Dimensional Dynamics: Crafting Visual Stories

What Is 3D Animation?

What do you think of when you think 3D? Those retro paper glasses with red-and-blue plastic lenses that debuted in ‘50s movie theatres? An immersive experience or amusement park ride? Maybe 3D printing? (Come on, it’s totally Toy Story for all of us, right?) 3D animation is the art of manipulating objects within three planes to make them look as realistic as possible. So hold on tight—we’re taking you for a ride down the Z axis.

How is 3D Animation used?

What do you think of when you think 3D? Those retro paper glasses with red-and-blue plastic lenses that debuted in ‘50s movie theatres? An immersive experience or amusement park ride? Maybe 3D printing? (Come on, it’s totally Toy Story for all of us, right?) 3D animation is the art of manipulating objects within three planes to make them look as realistic as possible. So hold on tight—we’re taking you for a ride down the Z axis.

Benefits of 3D animation

If product visualization is everything to your brand or service, 3D animation is the best way to make it shine. It’s also the perfect fit for showcasing products you can’t capture on video, or that make a video shoot unsafe or prohibitively expensive. 3D animation can also go places the eye can’t see, illustrating processes that occur underground, inside pipes, inside the human anatomy, and the list goes on. It’s the X-ray vision you’ve always wanted.

Speed is also a crucial component of 3D animation. Not only can you make an object look beautiful—you can explain its benefits faster, reaching a wider audience than you could in real time. 3D animation can be a tool to more efficiently tell your story, and it can also give viewers access to angles they wouldn’t typically see, allowing you to sell more features. And because of its better-than-real-life appearance, 3D animation can dazzle from all the way across a room, making it a great choice for trade shows.

Video poster

Schlumberger Sonic Far Field Industrial 3D Animation

Video poster

Fesco Industrial 3D Animation

3D marketing case study: Sonic Far Field

Video poster

Schlumberger Sonic Far Field Industrial 3D Animation

Simplicity

A great example is our client Exum and their product, Massbox. This was a perfect candidate for a 2D explainer video, because 1) it’s a box (simple shape) and 2) it performs incredibly complex analysis using mass spectrometry (not an everyday subject). Rather than recreating every element inside the Massbox and doing a 3D fly-through, we created a 2D environment to show the most critical components—simplifying the visuals for maximum clarity. The result was an elegant, sophisticated presentation of complex subject matter in an easy-to-understand story you could put in front of investors or scientists.

Measureable Results

Josh Teekell

As our go-to video partner, Motion Giraffx always feels like an extension of our team, consistently exceeding expectations with every project.

"

Josh Ulla

By simplifying complex topics into visually appealing content, Motion Giraffx increased our client interactions by 25%.

"

Ben Rice

The video's impact was clear; 20-30% more customers approved quotes, feeling confident and trusting in our products.

"

Christian Diaz

Cara and her team provided exceptional service, adapting quickly to feedback and consistently meeting our project deadlines.

"

Bailey Da Costa

With a tight deadline, Cara delivered a perfect 3D animation, demonstrating outstanding responsiveness and visual expertise.

"

Josh Teekell

Finding high-quality 3D animation in Houston is tough, but Cara and her team consistently deliver top-notch video content.

"

Chad Cummins

Their ability to turn complex topics into simple, shareable content has made our company and products more relatable and understandable.

"

Kayla Scherer

Every project with Motion Giraffx has exceeded our expectations, enhancing our brand's appeal with their creative insights and talented team.

"

Ben Durand

Their innovative approach made complex robotic actions clear and engaging, perfectly aligning with our customer's technological needs.

"

Jamie Lucas

Our partnership on a complex 3D animation project was perfectly executed, resulting in a collaborative success that thrilled our client.

"

Julianna Arnim

Their process from script to storyboard is impeccably managed, providing top-notch visual content that engages and excites our audience.

"

Courtney Roberts

Their creativity in video production has consistently brought our projects to life, exceeding expectations with their artistic and technical skills.

"

Court Hill

The innovative and detailed animations by Motion Giraffx have made our complex concepts easily accessible and understandable to our audience.

"

Chester Moore

Their production for Kingdom Zoo was superb, creating content that stands out on major TV networks like National Geographic and Animal Planet.

