Animation production process
Great animation starts with a clear process. At Funimation, we take projects from discovery and strategy through scripting, storyboarding, design, animation, review, and final delivery. Our animation production process gives your team visibility at every important stage while keeping the creative work focused on your audience and goals.
Animation can involve many moving parts, especially when a project includes product information, brand guidelines, UI, characters, voiceover, sound, and multiple stakeholders. Our process is designed to make those decisions easier to manage.
We separate the project into clear stages so the story and visual direction can be reviewed before full animation begins. This allows us to solve important questions early, reduce unnecessary revisions, and keep everyone aligned on what the final piece needs to achieve.
We start by understanding your business, product, audience, goals, competitors, brand, and intended channels.
We identify the core message. For videos this can include concept and script; for interactive work we define the experience.
Each scene is mapped so you can see composition, pacing, transitions, characters, UI, and key moments before animation starts.
We develop the visual direction — illustrations, characters, environments, typography, product UI, icons, and motion-ready assets.
We bring approved designs to life with timing, transitions, interaction, and sound according to the project scope.
We refine with your team and prepare final files for the intended platforms and formats.
The first stage gives us the information needed to make good creative decisions. We discuss objectives, audience, product, existing messaging, brand, competitors, channels, timeline, and technical requirements. For SaaS work we review the interface, workflow, and user journey the animation needs to communicate. The outcome is a clear creative and production brief.
A good animation is easier to produce when the story is settled first. We develop the narrative around a clear communication goal and then translate it into a storyboard so the team can review sequence, visual hierarchy, character actions, product UI, transitions, and pacing.
After the story and storyboard are approved, we develop the visual system. We can work from an existing brand system or create a visual direction specifically for the project. For product work, we can adapt real interface elements so the final animation feels connected to the actual software.
A product demo may need precise interface movement. A character-led explainer may need expressive acting. An interactive website may need responsive motion. We choose the techniques that best support the experience rather than forcing every project into the same style.
We collect feedback at the agreed stages and use it to refine story, design, animation, and timing. Final deliverables can include video exports, shorter versions, social formats, web assets, Rive or Lottie animation, or other agreed files organized for your team.
Strong collaboration works both ways. At the beginning of the project, we need access to the information that helps us understand the product and audience. This may include brand guidelines, product screenshots, Figma files, existing messaging, research, reference videos, product demos, or other relevant material.
During production, timely feedback helps keep the project moving. We recommend having the key decision-makers identified early and consolidating feedback at each review stage.
Clear project stages
Story and storyboard before full animation
Collaborative reviews
Custom visual development
Product and SaaS experience
Video and interactive production capabilities
An animation production process is the sequence of stages used to develop an animation, usually including discovery, concept or script, storyboard, design, animation, review, and final delivery.
Timelines vary based on the length, complexity, visual style, number of scenes, feedback stages, voiceover, and technical requirements. We establish the expected schedule during project planning.
Full animation begins after the story, storyboard, and visual direction have reached the agreed approval stage. This helps reduce major changes during final production.
Yes. We can follow existing brand guidelines and product design systems or develop a new visual direction when needed.
Yes. The process can include planning and production for interactive web animation, Rive, Lottie, UI motion, and other digital experiences.
Whether you need an explainer video, SaaS product animation, interactive website experience, app motion, character animation, or motion graphics, a clear process makes the project easier to manage.