International experience including undisclosed cinematic trailers for Netflix Games, CW's "Superman & Lois", Skydance "Spellbound" and Netflix Original series “Legend Quest”. My biggest challenge has been delivering a movie as Line Producer and among my projects are included two feature films (3D) three TV series (VFX + 2D), two short films (3D) and a couple of shortfilms with real time pipeline (Unreal Engine).
David Salinas Garfias
Spanish, English, Portuguese
Querétaro, MX
Two ways I help animation and VFX studios — pick the one that fits, or book an intro call if you're not sure.
An outside set of eyes for studios that know something is off but can't pinpoint where.
I come in for two to three weeks, look at your pipeline end-to-end — bidding, scheduling, tracking, communication, handoffs between departments — and deliver a written report with prioritized recommendations. I've done this across 3D feature pipelines, 2D series, VFX episodics, and Unreal Engine real-time projects.
Best for: studios scaling their team, struggling to hit milestones, or preparing for a bigger project than they've handled before.
I help studios actually adopt AI in production — not just talk about it.
I identify where AI can save real time in your pipeline, build custom tools, and train your team to use them. Concrete examples from my own work: Slack triage and action-item extraction, automated lip sync research and pipeline integration, script and asset breakdowns, lead enrichment for business development, and custom AI assistants for production teams. I also build production-specific tools through vibe coding — AI-directed development that lets non-engineers ship working software fast — so we can prototype solutions for your studio's exact workflow without waiting on a dev team.
Best for: studios ready to free up production time without disrupting the creative pipeline.
Not sure which one fits? Book a 30-min intro call or message me on WhatsApp, and we'll figure it out together.
Two case studies showing how AI and custom tooling can extend what off-the-shelf software does for animation studios and creative agencies.
Extending an off-the-shelf production tool with a custom dashboard built for the way an animation studio actually tracks shots.
Off-the-shelf project management tools like Plaky get teams 80% of the way there. Producers track shots, statuses, assignees and time spent. But the visual progress reporting that executives and clients actually want? That's missing.
A custom-built tool I made for the studio. Drop in the CSV export, get a dashboard with shot-level visibility, real-time completion percentages, status colour-coding and per-stage breakdowns — ready to share or export as a PNG report.
An always-live AI scout I built for Cinética Studio: it finds, filters and ranks marketing and experiential events in Mexico City based on the studio's ideal-customer profile.
Self-hosted web app, backend-connected. Hit AI Refresh and Claude scans for new events, verifies dates, and recommends the most relevant ones based on Cinética's target personas. Each event gets a priority tag, a strategic note (e.g. "commercial zone + 1:1 meeting format is ideal for Cinética's pitch"), and a direct link to the source. Built end-to-end through vibe coding — AI-directed development that lets non-engineers ship working software fast.
Other work includes Slack triage and action-item extraction, automated lip sync research, script and asset breakdowns, and outbound lead enrichment.
I highly recommend David for the great professionalism he has shown and his deep understanding of both the workflow and the people needed to build a pipeline from scratch. He has excellent attention to detail in both technical and artistic workflows, always balancing team members' time and personal lives. He is always looking to support others and to connect the technical and artistic teams, while adjusting budgets to achieve the project’s goals. He also has a deep knowledge of Autodesk Flow (ShotGrid) and how it can help improve delivery times in production, as well as connect producers with technical teams to enable a fully developed workflow. One of the things I value most about working with David is his versatility in the face of constant changes and his communication with clients—always prioritizing people first. He also plays a key role in helping production coordinators improve their work day by day, by asking the right questions that teams should be asking internally. He breaks down the traditional barrier of a producer who only asks for updates, and instead contributes to developing a complex production workflow between client, studio, production, supervisors, artists, and the development team .
I had the privilege of managing David during our time at Cinética, where we collaborated to professionalize the company's operations, with a primary focus on product. David's expertise in ShotGrid, a management software, was invaluable. Together, we successfully implemented it across all departments, streamlining processes from finance to production. David played a pivotal role in achieving operational excellence at Cinética. His exceptional blend of charisma and discipline makes him an outstanding project manager. He possesses a keen understanding of strategy and a knack for seeing the bigger picture, making him an ideal leader who executes tactics with the company's vision in mind.
