I've coordinated many projects where we had multiple animators/compositors collaborate like this. Like David suggests I start out designing a master project template that has all footage, source materials, and some compositions prepared. Forcing one workflow for all animators will ensure consistent looks and specs - and probably save a lot of time setting up.
We usually piece together the edit along the way, parallel to animating. Every night we'll render what we've got, sketches and finals. We place them in the edit to get a feel for the flow and consistency. That way we don't get surprises on the final day and we spread rendering over the project time.
Barend
Raamw3rk - digital storytelling and visual effects
