Business and Finance
Create an animation studio. And become a professional animator
Now, as well as in the future, the CG direction will be in great demand. And therefore, now we need to start recruiting a creative team, uniting together, exchanging knowledge and developing each in his own direction. So we are four young people and after graduating from university we want to open our own company and start making money from animation. It is quite difficult, but at the same time incredibly interesting. You will have to learn a lot: drawing, animation, programs, master perfect English. We have an artist, a fashion designer, a special effects specialist and I am an animator. And in order for your cartoons to start showing on TV, you will have to work very hard. All big companies started small and we also need to start somewhere. Subscribers and readers who are also crazy about animation and infected with creative enthusiasm, please do not pass by and support us on this difficult path, and maybe start moving up with us. Forward to your dream and not a step back!
Completion Criteria
Work in a studio after graduation and develop professional skills
Personal resources
Computer graphics studio, creative team
Drawing kit, books and video courses, computer and graphics tablet
Hungry enthusiasm and desire to achieve your goal
Creation of an animation studio. Business model: licensing.
I am looking for an investor in the animation business - animation.
An investor is a partner who is ready to participate in the formation and development of a business.
The business is under development (there are images of characters, a script, a business plan)
Business model – licensing.
Sale of licenses to manufacturers:
TV channels
Toys
Printed products (books, coloring books, magazines, calendars, etc.)
Gaming products (educational games - board games, etc.)
Computer games, gaming applications for mobile phones and tablets.
Games for social networks
Food,
Clothes, shoes,
Stationery,
Paid subscriptions on YouTube
Payback period is 2-3 years.
The required investment amount is 15 ml. rubles (season 52 episodes)
Current state
The business is under development (there are images of characters, a script, a business plan)
Market
Now the animation market in Russia is at an early stage of formation. It began to actively develop only in the last 10 years. And until 1990 it didn’t exist at all. There are many small-format studios in Russia that arose on the basis of the Soviet animation school.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the annual growth rate of the licensed market for children's goods is about 15%. At the same time, a number of segments are growing faster, for example toys - 30% per year. If we talk about the media segment of the children's goods market, then there are 3 major players - Smeshariki, Melnitsa and Animaccord studios, the transnational corporation Walt Disney and more than 1000 different companies: brand-making companies, computer game development companies, small animation studios.
Problem or Opportunity
There is a shortage of Russian-made animation products on the Russian animation market. What is on the market at the moment is not enough to compete with the Western market.
Solution (Product or Service)
New players will strengthen the market and create healthy competition.
Competitors
Ricky's company (Studio St. Petersburg) - Series Smeshariki, Malyshariki, PINCODE, Tim and Tom.
Studio Airplane - TV series Fixies
Studio Animaccord - series Masha and the Bear
Studio Melnitsa - TV series Luntik, Barboskins
Disney
The birth of a child forced Moscow graphic designer Natalya Terenina to take a different look at her professional fulfillment: she decided to leave her paid job and find a more creative and inspiring occupation. The girl first wanted to open a cafe on the island of the shopping center, but her imagination went further, and Natalya created her own art studio and cafe “Beds-Hide and Seek”. The entrepreneur told Zhazhda how she went from an employee to an entrepreneur and what helped her earn positive customer reviews.
Creative perfectionism
From childhood, Natalya Terenina was a creative person: she was fond of applied arts and needlework, embroidered with beads, ribbons and satin stitch. After school, she entered the Humanitarian and Applied Institute at Moscow Power Engineering Institute, majoring in graphic designer. After graduating from high school, the girl got a job in her specialty, then became an art director and at the same time attended developmental creative courses: compositing, 3D modeling, Japanese porcelain modeling, Luneville crochet embroidery.
Natalya Terenina: “I felt that I needed to somehow realize my creative ideas: at work I experienced stress, fatigue, pressure from responsibility, fear of letting me down, an eternal deadline. Even though I worked in my specialty, I understood that this was not my thing and I wouldn’t last long in this mode. I was tossed from side to side: no matter what courses I took, because I quickly cooled down. I understood that I would not become the best in the new chosen direction, and I am a perfectionist.”
The entrepreneur notes that she cannot boast of a fascinating history of the origin of the idea of the art studio “Hide and Beds”. It all started with a banal motivation: to prove to her loved ones that, as a wife and young mother, she could do something worthwhile. After the birth of her child, Natalia began to think: return to her old job or move in a different direction? The desire to work for myself without harming my husband and child prevailed. Raising her daughter helped the girl understand that the topic of organizing children's parties was close to her: she liked to come up with design details - from invitations to napkins.
Limitless creativity
The young mother did not sit idle during maternity leave - she wanted to be useful. Natalya freelanced - designed websites, developed logos, booklets, leaflets, and corporate identity for the company. After some time, I realized: it was time to act, and decided to develop a project for my own cafe on an island in a shopping center. The cafe was supposed to prepare and sell freshly squeezed juices, baked goods from healthy products, handmade sweets from natural juices; there were tables in case mothers wanted to enjoy drinks not “on the run”, but to keep their children busy with some creative task.
