Shotgun Software today released the upgraded version 5.0 of its Shotgun production management system designed for VFX and animation. The redesigned Shotgun includes a overhauled UI, the company said, along with new tracking, review and approval tools and collaboration features.

In this revision, Shotgun says it concentrated on providing "simple and visual views" of essential tasks. "We turned our focus to artists and supervisors, designing simple and visual tools that connect them to important project details and to each other," said Shotgun co-founder and CEO Don Parker in a prepared statement. "This is an important step toward providing an off-the-shelf-toolset that equally meets the needs of creative artists and datacentric facility managers."

The new My Tasks view compiles project information in a "news feed" format with a list of which artists are working on a given project. An Inbox collects work-related notes and other updates, with customization options allowing users to follow progress on specific shots or assets, or block reports on material that isn't immediately relevant to their work. And an improved Global Search function returns a list of results, again in what Shotgun describes as a "news feed" layout.

Shotgun costs $49/seat per month, and facilities are allowed to scale up and down on a month-to-month basis as needed. The current package incorporates Shotgun's Revolver and Tank, which were previously standalone products, as part of a complete system for production tracking and collaboration, asset management, and review and approval.

For more information: www.shotgunsoftware.com