Overview
The Studios feature allows you to manage multiple physical or organizational locations within your production company. This is particularly useful for organizations with offices in different cities, outsourcing partners, or separate business units that share the same Kitsu instance.Accessing Studios
Navigate to the Studios page from the main administration menu to view and manage all studios in your organization.Studio Tabs
The Studios page is organized into two tabs:- Active: Currently active studios
- Archived: Previously archived studios
What are Studios?
Studios represent different locations or organizational units within your company:- Physical office locations (e.g., “London Office”, “Vancouver Office”)
- External partners (e.g., “Partner Studio A”, “Outsourcing Vendor”)
- Business units (e.g., “Animation Division”, “VFX Division”)
- Departments spanning multiple locations
Creating a Studio
Enter Studio Details
Fill in the studio information:
- Name: Studio name (e.g., “Paris Office”, “Montreal Studio”)
- Color: Choose a color for visual identification
Editing Studios
To modify an existing studio:- Click the Edit button next to the studio
- Update the studio details:
- Change the name
- Modify the color
- Click Confirm to save changes
Changing a studio’s name or color updates it throughout the system immediately.
Archiving Studios
Instead of deleting studios, you can archive them:- Edit the studio
- Check the Archived option
- Save the changes
- No longer appear in active studio lists
- Retain historical data and assignments
- Can be unarchived if needed
- Accessible via the “Archived” tab
- Users assigned to archived studios remain in the system
Archive studios when closing offices or ending partnerships, rather than deleting them.
Deleting Studios
To delete a studio:- Click the Delete button next to the studio
- Confirm the deletion by typing the studio name
- The studio will be permanently removed
You cannot delete studios that have active users assigned. Reassign users to another studio or deactivate them before deleting.
Studio Colors
Each studio can have a unique color code:- Colors help visually distinguish studios in the interface
- Choose colors that align with your organization’s branding
- Use contrasting colors for better visibility
- Colors appear in user lists, timesheets, and reports
Assigning Users to Studios
Users are assigned to studios through the User Management page:Each user can only belong to one studio at a time. To transfer a user, simply change their studio assignment.
Filtering by Studio
Throughout Kitsu, you can filter views by studio:People Page
Filter the user list to show only team members from a specific studio.Timesheets
View time tracking data segmented by studio location.Reports
Generate studio-specific production reports and analytics.Resource Planning
Allocate resources based on studio availability and capacity.Multi-Studio Workflows
When working with multiple studios:User Management
- Assign users to their primary studio location
- Filter people lists by studio
- Track studio-specific headcount
- Manage studio-specific permissions
Production Planning
- Allocate shots/assets to specific studios
- Balance workload across locations
- Account for time zone differences
- Plan resource distribution
Time Tracking
- View timesheets by studio
- Track studio productivity
- Calculate studio-specific costs
- Generate studio financial reports
Collaboration
- Coordinate between studios
- Share assets across locations
- Manage handoffs between teams
- Track inter-studio dependencies
Studio-Based Reporting
Generate reports segmented by studio:- Production Progress: Track how each studio is performing
- Time Spent: See hours logged per studio
- Resource Utilization: Monitor studio capacity
- Cost Analysis: Calculate studio-specific expenses
- Quota Achievement: Compare studio productivity
Exporting Studio Data
Export studio information to CSV:- Ensure you’re on the Active tab
- Click the Export button
- Download the CSV file containing:
- Studio type
- Studio name
- Studio color
- Organizational documentation
- Integration with HR systems
- Reporting to stakeholders
- Backup purposes
Common Use Cases
Geographic Locations
Geographic Locations
Scenario: Animation studio with offices in multiple citiesSetup:
- Create a studio for each physical office
- Assign users to their primary location
- Use colors matching local office branding
- Filter timesheets and reports by location
- Track productivity by location
- Manage local teams effectively
- Account for regional differences
- Coordinate across time zones
Outsourcing Partners
Outsourcing Partners
Scenario: In-house team working with external vendorsSetup:
- Create studios for each outsourcing partner
- Assign vendor artists to appropriate studios
- Use distinct colors to identify external teams
- Filter to separate internal and external work
- Track vendor contributions
- Manage external resources
- Monitor outsourcing costs
- Coordinate handoffs
Business Units
Business Units
Scenario: Large studio with separate animation and VFX divisionsSetup:
- Create a studio for each division
- Assign team members to their division
- Use division-specific colors
- Generate division-level reports
- Track division performance
- Allocate resources by division
- Measure division profitability
- Manage division-specific workflows
Integration with Other Features
Studios integrate with other Kitsu features:Departments
Combine studios and departments for granular organization:- “London Office - Animation”
- “Vancouver Office - Lighting”
- Track both location and specialty
Projects/Productions
Assign primary studio to each production:- Track which studio owns each project
- Distribute work across studios
- Manage studio-specific pipelines
Timesheets
Studio-based time tracking:- View hours by studio
- Calculate studio costs
- Monitor studio utilization
- Generate payroll by location
Quota Management
Set studio-specific quotas:- Track shots/assets per studio
- Compare studio productivity
- Balance workload distribution
- Identify studio bottlenecks
Best Practices
Studio Management Guidelines
Naming Conventions
- Use clear, consistent studio names
- Include location or function in the name
- Avoid abbreviations that could confuse
- Assign logical colors (e.g., blue for water-themed locations)
- Maintain high contrast for visibility
- Document color meanings
- Assign users to their primary work location
- Update assignments when people relocate
- Use studios for organizational, not physical, structure if needed
- Archive rather than delete closed studios
- Export studio data regularly for backup
- Review studio list quarterly
- Keep studio information up to date
- Use studios for geographic and organizational analysis
- Create studio-specific dashboards
- Track inter-studio collaboration
- Monitor studio-specific metrics
Time Zone Considerations
When managing studios across time zones:- Document each studio’s time zone
- Schedule meetings considering all locations
- Use UTC times for deadlines when appropriate
- Account for time zone differences in delivery schedules
- Coordinate handoffs between studios in different zones
Troubleshooting
Can’t Delete Studio
Issue: Delete button is disabled or shows an error Solutions:- Check if users are still assigned to the studio
- Reassign users to another studio first
- Archive the studio instead of deleting
Studio Not Appearing in Filters
Issue: Studio doesn’t show up in dropdown menus Solutions:- Verify the studio is not archived
- Check that users are assigned to the studio
- Refresh the page
- Clear browser cache
Colors Not Displaying
Issue: Studio colors don’t appear in the interface Solutions:- Verify color was saved correctly
- Try a different color code
- Check browser compatibility
- Refresh the page
Related Pages
- User Management - Assign users to studios
- Departments - Organize users by function
- Timesheets - Track time by studio