"

Aleksey Matyushev

Their storytelling through advanced CGI is outstanding, transforming simple concepts into engaging and captivating video narratives.

"

Bill Chalmers

Motion Giraffx has a unique ability to make complex air conditioning systems easily understandable through clever animation techniques.

"

Daniel Boskind

Their precise 3D renders for our TV show on Motortrend have consistently delivered clarity and excitement, enhancing our visual storytelling.

"

Amanda Wood

Cara’s professionalism and dedication ensure every project is timely and of high quality, making her an ideal partner for graphics and 3D animations.

"

Professional Netting Concepts

Their 3D Animation has significantly enhanced understanding and increased traffic to our products, perfectly capturing our vision.

"

Fuel Tech

Their dedication to creative excellence has consistently resulted in visually stunning and effective animations that captivate our customers.

"

Jeff Williams

Delivering outstanding renders and animations with minimal back and forth, they understand our needs right from the start.

"

Corinne Chalmers

Their honest, reliable, and creative approach to video and animation projects has made them invaluable in our marketing and training efforts.

"

Daniel Stark

The quality of their video production for our outreach event was beyond amazing, exceeding our high expectations and professional standards.

"

NaturalSci Reg

Brad and Cara are brilliant; their outstanding communication and dedication to service have made each project a success.

"

Sopary Bou

Their meticulous attention to detail and polish in animations enhance every project, making them a stellar team for complex visual tasks.

"

Alex Winter

Highly recommended for any collaborative design work, their excellent design and execution skills set them apart in the industry.

"

Anne Agenes

Working with this dedicated team has consistently delivered unique and impactful content, enriching our projects with their creative touch.

"

Jim Thorson

Their original content delivery is not only fantastic but uniquely impactful, setting a high standard for creative excellence in every project.

"

Leslie Clark

My internship at Motion Giraffx was invaluable, offering extensive exposure to exciting projects in a supportive and creative environment.

"

Fabian Jones

The highly realistic 3D animation for our gym equipment was impressively detailed, enhancing the presentation of our innovative designs.

"

Josh Ulla

Their exceptional ability to translate vision into reality makes them a top choice for any visual marketing needs, consistently delivering high-quality work.

"

Corinne Chalmers

Their creative process ensures that each animation is tailored to clearly and engagingly convey our complex concepts.

"

Josh Ulla

Their deep understanding of our client base through innovative visual communication has revolutionized how we connect with our audience.

"

Dustin Jacobson

Their superb artistic and technical skills often exceed our expectations, delivering products that thrill our customers every time.

"

Daniel Boskind

They've consistently provided outstanding work on time and within budget, enhancing our television show's visual impact with every episode.

"

3D animation Process

Every process is unique, but by sticking to our internal methodology and communicating transparently, we guarantee you’ll see a polished outcome. 3D animation has come so much further than that thing jumping out at you on the movie screen—it’s a multimedia technique that will inform how we consume marketing and entertainment content for years to come, through augmented reality and immersive technologies. It gives us a depth of product visualization that will continue to launch products and brands into their fullest expressions.

It’s a little more intricate than a 2D animation process due to the technical complexity of three planes and all that geometry and modelling stuff we’re not gonna get into right now. But here’s what you can expect:

Already have an idea?

  • Let’s kick it off. 01.

    We’ll schedule a formal kickoff meeting to align on your vision for the project and discuss our ideas for making it even more amazing.

  • The script will be our guide. 02.

    We can’t jump into to visuals just yet! While our ideas are marinating, we’ll develop a formal script that will align any voiceover or on-screen text with the visuals, ensuring your messaging is on point.

  • Sweet sounds of success. 03.

    Once the script is approved, we’ll select voiceover talent and music to review with you. Sound production can elevate a concept or throw it completely off—we’ll guide you in the best direction.

  • Time for 3D setup. 04.

    This is a meticulous process for us. This is when we acquire models of the objects we’ll be rendering in 3D and bringing them to life with full prep—lighting, texturing, environment creation, and storyboarding, so you can see how it all unfolds.

  • Animatic review. 05.

    We’ll create a full draft form of the animation for review.

  • Rendering, motions graphics, and sound effects 06.

    Once the animation is complete, we’ll render the final images, ensuring every pixel is in place. We’ll add and mix the sound, and add any motion graphics on top.