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Tasks represent individual work assignments in your production pipeline. Each asset or shot goes through multiple tasks (Modeling, Animation, Compositing, etc.) that track progress from start to finish.

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What are Tasks?

A task is a unit of work assigned to team members:
  • Belongs to an asset or shot
  • Has a task type (Modeling, Rigging, Animation, etc.)
  • Tracked with a status (TODO, WIP, Waiting for Approval, Approved, etc.)
  • Assigned to one or more team members
  • Contains comments, previews, and annotations
  • Tracks time spent and estimations

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The Task Page

The task detail page (~/workspace/source/src/components/pages/Task.vue:1) shows everything about a specific task.

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Task Header

The header displays:
  • Entity thumbnail: Preview of the asset/shot
  • Entity name: What you’re working on
  • Task type: The discipline (colored badge)
  • Current status: Visual status indicator
  • Assignees: Avatar list of assigned artists
  • Subscribe button: Get notifications for task updates
Quickly navigate between related tasks:
  • Up/Down arrows: Previous/next task of same type
  • Left/Right arrows: Previous/next task type on same entity
  • Back arrow: Return to entity list

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Working with Previews

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Preview Player

The main preview area shows:
  • Latest or selected preview version
  • Video playback controls (for video previews)
  • Image viewer (for still previews)
  • Annotation tools for feedback
  • Version selector dropdown

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Uploading Previews

Add work-in-progress or final renders:
  1. Drag and drop files onto the upload area
  2. Or click Add Preview to select files
  3. Supported formats:
    • Video: MP4, MOV, WebM
    • Images: PNG, JPG, EXR
  4. Add a comment describing the preview
  5. Select task status (WIP, Pending Review, etc.)
  6. Click Confirm to upload
Previews process in the background. Large files may take time to encode for web playback.

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Multiple Previews

You can attach multiple files to one comment:
  • Upload several angles or variations
  • Compare different versions side-by-side
  • All previews link to the same comment

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Preview Versions

Each upload creates a new revision:
  • Versions number automatically (v1, v2, v3…)
  • Select versions from the dropdown
  • Previous versions remain accessible
  • Annotations saved per version

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Setting Main Preview

Managers can set which preview represents the entity:
  1. Select the preview version
  2. Click Set as Main Preview
  3. This thumbnail shows in asset/shot lists
Useful for setting approved final renders.

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Adding Comments

Comments document progress, ask questions, and provide feedback.

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Creating Comments

To add a comment:
  1. Type in the comment field at the bottom
  2. Optionally attach files or previews
  3. Select task status if it changed
  4. Click Comment or press Ctrl+Enter

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Comment Features

Rich Text: Format comments with:
  • Bold, italic, and code formatting
  • Bullet lists and numbered lists
  • Links to external resources
Mentions: Tag team members with @name to notify them Task Links: Reference other tasks with syntax like #animation or #modeling Timecodes: For video previews, reference specific frames: 
v3@00:15 - Check the timing here
Clicking timecodes jumps the preview to that frame. Checklists: Add task lists within comments: 
- [ ] Fix lighting on face
- [x] Update hand animation
- [ ] Add final polish
Check items off as you complete them.

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Comment Types

Status Comments: When you change the task status, it creates a status change marker in the timeline. Preview Comments: Comments with attached preview files show thumbnails and version info. Reply Comments: Reply to existing comments to keep discussions threaded.

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Comment Actions

Depending on your role, you can:
  • Edit: Modify your own comments (or any as Manager)
  • Delete: Remove comments permanently
  • Pin: Highlight important comments at the top
  • Acknowledge: Mark that you’ve seen/read a comment
  • Reply: Add threaded responses
  • Duplicate: Copy comment text to create similar feedback

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Attachments

Attach reference files to comments:
  • PDFs, images, documents
  • Drag and drop onto comment field
  • Attachments download via links in comments
  • Managers can delete attachments

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Annotations and Feedback

Draw directly on previews to give visual feedback.

