3D ANIMATION DESIGN STUDIO: 6 DEADLY MISTAKES NOT TO MAKE WHEN CHOOSING ONE

3D animation design studio can help architects, realtors, and developers present their projects and offerings to the prospects in full glory. But finding the right contractor for creating a CG video is often a challenge for the specialists. Not all of them know how to select the best CGI architectural animation company, and tend to make mistakes in the process of search. Which, in turn, can lead to miscommunication with the studio, delays in work progress, and other detrimental mishaps. 

To help our readers prevent these issues, we have compiled a list of top 6 mistakes made when searching for a 3D animation design studio. Let’s explore these potential pitfalls, and get to know how to avoid them!

One of the most common mistakes when choosing a 3D animation design studio is, surprisingly, opting to work with small contractors. But how can the size of a studio become a problem? After all, 3D visuals will be made either way, right? That is true. But small companies do not have many specialists — and this can lead to several issues. The thing is that emergencies and accidents happen, no matter how many measures to avoid them are taken. So, in case even one of the 3D artists of a small studio falls ill or has some other emergency, deadlines on making a 3D animation can be delayed, and the architect’s or realtor’s plans on a marketing campaign or a presentation can be ruined. 

To avoid such scenarios, there are two options. The first one is to work with several small 3D animation design studios at a time. While this is definitely a solution, it’s inconvenient, and transferring tasks from one contractor to the other is just tedious. The second and more preferable option is to work with a large 3D visualization firm that has many teams of 3D artists — so there are always specialists to fill in in case of an emergency without any loss in productivity. 

Any 3D animation design studio wants to position itself as the best producer of CGI videos. But how many actually qualify as one? Many would try to convince potential customers with words, and believing them can be a mistake. So, every statement has to be verified. 

Does a studio boast a high quality of 3D visuals made by it? Check out the portfolio — how good are 3D models, scenes, and animations. Does a firm claim that no clients were left unsatisfied with the project results? Read the reviews — both on the company’s website and related forums. Does a CGI studio state that its pricing is fair and transparent? A part of that info can be derived from reviews, but it’s also worth inspecting the studio’s price list. Is every task included? How does it compare to the competitors’ offers? Checking these and more points will help to choose the contractor by facts, not words.

Constantly keeping in touch with a 3D architectural animation company is vital while working on a project. But, some 3D video design studios contact clients only a couple of times during the process. Which is a serious mistake that can easily lead to botched task completion. Due to infrequent communication, the team of a CGI studio is likely to miss essential corrections from the client, extend deadlines, and mess the whole project up. 

To avoid issues like that, professional 3D visualization studios offer their customers working in a CRM. Such a platform makes communication, data exchange and storage easy and convenient. With a CRM, every milestone of the project is saved and backed up, corrections are applied when necessary, both parties are always on the same page, and the CGI contractor can easily keep up with the schedule. So, when choosing a 3D animation design studio to work with, it is essential to find out if it has a CRM system. 

Setting precise goals is essential when outsourcing work to a 3D animation design studio. Some contractors, however, believe that it’s enough to just receive technical specifications, like blueprints, from the client. This is a mistake that almost guarantees less than desirable results. 

To avoid it, it is wise to look for a company that asks its clients to provide detailed project briefs. The latter should define the type of property, whether the CG video needs to showcase the inside or the outside of a building, what lifestyle elements to include, material types used for construction, unique design choices, references, and budget projections. Also, it’s great when project managers offer clients to participate actively in writing scripts for the 3D animations. This ensures that the final result will express the architect’s or developer’s ideas in the best way possible. 

We briefly touched on trusting facts and not claims of a 3D animation design studio, but there is one more thing that needs to be explored separately. If clients of a CGI company want to ensure the safety of private data, prevent information leaks and maximize productivity, they absolutely must demand guarantees from a CGI contractor. 

A good 3D animation design studio would provide them in the form of an NDA agreement and timeliness guarantee. This will safeguard sensitive data and also ensure that the firm provides an excellent result exactly when planned.

Last, but not least, is a surprisingly common mistake — choosing a 3D animation design studio based on its pricing above all else. Sure, everyone wants to cut costs, but contracting a low-budget 3D video company is a gamble and with unfavorable odds. Oftentimes, low prices mean that a studio wants to attract lots of clients, but the firm’s staff is not qualified, the equipment is sub-par and project teams are small. Which can lead to getting unsatisfying work results.  

So it’s always important to properly research the CGI contractors — and not only in terms of prices. It is essential to find out about the specialization of the company in question, its team sizes, get to know who did they work for previously, and so on. One should never chase cutting costs by working with the cheapest studio — it’s better to save up on optimizing projects with a reliable and competent CGI firm with average market prices.

Now you are armed with the knowledge of how to avoid the most detrimental mistakes when choosing a 3D animation design studio. Never trust empty claims and opt for a company that asks for a detailed brief. If possible, pick a large studio with lots of 3D artists. Find out if a firm uses a CRM, and do not choose by price only. And always remember to secure guarantees prior to starting projects.

Since you’re here, there’s no need to worry — you have already avoided plenty of mistakes. Visualize your architectural designs or real estate projects with our 3D architectural animation company to always get excellent results!