Process and Prices
Click here to jump straight to prices.
All animation starts with a brief, an idea or a goal. Sometimes we develop our own ideas in house, sometimes a client will come to us with a brief, and sometimes people approach us with nothing more than a goal for us to create a film around.
This is the process we take:
-
Development
- Idea/story development – All ideas have a long way to go before they are polished article. This stage bridges the idea in the head to the script on paper.
- Produce a script and synopsis – Developing the idea for the screen. This includes dialogue, plot, action and a single line summary.
- Character development – Personality plays a massive part in any narrative film. We need to work out who each character is and their relationship to one another. Why do they act the way that they do?
- Visual style development – We work out how everything will look on the screen, including the mood and atmosphere, animation style and how things are going to move.
- Character designs – With the visual style mapped out and our well-rounded characters fully developed, we create the characters on paper. This stage goes through sketches to coloured turn arounds, expressions and, on occasions, 3D models.
- Concept art – The concept art shows the style of the animation and some action shots from how the film will look.
-
Pre-production
- Storyboard – We take the script and visualize the action shot by shot. We plan where the camera will be, what action is on the screen, where to cut and how the action and sound will come together.
- Voice recording – Voice artists use the finished script to record their lines.
- Animatic – A filmed version of the storyboard, timed and with audio. This creates a rough version of the film, and is critical for working out timings and improvements.
-
Production
- Animation – With the storyboard locked down and the sound track in place we begin animation. Production time varies depending on length, style and format.
- Special Effects – Most projects require some form of special effects, compositing or image manipulation to finish off the shots.
-
Post Production
- Editing – This is where the order of the final shots are pieced together and the film takes it’s final shape. Luckily, this stage is fairly minimal in animation, due to the large amount of planning done during pre-production.
- Sound Effects – The final picture edit is given to the sound designer who lays down the voices and sound effects.
- Music – The composer lays down their final version of the music and the film is ready to render.
-
Publishing / Distribution
We will provide the film to the Client in the formats that have already been specified. Often, uncompressed .mov or .avi files are preferred, but we will also publish to DVD, BETA SP, VHS, Flash video and other online platforms.
How much does it cost?
When commissioning an animated film, there are lots of things that you will require, which will add to the cost. You will need:
From Slurpy in house
- Character and concept design
- Storyboard
- Animatic
- Animation and Special Effects
- Editing
- Publishing to formats
We will also assist you in commissioning
- Voice artists
- Musician to compose new track or purchase the licence of existing track
- Sound designer
- Script writer
Prices
There are 5 main variables that affect the price of animation:
- Duration
- Time frame
- Quality
- Number of characters/ locations
- Level of design/style input
Of course, the longer an animation is, the more it will cost, just as a short production time frame will incur a premium. But it is the quality of animation and style of animation that makes the most difference.
If you would like more information on different animation techniques, we would be happy to discuss with you what the benefits of each are.
