FAQs to Ask a 3D Animation Studio Before Hiring 3D Animation Services for Projects


Are you planning to hire a 3D animation studio, but you need to figure out how and where to start in the first place? Before hiring any 3D animation service for your projects, here are some questions you need to ask the animation studio to ensure you’ll be working with the right one.

Importance of 3D animation videos

3D animation models have different applications and features in digital marketing. People use these videos since the sense of movement makes them more accessible and more engaging to explain complex and challenging concepts. If you’re unsure if you should use 3D animation, now is the time to try it. 3D animations are known for being efficient and visually appealing in conveying the features of a product.

These animated videos are also an excellent way to spread or share your company’s message or present any hard-to-explain concept or idea. 3D animation videos from 3D design professionals can also improve the value of your organization and its reputation in the market, whether you use them for sales, presentation, or marketing. Furthermore, these modern marketing tools can increase your audience reach because you can publish these videos on different online platforms. 3D animation videos can amplify your online presence, attract customers, and establish your brand reputation.

RELATED: How Much Does 3D Animation Cost & Rates for Product Marketing Video Services?

Why outsource 3D animation services

Many 3D animation studios today provide a new channel for promoting services and products for engineering, architecture, and many other industries. Here are some of the best reasons why you should consider outsourcing your 3D animation needs:

  • 3D animation studios have the infrastructure, software, and tools to finish their projects. Their extensive experience and portfolio help cut down the lead time and overall cost of projects. Aside from these, they also have dedicated teams and trained project managers who know how to communicate smoothly and openly with their clients.
  • Reduced operational costs mean a higher profit margin for your company. Outsourcing 3D animation videos gives your in-house staff more time to focus on tasks while animators are busy doing theirs.
  • You can look for the best 3D animation studio that offers top-of-the-line services.
faqs1

Benefits of hiring a 3D animation studio

Here are some of the most substantial reasons to hire a 3D animation studio for your upcoming projects:

Perfect for long projects

3D animation studios are composed of skilled 3D animators who are all well-equipped to handle long and feature-length projects that last anywhere between 30 to over 90 minutes. If your project requires several minutes of video, working with a 3D animation can assure you that your project will be completed right on time.

Industry expertise

3D animation studios are adept at creating engaging stories and stunning animations and handling the entire production process to ensure you don’t blow your budget. A team is necessary to do all of these correctly. These studios don’t only tell beautiful stories or create attractive illustrations. Instead, they have all the essential skills required to finish your project.

Broad Promotion

Animation studios can help you with your video marketing needs, which come in handy if you want your 3D animated videos to be in front of your target audience.

RELATED: What are 3D Product Animation Costs, Design Service Rates & Pricing for Companies?

Reliable Reputation

Many of today’s 3D animated videos run virtually. You don’t have to be physical with the studio to create the video. Establishing trust from the start is crucial since you will work with the studio virtually. As mentioned earlier, 3D rendering companies consist of professionals who can complete your project even if some team members might be sick or busy with a different task. You can always count on these studios to stick with you from start to finish; they won’t disappear like a ghost in the production process.

Style Variety

3D animation studios have a pool of talented and skilled animators who can work hand in hand when designing and animating different styles of custom animated visuals.

Questions to a 3D animation studio

Now that you have a good idea of what 3D animation studios do and can offer, here are some of the questions you should ask them before you settle for one:

Do you have cloud rendering access or a render farm?

This is one of the first and most important questions you should ask the 3D animation studio you’re planning to work with. Powerful technical capacities are required to create 3D animated videos without details. Cloud rendering and render farms alike can make this possible.

faqs2

Render farms are high-performance computer clusters used for speedier 3D animation rendering. Cloud rendering, on the other hand, visualizes CGI using the computational power of the servers in a cloud environment. This offers faster visualization and makes it easier to create more complicated scenes. Take your time to ask if the 3D visualization firm has cloud rendering access or a render farm. This will help you ensure they have the essential resources for the timely delivery of your 3D animated videos.

RELATED: Top Reasons for Using 3D Rendering in the 3D Animation Process

What type of revisions policy do you have? How about guarantees?

Guarantees should always be among the first questions you should ask any 3D animation studio. Specific guarantees should be in place every time you work with these studios. This may involve a timeliness guarantee as well as an NDA for the protection of your intellectual property. Discuss these guarantees with the studio to confirm if they can offer a trustworthy service. You must also clarify the studio’s revisions policy since changes might be needed during your project. Once you’re armed with this knowledge, you can also manage your expectations and budget better.

How will you organize the workflow?

