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IC
Process · The IC Pipeline

From concept to canonized IP.

Every IC universe moves through the same eight stages. Discovery to live IP in twelve to eighteen months. Predictable craft. Repeatable quality.

Eight stages.
One disciplined craft.

IC builds worlds the same way every time. Stage by stage. Gate by gate. The pipeline does not bend for ambition or deadline — it bends for craft.

Each stage ships a defined deliverable that the next stage builds on. Partners enter visibility at stage 07. Public reveal usually happens during stage 06.

01
Discovery
4–6 weeks
Map the genre, the audience, the gaps.

Before we invent anything, we study the territory: what stories the target audience already loves, what competitors have done, what cultural references are live, and where the white space is. The output is a strategic positioning brief that anchors every creative decision downstream.

Outputs
  • Genre and audience map
  • Competitive teardown
  • Positioning brief
  • Tone-and-mood references
02
Concept
6–8 weeks
Universe pitch, tone of voice, visual mood.

The world takes shape. A short concept package nails the universe in one sentence, one paragraph, one mood reel, and a faction sketch. This is what gets greenlit before we commit to the full bible — small enough to iterate, sharp enough to defend.

Outputs
  • One-line and one-paragraph pitch
  • Mood reel
  • Initial faction sketch
  • Visual mood frames
03
Universe Bible
12–16 weeks
The canonical narrative document.

The full work. Geography, history, technology, fashion, language, factions, characters, locations, rules of the world, and the dramatic logic that connects them. Written to be referenced by every downstream team — internal and external — for the life of the IP.

Outputs
  • Universe bible (200+ pages)
  • Faction architecture
  • Character catalogue
  • Era timeline
04
Brand & Visual Identity
8–10 weeks
The aesthetic operating system.

Once the bible is locked, the visual language follows. Logo system, type stack, color, signage standards, environmental graphics, and photography direction — packaged as a brand guidelines document a partner can build from without ambiguity.

Outputs
  • Brand guidelines
  • Logo & wordmark systems
  • Type & color standards
  • Signage standards
05
Experience Architecture
10–14 weeks
How the world unfolds for a guest.

The bible says what is true. Experience architecture says what a guest encounters, in what order, with what payoff. Resort zoning, attraction beats, decision branches, day-cycle storylines — the dramatic structure that turns IP into a place you can walk through.

Outputs
  • Resort zoning plan
  • Attraction narratives
  • Day-cycle storyline
  • Guest journey maps
06
Media Package
12–20 weeks
Concept art, video, audio, motion data.

The first wave of executable assets. Concept art for environments, vehicles, costumes, and props. Sample pre-rendered video, audio beds, and animatronic motion data. Enough finished media to make the world feel real to investors, partners, and the build team.

Outputs
  • Concept art package
  • Sample pre-rendered video
  • Audio sample library
  • Animatronic motion samples
07
License-Ready
4 weeks
The IP ships to its first partner.

Rights catalogue locked. Approval workflow defined. Brand standards published. The IP is now licensable — to IVG for development, to IEG for operations, to ITG for platform deployment, and selectively to external partners across media, gaming, and merchandise categories.

Outputs
  • Rights catalogue
  • Approval workflow
  • Partner onboarding kit
  • License templates
08
Live & Iterating
Ongoing
Canon expands. The world keeps growing.

A licensed universe is never finished. Quarterly canon updates add new characters, new arcs, new locations. Cross-media partners feed back into the bible. Every IC universe ages forward — the catalogue compounds.

Outputs
  • Quarterly canon updates
  • Expansion arc bibles
  • New character drops
  • Cross-media continuity

~14 months to canonized IP.

14mo
Concept to License
8stg
Pipeline Stages
Lifecycle After

Start a project with IC.

License an existing universe at stage 07, or commission a new world from stage 01. Both paths go through the same intake.