Don't ask us to come up with a communications strategy. Or roll out a cross-media campaign. For that, you've come to the wrong place. Because we are specialists in one thing: animated video. From a short, flashy teaser video to a clear, down-to-earth explainer.
Maybe you hesitate. Do you really need our help? And why do you need us and not another animation studio? We'll answer all your questions below.
Well Played is primarily an animation studio. In 2012, when we were founded, online video was still pretty new. Back then we were pioneers in short form animation videos. Today, easy-to-understand 2D animation videos are still our bread and butter. But occasionally we take on a live action project with an added layer of animation, or a 3D project.
Together with your team, we create a proposal that is completely tailored to your case. This means the end result can take many shapes.
Here's a small sample:
We follow a structured process that was perfected over the years. And thanks to our custom feedback platform Dolly, you can easily follow along. But more about that later.
We start with a kickoff meeting: this is when we do the briefing. And then we’re off! We go from creative concept to finished script. Then to sketched storyboard and illustrated style proposal. Finally to animated video and lastly the finishing touch with sound.
Every step in this trajectory builds on the last one. We only move on to the next step once the one before has been approved. We don’t limit the amount of feedback rounds, but we do let you know if your deadline is in jeopardy. If you have any questions or worries on the way, our project manager takes care of everything for you.
Whether you have a tight deadline or not: no one likes losing time because of forgotten attachments, outdated versions or expired WeTransfers. That’s why we built our own platform called Dolly, where all the elements of your project can be found in one place. And that includes all the feedback on previous versions.
Thanks to Dolly every piece of feedback is automatically linked to the right sentence, the right sketch, or the right second of the video. Giving us a clear overview of what needs to be corrected. And saving everyone a lot of hassle.
Our small but mighty team has all of the necessary skills to craft your video from beginning to end. But sometimes there’s already an existing visual, a prepared campaign concept or a brainstorm baby you want us to incorporate.
In that case we discuss with our team whether we can use this starting point. Maybe it needs a small tweak in order to translate it to video. Maybe we have an updated proposal for you that we think would work better. But often we can simply continue building on what is already there. And then it’s up to you to tell us how close we need to stick to those existing materials.
Once we’ve decided on the style of the video (in other words: after you’ve approved our style proposal) we can create various visuals derived from the video if needed. A fun gif to put on the website, a short teaser to share on social media, and illustration for a poster or flyer … You say jump, we ask how high!
The final video is completely yours. And so is the unique style we’ve created for your video. When it comes to music, we discuss together what rights we need to buy, depending on how the video will be used. Do you want the source files of the video as well? We can make it happen.
For a standard animated video of 1 minute you can expect the whole process to take about six weeks. We can do it faster, for example if you have a strict deadline. But experience has taught us that six weeks is a comfortable pace for you and us both. It gives us enough time to put our best foot forward, and you enough time to talk everything through with your team and give us well-considered feedback.
It’s very difficult to put a fixed price on “a video”. Our costs depend entirely on the complexity of the concept, the length of the video, the visual style, and so much more. Just know that we always look for a solution that fits your budget, and that we’re always extra generous towards agencies.
We don't believe in limiting the amount of feedback rounds. We simply keep going until our client is satisfied. But we will always let you know if that could result in the deadline or the budget not being met. That way there are no unhappy surprises.
We are happy to answer any of your questions! Just contact us and we'll go from there.