To bake the perfect cake, it helps to follow the right process!

We divide our projects into a series of steps. At the conclusion of each step, you can review the progress and give us feedback, ensuring you are always up to speed and involved in the process. When you're happy, we sign off on that step and continue the journey!

Stage 1

Brief

The brief… where everything begins!

We ask for as much info as possible from you at this stage. This helps us form a rounded understanding of what your aims for the project are. Who’s your audience and what do we want to arouse or instil in them?

If this all sounds a bit vague, don’t worry! We have a handy briefing system that will guide you through this, helping you come out the other end with a clear direction.

Stage 2

Concept

So we’ve got the brief. Now we need to absorb it, refine it and think about how we can bring your plans to life. We soak up your brand, learn about your business and where the new video sits within it.

Using this, we start researching and developing ideas. We build a mood-board and create a concept that demonstrates a clear approach that we believe fulfils your brief.

Stage 3

Script

The story starts to take shape now, as the concept is woven into a proper narrative. This story is a combination of script and ‘directors notes’, describing what’s happening on screen as the words are spoken.

Depending on your brand, audience and purpose, the tone can vary greatly – from funny or light hearted, to serious or thoughtful. We make sure to refer back to the brief at every juncture, matching the tone established at the outset.

Stage 4

Storyboard

If you imagine the script as the skeleton of the story, the storyboarding stage is all about adding meat to it. Bulking it up and bringing it to life.

Our artists initially create what we call ‘scamps’ for each scene, sketching them out without too much detail. We may also look at character designs and plans for visual effects.

As we progress, we turn these scamps into finely detailed illustrations ready for animating. What you see at this point will be a true representation for the final look of your video.

Stage 5

Voiceover

We work with a great and varied bunch of VO artists from all over the world, bringing all manner of voices to our videos. Picking the right one for you is essential as it can be decisive in driving the story’s character, tone and tempo.

We usually present a number of options to select from, each chosen specifically for your project. And because many of the artists are linguistic chameleons, we can provide further direction if you’re looking for a very particular sound.

Stage 6

Animatic

Now we have the storyboard, directors notes and voice over, it’s time to combine them into a rough run through, or ‘animatic’.

This is really handy as it allows us to visualise the final video and fine-tune all the elements before we actually do the leg work of animating. We can check the duration of each scene, and make sure everything is flowing nicely.

Stage 7

Animation

Now we have all the ingredients, it’s time to stick the oven on and cook this cake!

We only start this once all other stages are approved and signed off. Our animation team can now take the completed illustrations and start bringing them to life.

During this stage, we’ll likely present you with a few work-in-progress snippet showing things like how the characters are walking or graphics are transitioning in. We can always add a little extra skip in their step if it’s needed!

The director will always oversee the entire animation process, ensuring that the timing is just right and your story is being told clearly and concisely.

Stage 8

Sounds

We treat sound effect like seasoning. A little here and a little there can really make the difference to the finish. It helps to emphasise movements, highlight key points and bring extra depth overall.

To pull it all together, a royalty free music track can be chosen to fit our narrative – or to really elevate things, custom composed music can be commissioned.

Stage 9

Finishing

So, we’re at the finish line! It’s time to sit back, grab some popcorn and a fizzy drink and press play.

We will supply your video in formats of your choice and send it over securely. We store all projects indefinitely and back them up regularly. You can always revisit the project down the line, create updated versions, add new languages or give a character a new look.

We love return customers and we’re sure you’ll be back for more!

Ready to go? Let's talk!