A business or a brand manager excited to use animation in his brand promotions. Eager to know more about the how of animation projects. Animations are universally appealing. Everybody loves animations. Like many, you might be curious to learn about high-quality 3D animation costs for complex characters. Or you might be into producing animated brand videos.Â
Whatever it is, this blog will help you wrap your head around animation projects with a lot of ease.
I guarantee you that it’s perfect for anyone who wants to gain knowledge on how animations are produced. What goes into the process? And, how to do an awesome cost-benefit analysis before hiring anyone for your project.
I’m going to talk about;
- Difference between the experience of an agency and a freelancer
- Are you really saving when you opt for budding freelancers?
- Freelancers’ vs Agency: Who gives you the creative edge?
- What value does an agency add to your project management?
- What does the strong command of the tool mean for you as a client?
So, without further ado, let’s dive right in!
Experience
You can search for the most experienced animator. And, perhaps can get them on board too. However, you can’t separate their experience from a top animation agency. It’s the work they did under the umbrella of a full-fledged animation studio that has got them to that level.
Self-learners are hard to find. And, if they’re really good, don’t get me wrong, they can’t deliver on everything.
That’s the first thing that gives a 3D animation agency an edge over budding freelancers and people who’re just getting started. An agency gives you all the skills under an umbrella. Talk about quality and experience, you can only expect better from an animation agency. Though the freelancer may have the passion and skill to nail your job to perfection, they might not be the best at consulting you.
And, by consulting I mean, telling you the scope of your animation. Holding a critical lens to see, if your idea or creative really aligns with your brand. Or will your audience engage with the animation?
Asking these and a lot more questions can mean the difference between a successful animation project, and a creative video that just went live on your feed. But, unfortunately, failed to arouse the interest of your audience.
You don’t want to end up there. Do you?
So, it’s worthwhile to consider an agency for your project. With a bundle of projects nailed in execution and marketing, they will always give you an edge with their quality experience.
Cost
Cost is another factor. Imagine sitting in front of your desktop or laptop, and visualizing all the best ideas. You want to paint the idea. But, don’t have the tools. I can agree with you. I’ve been there and know friends who spent years learning how to create good animations.
While the quest is not an easy one, you can expect that there is a steep learning curve to doing animations. And, when it’s about 3D, the cost can be a limiting factor. For one, equipment is expensive. Plus, learning to paint and animate like a digital artist takes time.
And, even if you’ve got all the best ideas, and the skills (assuming you did polish your skills in animation), doing the production part on your own, will keep you back from going out and marketing your brand.
So, in terms of cost, you can exhaust your key resource of time. Nobody wants to do that.
That’s why you can handpick freelancers or an animation agency. Not only will they take up your project with vigor and care, but you’ll have enough time to focus more on brand messaging.
And, with combined quality 3d animations, and your effective messaging, you can have the impact you’ve always wanted with your brand. Needless to say, the above is not an overnight success.
Creative Edge
Working with a full-fledged animation agency brings you the creative edge. Imagine working on your own as an animator on a project.
Now, fortunately, if you have the skills, you might be able to conceptualize well but to visualize and render it to perfection, you need professional high-end equipment. It’s costly. Plus, working with it is no joke.
If you’ve all the equipment, it’s great! If not, then good luck!
Somehow if you manage to do the job on your own, you’ll still need someone to validate your creativity. You need to have someone who gives you a thumbs up on your idea. Even professional animators require that. Still, if you can move on with that, no problem.
Ask yourself are you able to render voiceover and do the editing part on your own. If you can’t, you might be better off trying a freelancer. Again, here you’ve limited skills at your disposal.
Plus, you’ve be really sure, if the freelancer has enough bandwidth to manage your project without ruining it. You don’t want a rushed effort. Animations that are rushed don’t turn out to be fine, not to mention worth catching eyeballs. It’s a job done with dedication.
What gives you the creative edge is a full-blown animation agency.
Not only they’ve creative directors and artists to conceptualize and align your idea with your brand tone and aspirations of your customers, but also a dedicated team of animators.
They won’t just nail your job to perfection, but can even go out of the way to produce something custom that is quirky, stylish, and attractive at the same time. Think again, if you can do that on your own.
Anyway, if want the creative edge, opting for an animation agency is the best option.
Efficient Project management
Project management is a job that encompasses almost everything. As a brand manager, you want to be sure of the communication and procedures of the team you’re working with. When you choose to work with an animation agency, you expose yourself to a better team composition. Not only will they nail your project, but have a large enough pipeline to work on your project (without rushing).
I am not sure if you can expect the same from budding freelancers or even top ones, who’re already working 50+ hours a week. Shows that they’re already booked. Opting them might not be the best option. Here’s what you can expect from an animation agency.
Speaking from personal experience, I know that they’ll assign a dedicated account manager for your project. It allows you to actively engage with your project guy, and give your input when you want.
Plus, project management involves overseeing the project cycle. Dedicated project guys will make sure your project is open to continuous improvement.
More importantly, if you have a custom project, an animation studio has ample resources to get skills onboard to take care of your project.
You might not get that level of flexibility from budding freelancers. Though they’re eager and enthusiastic to work on new projects, you and I both know, handing the job to specialists can make a big difference. Again, there’s one more important thing when it comes to project management. It’s control. You can have a freelancer work on the project or you can even choose to do it by yourself.
But, who’s there to validate your work before you publish? At best, you can ask a friend or get a peer review. That’s all you can have.
With an animation agency, you have a creative director to control the artists. He can provide feedback on their work, and guide their concepts.
If you’ve seen the show Mad Men, you know what creative directors are capable of doing. They know what your customer wants to see. And, can make their artists paint the same. Again, that’s an edge.
Last, but not the last, you can expect good communication. Freelancers might not like reaching you out every week and give you an update on the project.
But, for an animation team, scrum method is a regular thing. They would invite you to weekly meetings and update you on the status of your project.
On top of that, they’ll invite your input and feedback on the work in process. That allows them to make tweaks in less time. That’s another benefit, you get revisions with efficiency.
Strong command of top tools
Here’s one more aspect of comparison.
Diverse skills. With a flexible team composition to suit your individual project needs, you can employ the skills as per your liking. Interestingly, 3d animation companies with good reviews can deliver that.Â
They continuously expand on their resources and are always up for grabbing the best talent from the market.
Artists and animators have hands-on experience working with multiple tools. They explore new techniques and have nailed projects of every length and breadth. So, that gives you an edge.
Final thoughts
Let’s wrap it up. Above we discussed why you should choose a 3D animation agency for your next project. 3D is hard, and to match the trends and deliver something outstanding requires great skill, time, and effort. You might not be able to do that on your own.
Though budding freelancers are a good option, their experience, resources and dedication cannot match to that of a full-blown animation studio. The decision to hire anyone for your project in the future is entirely yours. Good luck!
Also read: The Best Way to Find The World’s Best Digital Marketing Company
