Make Good Studio · Production planning
How to plan a motion design project
A motion design project usually moves from brief and script to style frames, storyboard, animation, sound, and final delivery. The most useful early decision is the message: what should the audience understand or do after watching?
1. Define the audience and the job
A product launch, sales explainer, and paid social ad have different viewing contexts. Tell the studio who is watching, what they already know, and where they will see the animation. Share the call to action and the one thing they should remember.
Include your brand guidelines, logos, fonts, approved copy, product images, and any existing design work. Flag which assets are final and which are still changing.
2. Shape the script and visual direction
The script establishes the story and approximate length. Style frames show how key moments could look: typography, color, composition, illustration, and product treatment. Your team can make meaningful design decisions before animation begins.
If a voiceover is needed, review tone and pronunciation along with the script. A film that must work without sound also needs a clear visual reading order.
3. Approve the sequence
A storyboard maps the message across scenes. For timing-sensitive work, an animatic can help test pacing with rough visuals and audio. This is the point to identify missing explanations, redundant scenes, or a call to action that needs more time.
4. Animate and finish
Animation gives the approved designs movement, transitions, and rhythm. Editing, music, sound design, and voice shape the viewing experience. Feedback at this stage is most useful when it refers to the audience or communication goal.
For example, “the product benefit needs more time to read” is more actionable than “make it pop.” Consolidating comments into one review prevents conflicting directions.
5. Deliver for the actual channels
Plan landscape, square, and vertical versions before final layout. Reframing a dense explainer into a vertical feed may need a different composition or shorter script. Clarify caption needs, audio requirements, file formats, and whether any editable source files are part of the agreement.
See campaign motion work for Yankee Candle, or browse Make Good's motion graphics services.
How long does motion design take?
The schedule depends on design complexity, animation style, the assets you already have, and how quickly decisions can be made. A focused animation with approved assets has a different schedule from a custom explainer built from an open brief. Share your launch date so production and review stages can be planned backward from delivery.
A brief you can copy into your inquiry
- We are speaking to: [audience].
- We need them to understand or do: [message and action].
- The animation will appear on: [channels and formats].
- We already have: [script, brand assets, footage, design files].
- We like these references because: [specific visual or pacing qualities].
- Our launch date and review team are: [date and decision-makers].
- Our budget range is: [range, or ask for help defining scope].
Can we work with Make Good remotely?
Yes. Briefing, visual reviews, animation, feedback, and delivery can happen remotely. Make Good is based in Youngstown, Ohio, and works with brands and marketing teams beyond the local area. Agency partners can also bring an approved design or campaign direction for production.