First, let us talk about video marketing
We’re in year 2021 and video still remains very much relevant as a marketing tool for businesses and the likes. Around 55% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business that they support.
There are many types of video content that you can create for your business, such as animated explainer videos, vlogs, product demos, live stream recordings, and many more.
The landscape of video marketing has changed over the years and with the current pandemic, more attention has shifted to animation as lockdowns and social distancing affected the operations of live video production. More and more businesses are opting for animated videos in their marketing strategies due to its versatility and visual aesthetics that appeal to people from all walks of life.
In this article, we will talk about animation studios. If you do a quick search on the Internet, you’ll find hundreds of animation studios. With the growing demand for animation, animation companies grow like mushrooms. Unfortunately, there are many companies that just want to make a quick buck by offering sub-standard quality work.
They mostly use stock vectors and templates. Some illegitimate ones even used others’ work. They claim that they produced the artwork then offering a much lower price to deceive potential clients.
But the question is, how do you identify a good one that can fulfil your requirements?
Few things that you should consider before hiring an animation studio
No doubt, with the growing numbers of animation companies, it makes your task of hiring one more difficult. Here are a few tips on how to identify the good ones.
Experience and quality of work
First thing, check out the portfolios of the companies that you want to hire. Most studios will have a Portfolio page on their website, or Vimeo and Youtube channels. Do also find out the studios’ experiences in the industry and identify the ones that have an established presence.
Service
Proper communication is important. You certainly do not want a studio the goes missing in action after you kick-start your project, especially if you have a deadline to meet. Timely response, attitude, transparent process and attention to detail are keys to making your project a success.
Testimonials
Take a look at the testimonials given by previous clients of the studio that you want to hire. There are some independent review sites like Clutch.co that offer objective feedback collected from actual clients.
Price
In this industry, you get what you paid for. If you find a studio that offers excellent quality work at a few hundred dollars, it should raise some alarms. But this doesn’t mean that you should spend a lot of money to get the job done. Look for one that fits your budget and quality requirements.
Tailor made
Template-based animations and stock vectors are overused. The last thing you want is to create a video that has already been used by another studio. So, getting a customized video will save you from that trouble as everything will be designed from scratch based on your requirements.
Top 12 animation companies
To make your life easier, we have shortlisted 12 top animation companies that you should check out based on the quality of work, experience in the industry and other capabilities that will lend to the success of your animation. These companies are specialized in producing animated videos, especially for businesses and organizations like yours.
Kasra Design
Well, it may sound a little boastful that we put ourselves in this list. But with 11 years of experience and a team that puts good quality fully customized work above all else, we believe our studio has the qualities that you should look for in an animation studio.
We’re committed to producing quality 2d and 3D animation at competitive pricing. We also have a transparent, straightforward and efficient work process that allows us to deliver projects successfully, and on time.
Our portfolio speaks louder than our words. Some of our animations have won prestigious awards such as the Los Angeles Animation Festival and Indigo Design Awards.
As of today, we’ve produced over 700 videos for many satisfied clients from different industries – tech, industrial, healthcare, insurance and so on. We have produced videos for many world-renowned brands and agencies, such as HP, Panasonic, PepsiCo, Shell, IATA, Tokio Marine Insurance, Commonwealth Bank, Ogilvy & Mathers, just to name a few. You can check out the fully verified reviews on our Clutch profile to see what our past clients have to say about us.
Epipheo
Epipheo was one of the first explainer video production companies that inspired our team. Epipheo isn’t a word that you can find in the dictionary – it’s a combination of Epiphany and Video. Their videos help create the ‘aha!’ moments, that is when you suddenly understand something that appear complex.
Since 2009, their talented team consisting of award-winning creative directors, producers and animators have created over 5000 videos to big names like P&G, Dupont, Google and many more.
Buck
Probably one of the best out there, BUCK has been building a home for the world’s most talented artists in a collaborative, ego-free culture since 2004. BUCK is talent-driven, global creative studio that brings brands, stories and experiences to life through art, design and technology.
Just check out their portfolio and you’ll be mesmerized and inspired by the many great animations produced by this company.
K&C
A video production studio based in Warsaw and Genk, K&C stands for absorbing design and charming animation. Their videos are handcrafted by some of the best storytellers, with the ultimate goal to created sophisticated audiovisual contents that go straight into the hearts of viewers, in a simple and straightforward way.
The Untime
Untime Studio tells stories in digital world. They utilize the ‘super power’ of animations to connect brand and audience, from social media campaign to fancy short films.
Based in Ukraine, they produce visually enchanting and unique artistic animations that help brands get audience attention.
Veracity Colab
Based in California, Veracity Colab has created many visually captivating videos for over a decade. The team has been hired by many world-famous brands like Adobe, Microsoft and Adidas to create story based videos to market their products. Their team knows exactly how to tell a story to an audience with fully customized videos to help their clients create a distinct voice in a crowded digital space.
Blu Blu Studios
Take a look at their portfolio and be prepared to be blown away by all the beautiful work crafted by this design-drive, award-winning animation studio. Based in Warsaw/Tokyo, Blu Blu Studios create animated videos for online and offline use. They have partnered with many prominent brands, agencies, publishers and production houses around the globe, including the New York Times, Singapore Airlines, Twitter and Forbes.
Studio Pigeon
Studio Pigeon is a Polish animation studio that produces beautifully illustrated and engaging animations for web, broadcast and cinema.
The team specialized in video production, particularly 2D animated explainer videos for midmarket and enterprise clients, as well as big names like IKEA, Microsoft and FOX Networks.
Demo Duck
As one of the biggest names in this space, Demo Duck has built its reputation over the years for their creative work that humanize brands, educate customers and promote products. With carefully crafted, clever messaging and out-of-the-box visual storytelling, Demo Duck has made videos for everyone from Founders to Fortune 500 companies.
Vidico
Half creative agency, half production company. Vidico is a studio that produces stunning video content based in Australia. With more than 500 social ads, corporate videos and TV commercials in its portfolio, created over 1.1 billion views across TV commercials and social media, Vidico is trusted by companies like Uber, Amazon Web Services and Spotify for their video production.
Yum Yum Videos
Based in Argentina, Yum Yum Videos is one of the top players in explainer video production. They produce fully customized animated explainer videos that convey an idea, to educate audiences and to promote a brand or values. They have an in-house team of talented creatives that have produced hundreds of animations with proven results in the market.
Explainify
Explainify creates premium animations that inspire people and they have a Frustration-Free™ video creation process that helps create memorable digital experiences for sales, marketing and training purposes. They have worked with a myriad of clients from various industries, trusted by brands like GE and Panasonic.
Final Words
While this list is non-exhaustive (there are so many great studios out there), all these studios produce handcrafted and high quality animations that deliver results for businesses and brands.
We hope by putting some of the best ones in this list will help you narrow down your search or make it easier for you to understand exactly what you’re looking for in your animation project and hire the right studio.