3. Native Shot Workflow Needed
All video productions are created based on a script and at least a simple storyboard. As production progresses, additional elements are added to fill in any missing parts.
In animation, work is divided based on the script. Blender files can be considered sequences, and each file represents a scene. However, Blender lacks the concept of a "shot" within that structure.
This leads to inefficiency and unnecessary stress during the work process. Sudden and unexpected stress makes it hard to stay motivated and continue working.
That’s why I believe this issue needs to be addressed.
Both Blender and SFM begin animation work from a similar scene setup. However, they diverge significantly when it comes to handling shots.
In animation production, Blender currently uses Scenes as the main unit of work. However, this structure is highly inefficient for shot-based animation workflows. Inspired by Source Filmmaker (SFM), I propose a system that enables true shot-level isolation within a single Scene.
This would let animators focus on each shot without worrying about unintended changes elsewhere. The goal is to evolve Blender’s current scene-based workflow into a shot-based production pipeline.
⚠️Problems in Current Blender Workflow
- Unintended Inter-Shot Contamination
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Example: After finishing up to Shot 9, adding a prop in Shot 10 unexpectedly affects Shot 2.
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This is equivalent to suddenly altering a storyboard panel from earlier — it's illogical and frustrating.
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This forces cross-checking, timeline scrolling, and debugging that wastes time and kills focus.
2.Lack of Visual Separation Between Shots
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Camera markers simulate shot transitions but lack true visual boundaries in the timeline.
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Animators must manually manage what belongs to which shot — risking misplaced keyframes, camera angle mix-ups, and version errors.
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This results in mental fatigue and low task confidence.
- Cannot Cleanly Remove or Hide a Shot
- There is no concept of deleting or isolating a shot block.
Disabling requires toggling collections or manually hiding objects per frame, which is error-prone and slow.
- Poor Suitability for Small Teams or Solo Creators
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As the industry shifts to solo or small-team creators, the current workflow increases overhead.
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One person must manage an entire sequence while fighting against asset bleed and keyframe errors.
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This sharply lowers creative productivity.
I hope the Blender team will consider this suggestion openly. As a practical reference, trying out Source Filmmaker may help illustrate the benefits of such a shot-based system more clearly
3 Comments
How I work: the blend file is the shot.
This is not about playing with words. When you create a new file in Blender, it's labeled as a “Scene.” And in a typical production workflow, we work on individual “shots” under this scene structure. The issue is that the current shot-based workflow in Blender is not efficient.
In animation production, there are often times when you need to check shots in different orders, or reuse 1 to 3 frames from a previous shot—especially in actions like falling or fighting where continuity is key. But working like this, trying to piece everything together within a single scene, is extremely time-consuming and inefficient.