BluBlu Studios

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm partner and head of animation in a content agency in Singapore.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BluBlu Studios, and what were your goals?

We had to create animation assets as part of the campaign to drive awareness for our finance client's new product to help them take it to the market.

SOLUTION

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

I've been a big fan of BluBlu Studios for many years and always admired their work. We discussed doing a few projects together and I am happy that we finally managed to do it. They are very creative, produce amazing quality, good communicators and project managers.

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

It was the usual production process that started with discussing and aligning on the brief, designing a moodboard and finding visual references, writing a script that BluBlu helped to bring to life with storyboarding, illustrations and animation.

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

We worked with project manager Gabriela who was our main contact person at BluBlu for this animation campaign. She was creative producer who connected the dots and helped to move the project forward with her team after we passed client's feedback.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client was very happy and reused our style frames and character design to create other social assets. They approved each stage of animation production quickly and loved the final output. Animation started being used in sales & marketing efforts.

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

BluBlu has been very flexible, professional and organized. We aligned on the timeline and schedules, followed them closely, quickly turned around all the comments and managed to finish the videos earlier than originally planned.

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

A great combination of professionalism, project management, creative strategy and visual perfection. It was easy to work with BluBlu Studios, and they impressed our client and us at every stage.

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

If we had more budget and time, I am sure we could have explored even more impressive visuals as BluBlu team can deliver much more than what we briefed them. Hope next time :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Apricot Finance is a next-gen decentralized finance protocol built on the Solana blockchain.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BluBlu Studios, and what were your goals?

We hired BluBlu Studios to assist with building a world class animated commercial (both long and short cuts).

SOLUTION

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

We selected BluBlu due to their track record working with global tech brands and the quality of previous work, as well due to their incredible customer service walking us through the anticipated production process.

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

The commercial is a 2 minute long animated video which leverages a high quality voice over and a combination of 2D and 3D animation. It explains at a high level and with parallels to how decentralized finance can be envisioned from a literal geographic perspective, as well as clearly explaining financial constructs our audience needs to be aware of. The production process included the following stages:

1. Discovery period and script writing
2. Storyboarding with animation and styling examples
3. Review period.
4. Music selection and sound effect creation.
5. Review period.
6. Final delivery including cuts for future promotional purposes.

BluBlu was in daily to weekly contact providing sound updates and feedback for our input — It was a very smooth and efficient process.

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

We primarily worked with Karol J. (Executive Producer) and Jacob K. (Founder and CEO)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our commercial set up apart from our competitive market, allowing us to reach new users by educating them about our services in an efficient manner — the industry feedback has been incredible.

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

BluBlu accommodated our communication needs by using the platforms, Slack and Telegram, to provide daily to weekly updates for feedback. The timelines set at the beginning of the engagement were met to the date originally intended, which was much appreciated because it matched our social media marketing timelines for rollout.

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

BluBlu traditionally works with large brands with established marketing firms. Apricot is a much smaller group, but the level of and quality of engagement received and experienced working with them was amazing. They ensured we were always being looked after. Apart from great client services, the quality of animation and sound design of the video was world-class.

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

Honestly, we have no critiques of our experience — We look forward to working with them in the future!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a Content Producer at Twitter. My job is to connect our clients with the best artists and studios around the globe and guide them through the production process to create best in class content for their brand. The content created is then promoted on Twitter's platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BluBlu Studios, and what were your goals?

BluBlu Studios is a trusted Twitter partner and has worked with us on many projects to date. One of our personal favorite collaborations with them has been with our client Brighthouse Financial. Brighthouse Financial came to us hoping to create fun, informative and eye catching content to promote their business on Twitter. They have absolutely loved the animations BluBlu has produced for them. So much so, that they have now come back four times requesting to work with BluBlu to continue to build out their content library. We don't often see brands come back requesting the same studio partners, let alone four separate times. It's a testament to the great work BluBlu does!

SOLUTION

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

We initially selected BluBlu Studios based on the impressive animation examples we found in their portfolio. They are able to capture a wide variety of animation styles that Twitter can present to their client's to give them some optionality. After working with BluBlu studios, we found that what was even more impressive than their wide range of animation styles, was their consistently stellar communication and timely delivery. These factors are what keeps us coming back to BluBlu time and time again.

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

BluBlu does a great job of taking in the brief our clients provide and delivering clear and concise storyboards for review. They're flexible with us and allow for client feedback where necessary. Once storyboards are ironed out we move into production at which point BluBlu provides first draft animations. At this juncture our client has another opportunity to provide feedback. BluBlu is always able to accommodate their feedback and turn around a stellar end product for us.

