INTRODUCTION

Hello, and welcome to the e-book: “Arch Viz Artist. Animations”.

Presumably, you are a 3d artist who creates visualizations and now you
want to get one level above. You are keen to know how to create
outstanding animations or even why it is worth it to get this skill. Or maybe
you want to go for creating videos straight and don’t know where to start.

Well, we think this e-book will be a great starting point for you.

Even if you are in the field for a while you can take advantage of this
knowledge we have included in this e-book. 

Our Black Balance team believes that each person carries some important
message. An artist with a brush, camera or computer mouse in his hand
has an amazing opportunity to influence reality through his image, video
photos or graphics. He can affect dozens of people at one time and make
a big difference...

... And with animations, it is even easier to convey your viewer to your idea
and story. It happens because you have a lot of frames to use and you have
more time to show what you want and evoke specific emotions.

In this e-book we will look at why it is worth it to engage in creating

animations in general, what is the biggest challenge and how to create
a smooth workflow that helps you in creating a fabulous video.

Hopefully, this e-book will give you some useful insights into becoming a
true arch viz animation artist!

So let’s begin..

AGA & ADAM

 ABOUT AUT HORS

AGNIESZKA & ADAM KLICH

Black Balance Studio

NUMEROUS JOURNEYS AND EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE GAINED IN AUSTRALIA, THE UNITED

STATES AND EUROPE HAVE SHAPED OUR VIEW OF THE WORLD, GAVE A HUGE DOSE OF
INSPIRATION AND DRIVEN US TO ACTION. WE FOUNDED BLACK BALANCE STUDIO WITH
PASSION FOR CREATING, EVOKING EMOTIONS AND CREATING VALUE. THE PERSONALITIES,
THAT COMPLEMENTED EACH OTHER, FORM OUR TEAM IN ORDER TO MEET YOUR
EXPECTATIONS IN THE BEST WAY.

WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE GREAT SKILL SET CAN TAKE EACH ARTIST TO THE NEXT
LEVEL. THAT IS WHY WE DECIDED TO SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE LEARNT OVER
THE YEARS TO HELP ARTISTS LIKE WE IMPROVING THEIR SKILLS.

DURING THIS TIME, WE HAVE GAINED A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, WE HAD BEEN ABLE TO
WORK OUT SOME GREAT METHODS WHICH GIVES US POSSIBILITY TO CREATE IMAGES AND
ANIMATIONS IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY.
 WHY TO CREATE
ANIMATIONS?

WHY IS IT WORTH IT?

THE REASONS WHY TO START

We live in a faster and faster world. For sure, the So why not use this knowledge in your field?
last few months gave most of us
a space to slow down and think more about life. The same as in other industries, in real estate
Perhaps, this world situation even more shows us - the best way to market the new design is video
how valuable time is... in the form of animation.

... so let's think how we can save this time... Animations can convey your viewer to the ideas in
a much more effective way than still images,
What gives us the greatest time saving in simply because you have more frames.
finding information today?

So not only can your story be told in more detail,

Without a doubt, it is a video.
but also the atmosphere, character of the place
can be shown from different perspectives and in
If you don’t believe it, look at social media
various ways...
- everything goes towards the videos:
Insta-stories, stories on Facebook, Tik-Tok...
Take this opportunity and learn about the
animations which are now the best tool in
.. and for a good reason!
marketing.
 WHAT IS THE
BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?

THE BIGGEST CHALLANGE

WHAT TO FOCUS ON?

A lot of times, 3d artists think that if they know how to create visualizations, animations are a piece
of cake. In technical terms, there are a lot of similarities. For instance, creating materials and lights,
unless they need to be animated, is almost exactly the same. Assets placement, composition rules
work similarly in both cases... Nonetheless, you need to be aware that the objects in your scene can
be visible from different directions so being more careful about this is required. 

Setting up the camera is the main difference between visualizations and animations. Lack of
knowledge about the camera in real life is the main challenge in our opinion.

Many artists think that animation of the camera is simply moving it from point A to point B. But the
truth is that if you want to create outstanding animation, this is not enough.

