Guide · 2D Motion Design
The 2D Animation Production Process
A transparent walkthrough of how we build a 2D motion design project at Bubbles in Motion — from first brief to final delivery. Whether you're commissioning your first animation or your fiftieth, knowing what happens at each stage makes for a smoother, sharper film.
Discovery & Brief
Every project starts with a conversation. We dig into your goals, audience, platform, timeline and budget — and translate them into a creative brief that the whole team works from. Clear inputs at this stage are the single biggest predictor of a great final film.
Script & Concept
We shape the message into a tight script and a creative concept: what's the one idea the viewer should walk away with? For short-form social content this might be 15 seconds; for a brand film, 60–90. Either way we write to the cut, not to the page.
Storyboard
The storyboard is the film in rough form — frame-by-frame sketches that lock pacing, camera moves and key transitions before any pixel is polished. It's the cheapest place to make big changes, so we iterate here until the structure is right.
Styleframes & Art Direction
Two or three fully designed frames define the visual world: colour, type, texture, character design, lighting. Approving styleframes means approving the look of the entire film, which keeps animation focused on motion rather than re-designing in motion.
Animation
With story and style locked, animation begins. We work in passes — blocking, refinement, polish — so you see progress without drowning in WIPs. Characters, type, transitions and effects all move with intent: every frame supports the message.
Sound Design & Music
Sound is half the film. We brief or compose original music, design SFX and mix voice-over so the audio carries the same emotional arc as the picture. A great mix can take a good animation and make it feel cinematic.
Delivery
We master to the specs each platform actually needs — 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, captioned cuts, silent-autoplay variants, broadcast deliverables. You get the final files plus the source project so future edits are never blocked.
How long does a 2D animation project take?
A typical 30–60 second branded animation runs four to eight weeks end-to-end. Short social cut-downs and loops can land in one to two weeks; ambitious character-led films or series episodes can run two to three months. The schedule we send with every quote breaks the stages above into dates so you always know what's next.
What do you need from us to start?
A brief — even a rough one — plus brand assets (logo, fonts, colour palette), any reference you love, and the deadline. We'll take it from there and shape the rest in discovery.