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

We've worked with a number of fabulous project managers at BluBlu, but most recently we've worked with Gabriela, Matt, and Karolina. Everyone on the BluBlu team is truly fantastic to work with. The feedback process is extremely smooth. Our clients tend to have very little feedback with the quality of work BluBlu provides, but when they do BluBlu is able to address everything in a very efficient manner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The animations that BluBlu has created for Brighthouse Financial have all performed very well on Twitter. What speaks the most volumes to our team at Twitter is that we've been able to create a unique animation style that Brighthouse loves and continues to come back to Twitter and BluBlu to implement. They did not have this animation style before and thanks to BluBlu they have been able to create a recurring series of animated content that is recognizable by their customers. Our team sees this as a huge success.

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

All of the project managers we've worked with have been fantastic. Communications have been timely, accommodating and clear with virtually no hiccups across all campaigns we've ran to date. We typically only need email to communicate but BluBlu makes themselves available for video or phone calls whenever we need them.

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

It's rare to find a studio that has the full package. With BluBlu, we've found a studio that can deliver on our ambitious goals with our clients in a way that keeps our them happy and continually coming back for more. BluBlu's wide variety of animation styles makes them a natural choice given that Twitter needs to service a wide variety or brands and style requests. Perhaps the most important reason that we continue to go back to BluBlu is that we sincerely trust them with any project that we have.

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

We wish they weren't so far away from our US offices! We'd love to meet them in person some day.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the design and development lead of the team. We create custom editorial content for clients around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BluBlu Studios, and what were your goals?

We needed BluBlu Studios’ expertise to create 5 sets of animations in a very short amount of time. We were working with a Japanese client so there’s an additional layer of difficulty to fully visualize what was needed. The videos will be placed on a webpage to better illustrate the client’s products mentioned in the article.

SOLUTION

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

Blublu provided a very flexible plan to work with despite we needed the deliverables in a short timeframe.

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

We kicked off the production with an online meeting. We’ve briefed Blublu on what is required and they came back with a timeline that works in our favor. They delivered 5 short animation snippets to go along with the article. The videos were created in two aspect ratios so they will work on both desktop and mobile browsers.

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

We worked with the project manager who kept everything on schedule. There's a bit of time difference but they managed to work around the time difference and passed work before our AM time for review.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our Japanese client quickly approved the deliverables and they are happy with the outcome.

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

Blublu is very professional and communicates succinctly what is needed at the right time.

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

They were very professional and were able to accommodate everything that was asked.

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

We didn't have any suggestions in mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director and producer at a video production company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BluBlu Studios?

We needed their team's help with still and character animation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blublu Studios was in charge of doing still animation as part of their post-production services for our high-level explanatory film. We prepared a storyline, and their team used that to create visual references and develop the character design. We specifically needed their output to appear cartoony for it to fit the concept of our film.

Additionally, we tasked them with creating transitions for the live-action components that our team shot, and they then integrated those into a 2D illustrative environment.

What is the team composition?

Blublu Studio's producer was my primary contact.

How did you come to work with BluBlu Studios?

I came across Blublu Studio's team online while searching for potential creative agencies to hire. Their portfolio spoke for itself — 
their price was right, and their previous works were of high quality as well. I was convinced that they were the right fit for us, so I then reached out to their team.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from February–April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Blublu Studios had great illustrators who expertly brought our characters to life by adding charm to them and incorporating them in the right environments. Our clients were very happy with the quality of Blublu Studio's work and how their team worked hard to match their creative needs. Despite our project being labor-intensive, their team delivered a smooth product that was at par with everyone's expectations.

How did BluBlu Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via Zoom and email. Blublu Studios was a responsible team that kept things efficiently moving. Our time zone difference was advantageous to us — I'd relay the feedback from our team and they'd implement changes first thing in the morning.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It's inevitable for any creative project to undergo timeline and scope changes, but Blublu Studios was an adaptable team that managed to overcome those alterations and was fair in charging additional costs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any points of criticism.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want to get the best results, make sure that your creative vision aligns with theirs. Blublu Studios is known for the illustrative quality of their work, so if that's the design approach you want from a team, they're the right agency for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Fashion consumers always needed to compromise between online and offline, mono and multi-brand shopping. SCROBLE technology enables a new shopping reality without any compromises and with full flexibility for consumers.

SCROBLE is a unique multi-brand and omnichannel technology, designed to achieve the highest conversion, predict and fulfill the ever-demanding consumer needs and expectations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BluBlu Studios?

