PROC E S S O F A N IM A T ION

ANIMATION
 Is a method in which pictures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In 
traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets
 to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most animations are made with 
computer-generated imagery (CGI). Computer animation can be very detailed 
3D animation, while 2D computer animation can be used for stylistic reasons, low
bandwidth or faster real-time renderings. Other common animation methods apply a 
stop motion technique to two and three-dimensional objects like paper cutouts, puppets or 
clay figures.
THE 5 TYPES OF ANIMATION

1. TRADITIONAL ANIMATION
2. 2D VECTOR-BASED ANIMATION
3. 3D COMPUTER ANIMATION
4. MOTION GRAPHICS
5. STOP MOTION
1. TRADITIONAL ANIMATION
Sometimes referred to as cel animation, is one of the older forms of animation, in it the animator
draws every frame to create the animation sequence. Just like they used to do in the old days
of disney. If you’ve ever had one of those flip-books when you were a kid, you’ll know what I
mean. Sequential drawings screened quickly one after another create the illusion of movement.
2. 2D ANIMATION

This style has become very popular in the last decade due to the accessibility of the
technology and the growth of online video. Flash is cheap and easy to use, as are other
vector-based animation programs.
ABOUT VECTOR-BASED 2D ANIMATION
• 2D animation is the term often used when referring to traditional hand-drawn animation,
but it can also refer to computer vector animations that adopts the techniques of
traditional animation.

• Vector-based animations, meaning computer generated 2d animations, uses the exact

same techniques as traditional animation, but benefits from the lack of physical objects
needed to make traditional 2d animations, as well as the ability to use computer
interpolation to same time.
ADOBE ANIMATE (FORMERLY KNOWN AS FLASH)

Probably the most popular 2D animation software out there.

Animate has a long lineage of animation making, dating back to the early
days of internet video publishing. It is vector based, very intuitive to
use (as are most of adobe’s programs) and relatively inexpensive. It’s
great for getting started with 2D animation, and though it’s not meant for
professional animation production (unlike toon boom harmony) you can
still get amazing results with it.
ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS
• An interesting choice for 2D animation. After effects gives you great control when
 creating rigs for 2D, and using the puppet tool is very convenient and intuitive. I find it to
be a great choice if you’re already comfortable with the adobe environment, but that’s
a matter of preference. Since it’s an editing software it’s great to be able to edit and
color correct in the same place you animate, and while it’s not the traditional way the
pipeline works, it could save some time.
3D ANIMATION
(CGI, COMPUTER ANIMATION)

3D ANIMATION WORKS IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY THAN TRADITIONAL ANIMATION. THEY BOTH
REQUIRE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SAME PRINCIPLES OF MOVEMENT AND COMPOSITION, BUT THE
TECHNICAL SKILL SET IS VERY DIFFERENT FOR EACH TASK. WHILE TRADITIONAL ANIMATION REQUIRES YOU
TO BE AN AMAZING DRAFTSMAN, COMPUTER ANIMATION DOESN’T. 3D ANIMATION IS MORE SIMILAR TO
PLAYING WITH PUPPETS RATHER THAN DRAWING.
You’re thinking about starting a project, or maybe you
just took the plunge, and are wondering “what should I
expect?” Here is a detailed overview of the process that
we’ve created to give you a better understanding of how
this thing works. For each of the stages we’ve added
some basic information like what it is, what it looks like,
and how long it takes, so you’ll feel confident at each
and every step.
1. CREATIVE BRIEF

The creative brief is a short questionnaire that helps us better understand your business
and what you’re looking for in a video. It’s also an opportunity to think about your business
at a high level and determine what is most important to share with viewers. All key
stakeholders should sign off on the brief to ensure alignment from the beginning of the
project.
2. DISCOVERY PHASE

What is it? We’ll assemble our core team for the project (typically they producer, lead
writer, associate creative director, an art director, and our director of partnerships) to meet
with your team to formally kick things off. During this phase, we’ll discuss the creative brief
with your key stakeholders, and make sure that we’re all on the same page as we get the
project rolling. This is our time to pick your brain and ask a bunch of questions. We want to
make sure that we answer all of your questions,and that we fully understand your goals for
the project.
3. CONCEPT

