Darvideo Animation Studio

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for The Conference Board of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. We’re one of the utmost thinktanks in Canada, providing independent research for government and the private sector. We’re a nonprofit organization.

I’m a program manager for international programs. I’m managing a project funded by the Government of Canada for helping Ukraine increase trade and investment.

Canada and Ukraine signed a free trade agreement, and the government is funding a project to implement the agreement. The aim is to help Ukrainians export to Canada, and Canadians to invest in Ukraine.

What challenge were you trying to address with Darvideo Animation Studio?

Because of the pandemic, some of the activities of our project had to change and adapt. This had its challenges, but it also opened a few opportunities.

Because the project had already developed a guide for Ukrainian exporters on how to export to Canada, we had the idea of also developing some animated videos to help offer this knowledge to Ukrainian exporters through a different medium.

The contract was for 60 minutes of animated videos, and we first thought there would be 12 videos. It took us a long time to understand what we needed to provide, what the scripts should be, and what kind of feedback Darvideo Animation Studio should get from us.

Animated videos would present the textbook information in a very attractive and succinct way.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came up with a script and presented it to our project teams in Canada and Ukraine. Through the process, we learned how videos are created. It was totally new to all of us when we started.

Darvideo Animation Studio had to guide us on how many words there should be in a script for a specific video length. I was personally involved in all the phases. It was a very involved approach requiring a lot of time and work on both sides.

What is the team composition?

Four people worked directly with us, including the head of the organization, a project manager, a scriptwriter, and a producer.

I believe that only one of their teams was initially working on our project, but we had a very strict deadline, so their team increased.

How did you come to work with Darvideo Animation Studio?

The Government of Canada funds our project, and the project was larger than $24,000, so we had strict procurement rules. We shortlisted three Ukrainian companies and negotiated with them.

Darvideo Animation Studio was selected based on their offer. They seemed to be more flexible, and they provided examples of their work.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was $56,400 CAD (approximately $ 44,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We had preliminary discussions in June 2020, and we finalized the procurement process that July. The contract ended at the end of December 2020.

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

It took a lot of time for us to understand the process. Darvideo Animation Studio was very good at explaining to us that we could make changes a number of times, but there would be additional charges after that.

We made a lot more changes from our side than the reasonably-acceptable amount, but their team was very good at working with us and guiding us through the process. They made us understand what we needed to provide in order for them to do the work. 

Because the process took a while, we had 10 videos instead of 12 in the end. The videos covered the most important topics, and we were very satisfied.

While they probably don’t amount to an hour, the messaging, topics, quality, and rendering style are all there. This was a huge success for me.

It took some time for their team to understand our message's purpose and technicalities, but they were much faster in getting adjusted than we were, probably because they have multiple clients and do all sorts of other work.

They were working just for us in the last couple of months, or at least it felt like that. They were very responsive and accepted a lot of changes from us. There are some very picky members in our team, but this didn’t deter them.

They continued to improve the videos. They came up with creative ideas that were better than ours and with solutions that were much better than we’d hoped for.

How did Darvideo Animation Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

It took us a bit of time to adjust to each other initially, but their team was very prompt.

What helped a lot was that they insisted on having one point of contact on our side. We had some initial meetings with the larger teams, which are useful for getting to know and understand each other.

After that, our team would convey our changes and requests to one person, and that person communicated with one person from Darvideo Animation Studio. In order to meet the deadlines, it was needed on a couple of occasions that two people from our side talk to two people from Darvideo Animation Studio. The fact that they insisted on having one contact person on each side helped a lot. It was a key factor in completing the work. We couldn’t go over the deadline because the government wouldn’t fund anything after that.

They had their own project management tools, and we had ours. We agreed to simplify the process. We follow the agile system of the Government of Canada, while their team has a completely different management system, which applies to the production of videos. 

We adapted to the storyboards and all the stages that animation production involves, and followed them without integrating too much. There was some adjustment on both sides.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team stood out in terms of price, and the quality of samples they provided was at least as good as the other companies we looked at.

I believe that there was only one that was better, but it was more expensive. The samples that Darvideo Animation Studio provided met our needs.