The subject of movies is really extensive and the technical knowledge is insufficient. If it will be
enough, everybody will be a Hollywood director, right? 

You need to know how the camera movements affect the mood and atmosphere, as it is part of
storytelling. Each movement should be intentional, because we want to achieve specific emotions in
our viewer…

There cannot be camera setup or movements by accident.

Even if it looks like this, it should be purposeful...
 SECTION 1
BRIEFING

HOW TO MAKE THE PROCESS OF

CREATING ANIMATIONS SMOOTH?
BRIEFING
Section 1

If you create an animation for the client, the first step will be a briefing. At this point, you will
collect all information about the project. You should get all the information you need to get
the project started.

It should include f.ex. :

- 3d model (unless you will model this by yourself),
- architectural drawings,
- materials and equipment schedule,
- general concept information,
- your clients expectations and ideas,
- how long the animations should be,
- do your client has any preferences in terms of music...

If you create the animation as a private project, you still need to set some general guidelines.
You need to know in which direction you want to go and what you want to show your
viewers.

#TIP - GET DETAILED INFORMATION

This is the first step and it is super important. When it is done correctly, then the project
is more likely to be smooth and pleasant. Pay attention to details here, ask your client of
everything you need before you start your project. Don't start your project without this
knowledge. In animation is even more important than in visualizations as one mistake
causes an avalanche of new problems... Believe us, it will save you tons of unnecessary
stress and waste of time.
 SECTION 2
DETERMINING THE GOALS

HOW TO MAKE THE PROCESS OF

CREATING ANIMATIONS SMOOTH?
DETERMINING THE GOALS
Section 2

Here is a time to come up with some ideas based on the brief you have.

During this process, you should ask yourself/your client:

- What we really want to show through this short video?

- What is our target audience?
- What kind of emotions do we want to evoke?
- What atmosphere are we willing to achieve?
- What kind of lighting will we best fit in our case?
- What type of music should we choose? 
- How many and what kind of shots do we need to include?
- Are any additional effects required?

#TIP - BE SPECIFIC

Here is the place to make decisions in which direction our animation will go. The more
precise you will be at this point, the better result you will get at the end. Remember that
it helps to make your project consistent and...
 SECTION 3
STORYBOARD

HOW TO MAKE THE PROCESS OF

CREATING ANIMATIONS SMOOTH?
 STORYBOARD
Section 3

A storyboard is a visual representation of your idea, sort of a script. It should show the
narrative flow of your video, scene by scene. It is an essential tool for 3d artists to
communicate with the client and get a sense of the way the animation is going to look and
feel.

Basically, you can set quick cameras and render simple white renders or even the screenshots
to make it easier to the client to understand. Next to each render you can place important
information like type of shot, kind of camera movement, type of lighting, what should be
included in the shot and anything that you feel it’s important to confirm.

#TIP - LOOK FOR INSPIRATIONS

If you struggling with creating a storyboard, you can first look for different inspirations
online and put it into your storyboard first to quickly see if your idea makes sense.
Later, you will create the cameras in your scene and make a storyboard complete.
 SECTION 4
CHOOSE THE MUSIC

HOW TO MAKE THE PROCESS OF

CREATING ANIMATIONS SMOOTH?
CHOOSING THE MUSIC
Section 4

Ok, so you made a decision about the direction of your animation, you know your goals. Now,
you want to add the music. This is a clever idea, but the question is how to decide which
music to choose if there are plenty of options out there?

There is no one perfect sound for a specific animation but for sure you can make better and
worse choices. So, let’s take a look at a few points, you can consider before choosing the
music.

TEMPO MOOD
Tempo influences emotions and the way What vibe should have the music of your
the viewer perceives the space. Always try choice? Should this be more emotional
to ask yourself what is your goal and what and sentimental or more happy, family
you want to achieve with your animation? sounds?
Do you think it should be fast, have quick
cuts and make your viewer pump up? Or GENRE
on the other hand, do you try to achieve a Here, you can think about the target
more relaxed, chilled and calm mood and audience. What type of music will be the
atmosphere? most suitable here?

