Kerrupt Animation

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are Kids Know Best, a digital advertising agency that specializes in the kids and family space. As the creative director, I execute marketing strategies for our clients and deliver the end product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kerrupt Animation?

We don’t do stop-motion in-house, so we looked for a supplier with expertise in that field. One of our clients had a brief for a global toy code, so we brought in Kerrupt Animations to help us achieve that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our client wanted to produce a global toy code for Christmas, so Kerrupt Animations helped us create an asset where toys came to life in a fun, magical experience. We sent the team all of the products that they needed to develop the stop-motion portions of the advertisement. 

They shot everything in-house and cleaned up all of the files for us, getting rid of riggings and unnecessary masks in the final product. The team then sent us a high-resolution file which we post-produced on our end. 

Kerrupt Animations also recreated the stop-motion set for our live-action filming. We needed to recreate the bedroom setting to marry the stop-motion and the live-action scenes, and their team helped us in that production. We provided them with the references.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2 people from their camp: James (Creative Director) and George (Animator & Prop Builder). James got everything started but was always on call, while George was the one that got the actual production on course.

How did you come to work with Kerrupt Animation?

Kerrupt Animation was recommended by one of our colleagues who was supposed to partner with them previously. That partnership never went through, so we were the ones to contact Kerrupt Animation instead. We saw that some of their work was along the lines of what we were looking for, so we decided to hire them. 

How much have you invested with them?

The total budget for the project was £450,000 (approximately $613,000 USD) including taxes. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We got in touch with them in July 2021 and the project lasted the whole of August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We don't yet have any hard data on how that asset has performed since we’re still waiting for our client to air the video. In terms of personal feedback, however, we found it so easy to work with Kerrupt Animation. 

The team was really flexible and very laid back, which we don't always get with suppliers. Very often, we would be met with a lot of resistance and with people trying to charge more at every hurdle, but Kerrupt Animation was super accommodating and professional throughout.

With George, we didn’t have to reshoot anything. His work was spot on at every stage and he hit the nail on the head the first time even without a lot of handholding, which was nice. Once they were briefed, we didn't really need to spoon-feed them anymore. They understood it and delivered. We were never concerned about them going away and coming back with something completely wrong, and it all led to a very quick turnaround.

How did Kerrupt Animation perform from a project management standpoint?

We were able to work really well with Kerrupt Animation despite our offices being three hours apart. They were excellent at sticking to the project timeline. James was really good at setting everything into motion and finished the set in a week. 

We mainly used WhatsApp for day-to-day communications. We were in two different places but we were able to know what they were doing through a real-time feedback loop. They would take photos, send them via WhatsApp, and ask if the setup, the lighting, and other elements were just right.

We also used Dropbox to share high-resolution images and videos. We had a few zoom calls and emails as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s really impressive how easy they were to work with. No request of ours was ever met with resistance. Kerrupt Animation always found a solution. They were more than happy to try and accommodate our requests. Their terms of service are also great. It’s nice to work with someone that provides service in a way that makes life easier for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I thought they were brilliant. They were a dream to work with. We gave them such a tight schedule but they were able to turn things around quickly. I can’t say anything bad from my side.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I sent them a really detailed storyboard shortlist, made an animatic, and asked them if that was enough. They said it was the most anyone's ever given them, so it could help if you provide Kerrupt Animation with the same. 

Most of their clients don’t really give them much to work with, so if you want to get the most out of them, spend a lot of time in pre-production to really sharpen up that script create a really nice animatic. It will help you achieve a smooth, fast process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Boat Rocker Studios co-produce the Love Monster TV series and are responsible for building a franchise around this IP. We license the rights to various partners to help build a consumer products programme and we are responsible for brand management and marketing of this brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kerrupt Animation?

We hired Kerrupt to create a piece of branded content featuring the latest Love Monster toy plush which would then be marketed across social channels and provided to a key retailer to include on their website and YouTube page

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were originally introduced to Kerrupt via BBC and were instantly impressed with their roster of clients and previous work they did in the space. Our contact with them has always been positive, even when we were not commissioning any work with them. They seemed a natural go-to when we were ready to do some test work with them.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We were under time pressure to deliver a piece of content and the team at Kerrupt were unphased by the timelines. They quickly constructed a timeline that meant we would hit our delivery dates. Kerrupt Animation handled quick turnaround times in addressing feedback. The project included finding a suitable location and children to include in the content as well as a voice-over artist. I was impressed at how quickly they turned this around.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked directly with James who facilitated everything with his team of animators. He was our only contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Unable to provide feedback on the success of the content as part of the wider campaign but we would like to commission additional content on another show and will immediately go to Kerrupt with a brief.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Clear lines of communication throughout

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their proactivity in coming to us with ideas, solutions, test animation etc

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not based on that project, no.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a consultant in the specialty food sector, but also coordinate global special events for a specialty chemical/ biotech company. I am a spouse member for the YPO organization in the Philadelphia chapter. I have championed their events and enjoy designing spirited memorable and original experiences for all from start to finish for whatever the topic.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kerrupt Animation, and what were your goals?