They’ve also worked with organizations similar to ours. If we’d worked with an organization that only did commercials, we probably wouldn’t have had the good results we got.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There should’ve been a bit more trust in the beginning. Trust has to be built, but Darvideo Animation Video was a bit reluctant to provide us with clear internal metrics and costs. To draw the contract, it would’ve been helpful for me to know the key factors that determine the cost. I got it in the end, but it wasn’t easy. They understood that this was important information, and things worked well after that.

It took a couple of virtual meetings between our team in Kiev and them to make them understand that we wouldn’t prolong the contract beyond December 31st and that we wouldn’t be able to pay for work after that date. After they understood that, more members were added from their team.

The attention to detail on the project management side could’ve been better. What was obvious to us should’ve been obvious to them as well.

Although they had a project manager for our contract, that person wasn’t always available to check the consistency between videos. That factor was very important, especially for the overall logic. We had characters. Let’s say that a character is producing furniture in video one, and the same character would be producing cookies in video four. There were some inconsistencies between them.

Certain videos had too many dynamic elements, while others had none. Their team should ensure that the work is consistent on projects that involve multiple teams.

Other than that, they should continue the great work they’re doing. It was a pleasure to work with them and not frustrating.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend starting by having a few meetings to build trust and then working with one person on each side. Clients should make sure that the project manager always checks the quality and consistency of the work.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a marketing agency, and I’m the director of the production.

What challenge were you trying to address with Darvideo Animation Studio?

They finished an explainer video project. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged their services right after we wrote the script. As a result, they provided us illustrations, storyboarding, and animated everything for us. They did 2D and 3D animation for me. The team also did a music search and did some voiceover as well. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with two main folks from their team. One of them was Maks (Head of Marketing).

How did you come to work with Darvideo Animation Studio?

They found me on LinkedIn. I’m always cautious about people I find on Linkedin and wary of scams, but I found Darvidea Animation Studio wonderful. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $1,850.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our video product ran from September–November 2020. We also have an ongoing engagement for other projects with them. 

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

We were so grateful for their work because the Koreans loved it — they were obsessed with the video. Our external stakeholders used it on their landing pages and social media channels. We also placed it in our portfolio and it helped us award new work — so we were very thrilled about that too.

How did Darvideo Animation Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They used a platform to share edits with me and I reviewed it that way and leave my feedback there. In terms of project management, this particular project was pretty seamless. We didn’t really have any hiccups or miscommunications. If I needed edits turned around by a certain time, they were able to accommodate that. Overall, we were very happy with their work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their skills and the way that they were able to take the script we provided, visualize things, and suggest the movement impressed us. They also helped in giving us the dimension to the story and illustrations to animation — they were just a talented group of artists. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes their work was not QA’d thoroughly enough since I caught little mistakes. In connection with that, just a little closer attention to detail would've been awesome. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with these guys and enjoy their incredible creative studio. Be ready to collaborate together on ensuring you have a high-quality product. Just have a dedicated project manager on your team that could work with them and enjoy the process.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Media Production

For what projects/services did your company hire Darvideo Animation Studio?

Animation Services.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to create something new and unique.

How did you select this vendor?

Darvideo are the perfect collaborators. It can be difficult to find teams that work this well, with clear communication and effective work flow. Darvideo are real talents that you can trust to deliver to your needs.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

A client wanted to use animation in a innovative way. Merging creativity with social media

What was the team composition?

There were many members on hand and I was designated my own project leader.

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

Darvideo created ground breaking content. I have such an honour to work with them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The best workflow and communication, I have come across. Working in the creativity this is a big statement. I love their process to completing projects. I certainly would not look anywhere else for effective content.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

exceeding project expectations, finishing before project deadline. Regular update about the progress of the project and all round good team work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of. I am extremely happy with their service

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company is a Vietnamese app publisher. I act as a Communications Specialist for the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Darvideo Animation Studio?

We need a celebratory short video to mark our 1-billion download milestone.

What were your goals for this project?

Create a short and quality video to match with our key message (celebrate 1-billion downloads milestone) in a time crunch of 20-day turnover.

How did you select this vendor?

Primary research on clutch and other sources.

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

We prepared the script and drafted our ideas for story frames so darvideo could skip the storyboard and jumped to illustration part. We broke down the 2-minute video into two parts so darvideo can work on the second part while waiting for first part's edit. We think our working progress went smoothly and helped with the strict timeline.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

There were only me and my manager working on this one so our feedback was communicated efficiently and helped the darvideo team to progress quickly.