Don’t forget to ask the 3D product animation company how they plan to organize the working process. An effective and efficient workflow is critical to collaborate with your chosen studio successfully. Inquire about their approach to project management. Ask if they will also assign a dedicated manager to your project if they will offer CRM system access, or provide responsive client support. Raising these questions will give you a better understanding of the studio’s workflow and whether their techniques and expectations align.
Discussing the communication process and project milestones will ensure that the two parties will always be on the same from start to finish.

RELATED: What 3D Animation Software Is Used by the Best Product Design Companies?

How large is your team, and what experience and skills do your staff members have?

The size of the team of a 3D animation studio has a significant impact on the timeliness and quality of your project. Generally, a bigger team is better equipped to deliver on time and handle complicated tasks. When you raise this question, make sure you also ask about the expertise of the specialists and their specific roles in the animation process. It will give you a glimpse of the studio’s capabilities and if they will be effective enough in managing your project. Evaluating the studio’s experience will make you more confident in their ability to render top-notch results.

How much are your services?

This is undoubtedly one of the most important questions you should ask before hiring a 3D animation studio. Knowing the structure of their prices is crucial to determining the best fit for your requirements and budget.

faqs3

Several studios charge by the hour, while others offer after-package deals or per-second rates. Asking about the studio’s pricing structure will help you determine the option that best fits your needs and confirm that there are no hidden fees. Talking about the possible extra expenses and payment terms will give you a clearer picture of the total cost.

Resources to ask from a 3D animation studio

You should ask for or request several resources from a 3D animation studio before hiring them to ensure you’ll receive top-of-the-line services. These resources include the following:

  • Portfolio: Don’t hesitate to ask if you can see the portfolio of the studio’s previous works. This way, you can get a good idea of their range of services, quality, and style.
  • Communication plan: Ask for a communication plan outlining the communication between you and the studio during production. It assures you that you will be involved and stay current about the project.
  • Project timeline: Inquire if it is possible to get a comprehensive project timeline, including deadlines and milestones for the different stages. Doing so will make it easier to stay on track of the project and guarantee timely completion.

RELATED: How a 3D Product Animation Service Can Boost Your Marketing Efforts

How Cad Crowd can help

Contact Cad Crowd and start your search for the best 3D animation studios that can bring your ideas to life!

What is the Difference Between Motion Graphics Design and 3D Animation Services Design?


Motion graphics and 3D animation may sound the same for the novice or unfamiliar. But the truth is that these two concepts may be connected yet different. There is even some debate on whether motion graphics can be considered animation. But for clarification, motion graphics is among many animation styles. While motion graphics may sound somewhat new and modern, they have already been around as far back as the late 1800s, undergoing numerous changes and evolutions.

Fast-forward to the modern day and motion graphics has become a typical media segment you probably didn’t even notice because of how regularly it is used in all its different forms. This article discusses the difference between motion graphics design and 3D animation services design to help you determine which one suits you best.

Breathe life into static elements with motion graphics

Let’s start with motion graphics. Motion graphics use text, animation, and graphic design to create visually enticing content that tells a story or conveys information using movement. It mainly focuses on improving static visuals using dynamic elements.

Motion graphics design defined

Motion graphics design is a captivating and dynamic visual communication combining animation techniques with graphic design elements. This revolves around creating animated visuals that usually involve images, shapes, and text to promote a compelling engagement with the audience, tell stories, and convey messages.

At the heart of motion graphics design is the idea of using movement to breathe life into static visuals. 3D Designers use different software programs to animate and manipulate different elements to give them a sense of interactivity and motion. It paves the way for transforming complex concepts, ideas, or data into visually engaging and digestible content.

Motion graphics design has numerous applications in various media, including web design, marketing, advertising, television, film, and user interface elements. This works well in adding a sophisticated layer to multimedia projects, improving user experience, creating captivating advertisements, and conveying information.

With the ability to blend functionality and creativity effortlessly, motion graphics design has become an integral tool for contemporary visual communication. It allows 3D character modeling professionals to create visually memorable and stunning content that can resonate with audiences in today’s fast-paced digital realm.

RELATED: How Much Does 3D Animation Cost & Rates for Product Marketing Video Services?

Popular types of motion graphics

animation1

There are numerous forms and styles of motion graphics being used today. Some of the most common types include the following:

Explainer videos are where motion graphics truly shine, wherein they simplify complex processes and concepts using visual storytelling.

The incorporation of motion in infographics can add more dynamic elements to information. This allows easier digestion and understanding of complex data. These are usually used in educational videos and presentations.

This type of motion graphics boasts a combination of animated text with music or voiceovers to improve the impact of the message. This is often seen in promotional content and music videos.

Many businesses hire 3D design firms to create logo animations that provide more unforgettable brand experiences. The unique animations bring static logos to life, making them even more engaging.

It is a motion graphics style involving a creative text animation to emphasize critical points or convey a message. This is famous and commonly used in title sequences and commercials.

