3D animation is the future. It’s a creative way to tell stories, design characters, and communicate brand visuals. In fact, global demand for some animated content rises by 2 to 3% each year.
Managing your 3D animation studio can be a challenging task. It’s easy to fall into a rut when you start working in the animation business. So, success in this industry means constant attention to detail.
You can get caught up in the daily tasks of running an animation studio. But you must have systems in place to ensure that work gets done. Here are some tips for managing a 3D animation company to help you do more with less hassle.
Build a Team
As a startup animation studio, it’s understandable to offer a few services to make your way into the industry. But as the company grows bigger, you’ll need to offer your clients more to sustain your position in the market.
Google has plenty of search results when you look up “animation studios LA” online. These studios offer multiple services, which gives their customers plenty of options to choose from. Their services go beyond 3D animation and include 2D animation, motion graphics, visual effects, and more. And they made that possible with the right people on their team.
That is, they invested time and effort to create the right team for their business. Gathering the right team for 3D animation and another for motion graphics will help you provide high-quality services.
To start a 3D animation studio, you must first understand the roles your team will play. You can build your team with specialists or generalists.
A specialist is someone who focuses on a specific aspect of animation. It could be someone who is an excellent 3D modeler. It could also be someone who specializes in illustrations.
A generalist, on the other hand, could be a jack of all trades. You can give them a project and expect them to grasp the idea. It could be motion design, video, or other creative tasks. A true generalist can figure out how to complete a set of jobs.
If you want to start a 3D animation studio, you should at least hire some specialists. A team of illustrators, animators, and a scriptwriter can bring to life any idea.
Animators create animation and motion graphics for films, games, and advertisements.
Illustrators transform an idea into a visual representation. They convey the message through original art and design.
Scriptwriters plan their scene creation strategy. They can take an animation concept and collaborate on production. This in turn helps animators and illustrators execute it.
You should also consider hiring at least one generalist who can handle a variety of tasks as they arise.
Use Management Tools for Animation Production
You can’t keep track of every action your 3D animation company takes on each project at all times. Let project management tools handle that because you have other things to do. There are many free and paid tools available for project management in animation.
These tools can help you manage your 3D animation company in the following ways.
It reduces communication time. Animation project management tools include online collaboration features. It is helpful for your meetings, feedback, and so on. It makes it easier for your animation associates to receive and respond to requests.
Streamline the animation production process. Animation project management tools assist e-learning agencies in keeping track of production. You can see the project’s progress and make smart decisions.
Save time tracking and searching for data. You can use animation project management tools to organize logical data. When necessary, there is no need to waste time looking for relevant input or output.
Gantt charts specify the dates and activities members must complete. This ensures that deadlines are set and met without ambiguity. So, you should consider this feature for your 3D animation company.
Use Briefing Templates
It’s best to have a template that prompts the client to specify every project detail they expect. This covers everything, from the font to the animation style. The information helps you begin with a solid understanding of your client’s needs.
Your 3D animation studio should use a template to provide structure and a detailed outline. This is the most effective way to organize all this data. You’ll have something for the client to refer to if you gather all the information upfront and put it in a template.
Record Client Feedback
Determine which of your sketches comes the closest to the client’s vision. You can include your clients in every step of the production process to save you time for editing. Keep track of client feedback so that you can refer to it if the customer asks about the changes you made.
Your 3D animation studio can do this using review software. When choosing the right tool, you should take the usability of the interface into account. Your clients should be able to give you feedback on your work without any hassle. It should also allow you to choose which documents, comments, and edits are visible to your client or team.
Monitor Your Finances
You should have a separate bank account with your company name attached. This demonstrates that you take pride in managing your 3D animation studio. It also saves you the time it would take to separate personal and business transactions.
Here are some methods for keeping tabs on your 3D animation company’s expenses.
Accounting software allows you to keep track of your finances regularly. You can use desktop-based or cloud-based accounting software.
You should also seek advice from a certified public accountant. Speaking with an accountant will be very beneficial to your 3D animation studio. They can help you with money management issues such as tax and record-keeping advice.
The majority of your 3D animation studio’s bills come in the form of emails. But you should still have a drawer set aside for physical mail. In this manner, you can find them for security or tax reasons. Keep them locked away in a nearby desk drawer or cabinet.
Set Up Social Media Presence
Ensure that it is simple to connect your social media accounts to your 3D animation studio. It is important that people see you, the identity of your brand, and what you do. Using social media is the best and most cost-effective strategy for you to do this.
You can leverage social media management software to easily manage your accounts on each social media platform. Aside from that, this will help you concentrate on the important people. Keep in mind that social media is an important marketing tool for animators.
Use Data Tracking and SEO
Like any website, your 3D animation studio website will need updates and improvements. You can use Google Analytics to determine which areas need improvement. It can also help you improve your website’s SEO, which increases online traffic.
Your potential clients will find you better if you know how to boost your Google ranking. There are different ways for your website to rank higher in search engines. You can start with keyword research or scout out the competition to see how your rivals optimize their pages.
Promote Your 3D Animation Studio
It can be difficult to know where to begin when creating your digital marketing strategy. But there are tools available to help you with your marketing efforts. Here are some suggestions:
Set up an email automation tool. This will help you reach your animation clients and strategically meet their needs. Using this, you can also set your email to delete spam emails. It will help you keep your inbox organized and make it easier to find important emails.
Try different types of paid advertising. This includes advertisements on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Google.
To Sum it Up
An organized business is a very good way to save time and resources. If you keep your staff, clients, and vendors on the same page as you, there should be no surprises. The more organized you are, the better things can go for your 3D animation company.
Keep in mind that starting a 3D animation studio is a long-term process. It requires many hours of work, dedication, and research to see if it will be successful.
And chances are you work as a director or another title in a 3D animation studio. So, a few tips to leave you with: maintain simplicity and deliver your product or service on time. These three elements will assist you in streamlining your business for years to come.