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

Our teams loved it! Our partners loved it! And we loved it :)

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was effective for the short time given. Their provided frame.io was comprehensive and effective to use during the video review.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were able to deliver our ideas very swiftly and attentively.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Maybe between the reviews, darvideo can be more active and mention their difficulties or roadblocks so we as client can adjust.

Please describe your company and your position there.

BashMac.ua is Apple equipment repair service company. I am a Co-Founder and CEO. We have been on the market since 2009.

For what projects/services did your company hire Darvideo Animation Studio?

We have ordered an animated explainer video about our company and services in Darvideo Animation Studio. We were launching a renewed website and needed a landing video for it.

What were your goals for this project?

There we 3 main goals the video should have solved for us: 1. Attracting the new customers 2. Explanation of our services 3. Converting the leads to clients

How did you select this vendor?

We have searched the Internet and other resources for the studios that make animation and specialise on animated explainers. We were selecting among around 10 companies. All of them have had relative expertise and good portfolios. But guys from Darvideo have won our trust being more curious, more involved in our request and being faster and more transparent in communication.

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

After we had made the partly down payment, the process started the same day. I was contacted by the dedicated project manager and we had all the communication throughout the project with him. And I find this essentially comfortable. The creative process consisted of three stages 1) script writing 2) making the arts 3) animation. We had the possibility to make corrections on every stage.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

As I have described I was communicating with 2 people in the company - Producer (discussing the details of the project) and Project Manager (during the production). The overall impression of both communications is very good. I had the possibility to apply 2 rounds of revisions on every of the 3 stages.

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

The video is being prepared for the new landing page at the moment, so we don't publish it for now. It was done in time within the pre-agreed schedule (25 working days). The only thing I should mention, I didn't know that I will be involved in the process so much. But dirring it, I have realised that if I am not involved, I will not get the result I want.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Generally effective. There were some moments I could not respond really fast. But the guys even worked during the weekends to stay on track with the schedule.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I would admit 2 main thing: 1) Fast, clear and attentive communication and availability. 2) The process of production in Darvideo is very exact, it feels like the team really knows the subject.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wish the guys to be more daring with the ideas and not always believe that the client wants something really straight. So more experimenting and offering really creative things.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Sprout Marketing is a VP of Marketing for Hire company that works with numerous startups and emerging companies to establish and build market presence, generate leads, and accelerate business growth. I am the founder and president of the organization.

For what projects/services did your company hire Darvideo Animation Studio?

We needed a way to cost effectively explain the value proposition of a new company and its products in the financial services sector. We had limited time and budgets, and we need a company that could produce a great finished product that looked like a million dollars but cost a few thousand dollars.

What were your goals for this project?

Create a series of videos for two sister companies that could go on the website and be distributed via social media and through traditional sales channels.

How did you select this vendor?

We found this vendor through LinkedIn and selected them based on their portfolio and their price.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Create 5 animated videos, each under 1 minute in length for clearly conveying the product value and introduced a new company to market.

What was the team composition?

We worked predominantly with a single point of contact for production after working with a sales person early in the process.

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

The client as well as some key customers/partners really understood what we were communicating in the finished product.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The tools they used were easy to navigate and intuitive to understand so that editing was a breeze.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to take very abstract concepts and bring them to life on screen in a language that is not their native language. Their patience in awaiting feedback and their persistence in staying on top of us to get that feedback were impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Paying through their portal was difficult given the currency exchange and bank policies and redtape.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a Product & Content Marketing Specialist for Hexigone Inhibitors. Hexigone Inhibitors manufactures ‘chemically intelligent’ corrosion inhibitors for smart coatings; which are safer and up to ten times more effective than market leading alternatives, according to industry partners.

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

Our chemical product is a bit complicated, so we wanted to create a video that could explain our product's features in an easy-to-understand way. Our goal was to have a short video showcasing the product that we can also share on social media channels as well as to show our potential investors.

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

I was looking for a video production company and then I was contacted by Julia K., producer at Darvideo on LinkedIn.

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

I submitted a script and supplied some proposed visuals which then Darvideo based their animation on. Communication across the whole process was perfect and they went out of their way to help us get it right.

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

We worked with a project manager - Anna - who outlined the project and kept us on schedule. After each milestone, we would give her our feedback, and she forwarded it to the animators.