We needed a video which explains in a very easy way all the innovative and disruptive part of our product, which was a challenge for everyone.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to introduce our unique product with a more general presentation to awake interest and curiosity in the market. The video was a powerful tool to achieve this goal.

SOLUTION

How did you select BluBlu Studios?

We were looking for a unique visual design to create an outstanding branding impression. After reviewing many portfolios, we were sure that BluBlu Studios is the right partner.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

The team was very careful with understanding the value proposition and services we are delivering and it took a bit to dive deeper and get all points clarified where we got started from. We have been provided with a time schedule which was also very useful and with professional realistic assumptions.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We had channelled communication with one person, who was coordinating all wishes and amendments with the team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to amazing multiple skills and competencies, it was an absolute easy-going process with BluBlu Studios team. We have effectively used the video to introduce the unique and disruptive services to the market and be able to acquire very fast over 25 businesses onboard for the piloting stage.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Absolutely smooth and timewise correctly executed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their unlimited creativity and ability to translate our ideas into unique visual content impressed us. It becomes more than a video, it is a piece of unique branded art.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and creative director of Umault.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BluBlu Studios?

One of our biggest clients needed a high-quality animation for one of their premiere pieces of insight. They hired us to promote that piece, so we needed a partner that could deliver the animation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project's goal was to generate traffic for our client’s report. Essentially, the video was an ad for the report.

BluBlu created a two-minute promotional video for our client’s report. They created a complex 3D animation that had lots of moving parts.

What is the team composition?

Our point person was Jarek (Executive Producer), but he had his whole team on the emails. Their team was comprised of animators, producers, project managers, and artists.

How did you come to work with BluBlu Studios?

I found them on Clutch, but BluBlu happened to reach out when they were in the US taking meetings. I wanted to work with them for a long time, and we finally found the right project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $20,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2020 and ended in July 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The report launched this week, and our client’s excited by the early returns. The video had to capture people’s attention, and early results indicated that it's awesome. Their team had a cutting-edge mindset, which was necessary to ensure the video wasn’t cheesy. They were art-driven and attended to the details.

There were probably 10–12 people on this project from our client’s team. Usually, there would be a few naysayers who would try to throw a wrench into the project. BluBlu’s creative was so strong that our client’s team was 100% aligned in their excitement about the video, which was huge and made us look good. If our client comes back to us next year for a similar project, we’ll work with BluBlu again.

How did BluBlu Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

Although we’re in the US and they’re in Poland, we never had an issue with communication or timelines. It felt like they were in the same city as us. Their project management was absolutely fantastic. We never had to worry about the details because their team was the whole package.

We primarily communicated by e-mail but used Google Meets when we needed to discuss a big point in the project. They delivered a Gantt timeline at the start and abided by it. Their team was exactly on time, which was huge and built trust. They communicated clearly, so there was little room for ambiguity. Their team understood the subtext in our e-mails, which made the project smooth.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re passionate artists driven by creating a final product that they’ve never seen before. Their creativity sets them apart. Their team focused on producing unique creative, which I loved.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come with your goals and a message, and then let BluBlu work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Co-Founder and Partner of a boutique strategic creative Agency, PLUS, based in New York City.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BluBlu Studios?

We hired BluBlu Studios to help us create a compelling and dynamic animated video for a Global Social Media Campaign.

What were your goals for this project?

To capture a feeling of celebration and inclusivity, brought to life by a cast of characters.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Blu Blu Studios for the high quality of their work, the range of animation skills they offered, and after a phone interview we were very impressed by their professionalism. We liked their creative process which was in line with the standards and workflows we are used to working in.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

BluBlu were given artwork and were asked to translate the artwork into a :15 story. The video features a scene with a cast of over 20 animated characters, and each one needed to have a fun and unique personality.

We worked together to build a project timeline that allowed for internal and client reviews. BluBlu surpassed our expectations at every stage of the process.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

We co-created a timeline, working within our client's parameters. The timeline allowed for internal and client reviews.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video was approved by our client on the first viewing. It's a testament to the quality of work, and the ability to translate a creative brief.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was seamless.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their professionalism and the quality of their work stood out to us. As mentioned above, the video was approved by our client on the first viewing. They exceeded our expectations at every step of the process and I highly recommend them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None. We had a great experience working with BluBlu Studio.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President of Serbin Creative, Inc. based in Santa Barbara, California. We are a marketing company for many of the world’s leading commercial illustrators and photographers. Art directors in advertising agencies, graphic design firms, corporations and publishing companies regularly access our online, print and social media resources when they need to hire a professional, freelance artist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BluBlu Studios?