The foundation of any great video is a solid visual concept with an engaging story. Without
a creative foundation, the visuals are irrelevant. Using the creative brief as a guide, and
adding our own research and discovery, our team will brainstorm a collection of ideas for
your video and then narrow them down to the best and brightest. From there, we’ll present
the ideas during a concept pitch meeting. After you’ve had a chance to review and digest,
we’ll move forward based on the concept approved by all parties.
4. TIMELINE
Unless your project is on a tight timeline with a drop-dead delivery date, we’ll provide you
with our standard production timeline once a concept is selected. This schedule details
how long we need for each step of the project, including revisions from you and your team.
From our experience, the most variable part of the timeline is the time it takes for your
team to review and provide feedback. The sooner you can get us feedback (ideally within
24-48 hours), the faster we can get your video done. At the start of each new stage, we’ll
let you know when you can expect the next deliverable.
5. SCRIPT

With hundreds of videos under our belt, we’ll write a script that effectively communicates your message and
serves as the narration for the final video. We find that having our outsider’s perspective on your business can
be invaluable for producing a simple, effective video script.
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF A SCRIPT FROM BREAKTHROUGH:

His is east garfield park.

It’s home to thousands of kids like joshua.
Statistics show that just under half of joshua’s neighbors live in poverty…
one-fourth of adults in his community don’t have their high school diploma…
and the 40-block zone his family calls home is labeled a food desert.
But joshua isn’t a statistic.
He’s a part of a change.
A change that breakthrough is helping lead in the neighborhood.
A change you can be a part of.
By investing in breakthrough, you’re making a lasting impact on joshua and his community.
Where success is the norm and families have the resources to succeed.
Your investment creates an echo of impact throughout all of east garfield park.
It affects after school programs…
giving joshua and his friends access to educational support, college scholarships, and jobs and internships.
It supplies the fresh market…
nourishing joshua’s neighbors with fresh, healthy food.
And it powers breakthrough’s adult programs.
Helping community members find housing, secure a job, and grow their income.
When you invest, that impact is matched by private and public d ollars, and amplified by hundreds of volunteers and dedicated staff members.
Everyday, breakthrough is working to change the statistics for east garfield park.
Making new ones that give joshua, and the next generation hope.
Are you ready to be a part of this change?
Join the breakthrough family today.
6. STORYBOARD

Once a script is approved, we’ll create a storyboard that details the visuals for the video scene-by-scene,
typically in a sketch style so that we can easily edit before creating the assets. This is where the video really
starts to take shape. You’ll see how each scene is designed, the layout, and the progression of the story. It will
also serve to direct the animator’s motion of those assets.
What does it look like?
7. Style frames

Your video should be unique to your business and accurately reflect your brand. That’s
why we create every single animated video from scratch using custom illustration and
design. A style frame is a single, full-color frame that accurately reflects the final aesthetic
of your video. Typically we’ll pull a couple of approved frames from the storyboard, and
fully illustrated them for your review. These frames may include factors like color palette
options, character variations, and text treatment.
8. VOICEOVER

If you have an important message, you want to have the right person delivering it. From
the humorous to the dramatic, tone and performance really matters when it comes to
bringing a creative concept to life. After discussing the factors that play into a voice style,
such as age, gender, and tone, we’ll assemble a curated selection of professional voice
talent for you to choose from. Once you’ve made your selection, we’ll work with the voice
talent to record the narration to be used in the animation.
9. ANIMATION

This is the stage where all of the pieces come together, and also one of the longer stages
in the process. After designing all of the illustration assets, we’ll begin to bring your video
to life. Keep in mind, we’re adding precisely timed motion to each and every scene. Unless
we need clarification or further explanation for the animators don’t be alarmed if we aren’t
flooding your inbox with updates during this time. We’re just busy making animation magic.
10. SOUND DESIGN

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT, AND WHEN IT COMES TO VIDEO, SOUND DESIGN MAKES ALL THE
DIFFERENCE. WE’LL EITHER PULL TOGETHER A FEW MUSIC OPTIONS OF LICENSED MUSIC FOR YOU TO SELECT
FROM, OR WORK WITH A COMPOSER TO CREATE AN ORIGINAL BACKING TRACK. THEN, CUSTOM SOUND
EFFECTS WILL BE LAYERED TO REALLY MAKE YOUR VIDEO STAND OUT.
11. DELIVERY

• That’s it, your video is complete! We’ll deliver it to you as an HD 1080p MOV or MP4 file,
ready for download. If you need help figuring out how to host it, where to place it, or how
to market it, we’re happy to point you in the right direction!

• If you’d like more information on our process, let’s set up a time to chat!