I am very lucky to have worked with David. He is a great head of production. I always felt supported by David. He trusted me and helped me to do my best. He was always open to comments and ideas from artists, leads, supervisors, art director and TDs to prepare and organize the production. He is a problem solving person, multitask, very organized with excelent communication skills. He balance the creative expectations with the financial resources and time available. He was always smiling, I can't remember a day without a greeting from David to each artist, asking them how his day was going. He is kind and reliable. Documentation about art and technical issues he prepared side by side with team and planning for this film was very helpful for us because that improved our workflow and allows us to complete schedules without overtime. I can't wait for the day to work with him again. Any employee would be lucky to have David as Line Producer
David is a candid and kind person. He always encourages teamwork and supports people to give their best on a project. Working under his direction was a pleasure. I strongly recommend him
I had the opportunity to work with David as our Production Supervisor, and I can say with complete confidence that he was a key factor in the success of our projects. David stood out for his proactivity, leadership, and exceptional organizational skills, ensuring every project stayed on schedule and within scope, even under the most demanding circumstances. He consistently brought clarity, structure, and positive energy to the team, becoming a constant source of inspiration and motivation. He is a dedicated professional with great vision and the ability to coordinate multiple teams and processes without missing a detail. Without a doubt, any company that has him on their team will gain a reliable and highly efficient leader.
Working with David was an absolute pleasure. During our time together, I was impressed by his ability to bring clarity and structure to our complex project. David combines strong leadership with genuine empathy and ensures that everyone feels valued and aligned with the project’s goals. He has a deep understanding of production workflows and always has a positive attitude and calm presence. I would gladly work with him again on any production.
Atomic Habits
I actually took a while before picking up this book. I did it mainly to improve my habits around fitness and eating healthy. It surprised me with how simple things can be if you have discipline, routines and willingness to make a change. With many examples and studies, James takes you on a journey to improve any aspect of your life.
Leaders Eat Last
Very few people get lucky enough to have someone teach them the soft skills needed to be a leader. For all producers, managers, directors or anyone leading teams this is a must — it helps you build better teams, deal with change, and handle all sorts of challenges while managing people.
Drive
A personal favorite I revisit every once in a while when I feel like I'm lacking motivation. It put a name on something I'd already experienced and made me compare different times in my career when I felt better about a job vs others. The "flow" state is now something I'm constantly looking for.
The Game Production Toolbox
After working at Cinética with Unreal Engine I got curious about how game pipeline methodology could apply to animation. I decided to study the industry's methodologies and lingo so I could have more tools in my box — whether working in games or animation.
Blockbusters
After my Film Business course I wanted to dive deeper into the topic. It explains the "tent pole" strategy and others that many film studios use, and how they translate into financial and marketing strategies including distribution. A must to better understand how Hollywood actually operates.
Production Pipeline Fundamentals for Film and Games
While producing my first movie at Huevocartoon I worked closely with the R&D team developing pipeline tools. I was missing key concepts, so I read this and later gave a presentation on how we could push tools even further — and some of those ideas were actually implemented.
Ultralearning
Especially relevant after the AI wave — it's crucial to learn how to learn and master new skills fast. This book covers key concepts for mastering hard skills quickly, how to self-direct, and tactics for deep focus. A great complement to Atomic Habits and Drive.
The Name of the Wind
I included this one even though it's a professional site, because Patrick is just a poet. The way he describes intangible things and takes you on a ride you enjoy all the way through — his writing skills are out of this world. I can't wait for the next book to be published!
Animation Producer · AI & Business Consultant
With a strong background in Producing Animation, AI tools and Business Development, I specialize in leading teams and delivering high-quality work through strategic planning and collaboration. Partnered with global studios including Netflix Games, Warner (Superman & Lois), Skydance (Spellbound), and Netflix (Legend Quest). Experience spans 3D features, VFX/2D series, branded content, and AI-powered production tooling.
Mana Animation Studio
2024 – Present
Full-service animation studio producing 2D, 3D, and VFX content for global clients.
Cinética Studio
Nov 2025 – Present
Creative-technology studio specializing in Unreal Engine, XR, and experiential marketing.
Zealous Studio (India)
Apr 2026 – Jul 2026
Indian animation studio expanding into Latin American markets.
Skydance Animation
2020 – 2021
3D animated feature film. Worked with John Lasseter and Vicky Jenson.
BA Animation & Digital Art
ITESM · 2008 – 2012
MBA
Tec Milenio · 2014 – 2015
Diploma in Film Business
Open University · 2017
