Pickled Frames

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the branded producer for a YouTube channel based on car content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pickled Frames?

We needed support creating animations for an end client that were beyond our internal scope. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pickled Frames produced a 30–40-second branded 2D animation and live-action content segment. We provided the team with a storyboard, and Pickled Frames managed character design. The team walked us through all the steps of the set building and animatic work before providing the final animation with some overlayed assets for us to put on our live-action portion. 

We produced the final video incorporating Pickled Frames' animations and are about to launch it on our YouTube channel after getting approval from our end client. Pickled Frames provided consulting about best practices as we went into our live-action filming to make the process smoother. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with eight teammates from Pickled Frames, including Dominic (Founder & Director), who was our point of contact. I know other teammates worked on the production, but we only saw the final product. 

How did you come to work with Pickled Frames?

I was looking for animation studios and gathering proposals. Pickled Frames' style aligned with what we were aiming for and set a price that we could manage. Additionally, our initial call with Dominic went so well that we knew we needed to work with them; they were a great fit from the start.
How much have you invested with them?

We spent $12,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Pickled Frames on this project from January–March 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're still polishing the video on our end and haven't sent it to the end client for feedback. However, our entire department is satisfied with Pickled Frames' work. The team quickly addressed our notes in the final round of revisions and delivered the product we were looking for for our end client. Pickled Frames went above and beyond to meet our expectations, and working with them was an incredible experience. 

How did Pickled Frames perform from a project management standpoint?

Dominic laid out very clear timelines from the start and met all of them. We were never crunched by time, and the team worked within our timelines. Even with the time difference we had with the team, we never felt pressed about it. We communicated with Pickled Frames via email and weekly Google Meet calls. Emails were great for getting our timelines across, but when we had actual notes, it was easier to address them on a call. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm mostly impressed by Pickled Frames' quality of work for the rates they offer, which goes above and beyond. No other service providers could touch the style of quality animation they delivered within this ballpark. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The team truly saw our vision and came prepared with the proper assets — I can't think of a single speed bump during the project. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend having your concrete vision sorted out and getting in touch with Pickled Frames.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the creative director for GET Creative, a Gannett/USA Today-branded content studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pickled Frames?

As a branded content studio, we do a number of things, including video production. We have a great team in charge of doing live video, filmed with cameras and all the necessary equipment. We can also do animation work to an extent. However, due to the customer we were working with, I felt that we needed to find a partner much more specialized in animation and design. Therefore, we reached out to Pickled Frames.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Pickled Frames acted as an extension of our team, helping us produce an animated video for our end customer. When they joined, we already had a script for the video, so that was our kicking-off point. We also set up the expectations of what everything would look like. Throughout the process, we used Pickled Frames' workflow to inform our workflow and ultimately communicate with our customer.

What is the team composition?
Our main point of contact was Dominik (Founder). I knew he had other teammates working on the project, but he was the consistent point teammate throughout the process.

How did you come to work with Pickled Frames?
We found them online. One of my producers put together a list of animation companies that he found. We liked Pickled Frames' style, especially because that was how we sold the project to our customer. We took examples of what the different service providers could do and presented those examples to our customer. They liked Pickled Frames' style too, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together on this project from June–December 2023. The process took longer than any of us anticipated, but it wasn't either one's fault.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The customer was happy with the final video. They were proud of the video that went live.

How did the company perform from a project management standpoint?
Pickled Frames always met the deadlines that we asked for. If what we were asking for had too tight of a deadline, we were always able to compromise and reset the expectations.

Usually, service providers get paid via an upfront fee and a closing fee, so it is important for them to complete the project. This project took way longer than Dominik had planned, so we felt it was right to release funds at an in-between point. We were very communicative and told them whenever we would run into delays. Still, Dominik always showed a sense of solidarity, and we formed a great partnership, as I was very upfront about expectations.

Throughout the process, the customer required edits to the script, which were very detrimental to our timing. Therefore, none of the delays were caused by Pickled Frames. As a result of those delays, we also went over the original budget. However, those overages were fine because there was always an upfront conversation about change orders, so we always understood what the extra costs would be.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?
Dominik was a great partner who rolled with the punches with us on this project. We were creating a pharmaceutical animated video, which required a lot of legal reviews and strict processes. It was hard to push those processes into their work, so we had to make some pivots. Still, Dominik was very understanding of the process, and we worked very closely with him on rescoping the project. We always came to a fair understanding of what the scope would be.

