — Anime production is intricate and time-consuming, often taking a year or more for 12 episodes.
- **Production Staff and Roles** [00:28] — A team of 50-100 people including director, producer, character designer, animators, CG director, sound director, voice actors, etc.
- **Three Production Stages** [01:08] — Pre-production (script, storyboard, character/art/color design), production (animation, CG, finishing), post-production (sound, voice acting, compositing, editing).
- **Storyboard Importance** [01:29] — Storyboards are sequential drawings detailing scenes, dialogue, music, sound effects, and camera work.
- **Production Stage Groups** [02:27] — Support group (production managers), animators group (key frame and in-between animators), quality control group (animation supervisors), CG group, finishing group (background artists, color selectors).
- **Post-Production Elements** [04:40] — Audio director and composer create music; sound effects engineer produces effects; voice actors record lines; sound mixer combines audio; compositing and video editing finalize the episode.

### Conclusion

Anime production is a collaborative effort requiring meticulous planning and execution across multiple specialized departments, resulting in the polished final product enjoyed by audiences.

## Transcript

have you ever been completely blown away
by an anime and found yourself wondering
how on Earth such a masterpiece could
even be created it's no secret that the
process of making anime is intricate and
time consuming on average it can take a
year or more just to produce 12 episodes
of an animous series crazy right well
prepare your snakes because in just a
few short minutes I'm going to take you
on a fascinating journey and reveal the
secrets of how anime is
made anime production is a complex
process that involves many specific
parts I'll try to explain it as simply
as possible once a series and a studio
have been decided the main production
staff including the director producer
and episode director hold the meeting to
determine who will be involved in a ra
production this includes positions like
character designer animation supervisor
key frame animator INB animator CG
director art director color selector
sound director voice actors as artist
and more each position may be filled
byal people resulting in a stuff of 50
to 100 people the production stage is
divided into three stages the
pre-production production and post-
production in the pre-production stage
the director producer story writer and
the original author if it's not an
original series create the scrip for
each specific episode once the scrip is
complete the series director or episode
director creates the storyboard
storyboards are crucial because they are
sequential drawings detailing the major
scenes of the series and include
information about dialogue music SX and
camera work it's the first step in
bringing the script to life after the
story boards is completed the character
designer will create detailed animation
character designs to be used as
reference by animators during the
production stage the character designer
will often work closely with episode
director and art designer to establish
the overall visual look of the sh
characters the art designer on the other
hand will develop the overall visual
look of the production by creating the
detailed designs of location item or
objects vehicles and the characters
finally the color designer will set the
main color palette to be used by the
finishing Department to color completed
animation prior to the use of digital
coloring techniques the color designer
used specific RGB color scod that were
consistent between computers ensures
that the anime Visual and narrative
elements are cohesive and engaging now
we come to the most exciting and
challenging stage the production stage
to make it easier to understand let's
break it into several groups first up is
the support groups which includes
production manager and assistant
production manager their role is to
ensure that everything is on schedule
within budget and that production
Milestones are met they coordinate withs
each production Department track
progress and deliver production
materials from one to another department
next is the animators group within this
group we have the key frame animators
who are some of the most talented
artists in this studio they create
detailed version of the storyboard image
or layouts they have been assigned and
are responsible for drawing the key
frames pyal moments within the animation
that def find a sense motion then in
between animators work closely with the
key frame animators to draw the
remaining frames needed to complete a
sequence of Animation they trace and
clean ups the lines of the key frames
then draw the missing frames based on
the timing shet fed by the key frame
animator but we're not done yet the
third group is just as important quality
control group first up is the animation
supervisor who oversees checks and
corrects the key animators layouts and
drawings they are the first layer of
quality control for an episode the chief
animation supervisor Works directly
under the supervising director of
animation and acts as a second layer of
quality control correcting drawings
before the are reviewed by the
supervising director one of the most
important group in this production
process is of course the computer
Graphics Group leted by the CG director
they oversee and manage all aspects of
the CG team's work ensuring visual
consistency with the 2D animation CG
artists create the 3D models and texture
while CG animators brings them to life
and compile them into scenes using
technology another crucial group is the
finishing Group which includes the
background artist who create the scene
backgrounds based on the key animators
layout the art director supervises and
produce background art ensuring
consistency across all scenes while the
color selectors add colors to each scene
based on the main palette established by
the color designer you still remember
that right cuz I hope so and and finally
the supervising director of Animation
checks and approves all animation
ensuring it address to the storyboards
and character design after their
approval we move on to the post
production stage in the post- production
stage the audio director and soundtrack
composer collaborate to create a
captivating musical score and background
music that perfectly fits the shes
meanwhile the sound effect engineer is
responsible for producing all the sound
effects necessary for the anime using a
variet of techniques such as
manipulating real world sounds are using
digital sounds libas the voice actors
then bringing the characters to Life by
voicing over day lines matching their
voice with the character lip movements
and performing their lines with the
appropriate emotion tone and delivery
the sound mixer records their voice
acting data in the voice acting
recording room including voice editing
marging voice acting recordings sound
effects and marging soundtracks
according to the animation director and
audio directors Wishes the sound
production supervisors schedules and
arrange recording session for each of
their project depending on how many
recording rooms they have available in
their studio in this post- production
stage the Asic artist produce austing
special appearance within the animations
such as wine clouds lightning explosions
and others near the end of the
production the Director of Photography
hands down to composite animation in
addition to key animators layouts which
often depict since framing Director of
Photography provides guidance to the
individual photographers coning like
Direction focusing camera work to create
the atmosphere of the sh as the pick by
the episode storyboards for the final
touch the video editors assembles all of
the footage from the various stage of
production including the key frame
animation in between animation and
computer Graphics animation into a
cohesive and Visually placing final
product they didn't conduct final
checkups with the director and episode
editors make necessary edits and apply
censorship according to each television
station codes if needed the video editor
also works with the sound team to ensure
that the sound effects and musics are
properly synchronized with the animation
ensuring that the animation is polished
and ready for distribution to audience
or for those who watch the series
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
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