PAPATON Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an Account Executive at a Marketing & Branding agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PAPATON Studio, and what were your goals?

We hired Papaton to develop an animation of a logo we created for a large healthcare organization.

SOLUTION

How did you select PAPATON STUDIO and what were the deciding factors?

We selected Papaton Studio because they had a strong body of work and could perform the services we needed at a reasonable price.

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

Papaton studio followed our early instructions and quickly responded to any feedback we delivered from ourselves and our client. The first draft and both rounds of revisions were created quickly and accurately.

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

I worked with a project manager who responded quickly and communicated effectively throughout the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our client was extremely pleased with the logo animation, and our agency fully agreed. Papaton Studio set us up for success on this deliverable.

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

We communicated exclusively through email, which was plenty effective for the scope of our work. They stuck to their provided timeline and were very friendly and communicative throughout the engagement.

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

Beyond the A+ quality of their work, the team was a pleasure to work with.

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

The website that Papaton used to transfer files was unfamiliar to me. It was easy enough to use, but my client had trouble getting through their enterprise's security parameters to download files. I believe this was due to the website being hosted outside the US. This was NOT a major inhibiting factor to project success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the lead visual designer for Fonk, a digital agency in Amsterdam. We provide design and development skills to create websites, apps, and other digital products. I’m usually involved with how our products look and their concept stage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PAPATON Studio?

We were building a new website portfolio for ourselves, so we wanted to create a new calling card online to reflect the quality we provide and the philosophy behind our digital products. People always search on Google to see how legitimate you are, so we wanted to show that.

Our previous website didn’t reflect that. It was outdated, and it just didn’t fit our organization anymore. We didn’t see our website as a place for conversions, get people to buy something, or get them to call us, but more as a place to have a conversation with our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had an idea for an animation on our home page that would reflect our design philosophy. I created sketches for that concept, and we asked PAPATON to create the illustration and bring it to life.

Initially, I approached them, and we had an outline for the type of scene that I was visualizing. I also had the idea of the style I wanted to use. Then, the team at PAPATON tried to find the correct illustration style. After that, we went through a couple of rounds of feedback and edits, adding the moving parts to the illustration.

We wanted the illustration to be quite different from the average style we currently see, which is minimal and almost geometric. In our illustration, we had a group of people that’s kind of a reflection of society, so it had to be diverse, and we didn’t provide that beforehand. However, during development, we had a lot of back and forth to discuss how would the group of people look. Over time, PAPATON sent us references on specific hairdos, garments, and more. They had a lot of guidelines to work with, but they also added some of their creativity.

What is the team composition?

There were three people involved: a project manager, an art director, and an animator.

How did you come to work with PAPATON Studio?

I found the agency while I was looking for a partner for another project. In the end, we approached them and had some contact, but we went with a different supplier. However, we kept them in mind, and when we had this project, we came back to work with PAPATON. We liked the enthusiasm they showed and the diverse range of their work. Since we wanted a unique style, we felt they could adapt to it.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still developing the website, so we don’t have any quantitative data yet. All I can say is that everyone I’ve shown the results offline has been really impressed and excited to see it. From my perspective, I’m also very pleased. I think it turned out better than expected.

How did PAPATON Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They hit every milestone in their planning, so that was quite impressive. We communicated through a combination of Google Meets video calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They sent me the first sketches before the first drafts, and we gave a lot of detailed feedback. Sometimes, when you deal with created partners, they tend to get dispirited by that, but it didn’t really affect PAPATON’s team. They kept motivated and took everything in stride, which was rare.

Also, they tried to come on board with our feedback with each iteration, but they also added their own little patches. That made us happy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the time, we didn't have any frustrations. There’s nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with an agency for the first time is a leap of faith. You should be able to work in the style that you want. Even though we didn’t ask PAPATON to do something they’d already done, they adjusted their style and adopted the brief. They came through for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Deputy Chief Digital Operation Officer at Dentsu X, a marketing firm that is one of the biggest advertising communication groups globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PAPATON Studio?

We've been partnered for quite some time. 90% of their business is doing animation for our clients. Sometimes we also use them for internal company use as well if we want to make credentials or make some case at a festival or something.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We go to PAPATON and ask them to make the creative concept first, and then make it come true by a different production team. Rarely do we bring them scripts. For 85% of our applications, they begin work from the creative concept and then get into the production.

What is the team composition?

I don't communicate with all of them, but I work personally with at least seven people. I'm mostly in touch with their top management and creative director.

How did you come to work with PAPATON Studio?

They were my colleagues for many, many years before they decided to launch their own startup. This is how PAPATON first appeared.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested roughly 15,000,000 rubles (approximately $190,000 USD). A typical project is 500,000 rubles (approximately $6,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work in May 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Every time we turn to them and say I'm short on time and need you to do the work fast, they never denied us and always found a way to help us out. I value that in the advertising world.

Even working quickly, they provide consistently high-quality services. Between their speed and quality, they have significant value to back up what they propagandize.

How did PAPATON Studio perform from a project management standpoint

I love their management. They're incredibly engaged. I've worked with many creative agencies, and they're probably the best ones we've worked with. We mainly communicate over email and Zoom at the moment.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're a great agency. They deserve success. I'm really happy with the work they do to meet the challenges of their clients.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them the chance to prove themselves, and you'll realize why my appraisal is so high here.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former design lead of Brex.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PAPATON Studio?

