00. The Main Question
Before a single frame is drawn, I focus on understanding exactly what success looks like to you. Since backtracking in animation is costly.
We establish a roadmap now to protect your budget and schedule. At this stage, we’re simply chatting, sharing ideas, and gathering references.
01. Money Talk
Once aligned on scope, I’ll provide a detailed quote and timeline.
Budgets are calculated on a case-by-case basis, defined by the project’s duration, 3D and character animation requiring a higher investment.
We’ll leave this phase with clear costs and deliverables.
Starting from:
02. The Timeline
Once everything is clear and agreed on, I will send the final proposal document for signature of both parties:
Michel Salloum:
Client name:
03. The Storyboard & Animatic
We sketch a visual blueprint view of the project, like a rough comic strip synchronized with your script to lock in timing.
We keep it rough intentionally to allow for quick iterations without final art or music.
once approved, we begin final production, making subsequent changes significantly more costly.
* OAB storyboard by Joumana Ismail
04. Art Direction & Styleframes
* OAB styleframes illustrated by Joumana Ismail
Once the animatic is approved, we start with the Styleframes, a high-quality snapshots that show exactly what the final video will look like.
I pick 2-4 key moments that best capture the energy of the piece and fully design them.
We can explore various artistic styles or, if you have a clear vision, fast-track to a focused design. This sign-off is the visual 'point of no return.' Once approved, the style is locked and applied to the entire video.
05. Animation
Now, we bring it all together. We take the approved movement/Rough Animation and apply the approved designs/Styleframes.
This is where the video truly comes to life with full color and texture put into the moving scenes.
This is the most complex and tedious stage of production. To keep the project on timeline and budget, all structural feedback must be addressed prior to this point.
06. Deliverables
Once the main animation is approved, we deliver the high-resolution Master File (typically 16:9 landscape).
Time Cutdowns (60s → 30s): We don't just speed up the footage; we re-edit the narrative to ensure the story still makes sense in a shorter timeframe.
Aspect Ratios (Vertical 9:16): We reposition key elements, text, characters, and logos, to ensure nothing important gets cut off in vertical or square formats.
Note: The required formats are communicated early on so we can design with them in mind!