What did you find most impressive about them?
Pickled Frames was a great partner and worked really hard. The partnership was great, and the project we set out to do was completed.

Are there any areas they could improve?
I don't think there was anything Pickled Frames could have done differently. The beauty of having worked with Pickled Frames in this capacity is that we already have a clear understanding of how they work and what they need. Thus, if we were to work with them again on a similar project, I just hope it is for a less difficult customer.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be very communicative and keep Pickled Frames in the loop.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a marketing executive for Hanse Haus GmbH, and my primary responsibility is managing marketing videos. Our company is based in Germany and specializes in prefabricated housing. We have a team of approximately 1,000 employees, and we build about 1,000 houses per year.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We handle most of our video work in-house, but we only work on simple animation. To create animated commercials, we enlisted the help of Pickled Frames.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Initially, we had our original idea. We were promoting a new type of house we were planning to sell. Our team created a whole storyboard for how the commercial should look. 

We collaborated with Pickled Frames on the specific style. They then presented us with several options, and after some deliberation, we ultimately settled on our final style.

What is the team composition?

We had one primary contact from Pickled Frames. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Dominik (Founder & Director) did an excellent job managing all communication.

How did you come to work with Pickled Frames?

I found Pickled Frames through an online search. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around €2,000 Euros (approximately $2,200 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Pickled Frames in June 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our commercial launched just a few weeks ago, and we don't have sufficient data to provide precise results at this point. However, I am happy to report that the outcome was fantastic, and our team was thrilled with the results.

How did Pickled Frames perform from a project management standpoint?

Pickled Frames fulfilled all of our requests promptly and within the scheduled timeframe.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication was top-notch. The process was efficient and seamless. The team provided regular updates at every stage of the video pipeline, informing me of the progress.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any suggestions for improvements at the moment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Before creating a video, it's essential to identify the desired outcome and plan accordingly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager at Haakaa, an online maternity and baby products store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pickled Frames?

We needed help with producing an animated video.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pickled Frames produced an animation video for us. Initially, we discussed how we wanted the video to look, how long it would take, and how much it would cost us. We also gave them our ideas for the video, which was a music video. It already had a storyline, but it needed to be made as a video.

Their team did exactly just that and contributed a lot of good ideas along the way — they pretty much handled the whole production process. They would send an email to us to confirm if we were happy with the video or if we wanted to make any changes. The video was over three minutes long.

What is the team composition?

We were in contact with the founder and director of their company.

How did you come to work with Pickled Frames?

We saw Pickled Frames’ work on Fiverr. Their animated videos looked amazing and fun, so we decided to hire them for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from October–December 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
 
We showed the video to our internal teams, and everyone loved it; the video was really fun and had great colors. We’re planning to publish the video on all of our social media platforms.

How did Pickled Frames perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management style was good. We communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Pickled Frames worked fast, and we were satisfied with their services. This was our first time working with an animation company, and their team did a good job overall.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve been more patient and understanding whenever I was not available. I had limited accessibility because my home country is China. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Pickled Frames is a good production team, and they’re easy to work with —  I would definitely recommend working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the project manager in Universal Music Poland

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pickled Frames, and what were your goals?

Animated music video for preschoolers - a song about puppies. We needed friendly, simple animation and characters that would evoke the sympathy of children and parents. We wanted to feel that the video should be fabulously colorful, but qualitative and not pushy.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a company that can offer us different styles of illustrations, works efficiently and at good prices. We chose from 3 comparable offers - flexibility, friendly approach and commitment were decisive

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

Already at the stage of submitting the offer, they asked a lot of detailed questions, which proved their commitment to the subject and efforts to match the offer as best as possible. Thanks to this, after making the decision to choose PickledStudio, we had a lot of arrangements behind us, which made it easier to start work.

