How to brief an animator when you have never done it before

Commissioning animation for the first time can feel daunting. The process is less complicated than you might expect, and knowing what information to bring makes the whole thing straightforward.

Animation is not as opaque a process as it can seem from the outside. Like any creative project, it works best when both parties are clear on what is needed from the start. Here is what to think about before your first conversation.

Know what you want the video to achieve

Before anything else, be clear on the purpose. Not what the video will contain, but what it should do. Is it to explain a service to potential clients? To encourage staff to complete a training module? To promote an event on social media? The purpose shapes every decision that follows.

Have a message, not a script

You do not need to write the script yourself. That is part of what you are paying for. But having a clear sense of the key message is essential. What is the one thing you want someone to take away from watching this? If you can answer that in one sentence, you have enough to start.

Know where it will live

Platform matters. A video for your website homepage is different from a video for an Instagram Reel which is different from a video for an internal communications platform. Tell your animator where the video will be used, and they will advise on the appropriate length, format, and style.

Gather visual references

If there are videos you admire, or a visual style you are drawn to, share them. They do not need to be animation. A film, a brand's visual identity, a photograph that captures a feeling you are after: all of these are useful. The more specific you can be about the visual direction, the more likely the first concepts will land close to what you had in mind.

Share your brand assets

Logo, brand colours, typefaces, and any existing design guidelines. If your brand uses a specific colour palette, the animation should use it too. Share what you have early, even if it is a simple logo and a couple of hex codes.

A good animator will ask most of these questions themselves. But arriving with answers already prepared means the first conversation covers more ground and the project starts from a stronger foundation.

Be honest about your budget and timeline

Animation takes time. A 60-second explainer video typically takes three to four weeks from brief to delivery. If you have a hard deadline, say so at the start. And sharing your budget, even as a range, means you get a proposal that is genuinely achievable rather than one that needs to be renegotiated once the scope is clear.

About the Author

Dan Deveney is a digital designer, educational specialist, and developer based near Dartmoor in Devon. Through Granite & Glitch, he works with small businesses, charities, and community groups to create accessible, high-performance digital projects, drawing on more than 15 years of experience across design, education, and development.