How to start an animation business
by
John Bittleston
&
www.TerrificMentors.com
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The moral authority of the Author has been asserted.
Starting a business is fun,
stimulating, tiring, frightening…
But one of the most enjoyable things you
can do in this world.
To start any business you must know
AND MUST HAVE WRITTEN DOWN
all the following.
If you do not, you will fail.
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The moral authority of the Author has been asserted.
Your own financial objectives
“To make a lot of money”
is NOT a financial objective,
it is a wish.
Only from your own financial
objectives can you work out the
financial objectives for your
company.
YOUR future financial needs
determine the seriousness
of your business.
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How much money you
can raise…
…to invest in the business;
Most businesses that fail, do so
because they are under-financed and
don’t have the working capital to
expand when they need to.
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Your strengths and weaknesses
In which areas will you need to be ably
supported and supplemented for example,
Top creative people often need good
accountants
Clever animators often need good salesmen
Great artists often need good presenters
Amazing techies often need interpreters
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What you are planning to sell?
Your product and its technology?
Your market; who needs your service?
The market segment you are targeting?
Your competition; if your service is not
being offered already, ask yourself
why?
Prices for your product; top quality,
high price or standard quality,
low price?
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Mission, Plan, Strategy, Tactics
Mission: have a real one, not a
pious one
Plan: simple and visible at all times;
change it when you have to
Strategy: how you intend to fulfill
the
Plan; budgets/targets for
(initially)
the next three years
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Mission, Plan, Strategy, Tactics
Expenses rise fast, income trickles
in slowly; double your budgeted
expenses and halve your budgeted
income for the first two years
Tactics: day-to-day tweaking the
operation to take advantage of
opportunities – news that can
impact your business, information
of potential business, changes in
Government grants or terms
and conditions
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To start an animation business
you need all these things plus
A well-trained background in animation;
Know the basic software programs,
(MAYA, 3D-Max, Z-BRUSH);
You need hardware solutions
and a knowledge of outsourcing
resources
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To start an animation business
you need all these things plus
You need to have worked in a
profitable animation unit and
observed the successes and
failures of management and
those working in the business
You need to understand the
sources of work for the animation
business commercial, creative,
tv, games, film
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You need a good
selling presence
If you’ve never been trained
to sell…
learn now!!!
You will be selling to everyone
from the bank manager to the
reluctant employee.
From the Producers to the
modelers.
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You need talent
Where will you find the best talent?
Schools? Competitors? Overseas?
How will you engage it?
Are you a skilled interviewer?
If not, hire a pro
How will you motivate your talent?
Will you be the boss or will
you be the mate?
How will you reward and keep it?
Pay? Involvement in the business?
Bonus?
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You need hardware
What resources do you need
[a] at the outset?
[b] as you grow?
How will you pay for those
resources?
How will you amortize them?
How and when will you replace
them? [computers last a year, if
you’re lucky]
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You need contacts
Your first jobs will come from
those who know you;
Sharpen up your list of contacts
renew old friends in the business,
Get to know people working
for the clients you can serve
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You need promotion
Your initial promotion will be Public
Relations. If you can budget for
professional help, choose your
company carefully. If you cannot afford
PR, equip yourself to feed information
to the media, get articles published
about your business, the work you are
doing/have done and the technologies
you are importing or inventing.
Everyone loves to be up with leader –
make yourself a leader.
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You will need more promotion
When you have it, a Reel of your work
A Blog to show off your talents
A Web site to demonstrate the
soundness of the business
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You need to market your business
Before, during and after the work you
are doing. No good coming to the end
of one job without having the next one
lined up.
However much sales help you get
YOU market the business
because it’s your business.
If you don’t like marketing, don’t go
into business.
Copyright © MultiLink Asia Limited. All rights reserved.
The moral authority of the Author has been asserted.
Case study - Small animation company
Intense Animation Studio - Singapore.
Began operations as a training facility in 2004 and has been
creating original content animation properties since 2005.
Primary work focus is TV commercials and character asset
creation. Formed by Tony Sealy and Natra Mohsin
Titles include: “11” and “The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks”
Showreel
Case study - Medium sized animation company
Millions of Tiny Robots - New York, U.S.A.
Primary work focus is TV commercials, medical, print and
character asset creation Formed by Jack Ehrbar,
Weidenhammer and Albert Concepcion.
Clients include: HBO, Victoria’s Secret, Pepsi,
Eyeball NYC, Johnson & Johnson
Showreel
Andrew
Case study - Big animation company
Pixar Animation Studio - California, U.S.A.
Began operations as an R&D company owned by LucasFilm until bought by Steve
Jobs for $10 million in 1986. Pixar pioneered the computer animation industry as
we know it creating the first fully computer animated movie “Toy Story” and
followed up with “A Bug’s Life”, “Toy Story 2”, “Monsters Inc”, “Finding Nemo”, The
Incredibles”, “Cars” and now “Ratatouille”.
Ratatouille trailer
If I do all this will I succeed?
You’ll need the bit of luck, too.
But if you follow this programme you
stand a really good chance of success.
Good luck!
Intense Animation Studio Pte Ltd
Tony Sealy:
tony@intense-animation.com
www.intense-animation.com
Copyright © MultiLink Asia Limited. All rights reserved.
The moral authority of the Author has been asserted.
TerrificMentor
John Bittleston:
bittleston@btinternet.com
www.TerrificMentors.com
Please pick up
1.
A sheet of contacts to help you start your business
2. A voucher to give you a discount on training programmes
that can put you on the right track
3. A smile from all of us - you’ve been a wonderful audience
Copyright © MultiLink Asia Limited. All rights reserved.
The moral authority of the Author has been asserted.