The Curve Animation – Case Study

Welcome to our Curve case study – a tech start-up company and a client we’ve had the pleasure to work with this year. Curve offers customers a service that manages all your payments via one smart card and one smarter app. We were assigned to create a 3D animation that would captivate, inform and visualise their product in digital advertising – an explanation video of sorts, something that can be re-used on web, adverts, social media and marketing. Our animation team were able to fulfil Curve’s request by creating a 3D animation that could visualise their app features, quite literally in its best light. We created something that looked polished, sleek and professional, but most importantly something that will be remembered and understood.

How did Salamandra begin?

At first, we listened to our client’s request for an animation that coincides with their brand image and the advanced technology used on their app – visualising the innovative services they do. Our first step was to provide them with a mood board, adhering to their brand guidelines and giving them an insight into what kind of art-style their animation would incorporate, an essential part in the animation process and on-boarding new clients. As you can see below, we chose something that looked friendly, professional and sleek. Once the mood board’s art-style is distilled and approved, we incorporate the modern aesthetics as the client requested, which can be seen in the final animation.

Storyboard

Then, we begin processing the storyboard. A storyboard differs from a mood board, as it marries the script and the images to roughly illustrate the story of the animation in a way that the client can pre-visualise before the project begins. The storyboard serves as a major factor in the client’s approval and it’s essentially the film’s script – the ‘heart’ of the animation as we call it. At this stage, the client can modify, change or approve the animation’s storyline by bringing in new ideas or concepts to the mix.

Once approved, our animators begin producing the animation and throughout the entire project, we maintain consistent communication plans with the client, checking in, updating, and informing them of our progress and sending them sneak peaks. Communication is an essential part of the client/animation project as it ensures that what we’re creating matches our clients’ expectations.

What else did we create?

We also created a web animation which acts as a simulation of their app on their website’s homepage and was also used for online advertising. Have a look: www.imaginecurve.com

What was Salamandra’s Favourite Part?

What we loved about this project was the fact that it was made in 3D, this allowed our team to create innovative and three-dimensional assets, which were also re-purposed for the client for other applications. With 3D software, we were able to modify the environment’s lighting, reflective surfaces and image authenticity, creating life-like imagery with better camera angles and view. Allowing a more polished, professional and interactive, viewing experience.

As an example you can see some of our creativity when we visualise paper receipts becoming digital inside a phone – this symbolises the ease of keeping track of purchases with Curve’s app. We also left behind an Easter egg inside the animation for one of our animators Marcus Bowler. Can you spot the reference in the video? Hint it has to do with cakes…