Animation: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering animation
You create animated videos and motion graphics for clients, from storyboard to final video with sound and timing. Your value is clear visuals that explain the message and a production process the client can follow.
What customers ask
- How long will the video be, and how many scenes?
- Can you write the script or only animate it?
- Who records the voice over?
- Can I see a storyboard first?
- Do I get the files so I can edit the video later?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask for the message, the audience, the length, the platforms, the style references and the deadline, then confirm them in writing.
- Send the script for approval before the storyboard, and use the approved script as the basis for every scene.
- Share a storyboard with timing notes and the key frames, and limit the revision rounds at that stage.
- Confirm the music and voice licenses in writing before you add them to the timeline.
- Export each version the client needs, and name each file by platform and size.
- Deliver the project files and a list of the fonts and assets used, if the client has bought the files.
What to put on your profile
- Post a reel of finished work grouped by style, with the length and the purpose noted, with client permission.
- List the animation tools and styles you use, in plain terms.
- Describe your production process from script to final file.
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a short version for social media cut from the main video.
- Suggest an update of the video when the product or the offer changes.
- Recommend a caption version for accessibility on each platform.
Licenses and permits
Animation is usually not licensed. Keep your business registration current, and check your state or local rules for any registration your work requires; keep records of the music, font and voice licenses for each project.
Questions
Do I need a license to make animated videos?
Usually not. Check your state or local rules if you operate as a registered business, and confirm the rights for every asset you use.
What if the client wants a claim in the video that they cannot support?
Ask the client to provide the evidence and the wording in writing. Do not add claims you cannot verify, and keep the client's approval on file.
How do I handle a client who keeps adding scenes?
Show the timing and cost impact of each new scene, and get written approval before you add it to the storyboard.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer animation remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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