3D Animation Brief:

3D product animation is a cost-effective way for furniture manufacturers and sellers to get photorealistic video content. Making 3D animation costs less than filming a video because with CGI, there’s no need to rent a studio with equipment, hire a writer, director, crew, etc. All you have to do is to send a 3D rendering company a detailed 3D animation brief and stay in touch with a CG team until you’ll get the result.

Moreover, professional 3D animators can create realistic videos based on the most incredible concepts and scripts. For example, when furniture is assembled and disassembled by itself or there’s a complex choreography of camera angles and such. In other words, 3D animation is a great substitution for videos that are physically difficult or even impossible to shoot.

In order to get jaw-dropping 3D animation, you need to provide a detailed brief for CG specialists first. We’ve broken down the entire process of creating a 3D animation brief into 5 easy steps, so you can use it as an instruction.

#1. Provide Product Information

First, manufacturers must specify their goal and define a target audience which is a keystone of a 3D animation project. Let’s say, adverts for children’s products are different from luxury furniture commercials. Therefore, you should start with providing information on potential buyers along with technical details — project name, required video format, length, etc.

Also, give CG artists more input data on a product itself by adding sketches, drawings, photos, and texture samples to a brief. To put it simply, include as much information as possible in a 3D animation brief to help CG experts get a basic understanding of the project.

#2. Add References

To create 3D animation for your product, CG artists must know what visual aesthetics you’re going for and what aspects of the video are of most importance. To help CG experts, one has to include as many references as possible in a 3D animation brief. Those can be videos, photos, mood boards — everything that inspires the creators of the product and reflects their vision of 3D animation.

It’s also important to add references for lighting and color schemes, as well as camera angles. Outline the type of mood you need and what impact you want this 3D animation to make on your audience.

On top of that, in a brief, manufacturers must specify if they want to use ready-made 3D models of products and scenes from our CGI library for the environment around their product. We have over 6500 scenes and 50 000 objects in our database. By choosing them you can reduce the turnaround time, hence, the cost of the animation project in general.

#3. Give a Detailed Script

One of the most important components of top-notch 3D product animation is a script or storyboard. Naturally, to make a good video that tells a story, CG artists need to keep up with a chain of events by the second. That’s why we ask clients to add the script to a 3D animation brief that includes all the viewpoints, camera path, frame transitions, the movements of objects, etc.

Collaborating with our CG team on a script is easy and fun. If you already have a scenario, we can discuss it and add some finishing touches. But even if you don’t, it’s okay — our CG specialists can write it for you from scratch. Of course, the process of its creation and approval takes time so it will cost extra money.

#4. Specify Post-Production

When creating a 3D animation brief, a manufacturer should include all post-production elements in it. If a client wants to add a brand logo, captures, subtitles, music, and voiceover, they should specify it in a brief. When 3D artists get this information in advance, they are able to calculate the turnaround time and correctly distribute the work within the CG team. 

Besides, if a client wants to add special effects such as fire, smoke, water, and various background transformations, they should outline the details in a brief. These effects are done by a niche CG specialist and take more time so they come at an additional cost.

#5.  Decide on The Final Resolution

Last but not least, be sure you indicate the resolution you need in a 3D animation brief. Usually, it’s HD, Full HD, or UHD 4K depending on purposes. Of course, these options differ not only in function but also in price.

The duration of the video also varies according to usage. For instance, if you need a promo animation for Instagram Stories or TikTok, you need to adjust it to 15 seconds and change the video from horizontal to vertical. But if this is an animation for a product page or advertising, it can remain the original length and format.

According to the brief, CG artists can convert a 3D animation video to the most common formats like avi, mp4, flv, and mpeg. Besides, a client must specify if they need still frames from the video in the required resolution in advance.

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Creating a 3D animation brief is the first and most important step in working on such a project. The more detailed it is, the faster the work goes and the fewer edits are needed. Be sure you mention your target audience and outline your goals first. Also, don’t forget to add 2D drawings, sketches, product photos, and video references to make your collaboration with 3D artists even more productive and hassle-free.

Can’t wait to try top-notch 3D product animation? With our 3D animation services, you get photorealistic animation of any complexity for any purpose!

Irene Lewis

Content Writer

Irene is a content writer. She previously worked for interior and chess magazines. When not writing articles, Irene finds great pleasure in collecting Star Trek memorabilia, reading Medieval poetry and playing banjo.