We were working on a new product called Brex Cash. Formerly, Brex was all about credit cards for startups. This was a new product and vertical for us, and it was vital that we reveal the product at a TechCrunch event. We worked closely to show the new updates to the public.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

PAPATON provided video production efforts for us. They created a one-minute video using motion and animation. Their team also did a creative brief. The video was a combination of 2D and 3D, and they handled all post-production efforts and sound design. The video was presented at the TechCrunch event on stage.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Anton (Founder & Creative Director), one producer, and a motion designer.

How did you come to work with PAPATON Studio?

I met them about five years ago when I lived in Moscow. I follow them on Facebook and occasionally saw their work. They’re known for being one of the best studios, so I reached out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was from August–September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video was pretty successful for our conversion rate because we didn’t open Brex Cash for the public. Our goal was to gain a few thousand new customers after TechCrunch in the following two months. With our landing page and video, we got a few thousand subscribers in just a few days.

How did PAPATON Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was great. The deadline was really tough, and we communicated a lot after working hours. Anton was always ready to help. I provided feedback, and they were receptive to implementing it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re super creative. What’s more, Anton has a great sense of trends and designs. Their showreel from last year features motion videos in completely different styles; that’s what I really like about them. They’re not trying to stay within one style and reproduce it over and over again. They utilize a great range of illustrators and motion designers, both in-house and contractors.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re super strong in 2D, but I’d recommend they bring on some strong 3D designers as they move forward. For this project, we brought on an external 3D designer to help.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re the perfect studio for video explainers. If you want to explain how your product works in a clean and beautiful manner, they’re the right studio for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and creative director of SLAVA, which is a creative and advertising agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PAPATON Studio?

We needed video production services for our client.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did two projects with PAPATON Studio. The second project was a bigger one and it was for Google Maps and Search. They produced an advertising video for us. The video was created for internet and television commercials and was about 30 seconds long. It was pure animation.

What is the team composition?

We had a manager on the animation studio side, an art director, motion people, and illustrators. It was not a big team. We had a main point of contact who helped manage the project.

How did you come to work with PAPATON Studio?

We found them through a referral. At that time, there were maybe three good-quality animation studios in the Russian market, and basically, everyone in the market knows PAPATON Studio.

How much have you invested in them?

It was around 1 million rubles (approximately $13,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April–May 2018. That was the length of the whole project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results were good. The video was produced well and these are the main success metrics for us. Our client was happy with the video as well.

How did PAPATON Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

It was pretty good, and things were on schedule. We used email because we didn’t need to use any other tools.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In this animation project, there were lots of details and smaller tweaks where things could go wrong. PAPATON has an excellent eye and makes sure that everything works nicely. Every output has been of a high standard. It was a nice experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They focus heavily on 2D animation and do this extremely well. In terms of flat animation, there isn't room for improvement because they’re at a really nice level. If they want to leverage a broader spectrum of techniques, they could do 3D, visual effects, and more complicated things.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You’ll definitely have a smooth experience and you can rely on them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder and designer for a design studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with PAPATON Studio?

We needed motion design services for a project we were working on.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided PAPATON Studio with the storyboard we had created and other details they needed. The team then animated our work, turning it into a 2D motion piece. They also provided all the sound effects for the video. Their output was featured on our platform.

What is the team composition?

I only interacted with one person. He manages the PAPATON Studio’s team, but I’m not sure how many people were on that team.

How did you come to work with PAPATON Studio?

I reached out to my friends and asked them for recommendations. I also contacted a few companies after that. Since PAPATON Studio had a quick response time and an impressive portfolio, I chose them for the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

PAPATON Studio’s output was extremely good. We had multiple rounds of feedback and they did a great job. When I have design projects that exceed my capabilities, they are the team I contact to help me.

How did PAPATON Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive and finished everything on time. We communicated via email almost daily, going back and forth until we agreed on a final product. They were very strong in their feedback, holding their position on certain tasks that required their expertise. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have the self-awareness of knowing how to do their work, always producing the best quality. They delivered what they promised and their works were easy for us to implement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any areas they could improve on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Beseda is a tool for async communication. I'm a co-founder and CPO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PAPATON Studio, and what were your goals?

We were launching a new product, and we needed a product video explaining how our product works and what it's about

SOLUTION

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

We got good reviews from our colleagues about Papaton work

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

The process consisted of stages: idea development, coordination, script development, graphics, and animation development, and sound

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

I worked with a producer of the project. After each stage, they sent us a draft copy, and we provided feedback.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We used this product video for our launch and the launch was successful.

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

Communication was easy and comfortable. We clearly saw and understood the stages and deadlines.

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

They thought out-of-the-box and proposed outstanding ideas.

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

No, everything was great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of Hello Baby, Inc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire PAPATON Studio?

Design and art direction, character animation

What were your goals for this project?

Stunning video explainer

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Found on Facebook

Describe the project in detail.

A super-duper video explainer in detail

What was the team composition?

Art director graphic designer motion designer illustrator copywriter manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Not yet

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Rather effective

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're super creative.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Price )