Shotgun
Project management software
Project, portfolio & program management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$390 per year
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
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- Media and communications
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation
- Information technology and software
What is Shotgun
Shotgun (now branded as Autodesk ShotGrid) is a production management platform used to plan, track, and review work across creative pipelines, especially in visual effects, animation, and game development. It supports task assignment, scheduling, asset and shot tracking, and review/approval workflows tied to media versions. Teams use it to coordinate work across departments and vendors with a shared production database and configurable workflows. It differentiates from general-purpose project tools by focusing on media-centric production tracking and review processes.
Built for media pipelines
ShotGrid models work as assets, shots, tasks, and versions, which aligns with VFX/animation/game production structures. It supports review and approval workflows that are tightly linked to media iterations rather than generic file attachments. This reduces the need to force creative production processes into general project templates. It is particularly suited to studios managing complex dependencies across departments.
Configurable workflows and fields
Administrators can configure entities, custom fields, statuses, and page layouts to match studio-specific pipelines. This flexibility helps teams standardize naming, handoffs, and approvals across productions. It can support different workflows for different shows or departments within the same instance. Compared with many general PM tools, the data model is more adaptable to production tracking needs.
Integration and automation options
ShotGrid provides APIs and pipeline tooling that enable integration with DCC applications and internal systems. Teams can automate status updates, publish/version tracking, and notifications based on pipeline events. This supports scalable operations for studios with engineering resources. It also helps connect production tracking with file management and render/review processes.
Less suited to general PM
ShotGrid’s concepts and UI are optimized for media production (shots, assets, versions) rather than broad business project management. Organizations outside creative production may find it harder to map common portfolio, CRM, or service-delivery workflows into the system. For non-media teams, setup effort can outweigh benefits. General-purpose reporting and resource planning may require additional configuration or external tools.
Administration can be complex
Effective use often requires dedicated administration to manage schemas, permissions, page layouts, and workflow conventions. Customization without governance can lead to inconsistent fields and reporting across projects. Studios may also need technical support to maintain integrations and automations. Smaller teams without an ops/tech function can find ongoing maintenance demanding.
Cost and ecosystem dependency
Licensing and total cost can be higher than lightweight project trackers, especially when scaling to many users and productions. Some workflows are designed to work best within Autodesk’s broader ecosystem, which can influence tool choices. Migrating data and processes from or to other systems can be non-trivial due to the specialized data model. Vendor-specific roadmap and packaging changes can affect long-term planning.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flow Production Tracking (formerly Shotgun/ShotGrid) | $390 per year | Cloud-based production tracking & review for VFX, animation & games; offered with monthly, 1-year and 3-year terms (term options visible on Autodesk store); includes 30-day free trial and money-back guarantee; Autodesk promotions (e.g., 3-pack) may apply. |
Seller details
Autodesk, Inc.
San Francisco, CA, USA
1982
Public
https://www.autodesk.com/
https://x.com/autodesk
https://www.linkedin.com/company/autodesk/
