In today’s digital world, 3D animation has become a powerful tool to communicate, engage, and inspire — whether it's to present a product, tell a story, or simply capture the audience’s attention.
3D videos create a real competitive advantage because they bring imagination to life and help achieve specific communication goals. That’s why they are increasingly being used across various industries.
We believe it’s important to share how a 3D Video Project is developed and how to approach it effectively, understanding the key stages, what to expect at each step, and which professionals to involve.
That’s why we’ve created this Practical Guide, designed to walk you through the seven key stages that make up a 3D video project — from the initial brief, through the creative process, to final delivery.
What Are the Steps to Create a 3D Animation Video?
The production process follows a series of key phases and project milestones, during which we’ll present progress and refine the details together.
The 7 Key Stages:
Brief
Moodboard
Storyboard
Animatic
First Preview
Second Preview
Final Delivery
1. Brief
The brief marks the official start of the project. It’s where you'll meet the team that will bring your video to life.
The first step? Sharing ideas and details. That’s why this phase is crucial — it's essential to come prepared with a clear and complete brief, containing all the key information needed to express your vision and provide everything required to bring it to life.
If you already have an extensive briefing document, we recommend sharing it in advance, so the team has time to review it before the meeting.
During the Brief session, together we will:
Define the project’s goal
Clarify your needs and expectations
Establish a collaborative workflow
It is highly recommended to involve all key stakeholders in this meeting — both operational and decision-making figures. Likewise, the full Bluemotion team working on your project will be present to directly absorb the shared insights and guide you towards the best possible outcome.
2. Moodboard
Research is the foundation of creativity.
This step is essential — without it, the creative process can’t begin.
We gather references and inspiration in a moodboard, a powerful visual tool that captures:
Colors
Styles
Atmospheres
Emotions and Feelings
Visual Inspiration
Once the moodboard is shared with your team, we’ll refine it together to ensure the visual direction fully aligns with your vision.
File Check:
At this stage, we also collect and verify the accuracy of any provided 3D models to ensure perfect digital consistency with the real-world objects or environments.
3. Music, Sound Design & Voiceover
At this stage, we search for and select the music that best suits the project's goals and the emotions conveyed by the moodboard.
Before making a final choice, we’ll share a watermarked version with you. Once approved, we’ll proceed to acquire the appropriate usage rights.
To enhance specific sequences, transitions, effects — or even the entire video, depending on the project — custom music, sounds, and effects can be created through tailored sound design.
While the storyboard is being developed, we also draft the voiceover script or on-screen text, depending on the needs of the project.
This script will be shared with your team to ensure it fully aligns with your expectations.
All elements will be submitted for your approval before moving forward.
4. Storyboard
The storyboard is created based on the approved concept and the visual style defined in the moodboard phase.
Each key scene is illustrated with high-resolution renderings, accompanied by any necessary text. This is a crucial step that provides a clear and structured preview of how the video will unfold.
The storyboard will be presented and explained by the Bluemotion team during a dedicated meeting, where we will confirm together:
The Visual Style
The main 3D Elements
The Animations to be developed
This phase is essential to ensure that the creative vision and communication strategy are perfectly aligned before proceeding to production.
5. Animatic
Now the video starts to come to life!
The animatic defines two crucial aspects:
Direction & Animation: camera movements, transitions, and timing
Music & Voiceover: integrating audio elements to match the visuals
Although the graphics are not yet finalized, this phase is essential to fine-tune the structure, pacing, and overall flow of the video.
It’s still possible to make adjustments based on team feedback to ensure a flawless result.
6. First Preview
It’s time to see your video in action! Here, you’ll view the video with all its sequences and animations. The low resolution allows for quicker revisions.
Low Res: A low-resolution, color version for review. You can request minor changes if necessary.
7. Second Preview
We’re nearing the finish line: the second preview is very close to the final video and serves to confirm the work before the last touches.
High Res: A high-resolution version with 98% of the project completed. At this stage, only minimal final adjustments are possible.
7. Final Delivery
Your video is ready!
Now, it’s time to make the most of it in your marketing strategy.
You will receive two high-quality versions:
Compressed Version: optimized for the web and digital use.
High-Resolution Version: for the best possible quality.
Permanent Access: Your files will always be available via a non-expiring link, so you’ll never lose them!
Basecamp: The Hub for Your Project
To keep everything organized, we will create a dedicated space for your project on Basecamp, our communication platform during the project.
Stay in direct contact with the Bluemotion team.
Track progress in real time for each phase.
Communicate easily and efficiently with the entire team, all in one place.
It’s easy to use from any browser and super intuitive.
Here’s how a 3D video comes to life at Bluemotion, through:
Well-structured and organized phases
Ongoing collaboration and continuous communication
A constant commitment to achieving the best result
We carefully manage each step to transform your idea into an extraordinary visual experience.
