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Journal notes from the studio

A small collection of guides on animation, explainer video and motion design — written when we have something worth saying, rather than to a schedule.

  • Animation and motion design
  • Written only when it's useful
  • Free After Effects rigs
See our workFree AE rigs
A marked-up storyboard propped on a studio desk, with a ‘Who signs this off?’ sticky note, a stack of printed email amendments and a calendar with the delivery date circled What usually goes wrong with an explainer video project
What usually goes wrong with an explainer video project
Projects rarely go wrong in the animation. They go wrong in the fortnight before it, for five fairly predictable reasons, and all five are cheap to fix early.
 A hand-drawn storyboard, a drawing tablet and a laptop showing an animation timeline on a studio desk AI in animation: where it helps, and where it doesn’t
AI in animation: where it helps, and where it doesn’t
The technical jobs AI genuinely speeds up, the creative ones it can’t do, and what it means for your video’s cost, rights and quality.
 An edited explainer video script on a desk beside a microphone and a stopwatch How to write an explainer video script
How to write an explainer video script
A ninety-second video is about 220 words. The shape that works, what to cut when it runs long, and how to test a script before anyone animates a frame.
 A one-page project brief on a clipboard beside a laptop and sticky notes on a studio desk How to brief an animated explainer video
How to brief an animated explainer video
The five things a studio actually needs from you, what you don't need to have worked out, and the three things that quietly add weeks to a project.
 A printed infographic beside a tablet playing an animated explainer video on a studio desk Infographic vs explainer video
Infographic vs. explainer video
Both formats work, but not on the same job. A straight comparison of cost, engagement and shareability, with a table and three practical scenarios.
 A motion design timeline on a monitor in an animation studio, beside a keyboard and pen tablet Top 10 After Effects plugins
Top 10 After Effects plugins
Five free and five paid plugins we actually use, and what each one is good for. Pairs with the free rigs on our freebies page.
 An animation studio desk with a tablet showing a cartoon character mid-animation, a sketchbook of character expressions and headphones The psychology of animation
The psychology of animation
Why animation holds attention: character design, movement, colour and sound, and how all four shape what a viewer remembers.

Looking for the free After Effects rigs? They live on the freebies page.

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