FAQ
One of the questions we get asked the most often. And probably never will be able to answer it. We'd really like to, as the time-consuming process of calculating a project could be shortened to a minimum.
But we have the same problem as an architect who is asked how much a house costs. Just like every house, also every animation is an individual customized product, exactly manufactured to your demands. Even though most of the animations pass through the same steps of procedure, every project still has its own content and complexity. That means the amount of work during a certain work step varies completely from one project to another.
When calculating an offer for you we have to determine how much work is required at each step. For this reason we can't make you an offer until we have held a detailed briefing with you and after the scope of work has been defined. Anything else would be untrustworthy.
Here in the FAQ-area under the item "WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION DO YOU NEED TO CALCULATE A PROJECT" you'll find a list of information that helps us to calculate a reliable and transparent offer for you.
In general we can say, every information that is available. There are a lot of different factors that have an influence on the costs. The more information we have, the better we can fit the amount of work to your demands. This means: It gets cheaper!
If there are relevant, missing information, we have to exclude these parts from our offer or we have to calculate with the worst case scenario. Relax! We'll get in contact with you if we need more information. Hereafter you'll find a list with information that will help us to calculate a serious-minded, unbeatable offer for you.
DIGITAL CONTENT CREATION AND ENHANCEMENT
- delivery date aka the deadline
- final resolution (e.g. HD 1920x1080)
- the publishing medium (e.g. internet, TV, cinema)
- intended length of the video or the shots
- market and target group
- all relevant information about the product and/or the message you want to communicate
- an edit/video of the raw live action material you want us to do the post-production work on. VFX-Supervision recommended!
- what kind of data is provided by you // what has to be generated by us
(e.g. logos, live action material, music & sound, 3D data, etc.) - and please, at least a rough budget
projects conceptualized by the client //
- information about the content of the project
- storyboard and/or shot-list
- previz and/or artwork of any kind
- a list of things you want us to realize
also helpful //
- examples (images, videos, music, etc.) and thoughts you have in mind for the project
- any other information that could have an influence on the project. Also and especially the bad ones!
- delivery date (deadline)
- intended number of prints
- market and target group
- all relevant information about the product and/or all the information you want to communicate
- what kind of data is provided by you // what has to be generated by us (e.g. logos, graphics, photos, etc.)
- the budget
also helpful //
- examples or thoughts you have in mind for the project
- any other information that could have an influence on the project. Including the bad ones!
We have frequently made the experience that clients hesitate to reveal a budget for their inquiry. We are aware that it’s difficult for many clients to estimate the amount of work needed to realize a certain project. That might be why some clients are afraid to run the risk of paying too much for a service if they reveal the budget too early. We can’t possibly convince you completely from the opposite, but in an extremely highly competitive market as ours, we're very interested in long-term business relations. We think this is only possible with a happy client. And what makes a client happy? A successful project that satisfies the demands, combined with a fair and competitive cost-performance ratio. This also implies that it doesn't make sense to always max out the budget.
So why is there an advantage to know the budget beforehand?
The experience has shown that a known budget is a good orientation for us to lead a project into the right direction from the very beginning. This saves time and money and avoids needless frustration on both sides.
Especially for projects where we're supposed to develop a concept for, we need to know at least a rough budget. In the world of visual effects and computer generated images, nearly everything is possible: From a simple still frame slide show all the way through to a super complex, Hollywood-blockbuster like, high-end project realization. There are no limits. That's why we need the limits from you. One of them is the budget.
If you want us to realize an already developed and conceptualized project and you provide us with all the information (e.g. written concept, artwork, storyboard, etc.), we'll break it down and calculate an offer for you. In this case we do not necessarily need a budget. And yet it would still make sense, as any project or task can be realized in different ways and levels of complexity. A known budget will help us to find the optimal way to execute your project in the most efficient way and the highest quality.
Information and communication is the key for every successful project! Trust us! And we won't disappoint you. Promise!
No. There aren't any hidden extra costs. The offer you receive from us includes all the costs to finalize the project. Additional costs only occur if you extend the scope of the project after placing an order or you make changes to parts of the project already produced and approved by you.
In both cases you'll be informed by us before the additional costs are generated. So you will be in control of the costs at any time of the project.
Sorry, but we can't afford that. Our profession is like any other business. We have to pay our bills, our staff, the rent for the studio, a lot of expensive equipment like servers, storage-systems, workstations, software, cameras and so on. And! Usually our job isn't done with a few mouse clicks and then the computers do all the rest. It's a ton of work and you need a lot of knowledge and experience in many different fields to produce pleasing images. Especially animated images.
But here's also good news! Even if you only have a small budget don't hesitate to contact us. As we are a creative studio with a strong conceptual background, we might be able to find a solution for you - fitting your demands and budget.
That's an easy one! At maximum up to the deadline you gave us.
While this isn’t wrong, it might have not been the answer you were looking for. The duration of a project obviously depends on its scale and complexity to a high degree. But there are also a few further factors that have influence on the duration of a project, independent of its sheer dimension:
- a careful conception and planning of the project
- a team of motivated professionals working hand in hand
- a client supporting us with prompt feedback
The amount of work and thus the duration of a project is mainly derived from its pre-production. The core of every project is developed and conceptualized during this phase. Any further step relies on it. Therefore every project has to be planned and conceptualized carefully. That doesn't mean without an end, of course! Otherwise you won't have enough time for a proper realization. That's why the conception of a project also has to be aligned towards the delivery date.
After this phase of planning, developing and designing the realization (production) begins. During this process, depending on the type of project, a relatively large team of specialists has to bring to life what has been designed before. In the case of a 3D project, models are build, setups are developed and programmed, everything is animated, lighted, shaded and textured, rendered, composed, and so on… A lot of different creative and technical abilities are requested during the production. It is our job to bring the right people for a particular project together in order to establish rapid and smooth teamwork.
And last but not least, you as a client will have an important influence on the duration of a project. During the different stages of approval we're reliant to your prompt feedback and in the case of changes, to your requests and instructions. Otherwise the delivery date could be at risk. So if you're unsure with certain decisions or there are any other aspects that could have an effect on the timetable of the project: Talk to us as soon as possible and we'll find a solution.
Over the course of a project there are several important stages where we need your feedback. There you can make changes corresponding to the actual level of development of the project. To ensure that the project is handled swiftly and without any problems, you should approve the current stage after your changes have been executed according to your instructions.
You feel unsure with certain decisions? Talk to us. It is our job to support you with our experience and to guide you through the project. Our aim is a product that serves its purpose at its best and that makes you happy!
Yes, of course. In the same way as we are permanently backing up a project during it's development and production, every completed project is archived by us. Even if we do not have a specific time limit for the duration of an archive, digital data of your project will be kept available for at least two years.
Please note that the processing of a project after a longer period of time does not solely depend on the disposability of the data.
The availability of specific types of software (licences), equipment and talents must be ensured, too. We may not always have influence upon these factors.
Please let us know if there are special requirements on this matter affecting your project.