Arias worked closely with the Wachowskis to refine the project's unique specifications: though initially conceived of as a television series, "The Animatrix" evolved into a collection of nine non-episodic animated shorts, each six to ten minutes long. With co-producers Hiroaki Takeuchi and Eiko Tanaka (president of maverick animation boutique Studio 4°C, where much of "The Animatrix" was animated), Arias ultimately developed and produced eight of the nine "Animatrix" segments (the lone exception being a CG-animated short created by Square Pictures). To helm the films, Arias and his partners assembled a "dream team" of anime luminaries that included Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Kōji Morimoto, Shinichiro Watanabe, and Mahiro Maeda.