Process
Understanding the journey from concept to completion is crucial. Here’s a streamlined overview of my typical project workflow:
1. Brief
We begin by defining the project’s objectives, key messages, and target audience. This stage involves:
• Clarifying the project’s purpose and desired outcomes.
• Discussing stylistic preferences for animation, voiceovers, and music.
• Addressing logistical details such as deadlines, accessibility considerations, budget constraints, and technical specifications.
• Discussing stylistic preferences for animation, voiceovers, and music.
• Addressing logistical details such as deadlines, accessibility considerations, budget constraints, and technical specifications.
This collaborative effort ensures a deep understanding of your message and goals, setting the foundation for a successful project.
💡 Tip: Keep your message concise. If you have extensive information, consider creating a series of shorter videos to maintain viewer engagement.
2. Scripting
Transforming your narrative into a compelling script involves:
• Crafting the core message collaboratively.
• Refining the narrative into a voiceover script with professional input.
• Refining the narrative into a voiceover script with professional input.
💡 Tip: Avoid jargon unless it’s universally understood by your audience. Read the script aloud to ensure it flows naturally, and always include a clear call to action.
3. Visual Treatment
Developing the project’s visual identity includes:
• Creating style frames and initial character designs.
• Compiling mood boards to convey the intended aesthetic.
• Compiling mood boards to convey the intended aesthetic.
This phase aligns the visual elements with your brand guidelines and project objectives.
4. Storyboarding
Mapping out the animation involves:
• Aligning visuals with the script to ensure cohesive storytelling.
• Incorporating feedback from all stakeholders to finalise the storyboard.
• Incorporating feedback from all stakeholders to finalise the storyboard.
⚠️ Note: Sign-off at this stage is crucial, as significant changes afterwards may affect timelines and costs.
5. Animatic
Creating a preliminary version of the animation to assess:
• Pacing and flow of the narrative.
• Synchronisation with voiceovers, music, and sound effects.
• Synchronisation with voiceovers, music, and sound effects.
This step allows for adjustments before full-scale production, ensuring the story resonates as intended.
💡 Tip: For projects with tight schedules or budgets, combining the storyboard and animatic into a ‘boardomatic’ can be an efficient alternative.
6. Production
Bringing the project to life involves:
• Developing assets and animating according to the approved storyboard and animatic.
• Ensuring all elements align with the established visual treatment.
• Ensuring all elements align with the established visual treatment.
7. Sound Design
Enhancing the animation with professional audio includes:
• Selecting and integrating voiceovers, music, and sound effects.
• Collaborating with experienced voiceover artists to match the project’s tone.
• Collaborating with experienced voiceover artists to match the project’s tone.
⚠️ Note: Investing in quality sound design significantly elevates the overall impact of the animation.
8. Review & Revisions
After production, we fine-tune the animation to ensure it meets expectations. This includes:
• Sharing the draft animation for feedback.
• Refining visuals, timing, and audio as needed.
• Making final adjustments to align with the brief.
• Refining visuals, timing, and audio as needed.
• Making final adjustments to align with the brief.
💡 Tip: Consolidate feedback from all stakeholders to streamline revisions and keep the project on schedule.
9. Delivery & Support
Once the animation is approved, the final files are prepared and delivered in the required formats. This stage covers:
• Exporting the animation in optimised resolutions for different platforms.
• Offering ongoing support if future edits or adaptations are needed.
• Offering ongoing support if future edits or adaptations are needed.
💡 Tip: Consider repurposing animations into shorter clips for social media to maximise engagement and reach.
***
All that we need do now is raise a glass to a successful project: here’s to the next one!