We wanted a short animation to quickly explain how the various components of our Directory of Illustration marketing program help artists connect with their target market. The purpose was to drive artists to visit our website and contact us to learn more about our unique services.

What were your goals for this project?

We are widely known for our annual printed compendium, but our program is so much than that, incorporating a very popular portfolio website and social feeds as well. Since OUR target market is professional artists, any materials we produce must be extremely professional, with very high production value. We also serve a wide variety of artists, from traditional to cutting edge, so the style of the animation needed to have broad appeal.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One day I happened upon BluBlu’s portfolio and saw a video that sparked my imagination and helped me visualize a way that we could more quickly tell our story. I wasn’t even looking for a production company at that point, but after a 20 minute introductory phone call, I knew that they were the absolute right fit for the assignment and I decided to create a budget for a project that had really only been a distant concept previously. I have been in this industry for almost three decades, and I look at hundreds (if not thousands) of different kinds of artist websites every year. I think I have a pretty keen eye for talent, so the fact that Blu Blu stood out to me is a testament to their professional presentation and ability to communicate their expertise.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

BluBlu guided us to establish a comprehensive Creative & Content Brief, which helped them quickly get to know us and formed the basis for the script, visual direction, etc. The final product is a video that we are using on our website, embedded in email campaigns, and on social media.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

They communicated everything efficiently via email and WeTransfer, with only 1 or 2 phone calls necessary.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're just began promoting the video last week. We have already had fantastic feedback on the visuals from current and prospective clients. Traffic is up on our website and we've seen an early uptick in inquiries via email and social. I'll be happy to update this review in a few weeks to report on quantifiable results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They managed the entire process very smoothly... from storyboarding and styleboards to the selection of the voice over artist, approvals of over 20 illustrations and animating the final. Their communication was exceptional and very collaborative, but only required a minimum amount of time from my team. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We have hired many, many visual artists over the years (although have never produced an animation before). BluBlu stands out as one of the most professional vendors we have ever worked with. They have a unique ability to understand what the client needs, and to efficiently guide you through the process. Above all, they produced really stunning visuals that were right on the money for our market.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of anything I would change.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the general manager. I work for the leader in thoughtful email productivity software that empowers people to focus on what matters on the world’s top email platforms. Since 2010, we have helped its customers be more productive by analyzing the context of work and adding value on top of it.

Today, we enable millions of Gmail and Outlook users around the globe to schedule & prioritize their inbox and be more productive. Boomerang is the maker of products by the same name for Gmail, Outlook, and Android, as well as our Calendar, The Email Game, and Inbox Pause. We are based in Mountain View, CA. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BluBlu Studios?

We hired BluBlu to create a 90 second animated video explaining one of the new features in our main product called Insights, which delivers customized, actionable analytics and insights based on how you use your email.

What were your goals for this project?

When we first released it we had a hard time describing it in our marketing materials since it's pretty complex and takes some time for users to process. We hoped that this video would help explain the product and convince users to try it, leading to increased conversion on the landing page and more users.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had reached out to several vendors for a previous animation project a few years ago. We weren't able to work with BluBlu then due to the time constraint so wanted to revisit it again. They provided the most competitive quote and (we feel) the strongest portfolio out of the agencies we reached out to.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

Once we agreed on the quote, we filled out a creative brief and had a kickoff call with Jarek from the BluBlu team. They provided a very detailed timeline of the process, what the steps were and how long each should take, including time built in for feedback and iteration.

We decided to have them write the script for us, which only needed very minor revisions. After the script was settled we started working with Matt who gave us regularly updates with storyboards, styleframes, voice over options. Everything was delivered on time according to their schedule.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

The process started with a detailed timeline, giving us a very good idea of what to expect, when. Deliverables were sent through a WeTransfer link, and feedback was given to their team via email.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't posted the video to our marketing pages yet

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very well. Despite a very slight language barrier (our product is currently only localized for English users, so their team was not able to try it out) they got a good grasp of the product and what we wanted to convey.

We were pleased with the deliverables at each step and they were very receptive to feedback and addressed everything we requested. The only difficult part was that since they are based in Poland their work hours did not overlap with ours at all

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Even though they weren't able to try out the product it didn't seem like it affected the quality of the script or video at all. Everything went so smoothly and the quality of illustration and animation was incredible.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Some of the language in the initial script was a bit odd, but very easy to remedy. We were otherwise very satisfied with their work at each stage.