It’s likely that you will need to try a few times before you find the perfect fit. Sometimes, if you
struggle, it can be really helpful to try different music with your video. If you realize what is
the problem with the sounds you’ve chosen before, it can be a great lesson to eliminate the
wrong ones and choose the one that fits the best.

#TIP - PLACE TO FIND GREAT SOUNDTRACKS

We personally, most of the time use epidemic sound and we really enjoy this music. We
use it both to the animations, and for our YouTube videos.
 SECTION 5
PRODUCTION PROCESS

HOW TO MAKE THE PROCESS OF

CREATING ANIMATIONS SMOOTH?
PRODUCTION PROCESS
SECTION 5
1. COMPOSITION - The balance between
Do you know our 8 steps system?
the essentials and the minutiae in the
We have mentioned this a few times outside this e- image.
book, but in relation to visualizations. The good
news is that it works both in creating images and 2. CAMERA SETUP - Setting up the

animations camera angle that influences the viewer.

3. LIGHTING - Affecting emotions through

If you want to know more about the system, you can the different lighting scenarios.
watch our YouTube video here.
4. COLOR PALETTE - Using the power of
Long story short, it’s the system that has helped us the colors in order to convey the message
.
get the attention of the viewers, present our work at
5. MATERIALS - Creating high-quality and
the highest level and use software as an artistic tool.
photo-realistic materials.
The most powerful, most proven route to achieving
the results you’re dreaming of... 6. ASSETS PLACEMENT - Arranging assets
to show the character of the place.

Beside, we point out the steps that are discussed in

7. STORYTELLING - Creating an additional
more details in our YouTube video, we've mentioned
value through the story.
before. In the next sections we will discuss camera
setup and post-production in more details as these 8. POST-PRODUCTION - Enhancing the
steps differ quite a bit from the visualization image as a professional photographer.
process.

#TIP - OPTIMIZE YOUR SCENE

In animations, as anywhere else optimizing and keeping a scene clean is super

important. Be sure, you don't have unnecessary high-poly objects, and high-quality
textures in your file.
 SECTION 6
CAMERA SETUP
& MOVEMENTS

HOW TO MAKE THE PROCESS OF

CREATING ANIMATIONS SMOOTH?
CAMERA SETUP & MOVEMENTS
Section 6

In our opinion camera movement is the most important thing (along with the lighting) in
animations. However, it works differently than in visualizations. This is why we decided to
give this topic a separate section. 

As we mentioned earlier, camera movements are a part of storytelling. By combining

different types of them in a strategic way, you’ll be able to guide your viewer through the
story.

Here is a list of 10 camera movements you can use in your animations:

THE ZOOM

It’s one of the easiest camera movements, because you basically zoom in or zoom out . It
gives the impression of moving closer or further away from the subject.

PAN

You can achieve this movement by moving your camera horizontally - left to right or right
to left . However, you don’t move the position of the camera itself, just the direction it faces
so the camera target.

TILT
You move the camera vertically - down to up or up to down. The same as in the pan
movement, the camera is stationary but you move the camera target.

DOLLY
In this example, the entire camera (both the camera and camera target) are moving at the
same time, going foreground or backward. The dolly movement gives an impression that
we are walking towards or away the subject.

TRUCK
The same as in the dolly movement, you move the entire camera but now instead of going
in and out, you move the camera left to right or right to left.

PEDESTAL
The same as in the previous examples, the entire camera is moving, but now you move the
camera vertically up or down.
 JIB/CRANE
In this case, we imitate the movement of a jib or a crane. So the camera goes from the
higher level - bird view to lower - human eye level view, or vice versa.

ORBIT
We move the camera around the subject 360 degrees keeping more or less the same
distance and pointing out the subject.

TILT/PAN
It's a combination of the two basic movements - so we tilt and pan the camera at the
same time.

DOLLY TILT
Another combination of two movements. Here, you push in or pull out with tilt up or down
at the beginning or the end of the shot.

