Getting Started with Wait and Save service-managed fleets on AWS Deadline Cloud

This article explains how to use Wait and Save service-managed fleets on AWS Deadline Cloud to reduce CPU rendering costs for visual effects and animation studios.

• Wait and Save offers discounted CPU rendering rates in exchange for flexible job scheduling
• Service-managed fleets automatically provision EC2 instances on-demand or via Spot capacity
• Create dedicated queues and fleets for Wait and Save to maximize cost savings
• Jobs typically start within 24 hours; wait times vary by region and time of day
• Example: 200-frame Maya render achieved 92% savings vs On-Demand, 78% vs Spot
• Hybrid fleet setup combines Wait and Save with Spot/On-Demand for capacity optimization
• CloudFormation template automates capacity management using Lambda and EventBridge
• Monitor job status, wait times, and costs via Deadline Cloud Monitor

Wait and Save enables studios to significantly reduce rendering costs while maintaining quality, especially for flexible workloads submitted during off-peak hours or in different regions.