This sounds like a very interesting system which Animation Mentor offers to their students. They describe it as a pipeline for students and it is supposed to be on internet connection basis. With data publishing system implemented.
Such systems are sometimes called Cloud Vfx Pipeline. I believe this is only a early bloomer stage and with the internet speed going up, such platforms will become used more often in visual effects and animation content productions. Cloud is the future anyway.
http://www.animationmentor.com/studio-school/
...and as a part of a continous effort of building the Prime Focus star shining image, here is Prime Focus Harlem Shake! Enjoy :)
Well I took some time to add a post about this one as the network is full of comments and articles on the topic of today`s uneasy times of visual effects vendors. I agree with opinion that the bussines model needs a significant change. Vendors have always been divided by the bidding war, which would always be a benefit not for any of them, but for film studios. But from the beginning most of them would always loose film revenue profits while investing as well and often have to argue to get a place in film final credits. In contrast to a fact that all high grossing films were built on visual effects and would not attract the audiences without them: Avatar, Titanic, Avengers, Harry Potter, Transformers, Alice in Wonderland etc. (source: boxofficemojo). And while these titles made all over billion dollars, in contrast to this creators behind the "the magic" are fighting for survival between jobs and some are already gone.
And to add something positive, the demand for visual effects content in film is actually higher then ever before. Also this article is not about to blame film studios, who will always try to get lowest price.
Here is recent article about this topic on cgchannel.com.