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Drawing Tools

The annotation toolbar provides:
  • Pencil: Freehand drawing
  • Rectangle: Draw boxes
  • Arrow: Point to specific areas
  • Text: Add text labels
  • Eraser: Remove annotations

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Creating Annotations

  1. Select a drawing tool
  2. Draw on the preview
  3. Annotations save automatically
  4. Each version has separate annotations

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Annotation Features

  • Colors: Choose line colors
  • Stroke width: Adjust thickness
  • Undo/Redo: Fix mistakes
  • Clear all: Remove all annotations
  • Frame-based: For videos, annotations stick to specific frames

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Extract Annotation Snapshots

Include annotation screenshots in comments:
  1. Draw annotations on preview
  2. Click Add Annotation Snapshots in comment area
  3. Kitsu captures annotated frames
  4. Snapshots attach to your comment
Great for archived feedback.

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Task Information

The info panel shows task metadata:

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Time Tracking

  • Estimation: Expected time to complete (in days)
  • Duration: Actual time spent
  • Retake Count: Number of revision rounds

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Dates

  • Start Date: When work began
  • Due Date: Expected completion
  • End Date: Actual completion
  • Done Date: When marked as final

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Edit Task Data

Managers and assigned artists can update:
  • Estimation and time spent
  • Start and due dates
  • Task status
  • Assignees

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Task Status Workflow

Tasks progress through statuses:

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Common Status Flow

  1. TODO: Not started
  2. WIP: Work in progress
  3. Pending Review: Submitted for approval
  4. Approved: Final sign-off
Your production may have custom statuses like:
  • Retake: Needs revisions
  • Client Review: External approval
  • On Hold: Paused temporarily

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Changing Status

Update task status:
  • From the comment section (status dropdown)
  • By uploading a preview with new status
  • Via the task list in assets/shots
Status changes create timeline markers.

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Status Automations

Productions can configure automatic status changes:
  • When all upstream tasks complete
  • Based on comment patterns
  • When specific users approve
Check with your production manager for configured automations.

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Task Assignees

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Who Can Work on Tasks

Tasks can be assigned to:
  • Individual artists
  • Multiple people (collaborative tasks)
  • Unassigned (available for anyone)

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Assignment Permissions

  • Assigned artists: Can comment and change status
  • Supervisors: Can assign/unassign and provide feedback
  • Managers: Full control over all tasks
  • Clients: Can view and comment (if granted access)

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Subscribe to Tasks

Not assigned but want notifications?
  1. Click the Subscribe button
  2. You’ll receive notifications for:
    • New comments
    • Status changes
    • New previews

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Playlists from Tasks

Create a quick playlist to review surrounding shots:
  1. Click the Playlist icon (for shot tasks)
  2. Kitsu creates a temporary playlist with:
    • Previous shot in sequence
    • Current shot
    • Next shot in sequence
Useful for reviewing shot continuity.

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Best Practices

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Commenting

  • Be specific and constructive
  • Use timecodes for video feedback
  • Include reference images when helpful
  • @mention relevant team members
  • Keep threads focused on single topics

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Preview Uploads

  • Upload at key milestones
  • Include work-in-progress for early feedback
  • Name files descriptively
  • Use consistent resolution/format
  • Add comments explaining changes

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Status Management

  • Update status when you start work
  • Set to “Pending Review” when ready
  • Don’t mark “Approved” yourself (supervisor does this)
  • Add comments when changing status

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Time Tracking

  • Log time regularly (daily or weekly)
  • Be honest about estimates vs. actuals
  • Data helps improve future scheduling
  • Include all work (not just “hands-on-keyboard” time)

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Annotations

  • Use sparingly for clear feedback
  • Combine with text comments
  • Extract snapshots for important notes
  • Different colors for different note types

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Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Ctrl/Cmd + Enter: Submit comment
  • Escape: Close modals
  • Space: Play/pause video preview
  • Arrow Keys: Navigate frame-by-frame (video)
  • J/K/L: Rewind/pause/forward (video)

Assets

View all tasks for an asset

Shots

View all tasks for a shot

Playlists

Review multiple tasks together

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