This event was to honor the succession of a group of YPO members advancement to the next more senior level within the organization. It is called a "graduation". This is a very select group of the regions most influential CEO's within a variety of industries. It was my interest especially in the uncertainty of covid, to create a claymation/ stop motion animation to represent the evolution of chapter members through the YPO experience in a video teaser to introduce the event.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I had the core idea and searched globally for talented producers for similar content. This led me to the UK and I came across Kerrupt and requested an interface to discuss their capabilities to execute my vision.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

From the start, James at Kerrupt impressed me with his interest as a listener to hear out my vision and most important key points to represent. He wasted no time producing compelling evidence that this was well in the wheelhouse of abilities with his team and I know that I was in the correct place with this project.

We were perfectly aligned! My interest was to choreograph this video into an artistically meaningful, creative, funny and spirited treat for our audiences to watch and one that would be a perfect teaser for attending the event! James and I were on point for pertinent details, budget, and small details throughout the process.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

James and I were very functionally in contact through whatsapp to tweak all content and I was always encouraged that my preferences and changes were no problem at all!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The principal idea for our organization which thrives and grows by sharing unique experiences is maintaining an "Only in YPO" for design of events to always "wow" our fellow members. Styling this fun creative production with the likenesses of our members in such a creative way and introducing the event ahead this way met this goal with big kudos!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

I can't say it could have gone any easier than it did, Kerrupt Animation was constantly available and motivated to be sure that I was content with progress in every way.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The personalized, sincere approach to meeting the task expectations. They communicated in a down-to-earth style. It's refreshing and gave me no hesitation that I'd be happy with end result.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I can honestly not think of one thing to improve- I feel grateful to have luckily found a treasure when I found them and hope to be working with them again soon.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of a POS provider in the UK. We’re coming over £24,000 (approximately $33,000 USD) a year for major retail brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kerrupt Animation?

We were rebranding our company. We needed an After Effects animation that showed our old logo morphing into the new one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with Kerrupt Animation for 4–5 years, maybe once or twice a year. For this project, we initially supplied the graphics of the two logos. They drew a storyboard and created a seven-second animation.

What is the team composition?

We only had to deal with James (Creative Director). I briefed him directly, and he passed it on to his team members.

How did you come to work with Kerrupt Animation?

We found them on the internet, just searching. It was nice to use someone within our area.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our last engagement was from August–September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They came through with the project and did a good job. We had a couple of edits, but it didn’t affect the creative process or how we worked together. Our team liked it, and we showed it to one of our large clients, and they thought it was really cool.

We’ll use the video on social media, our website, or presentations when we go live.

How did Kerrupt Animation perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic. James was very responsive and attentive. He gave a good service, and we didn’t have to wait too long for him to deliver. They understood the pressures of our business and always responded accordingly. If we needed things in a hurry, they turned that around as fast as they could.

We emailed each other and had a couple of calls just to clarify issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were professional. Kerrupt Animations understood what we wanted and needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there wasn’t anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as clear as possible, supply the graphics required, and do some thumbnail sketches just to explain yourself.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a company of writers and creatives, and I am leading the project 'Model Village'.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kerrupt Animation, and what were your goals?

To produce, animate and work with us on the project, beginning with a 3-minute teaser and progressing to full-length episodes of 20 minutes-plus.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I had searched without much success, before finding Kerrupt who I HAD heard of but had not really considered as a solution. However, as soon as I opened discussion with James Kerr, it was an easy decision to make - they're a professional, like-minded and a bit zany, and very helpful, honest, clear and creative.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

Model Village is a stop-frame production. Kerrupt Animation has taken my ideas and made them real. This specifically means character models, scenery, script help, video and audio recording and, most importantly, the animation.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

James Kerr and George Stocking - and the feedback process is excellent, straightforward and transparent.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Not yet. But I am confident we will be successful and much of that will be thanks to Kerrupt.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

It's a real two-way process and we have worked together at our own pace but with real professionalism and reliability.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The personal side - James and George are like old mates, with a very similar sense of humor to ourselves.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No, not as yet, they have been the least of my worries in the evolution of Model Village!