"Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive. This facility makes it the most versatile and explicit means of communication yet devised for quick mass appreciation…" Walt Disney All of us at the agency will be delighted to talk to you and do all we can to give you a fast, friendly and professional service. You will find us available and enthusiastic to help at any stage, doing our utmost to complement your commission. The artists we represent are with us because they are at the top of their game and offer exceptional skills that will bring something special to your brief. They are also with us because they are professionals. Their number one priority is seeing that you receive a result that you are delighted with, on time and through a process that has been rewarding for all. We have noted some key areas that you may want to consider when commissioning an animation. Quotes What we would like to know is: 1. Usage: What will the animation be used for? T.V, web, film etc… 2. Brief: Do you have a brief (plot summary, number of characters, running time)/storyboard/visual you can send over to us? 3. Type: What kind of animation are you looking for? i) Full drawn character animation (Warner Bros, Disney) ii) Partial drawn character animation? (Hannah Barbara, Flintstones) iii) Realistic iv) 3D animation (Toy Story, Shrek) v) Hybrid animation (any combination of the above) vi) Architectural walkthrough. 4. Number: How many sequences do you require and how long will each sequence be? 5. Timing: When are your deadlines for the storyboards (if required) and the final animation? 6. Territory: Where is the animation going to be used? (i.e 1 country, North America, English speaking, Europe or worldwide etc) 7. Characters: Are the characters (if appropriate) to be designed or are they going to be supplied? If the Artist is designing the characters to be featured in the animation, as detailed an idea of the character’s look and feel as possible will be extremely helpful. If a character is being provided for the Artist to animate it is essential to be given an example of that character before a rough budget can be suggested. We will probably suggest you talk to the animator at this stage, if there are techniques or issues such as scene complexity, number of scenes, frames per minute etc, which require your joint expertise, in order to best clarify the work to be done. With the above info we will establish a fee that reflects the artist/s you wish to use, the work and the uses. We will always try to work to your budget, ensuring a fair deal all round. The Brief When the quotes have been agreed, both you and the artist will receive a job confirmation with all the contact emails and tel. numbers etc., as well as the fees, timings, licenses and a short description/title of the project. We will require an official purchase order from you before we can start. We ask that all the emails that you send the artist, you copy to the agent that you are working with. This is essential to keep us in the picture and keep the job on track. If there are any issues that you wish to discuss with us at any stage, we are always available. Our experience over many decades and 10,000s of jobs is there for you to call upon. We run a very open house and encourage you to work directly with the animator if you wish, thus maximising the clarity and communication of the brief. Steps: 1st Stage. If there is no storyboard supplied then we would suggest that the animator develop a rough storyboard to be approved by the client to avoid time consuming changes once the animation has been composed. However sometimes jobs may take a few development stages for everyone’s mind’s eye to be in-tune, particularly if there are characters to be developed. After receiving a rough, please reply to the animator with any comments or the go-ahead as soon as possible. We quite understand that there are often a number of colleagues who also need to see the stages, that said if there is a delay it is helpful to let us know so that we can try and accommodate it within the artist’s schedule. Artwork Stage. With the ‘go-ahead’ the artist will produce the animation and depending on the type of animation send you wire frames to keep you updated before approval of the final piece. If any changes need to be made, please let the artist know immediately so they can quickly make the amendment. We would hope to keep the number of changes to a minimum due to the storyboard but sometimes we expect there may be some small changes on the animation and would ask you to be as clear as possible when specifying them. On approval of the work the original in the final format will be sent to you. Having received a final sequence please send us confirmation that all is well. Once the work has been delivered we will send an invoice by post or increasingly as a pdf attached to an email. Our payment terms are 30 days, whereupon the license to use the work passes to you / your client. Our artists do not receive payments till we do, so prompt payment is greatly appreciated. Thank you. p.s. these notes are a general guide and should not be read as absolutes. Each job varies and we all adapt to the individual commission on a project-by-project basis.