The Process
Many teams who come to us haven't commissioned animation before, or they have, and it didn't go well. Missed dates, a supplier who went quiet between milestones, a "final" cut that didn't match what was approved. This is what actually happens on a MightyGiant project, stage by stage, so you can decide if it solves that problem before you brief us.
Too much reading? Head to the bottom, and you can watch the 2 minute film we made about an animation project.
Nobody asks "how much hand-holding do you provide" because they want to be babied. They ask it because they've either never bought animation before and don't know what a good process looks like, or they've bought it once, from somewhere cheaper or more experimental, and it cost them more than they'd planned.
That's a completely reasonable thing to be worried about, and it's not solved just by reassurance. It's solved by a process specific enough that you can see exactly where you are in it at any point, and exactly whose job it is to keep it moving.
What happens: Stage by Stage
Here's a break down of how a project usually runs for us. All projects are different, but we try to stick to this tried and tested process as it works really well for the project, but also for our clients too.
Stage 1_ Discovery
Every project starts by identifying the one thing standing between your audience and understanding, not the topic in general. "The Brief" that you give, or we build together, is the guide from you to help us map out the project. It's also where we dive into your company, your brand, and start to find out what it is you need us to help you with.
We'll need to work out who we need this to speak to, where it will live, and what its purpose is. If you're unsure of this; no problem. We're here to help you navigate your way through this first stage.
This was the same discipline used to shape Jaguar Land Rover's range-anxiety brief. This stage, usually a couple of weeks in duration, helps us build the scope document for you.
Stage 2_ Design
Developing concepts with you is where we start to capture the mood and the atmosphere. It's also where we start to look at the tools we're going to use. Which styles of animation, whether it needs models, characters. Or all of these. This is where we start to build the world that your film will live within.
"The whole process felt genuinely collaborative from start to finish, with their team creating an open and friendly environment that made it easy to share ideas and feedback. They really took the time to listen and understand what we were trying to achieve, responding thoughtfully and proactively throughout"
Holly Gleave | True North
Stage 3_ The Script
The next stage is outlining a script. This can come from us, or sometimes you can come with something already formed. It's important to get this in place as it locks down the structure for the rest of the production.
Of course things can change as the project evolves. And we're used to accomodating this. When this happens our Producer is always in touch to explain how this changes things, and the options we have.
Stage 4_ Storyboards
The storyboard is a crucial milestone as this pins down how the story will be told. We aim to have this signed off as tweaking it and unpicking it from here onwards can cause delays. Storyboards can be very rough sketchs, or a series of grey shapes. For this reason we also aim to share more finished frames that we call 'styleframes' so you get a feel of what it looks like.
We do this all the time, so it all makes sense in our heads. Nobody commits to full animation off a single, take-it-or-leave-it board. We allow, and expect revisions here.
A big part of our job is allowing you in on what we're thinking. We don't expect you to be mind readers!!
"The team were very helpful at every stage of the process, were able to quickly flex to my changing requirements, and delivered excellent value for money. I highly recommend them!"
Mark Pomfret | The & Partnership
Stage 5_ Production
The first thing we do in production is an 'animatic'. It's basically a basic version of the final piece, often using storyboard frames. It's a great tool that allows us all to get a feel of the pace and timing. Also, if we have a voiceover, it's a chance to get a feel of how that works with the visuals.
After this we will share WIPs, or "work in progress' at key milestones so you can feed back on the progress, and sign things off as we move towards the final. These are outlined in your production plan, and we share our work on video platforms for you comment and scribble on.
Stage 6_ Sound
Voiceover and sound design are added in the later stages, and your choice of music track, if it's needed.
"They are meticlous and support agencies and clients on every step of the project. They have a great partnership approach which is music to anyone's ears."
Dave Gee | Jam
Stage 7_ Review
How does sign-off actually works when the people approving a project aren't all in one room? Well we send you video links, and will ask you to collate your feedback your end before sending your comments back to us. A small, fast turnaround project may have 2 rounds of feedback. A bigger, longer project, may have 6 or more. We'll discuss this during the discovery phase so there are no surprises.
Stage 8_ Delivery
The final render is our last stage. It's a bit like the cooking time, bringing all the elements together in one pot. Simple designs are done quickly. Very complex 3D projects can take several hours (or even days). This is all factored into our production plan from the outset.
We send the final files in the format you need them. If it's for cinema, then we'll upload it to the company looking after projection. If it's social posts, we'll send you the correct file format, in the variety of sizes that you need. Again, we'll discuss this at the outset so we're prepared for this from the beginning.
Usually this means the files are now yours to keep. No ongoing costs. If you need the working files, then we would work this out at the outset, and may incur an additional cost to set it up this way.
We love process so much we even made an animated film all about it.
Can we help?
Could your product be helped by some of the design here. We'd love to hear more about your brand and help you give it some motion and animation.
