The Animation Brief Checklist: What to Send Before You Order

Why the brief matters

Most revision rounds trace back to something missing at the start: a logo file that was too small, a tagline that changed after the preview, a format nobody mentioned. A complete brief lets us land on the right direction with the first preview, so later changes are refinements rather than restarts.

The checklist

Everything below explains how to fill in each line well. If you would rather copy and paste, skip to the template near the end.

• Logo in vector format, or the highest-resolution PNG you have
• Brand colors (HEX codes if you have them)
• Where the animation will be used
• Aspect ratios needed: 16:9, 9:16 or both
• Any text, tagline or website to include
• Two or three reference videos you like
• Music or sound preferences
• Your deadline

Start with the goal

Before describing how the animation should look, say what it should do. Is it opening every YouTube video? Launching a product? Making a social channel look more professional? The goal shapes length, pacing, style and sound, so it is the most useful sentence in the brief.

Describe your audience

Who will watch this, and where? A playful character piece that delights parents on Instagram might feel wrong to procurement teams on LinkedIn. One or two sentences about your viewers help us choose a direction that speaks to them.

Prepare your logo file

The best file is a vector: AI, SVG, EPS or PDF. Vectors scale to any size without blurring and let us separate parts of the logo so each can move on its own. If all you have is a PNG, send the largest one you can find, ideally on a transparent background and at least 2000 pixels wide.

No logo at all yet? That is a different starting point, covered in how to start your brand identity.

How to give useful references

References are the quickest way to share taste. Send two or three examples you like and say what you like about each: the speed, the colors, the sound, the way the logo arrives. One example you dislike, with a reason, helps just as much.

They do not have to come from your industry. Some of the best briefs borrow from film titles, game intros or music videos. If you have no references, describe the feeling in a few words, such as bold, calm, playful or premium.

Text, spelling and legal lines

Any text in the animation, whether a website, tagline or phone number, should be final before you order. Check spelling, capitalization and punctuation. Custom text under a logo is limited to 50 characters, which keeps it readable and balanced against the mark. If your brand needs trademark symbols or a legal line, put them in the brief.

For explainer videos

Add your script or key messages, your audience, and the single action you want viewers to take afterward. We can write a script from your notes or tighten one you already have. See the explainer video service for what that involves.

“The clearer the brief, the faster we move from concept to final frame.”

Deadlines and turnaround

Give us your real deadline, not just the ideal one. If you are aiming for a launch date, share it along with any earlier milestones, like the day you must upload for review. Standard template orders are delivered within 96 hours, and rush delivery guarantees delivery within 24 hours. Logo design takes 1 to 5 business days, and animation within logo design packages begins after you approve the final logo.

A little buffer in your schedule leaves room for one round of changes without stress. If you want to know exactly how a project moves from order to delivery, the process page lays out each stage.

Sending files

Upload your logo during checkout. For larger files or footage, share a link in the order notes and we will confirm receipt by email.

Approvals and who signs off

When several people must approve the result, decide who has the final say before the preview arrives. Collect everyone's comments, merge them into one list and send them together. Conflicting feedback from different people is among the most common causes of delay, and a single point of contact keeps things moving.

How to give feedback on a preview

• Watch it at least twice before replying
• Use timestamps, for example "0:03 make the logo larger"
• Group all changes into one message so nothing is missed
• Say what you like as well as what to change
• Check the version on the device where it will be used

A brief template you can copy

Project: logo animation for [brand]. Goal: [what it should do]. Audience: [who will watch]. Platforms: [YouTube, Instagram, website]. Formats: [16:9, 9:16]. Text: [website or tagline, up to 50 characters]. Style: [three words that describe the feeling]. References: [links]. Sound: [yes or no, and any preference]. Deadline: [date].

Paste that into your order notes or into a message through the contact page, fill in the brackets, and you have covered nearly everything we need.

Frequently asked questions

Key takeaways

A good brief is short, specific and honest about what you want. Share your goal, audience, files, references and deadline up front, and give clear, grouped feedback on the preview. You will skip revision rounds and end up with a result that fits your brand the first time.