Pitch Black

Unifying VFX bids with enterprise-grade tech

The context

Pitch Black is a global house of creative brands with roots in digital production for film, television, and streaming. With VFX studios operating worldwide under the same parent company, they were looking to streamline how they bid on visual effects projects.

Each studio had developed its own way of working, relying on Excel spreadsheets with slightly different formulas and layouts to calculate project estimates. The people navigating this day-to-day complexity were VFX producers, supervisors, and production leads—each responsible for managing budgets and pulling in the right expertise across global teams.

What Pitch Black needed was a consistent and centralized process. One that would ensure every bid followed the same logic, and that their data could be accessed and used across studios for a clearer, more strategic view of the business.

Here’s how we partnered with them to build a new enterprise-grade platform called the Pitch Black Bidding Application.

Project details

Industry

Other

Technologies

React 18

FastAPI

PostgreSQL (database)

Docker

Okta

Services

Design

Development

Innovation

Business Analysis

The challenge

“Think of a dragon soaring through a valley, interacting with characters, lighting, and terrain in highly specific ways.”

That’s the kind of request Pitch Black receives when a major studio or streamer sends over a script.

Pitch Black’s internal teams are then responsible for breaking down that script and preparing a detailed bid that captures all the costs involved in bringing those effects to life. Their previous method relied on Excel files that stretched across multiple tabs and thousands of rows, filled with every shot and asset required to make that dragon come alive. Each line might represent anything from animation and rigging to rendering time, or compositing needs. All of this sat alongside complex financial data, including rates, timelines, and studio-specific variables.

To turn that into software, we needed to understand the domain inside and out. Every formula, workflow, and bit of industry-specific language had to be translated into something intuitive for VFX producers and supervisors across global studios. The tool needed to be powerful enough to handle intricate calculations, yet simple enough for everyday use and easy adoption.

A scenarist and producer working on a movie on a computer

The task at hand

We kicked things off with our Discovery Process, digging into Pitch Black’s Excel sheets to understand exactly how their bids were built. With clearly defined requirements early on, development moved smoothly. We engineered a modular, scalable platform using React and FastAPI, grounded in a clean architecture that separates the frontend, backend, and infrastructure. The platform integrates with key systems, including enterprise authentication, business intelligence tools, CRM, and production tracking software like ShotGrid.

A major focus was making sure the platform worked seamlessly with Pitch Black’s broader ecosystem. When a bid is created, details flow automatically to their CRM, invoicing system, and production tools. Every data point had to land in the right place to keep their operations running smoothly.

Some of the more complex challenges came from replicating detailed financial logic across global studios. That included handling multiple currencies, regional pricing, discounts, and real-time KPI tracking. We also made room for hybrid workflows, giving users the option to import or export Excel templates while they transitioned to the new system. From day one, we designed the platform to grow with Pitch Black’s needs. JSON fields allow for quick iterations, the open API sets the stage for future mobile apps, and the flexible architecture means new features can be added without disruption.

Screen showing the bidding application of Pitch Black

Screen on a laptop showing the bidding application of Pitch Black

Multiple screens showing the bidding application of Pitch Black

“Osedea boasts a diverse talent pool, and the team's combined expertise creates a well-rounded and seamless experience. They delivered items on time, they are also very flexible in terms of addressing last-minute changes and accommodating new requests.”

Véronique Dubé, Director of Business Operations, Pitch Black

The end result

Discovery began in August 2024, development followed in November, and the platform was officially deployed by June 2025. Their teams are gradually ramping up usage, with more users adopting the application as they become familiar with its features.

Pitch Black is thrilled to have replaced scattered Excel workflows with a unified, web-based platform. Their teams can now build detailed cost estimates tied to shots and assets, track financial KPIs and forecast revenue, export polished bid documents, sync with CRM and accounting tools, and maintain complete project histories with built-in audit trails.

This new level of visibility allows Pitch Black to plan better, price smarter, and schedule more effectively. It also helps them make the most of their global network. For example, one studio might take the lead on creature animation, while another handles effects compositing. With everything in one place, it's easier to assign the right work to the right teams. The bottom line: it gives them a competitive edge on bids.

What’s next

The Pitch Black Bidding Application is designed to evolve. With a strong foundation in place, future iterations can bring in richer data visualizations, deeper insights, and smarter connections between bidding and the rest of the business. We’re continuing to roll out new features based on feedback.

The client has been closely involved since day one. They shared feedback, helped shape the product, and worked with us to make sure the tool supports their teams in the real world. Pitch Black is on track to take over platform maintenance. From the beginning, we chose technologies their internal team was already familiar with and made sure they were part of every step. That level of collaboration is core to how we work.If you're looking to unify workflows, centralize data, or build internal tools your team will actually want to use and confidently manage, let's talk.