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

The video hasn't been published yet, however, we intend to use it on American Coatings Show 2022 and share it on our social media.

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

The project manager was easy to communicate with and provided frequent updates. Anna was a star, she was very helpful, light-hearted but also professional and organized. If the team needed to change something, they told us ahead of time so that we could discuss it. We mostly spoke through Basecamp and we exchanged emails.

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

I think that the communication was impressive, I have never had such a good experience with any other design agency. They were easy to talk to, everything run according to the schedule and we are very pleased with the final product.

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

I wish they would propose to me some of their ideas or vision for this animation video - it would be great for me to compare what people from outside of our organization think.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of Clockwork. We give B2B tech and startup businesses access to the best independent marketers, designers, coders, and copywriters in the world – 24/7 Businesses need an agency that works as they do – all the time. So that’s exactly what we’ve created: an international team of creatives and account handlers who are ready to work when you are. Anytime. Why? Because great people are everywhere!

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

We needed to find a strong animation partner to help us execute our storytelling methodology for complicated tech businesses - and when we hooked up with Darvideo, I haven't looked back. The process is simple and clear with a great structure when delivering their work. Storyboarding, voice-overs and illustration work are to a great standard - along with a very competitive price point.

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

I needed to find an agency that was able to deliver high-value animation work. Not just a freelancer but a structured agency that could become a trusted partner. When I found Darvideo that's exactly what I got!

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

The process of the work is smooth. The project managers are on hand through base camp all the time and supply regular updates on timings. We go through a solid creative process of script, storyboard, illustration, VO, animation, and SFX. Every stage is clear and efficient and my clients are very pleased.

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

The feedback has been great on end products. We've worked with some high-end tech businesses so they expect high-end delivery - which is exactly when they get!

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

Unfortunately, we don't have a clear ROI on videos as they're for internal use only.

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

Really good systems in place - with clear structures. I never feel lost during the process.

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

Their illustration and animation work was clearly what hooked me into working for them. I've found their communication and project management are second to none.

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

No.... all working well so far.

Please describe your company and your position there.

ZOE International is a christian nonprofit reaching the world with the Gospel and rescuing children from human trafficking. ZOE has been operating since 2002, we now in five countries. I am the marketing manager and am conducting a campaign for Christmas that required a bit more explaining.

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

I hired Darvideo to create an animated explainer video. This video is meant to explain how the marketing campaign works, and get people excited about the campaign.

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

Darvideo reached out to me via Linkedin. Then we communicated over email.

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

The process was very well thought out. They gathered the concept and came up with a timeline. They sent me a gantt chart. Then we selected an inspiration video. We like to control our messaging so we wrote the script. Then Darvideo gave me the story board and character concept. We did a few reviews as specified by the timeline and we were done.

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

Darvideo team did the work and teh review process took place online. I had the option to give the feedback on the video or via email.

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

The video was perfect for what we need it for. We will be launching the video this month.

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

Gantt chart with timeline, I was also assigned a project manger. They had collaborative online tools for commenting on the story board, character inspiration, and the video.

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

I really like all the collaborative tools, and how on top of the timeline they were.

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

It was a little difficult to communicate the concept in the beginning. We had a video call that was helpful, but perhaps maybe one more video call at some point.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the communications consultant for a software company that helps general contractors collect insurance documents from subcontractors.

For what projects/services did your company hire Darvideo Animation Studio?

We were looking for a short but clear explainer video to describe what the software is for and how it works.

What were your goals for this project?

To convert prospects into software users.

How did you select Darvideo Animation Studio?

My sister is an art director at a marketing agency and she referred me to them.

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

Darvideo sent us a brief to fill out so they could understand our needs. They then helped us create the script and we provided feedback until we were satisfied. Then they created the storyboard, the illustrations and the animations, adding improvements and adjustments several times on each phase.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

For every stage they sent us a link to review updates and provide our feedback.

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

We just finished the project and we are pleased that it communicates our software clearly and succinctly.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

These projects often take time, but Darvideo was very responsive to us, following up at each stage and making sure the project didn't lag.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They really understood our software and were able to create an excellent summary of it. They were communicative and organized, staying on top of the project every step of the way.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would've liked to have had more verbal/video communication to help clarify certain things but there was a slight language barrier. Nevertheless, in our email communications there was no language barrier at all and we were able to get everything right. They are detail-oriented and able to execute quickly.