We started with character designs and then came up with a script that was 100% PickledStudio. We received animation samples with proposed textures, colors and the way the characters move, and after accepting these elements, the whole video was made. Several corrections were made very efficiently.

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

We were in contact with the project manager and animator. Together, we developed a realistic work schedule with a set deadline

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Very easy communication, mainly by e-mail

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

They were very involved in the project from the moment of submitting the offer. It was obvious that they took the time to think everything through carefully and not to act clichéd.

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

Not for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a math education platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Pickled Frames?

We needed to create animations for our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we wrote the script and had the voiceover done with the voiceover artist. We sent that back to Pickled Frames with all the instructions on how the animation should look. They’ve created the animation based on that. We’ve reviewed it and made adjustments. Additionally, Pickled Frames has done all the editing.

What was the team composition?

We’ve only worked with the CEO. We haven’t met him or his team in person since it’s a remote collaboration.

How did you come to work with Pickled Frames?

I found them on Upwork.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent about £40,000–£50,000 (approximately $49,000–$61,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2017, and it’s an ongoing collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work is fantastic; we love it. The animations are clear, and they’ve gotten exactly what we wanted. Moreover, our working relationship has been easy. We don’t have to give a lot of technical instructions.

How did Pickled Frames perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great with deadlines, and we’re always informed of the project’s progress. We use Google Drive to share documents and information, as well as email to send notes back and forth.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We love their style of animation and the speed of their work. Moreover, Pickled Frames is excellent at getting our technical directions; they always understand our notes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their prices could be more affordable, but their work is outstanding.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do a test with them to see if you like their style. Also, give as detailed instructions as possible; they don’t have to be technical, but make sure they’re clear.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CCO of Score Digital, a custom software development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pickled Frames?

We wanted an animation studio to provide us with intros, outros, and in-between transitions for some videos we were creating.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pickled Frames helped us create animated content for our videos from scratch. Initially, we provided them with our brand identity and brand book, and we had a discovery call to discuss the kind of narrative we were looking for, the personas we were addressing, and what the videos would be about.

Then, Pickled Frames developed the storyboards for the animated videos, ensuring that the animations would resonate with our brand and the essence of the videos we were creating. To execute this project, they used their own equipment and studios.

Their team delivered the first version of the animated content, and we had a few iterations on it before reaching two different final versions with different sounds and backgrounds. The content they developed included an animated logo and brand elements with licensed music in the background.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Dominik (Founder & Director), who managed the project. I believe 2–3 other people worked on the project, but I didn’t work directly with them.

How did you come to work with Pickled Frames?

A friend of mine recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $1,500–$3,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–May 2022. They only took about 2–3 weeks to complete the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pickled Frames delivered truly awesome work. Both final versions of the animated content were very good and exceeded my expectations. Our logo was greatly animated, and the sound reflected our brand spirit and principles; the animations and sounds have an energetic feeling.

Additionally, the quality of the videos was outstanding. Pickled Frames delivered the content in 4K so that it could be used in various videos, and they also delivered it in various formats so they would be readily available for us to download and use.

Overall, Pickled Frames’ deliverables checked all of the boxes I expected for such a project. However, the company that is producing the actual videos for us is struggling with postproduction, so we haven’t seen the animations in an actual video.

How did Pickled Frames perform from a project management standpoint?

Pickled Frames had an extraordinary work ethic and well-organized processes in place, and they worked very fast. Whenever we asked for something, they were very responsive, and their communication was instantaneous. Moreover, they delivered ahead of the deadline they initially estimated.

We used a tool to collaborate, but I don’t remember which one. On it, Pickled frames laid out the project, and we could see the storyboards, so it was very clear to me how the final video would look. I was also able to leave comments through this tool for them to respond. As for communication, we used email and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Pickled Frames executed a very good project, and everything was very smooth. If the other video production company did half the good job Pickled Frames did, we would already have the videos.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Pickled Frames has a great organization, so I can only advise them to keep doing what they’re doing so that they continue to be successful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire them! They’re awesome and very efficient.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of the company, Kuma Threads, where we focus on building a simple and free-spirited clothing brand that gives back to the community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pickled Frames?

