A common aspiration in the CG / Blender community is creating animated short films. The Blender Animation Studio averages one animated short production each year in the form of open movies. We also see a lot of hopeful independent projects like "Wires for Empathy", "Dynamo Dream", and "Tiki". I say "hopeful" because it's common that such projects never cross the finish line.

CG Cookie Collabs aim to provide reliable opportunities to create impressive Blender shorts with the community serving as production artists; including beginner and advanced skill levels. The format has successfully facilitated three remotely-produced animated shorts in four years. Collabs have become an annual tradition with an exciting, wide-open future.

The revelation of this format shows that the skill and drive to achieve large projects absolutely exists in the Blender community. By sharing the history and evolution of Collabs I hope to inspire similar initiatives. Whether it's prominent creators leading their communities or groups of like-minded folks on Blender Artists, when given the opportunity, the Blender community can create amazing things.