FYI

Since clients have varying goals and targets, the process can be different each time. However, there is a general order of events that seems to work as an initial plan.

First, we’ll work together to craft a script that’s suited for the format and also covers the material you want to get across. We have extensive experience writing for television and video, but maybe you already have a script you’re set upon. Either way, we’ll work together to get a final script before we begin the edit.
Simultaneously, we’ll begin to gather the images we will be animating, including any original illustrations.

At that point we will record the script with a voice-over narrator. Then we will take that audio track and begin assemblage of all the elements into a coherent video. We will have several reviews throughout the process to make sure we’re all on the same page throughout the process.

Or we can blow up the whole plan and do something crazy/creative for you.

Milk Crate Media is primarily a video production company, but we offer inclusive services for media management, hosting and web analytics. We can write your script and produce your video, but we can also host your video and provide viewership statistics.

The aesthetic differences between the two types of videos may be obvious, but there are also important differences in the production process. Both types of these projects will begin with a script, but live-action video will also require shooting with cameras in the field or in a studio. Depending on the script, these production days may require location clearances, hired actors, volunteers, shooters, production assistants, makeup artists, gaffers, and sometimes good weather!

In contrast, animated videos run on a strictly post-production timeline. As soon as we record the voice-over narration, we will go into the edit phase. Original illustrations will be generated, and those provide the basis for the visual elements of the video. By storyboarding the video, we will plan the look and the “action” of the illustrations and graphics.

As you can imagine, animation can be completed from offices anywhere, so we may use an illustrator in Florida who sends work to an editor in New York who produces the video for a client in Arizona. The workflow is more “lightweight” and can be completed start to finish from any group of locations.

Perhaps it’s only semantics, but at Milk Crate we identify animations as those videos that feature original illustrations. Both types of videos can be animated similarly, but a motion-graphics video usually features more rudimentary images, such as icons, text or silhouettes. They can get more complicated, but they usually do not require the work of an illustrator.

Bringing in an illustrator requires an additional cost, but they can generate completely original characters that add personality to a video. The idea is that this added personality will create a greater connection with viewers. Clients often choose to go this route when part of the goal for the production is to get buy-in from internal or external clients.

That depends. Each video is made-to-order, and customizable based on your goals, your needs and your budget. A good video can be completed in two weeks or six months. It really just depends on the scope of work and the timeline for the client.

Milk Crate is equipped to handle large projects and a high volume of clients, but it’s always best to have an open and informative discussion before we begin the production process. It’s free and easy to have an introductory conversation, so contact us and let’s talk about what you need and how soon you need it finished.

This is another one that will vary depending on the scope and complexity of the project. Of course the length of the video will dictate much of the estimated cost, but total run time is only part of the equation.

Will we be creating original illustrations? How many of the original illustrations will feature human, quasi-human, or animal characters? Will we need to purchase additional images? Will we feature 3D or faux-3D settings? These are only a few of the questions we will consider as we plan a video that will get the job done and fit squarely into your budget.