RELATED: 3D Character Animation and Modeling Services for Companies, Cost Rates, and Pricing

Motion graphics examples

animation2

To better show their power and potential, the following are some of the best and most notable examples of motion graphics:

You might have noticed how Google often uses cute motion graphics to celebrate special holidays or events that change its logo into more interactive animations.

Many companies use motion graphics to present the benefits and features of their products in a way that appeals best to the audience’s visuals.

Motion graphics ads can be seen on almost all social media platforms, which makes them a well-loved choice for digital marketing strategies and campaigns.

TED-Ed uses motion graphics to come up with more engaging educational content. Complicated topics can become more accessible with the use of animations.

TV shows and films typically feature enticing title sequences that incorporate motion graphics that help set the story’s tone.

RELATED: What are 3D Product Animation Costs, Design Service Rates & Pricing for Companies?

Tell stories through movement with 3D animation

animation3

3D animation is a broader term encompassing the development of moving scenes, characters, and images using several individual frames. This involves numerous techniques, including animation’s traditional hand-drawn, stop-motion, and 3D computer animation styles.

Animation defined

At its very essence, different animation styles are the art of bringing to life inanimate illustrations or objects, instilling them with movement, emotion, and personality. In the different animation styles, every frame is a carefully crafted snapshot. Once played in quick succession, the frames produce the illusion of a continuous motion. The technique allows 3D character animators to convey ideas, tell stories, and explore and discover magical worlds in ways where the bounds of imagination are the only limits.

It involves an extensive variety of styles and techniques of animation, ranging from the conventional hand-drawn animation to the more cutting-edge 3D CGI or computer-generated imagery, stop-motion animation, and others. It has found its comfortable spot in different media, such as video games, educational content, advertisements, television series, and feature films. One of the most notable characteristics of 3D animation is its capability to transcend and go beyond language barriers and connect with audiences of different backgrounds and ages from all walks of life.

This can evoke wonder, laughter, and tears, which makes animation a powerful tool for storytelling, entertainment, and education. Animation is the mystical art of bringing stills to life that allows creativity to soar to greater heights and exciting stories to flourish and thrive on screen.

RELATED: A Guide to 3D Virtual Reality Animation Rendering Services for Companies and Firms

Different styles of animation

3D animation is vast with numerous styles, and the most notable ones are the following:

2D animation is a traditional hand-drawn animation characterized by its charm and simplicity. This is usually seen in conventional cartoons.

animation4

3D animation is a style that offers realism and depth. This is suitable for 3D architectural visualization services, video games, and movies.

Claymotion uses figures made from molded clay for animation. The best example of claymotion is Chicken Run.

Cutout animation is a style that involves moving cutout objects or characters against a two-dimensional background. This cost-effective style is used in some shows, such as South Park.

This style involves taking photos of physical items one frame after another to produce the illusion of movement. This is used in movies such as Wallace and Gromit.

RELATED: What 3D Animation Software Is Used by the Best Product Design Companies?

Motion graphics design vs. 3D animation design

Now that you have a good idea of what motion graphics and animation are all about, here is a quick overview of the differences between these two:

3D animation allows for more diverse visual styles and more artistic freedom. Motion graphics, on the other hand, usually adhere to a corporate and clean aesthetic.

Animations, specifically 3D animations, can involve more lifelike details and intricate movements of characters. Meanwhile, motion graphics generally feature simple character animation and minimalistic design.

animation5

Animations can range from feature-length films to short movies, while motion graphics are often more concise.

The main goal of motion graphics is to enhance static visuals or convey information, which makes them perfect for marketing and presentations. On the other hand, animation focuses on character development, emotion, and storytelling, which makes it ideal for narrative-driven content and entertainment.

Even though both motion graphics and animation use animation software, motion graphics mostly rely on software such as After Effects. Meanwhile, animation involves different software and techniques, including stop-motion equipment, 3D and 2D animation software, and more.

RELATED: How a 3D Product Animation Service Can Boost Your Marketing Efforts

When to use motion graphics and animation

Simply put, motion graphics is the better option to outline or emphasize some facts about your brand and illustrate specific points you’re trying to convey. Motion graphics are typically used if there is no need to delve into the details or go deeper with storytelling or narrative. Motion graphics videos can break down even the most complicated services or products and represent them most memorably.

On the other hand, 3D product animation services may be used for applications intended to guide users regarding products, projects, or websites and convince people to take the necessary actions. This allows the incorporation of different interactive elements and captures users’ attention by using animated effects that can help business websites increase their ROI and boost conversions. A website based on storytelling might especially take advantage of including animation design.

How Cad Crowd can help

Cad Crowd is the favorite platform of all companies and firms looking for motion graphics and 3D animation design services.