The term animation studio generally brings to mind a shop full of computers cranking out cartoon characters, or feature film work with elaborate doomsday scenarios, fantasy worlds, or maybe toys coming to life. Most of us envision a 3d computer artist sitting at a command center, full of high-tech equipment and huge monitors, acting something like Captain Kirk, pushing buttons and willing an entire imaginary world into being with little effort.

An animation studio creates cgi (computer generated imagery) using a heavy amount of computer science, an understanding of complex mathematical formulas, and a whole lot of technical expertise that has nothing to do with artistry. It can take weeks, months, even years to program an elaborate scene properly. But, without a sense of artistry, without creative vision it’s impossible for a technically proficient 3d artist to produce believable, highly cinematic 3d. So, an understanding of both the technical and artistic components, including the art of storytelling, is necessary for any animation studio to do excellent work.

A true cgi production service, may specialize in creating a particular kind of 3d for a specific use. Sometimes referred to as motion graphics or television graphics, 3d animation is used in television news, factual or documentary programming that requires less complex visual elements. For example, the show may require maps with a moving highlighted route, words that spin onto a video shot, etc. An animation studio producing these kinds of graphics may not have experience building full scenes or complex elements, like fire or water.

Corporations may use 3d animations to test the viability of a design, to sell a product or to train staff or customers. Ad agencies find that it can be far less expensive and more visually interesting to order 3d animations of their product for commercials. For producers, a 3d animation offers flexibility in terms of how their product is shown or moved around in a commercial spot. Museums use 3d animation for exhibits, legal teams might use 3d graphics to present a case in court, gaming companies are creating scenarios that immerse the players into other worlds or scenarios-there are many, many ways 3d animation can be used as a visual tool. Of course, the most well known 3d animations are created by companies like Pixar, for feature films.

Full blown 3d Television graphics are extremely useful for a producer, when a subject or event cannot be shot on video, or if there is a lack of time or budget to send out a crew to shoot. Benefitting from this type of animation are news stories that involve coverage of an event that has already happened where there is little footage of the actual event. Recreating the event in 3d can help the producer explain what happened in the story. Stories with complex topics, such as storms, science, medical information, etc. can be enhanced by 3d animation because they are a great visual aid. 3d animation has been proven to increase viewer retention, especially if it is a subject matter the audience is not familiar with.

A television series about history, or archeology will deal with locations that no longer exist, and therefore can’t be shot, another perfect use of 3d animation. An animation studio that specializes in producing 3d for television is recommended however, as the production schedule is much shorter than that of a feature film and a good 3d computer artist that is experienced in working for television will know how to take programming shortcuts that will not compromise the visual quality. For a series it’s essential to find a studio that has a VFX supervisor on hand to manage the intense, ongoing schedule that a television series requires. That said, hiring the right 3d animation studio is a great option for adding excitement and visual interest to factual programming.