If you’re looking for a reliable, professional company to help you create impressive animations for your medical device, technology or solution, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices. How do you know which company to choose? What do you look for in judging the applicants?
Before you hire an animation company to create your medical animation, you’ll want to look over this checklist to ensure that the company you want to hire meets or exceeds the following criteria:
Check the Portfolio
A portfolio is the best selection of work offered by the animation company and is your opportunity to take a look at what they’re capable of. The good news is that you don’t have to be an animator to be able to properly evaluate an animation company’s portfolio. Look at the smoothness of the animations. Does each angle flow seamlessly? Does the video tell a story? Is it interesting to watch and does it explain the product well?
See How Videos are Presented
Animation is not a standalone process. Take a look at the entire production from start to finish. A video presentation needs to create a captivating bond between viewer and brand. Consider the clarity of the message. What is the device or technology promising? Why should the viewer care? Is it understandable or does it use a lot of complex jargon or terminology?
They may also offer a demo reel on their website or during a consultation. Consider the style, the quality of the animation work (does it jerk suddenly from angle to angle or is it smooth and flowing?) How does the soundtrack and/or voice over blend with the overall explanation or presentation? A demo reel is like a visual portfolio, and it’s a good example of what you can expect when you hire that particular company.
Don’t Dismiss the Animation Simply Because of Style
Many different companies, especially those in the medical device and technology industry, have different goals in mind for their animation. Some want more of an explainer video that uses simple characters and concepts. Others want something sleek and modern. Ideally, the animation company that will be acting as a partner as you market your medical product will have a variety of different styles for different brands so that you can independently evaluate their expertise when dealing with different types of requirements.
A Love of What They Do
This might seem like an unusual feature to evaluate, but you want to work with an animation company that truly loves what they do. They’re passionate about promoting medical technology and their expertise lies in distilling detailed technical information, studies and other details into clear, concise concepts that can be easily understood by a wide range of audiences.
Some animators will simply rush to get the job done so that they can complete the project and get paid. When promoting something as powerful as a medical device that can quite literally change lives, it’s important to work with a company where that is their specialty and focus. In other words, they care about the outcome just as much as you do.
Great Customer Service, Communication and Follow-Up
Some animation studios will promise top of the line work at affordable prices, but then fall short on communications, follow-up and taking the time to update you on the status of your project. It’s important that whichever studio you choose takes the time to understand not just the product itself, but also your vision for how you’d like to present it.
Long before you ever sign a contract, you’ll know whether or not this company truly wants you as a customer based on how responsive they are to your inquiries and how timely they are with updates. The best animation companies will want you to be an active participant in every stage of the animation and production, from drawing out rough sketches to putting the finishing touches on the completed masterpiece. This is a win-win for both parties, as no one knows animation better than the professionals, and no one knows your company and brand better than you.
Look for Past Reviews and Testimonials
Before you sign any contract, look for what past clients and brands have said about the company. What was their experience working with the animators? Do they feel as if they got a better value for their money? Was the process straightforward and seamless? These are all things that can point you toward (or away) from a company and help you make your decision with greater confidence.
Think About Your Budget
Budget is a major factor in choosing to ink a deal with an animation company. It’s important to stick with your budget but also realize that you get what you pay for. Don’t fall victim to the temptation of choosing the cheapest company as you often get what you pay for, and in the world of medical device or technology marketing, the last thing you want is for your product to look cheap!
Should You Hire a Freelancer?
Although it seems like it would save some money to hire a freelancer to create your animation, it’s worth noting that however good their animation or video production skills are, that’s the limit of their abilities. You’ll still have to outsource things like the video script, the voice over, the soundtrack and more. When you work with a professional animation studio with a focus on creating animations for medical devices, you get professionals who are experts in their chosen specialties as they relate to that industry.
How to Hire an Animation Company
Now that you know what to keep in mind when considering an animation company as your partner in marketing your medical product, the question is, what kinds of questions should you ask in order to actually go through the vetting process?
Some of the most common questions you can ask include:
- What type of medical device productions have you worked on?
- What has been the biggest challenge that you’ve faced with a project? How did you overcome it?
- How does your chosen style of video reflect the needs of our project better than your competitors?
- Have you ever had a conflict with a project director, and if so, how did you resolve it?
These questions go beyond the technical scope of the project and get you on equal footing with the people that you’ll be working with, so that you can better know what to expect from the company itself.
Choose the Right Kind of Animation
It’s also important to hire the right kind of animator. There are many different styles of animation and you may be borrowing from different areas of expertise in order to create the end result. For example, motion graphics are different from high-end visual effects. Two-dimensional explainer videos are different from intense 3D animation of a machine from every angle. As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into hiring the right kind of animation company and getting the right people for the job is a crucial part of the process!
Use the Right Kind of Software
This might seem like an unusual question to ask during the interview process but it’s nevertheless important for you to understand who you’re working with. The industry standard in animation is Adobe products. You may have heard of Photoshop or Illustrator, but animators typically use tools like After Effects in order to create the end result.
If a studio is using a cheap animation software (and there are plenty of them out there) to create your animation, seemingly simple changes will suddenly become costly overhauls. That’s why it’s important to ask what program(s) they’re using in order to create your medical video.
Working with Companies Abroad
No matter where you’re located, you’ll be glad to know that the web has opened up the floor to all kinds of talented animators from around the world. This means that you have more variety than ever in terms of choosing the right medical animation company, whether you want to showcase your device or illustrate a process. The good news is that working with companies in other countries shortcuts the time you spend waiting for the end result. Files can be delivered digitally, meetings can be conducted quickly online and follow-ups can happen at a moment’s notice.
What the Best Medical Animation Companies Have in Common
There are a few things that all medical animation companies have in common beyond a great passion for working in this industry and improving the lives of others. The best medical animation companies are process-driven. They know the industry well enough to understand what captivates viewers, grabs their attention, and keeps them hooked well beyond the introduction.
In addition, medical device animation companies are versatile. They’re able to bring your vision to life and accentuate your brand with best practices that put your company at the forefront of the prospects’ minds. Only an in-depth understanding of the medical and healthcare industry can cut through the clutter in this way; further illustrating why it’s so important to work with professionals.
Getting Started with a Reliable Medical Animation Company
If you’re interested in a polished, professional-grade animation from a reliable and reputable medical animation company, look no further! Our experts have worked with the top brands in the medical and healthcare industries, presenting cutting edge machinery, devices and processes that have helped millions of people around the world. Let’s talk more about your project and work together to build a lasting partnership that can save lives! Contact us today to learn more.
