# AnimAgents: Coordinating Multi-Stage Animation Pre-Production with Human-Multi-Agent Collaboration

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.17906 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2511.17906/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 63 of its 173 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 22 Nov 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 63)

- [A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.11432/) (2023)
- [SWE-agent: Agent-Computer Interfaces Enable Automated Software Engineering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.15793/) (2024)
- [The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.07864/) (2023)
- [Evaluating Very Long-Term Conversational Memory of LLM Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.17753/) (2024)
- [A Survey on the Memory Mechanism of Large Language Model based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.13501/) (2024)
- [Why Do Multi-Agent LLM Systems Fail?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.13657/) (2025)
- [Multi-Agent Collaboration Mechanisms: A Survey of LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.06322/) (2025)
- [Agent Laboratory: Using LLM Agents as Research Assistants](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.04227/) (2025)
- [CodeAgent: Enhancing Code Generation with Tool-Integrated Agent Systems for Real-World Repo-level Coding Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.07339/) (2024)
- [Generative artificial intelligence enhances creativity but reduces the diversity of novel content](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.00506/) (2023)
- [PromptChainer: Chaining Large Language Model Prompts through Visual Programming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.06566/) (2022)
- [MAGIS: LLM-Based Multi-Agent Framework for GitHub Issue Resolution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.17927/) (2024)
- [Large Language Models and Games: A Survey and Roadmap](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.18659/) (2024)
- [AutoFlow: Automated Workflow Generation for Large Language Model Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.12821/) (2024)
- [Sufficient Context: A New Lens on Retrieval Augmented Generation Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.06037/) (2024)
- [PromptCharm: Text-to-Image Generation through Multi-modal Prompting and Refinement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.04014/) (2024)
- [PromptMagician: Interactive Prompt Engineering for Text-to-Image Creation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.09036/) (2023)
- [LAVE: LLM-Powered Agent Assistance and Language Augmentation for Video Editing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.10294/) (2024)
- [AI-Augmented Brainwriting: Investigating the use of LLMs in group ideation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.14978/) (2024)
- [RePrompt: Automatic Prompt Editing to Refine AI-Generative Art Towards Precise Expressions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.09466/) (2023)
- [Human Creativity in the Age of LLMs: Randomized Experiments on Divergent and Convergent Thinking](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.03703/) (2024)
- [Transitioning to human interaction with AI systems: New challenges and opportunities for HCI professionals to enable human-centered AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.05424/) (2021)
- [Anim-Director: A Large Multimodal Model Powered Agent for Controllable Animation Video Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.09787/) (2024)
- [Multi-Agent Coordination across Diverse Applications: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.14743/) (2025)
- [PromptPaint: Steering Text-to-Image Generation Through Paint Medium-like Interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.05184/) (2023)
- [CoQuest: Exploring Research Question Co-Creation with an LLM-based Agent](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.06155/) (2023)
- [CreativeConnect: Supporting Reference Recombination for Graphic Design Ideation with Generative AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.11949/) (2023)
- [Prompting for Discovery: Flexible Sense-Making for AI Art-Making with Dreamsheets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.09985/) (2023)
- [ReelFramer: Human-AI Co-Creation for News-to-Video Translation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.09653/) (2023)
- [Generative AI for Cel-Animation: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.06250/) (2025)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [TemplateCraft: Agentic Visual Template Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.31451/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Animation pre-production lays the foundation of an animated film by transforming initial concepts into a coherent blueprint across interdependent stages such as ideation, scripting, design, and storyboarding. While generative AI tools are increasingly adopted in this process, they remain isolated, requiring creators to juggle multiple systems without integrated workflow support. Our formative study with 12 professional creative directors and independent animators revealed key challenges in their current practice: Creators must manually coordinate fragmented outputs, manage large volumes of information, and struggle to maintain continuity and creative control between stages. Based on the insights, we present AnimAgents, a human-multi-agent collaborative system that coordinates complex, multi-stage workflows through a core agent and specialized agents, supported by dedicated boards for the four major stages of pre-production. AnimAgents enables stage-aware orchestration, stage-specific output management, and element-level refinement, providing an end-to-end workflow tailored to professional practice. In a within-subjects summative study with 16 professional creators, AnimAgents significantly outperformed a strong single-agent baseline that equipped with advanced parallel image generation in coordination, consistency, information management, and overall satisfaction (p < .01). A field deployment with 4 creators further demonstrated AnimAgents' effectiveness in real-world projects.