We were looking to launch our brand and wanted to step into the social media space with something other than a video of the founders explaining who they are and what it is that they're sharing, and we felt that coming up with something more creative would be that step forward to differentiate us from the rest. Pickled Frames were able to provide this amazing animated trailer for us.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were looking for someone who had a great reviews on Fiverr and had an extensive portfolio to look at and most importantly an art style that wasn't common something that made it distinguishable from others.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

First we described our idea and what we wanted to see realized and we provided a rough trailer of what we had worked on and photos for reference material. Soon after they provided various sketches for us to choose from, for the mascot and background, and helped us smooth out any details that were needed to complete the project. Then they provided us with multiple updates on the project until its completion.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Dominik the founder of Pickled Frames and hey helped my with every step until the end.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far it has been well received on social media and hopefully we can work again with Pickled Frames in the near future.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Although there was a time difference the line of communication was never lacking, always easy and fast to relay information.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their commitment to putting out great work and not cutting corners was impressive. Others would quickly take a clients money and give them what they want without any feedback for improvements. Pickled Frames made sure to iron out the kinks and chime in and elaborate on ideas.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

As far as I saw I believe they did a fantastic job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a vice president and content and video producer at a foundation that is promoting education

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pickled Frames, and what were your goals?

We hired Pickled Frames to create a series of a short animations for children about a human. Our goal Was to create content that interest children and educate them about our bodies.

SOLUTION

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

We used our contacts to find a right agency. Pickled Frames did some work for our friends and they were very happy. Main factors was the quality and creativity of their work . Further on we learned that Pickled Frames has very professional team and are really "client minded"

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

These were about 5-minute animations for children about the mechanisms of the human body. We did 8 episodes in total. The Pickled Frames team initially prepared the character designs and general animation style. Then we got storyboards. The next step was animatics with sound. At the last stage, we received ready-made files with music, the character's voice and ready-made animations.

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

We have worked mainly with Dominik - director and co-founder at Pickled Frames. Dominik was in constant contact with us. He responded very quickly to our feedback. Throughout the process, he was always proposing solutions, not piling up problems.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The animation series has been very well received in our community. In total, several hundred thousand people watched it. For several years, since it was created, it has been watched all the time and is a very good educational material for children, which is very engaging for them. In addition, The materials created together with Pickled Frames helped us to establish our new YouTube channel for children, generating tens of thousands of subscribers at the start.

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

Project management on the Pickled Frames side was very clear and efficient. At the beginning, we were given a detailed work schedule, which did not change during the project. Contact with the team was always very professional and focused on listening to our comments. We felt understood by the pickled frames team from the beginning. We talked mainly by phone and e-mail

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

In addition to great design and animation work, what attracts attention in cooperation with Pickled Frames is a very professional and positive attitude to cooperation with the client. Each contact with the team gave satisfaction from working together.

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

I can't point to a single thing I would improve on pickled frames side.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

i work at Apollo. We focus on a plant-based version of chicken, the most consumed type of meat on the planet. Made with unique technology and beans.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pickled Frames, and what were your goals?

We were in the process of planning a new brand for our plant-based meat. We wanted to create some buzz around new products and packaging with simple animation. We planned to post the animation on our social media channels and to our partners.

SOLUTION

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

We chose Pickled Frames because of their affordable pricing, fast responses, and very open-minded team who took care of us.

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

We started with the initial call - we introduced our goals and new brand identity. We introduced our initial idea and we get feedback from Pickled Frames (as they know best what works and doesn’t work in animations). Then, the creative team from Pickled Frames send us the first graphics which we could feedback on. When we accepted all the graphics we could start the animation process which was very quick. We could also feedback on each element of the animation.

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

We worked with Dominik, a project manager who outlined the project and kept us on schedule. He collected all the needed materials and pass our feedback to the animators. We communicated through e-mails and the process went very smoothly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We created the buzz we wanted. We used video in our communication on various channels and it get very positive feedback. Even for our team and investors, the animation was a great sum-up of our new brand designing process.

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

The team was easy to communicate with and worked really fast on our project. Everything went as planned

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

I think the best part was work was done really fast. Even though we hadn’t worked on animation before, thanks to Dominik, the process was very transparent to us.

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

No