LEARN HOW WE’VE HELPED BRANDS TO SHINE
We pride ourselves on putting curiosity first. Taking the time to talk to our clients to understand their specific business needs and find their true brand values. Only then can we move forward together, collaborating to create a bespoke creative solution. Below you’ll find a guide to our general animation process. But please be aware, occassionally our process can change slightly, as animation isn’t an exact science. Every animation is different and therefore the process needs to change to accomadate its specific needs.
STAGE 1
Discovery Meeting
Where all the fun starts! This stage is all about us listening to you. Hearing about your brand, your goals, target audience and budget requirements. The more we know about you the more we can help take your initial spark of imagination and turn it into a shiny, exciting, animation.
STAGE 2
Script
Whether you have a fully formed brief and script, or need our help to give it a gentle push across the line, we will work with you to get your idea into the best shape possible before any design work begins. This is the first major sign-off point of the project, as only once the script is signed off, will we move ahead with the voice-over recording.
STAGE 3
Moodboards & Styleframes
Next we will produce a moodboards of images to clarify the exact visual style and mood you are after. Then working in accordance with your brand guidelines and brief, we will create several styleframes that show you exactly how the finished animation will look.
STAGE 4
Storyboards
Here we will work on storyboards to give a clearer idea of what we will try and build in either 2D or 3D animation, as well as explore possible camera angles. This is the next sign-off stage. Once happy with the styleframes and storyboards, we can move ahead wth animation and audio.
STAGE 5
Voice Over & Music
If a voice over is required, we can help you find the ideal voice to match your brand and budget. If you already have your own voice artist or would like to use someone from your team, we are happy to accommodate this where possible. We will also start to discuss music options. We can hire a composer to create a bespoke track for you or we can source a selection of possible option from audio libraries at a reduced cost.
STAGE 6
Stills Animatic
Initially, we will create a stills animatic. This involved timing out the still frames of the storyboard into an edit, with rough music and VO. This gives us a good indication of how everything fits within the allowed time. This is a good stage to decide if anything needs to be taken out, added in or held on longer for better legibility.
STAGE 7
Animation
This is when it gets realy exciting! We will start to add all the bells and whistles so the animation look like the styleframes. Its good to be aware that animation does take time, especially if it’s 3D animation. This process may take several weeks or months to complete, depending on the length of the voice-over. This is why it's essential we sign off the previous elements before this stage begins.
STAGE 8
Audio Mix
Once animation has been signed off, we will move into sound design and audio mix. Here we add any relevant sound effects and music to bring life to the whole piece. Then all thats left to do is a final audio mix to make sure the audio levels are just right.
STAGE 9
Delivery
The final sign-off stage. Hopefully at this point there are no surprises. We will send you the final animation with all the music and sound effects combined for one final review before mastering your new shiny animation. We can also send you any versioning / cutdowns you may need for social media and other marketing needs. And, more importantly, we get to have a well earnt biscuit.