If you want to know more about camera movements, see how this looks and when you can
use each of them, check our YouTube video.

If you want to know more about camera basics we would like to invite you to watch our
another YouTube video.

#TIP - TRY IT BY YOURSELF

If you have your own camera, we’d like to encourage you to test all these movements
not only in the 3d software but also in real life. It helps you to understand it better and it
will improve your final output in the future.
 SECTION 7
EDITING &
POST-PRODUCTION

HOW TO MAKE THE PROCESS OF

CREATING ANIMATIONS SMOOTH?
EDITING & POST-PRODUCTION
Section 7

Producing everything in 3d and rendering individual sequences is just a first step in creating
an outstanding animation. It’s like when you do a short movie from your holiday. You record
everything while you are there, but then you have to spend a long time making a movie out
of it...

Post-production editing can include:

video editing, 
setting up the animation to match the music
sound editing
post production and color correction
adding SFX (sound effects)
extra effects
incorporating video footage with animation
creating additional graphics, titles.

The post-production and editing process is kind of a back and forward process. You start this
at the early beginning, continue through the production process, and you finalize the project
at this stage. 

You start with rough cuts of the video that will be consistent with your idea. At this point you
categorize your footage, choosing the order, cut it up and splice it together. 

At the same time you try to make it work with the music. It’s important to pay attention to
the rhythm, tempo, and mood of the music you are selecting. Let’s say the part of the
soundtrack you’re working on speeds up, it is a good idea to move the camera faster to
match the music. On the other hand, if your sounds calm down, the movement of the camera
should slow down as well.

Additionally, it’s more likely that you will need to make some music edition in the meantime
as it needs to fit your animation unless you have your music composed typically for your
video.

Finally, when you have your footage cuts and music adjusted, it’s time for color correction.
This includes fixing exposure problems across the whole animation (when there the shoot is
too bright or too dark in comparison to the one next to this).
If you want to get more knowledge about the color basics and how they affect the viewer,
watch our YouTube videos on this topic:

PART 1
PART 2.

The last step will be adding the titles and extra graphics. The same as other parts it need to
be incorporated with animation and the music.

#TIP - COHERENCY THROUGH THE ANIMATION

Your goal here is your video to flow together nicely. All visuals should look as similar as
possible to each other. The music should be the background that enriches the
experience of the viewer but still in line with the whole animation. The purpose of the
synchronization is to help your viewer to get more connection through the both great
senses - sight and sound.

If you feel a bit overwhelm or you want to start from something easier than animation, you
can try cinemagraphs first.

Cinemagraph - a combination of still image and animation or video. Thanks to a minor and
repeated movement, they gives the illusion that the viewer is watching an animation.

We've already prepared two tutorials how you can use this technique. Again, we invite you to
watch our Youtube videos:

Bring your renders to life with Cinemagraphs! (Visualization + Animation)

Bring your Bathroom Visualizations to Life with Cinemagraphs!

By using cinemagraphs, you can bring your images to life without spending tons of time on
rendering process. If your client doesn't have enough budget, this can be a great way to find
a compromise between the client expectations and your pricing.

Also, it works great on social media so if you posting your job online, it's highly possible that
you get great engagement with this technique.

 
SUMMARY

As we always emphasize, the most important thing in getting great results is practice. There
is no magic here. The more animation you will create, the better you will become. Every
project makes us grow in different ways - sometimes is about technical side, sometimes
about the story, colors and composition, and another day you will get a lesson about your
music choices... You cannot control everything but control the things that you can!
We wish you good luck and a lot of fun during a creating animation process.

ARCH VIZ ARTIST ANIMATION

ONLINE TRAINING

If you want to know everything about animations in

3D, I’d like to invite you to check out our Arch Viz
Artist Animation training where we show you step
by step how to create outstanding animations.

Join the most extensive and complete animation

online program, which will lead you to build or
expand your skills and profits inside the marketing
and architecture industry.

LEARN MORE

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

We have an YouTube channel where we share tutorials, tips and
tricks and other content about 3d visualizations and animations.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel ;)