Natalya Terenina: “The idea of the project was born, but I could not formulate it. I knew that I wanted to do something with my own hands, to create “beauty,” but I had no idea that my future activity would be related to children. We came up with the name for the project together with our friends: we brainstormed and settled on the laconic name “Beds”, which reflected the concept of the future brand, namely a healthy “dacha” lifestyle. But circumstances and conditions have changed, and it became possible to arrange an entire family space, rather than a separate counter.”
A larger-scale project, where “spectacles” were added to the “bread”, was called “Hide and Seek Beds”. The second part of the brand reflected the other side of the activity: organizing children's parties, show programs, games, competitions, animation, decor, creative and culinary master classes. The path from idea to implementation of the project took more than six months: at the end of 2015, Natalya began developing a corporate identity, and her friend developed a design project for the studio. By April, the girls completed the renovation and officially opened the art studio and cafe “Gryadki-Pryatki”.
Actions instead of reasoning
Since Natalya Terenina had no experience in starting a business, she consulted with friends and relatives who helped her resolve all the formal issues. The entrepreneur did not choose the premises - she adjusted her project to what she already had, and her relatives provided the funds for the start.
Natalya Terenina: “At first I was terribly afraid that I would not live up to my expectations, that I would let myself and others down, that I would not be able to recoup the funds received. But the support of my family and my stubbornness helped. There was no turning back for me, I didn’t think about competitors, I just did everything 100%. I was frightened by the lack of knowledge of accounting and business in general, but my friends advised me, and I learned quickly, quickly delving into the essence of the matter.”
The owner of the studio "Gryadki-Hide and Seek" advises not to be afraid to make mistakes - they only make you stronger. It is important to believe in yourself, but not to be naive: it is not a fact that clients will flock to you immediately after opening; you need to earn each client with honest work, performing services above expectations, and a diligent attitude towards business. Give more now and you will receive more in the future.
Natalya Terenina: “Constantly learn - any knowledge can be useful in business. Make a clear business plan, develop a strategy, look for like-minded people - at least three people. You will have to become a one-man orchestra in order to understand all business processes: be able to combine all the numbers so as not to go into the red, recognize people - full responsibility for the business still rests with you. Working with children requires a serious approach and responsibility, readiness for emergency situations, and resistance to stress. If you are annoyed by other people’s children, don’t like the fact that the client starts writing three months before organizing the holiday, and don’t know how to pull yourself together and solve problems under force majeure conditions, then this business is not for you.”
Above Expectations
Today, “Gryadki-Hide and Seek” is an art studio and cafe where you can come with the whole family, a unique space for creative experiments, where courses, seminars and master classes are held. You can celebrate a child’s birthday in the space: studio staff will develop an idea, write a script, prepare a menu and decor, and entertainment for children and parents. Two years of stable work helped me earn a good reputation and fame. In Moscow, there is a lot of competition in this area among holiday agencies that mainly work on location, restaurants and children's entertainment centers, and family spaces.
Natalya Teterina: “We always do more than what is written in the dry contract. We work individually with each parent, and even if the theme of the holidays is the same, because certain characters are in trend among children, the holidays still turn out different thanks to a careful, attentive, patient attitude towards each family. Tired, sweaty children are an indication that there was bomb-incendiary animation.”
Ingredients for a successful birthday at the Gryadki-Hide-and-Seek studio:
- interesting program, games and fun;
- attentive and talented animators;
- creative master classes;
- the culmination of the fun is bringing out a birthday cake prepared by our own pastry chef;
- an atmosphere of magic, thoughtful details and decor.
Recipe for success
The studio's clients are preschoolers 1-6 years old, schoolchildren 7-11 years old, teenagers 12-15 years old and their parents. The first customers did not come right away: someone was passing by and accidentally came across a sign, someone read a leaflet, someone saw an advertisement on the Internet. “Word of mouth” worked best: the “Beds-Hide and Seek” team participated in thematic exhibitions and fairs, organized holidays for mothers with a large number of active subscribers on Instagram, and collaborated with the media and bloggers.
Natalya Terenina: “How difficult is it to fight for a client? It’s not difficult, if you do your job 101%, treat your clients with love and attention, then you won’t have to fight for it. On the contrary, he will wait for you so that you will do him a favor.”
The key to a successful business, according to the entrepreneur, is not only a special attitude towards clients, but also a team of like-minded people. Natalia did not manage to find professionals in her field right away - there were also disappointments. But experience and time helped us find responsible, attentive employees who love their work, children, and sincerely want to give the child a holiday, and not just work through the event. Natalya advises not to evaluate a person only by his resume, you need to immediately “throw him” on a holiday and look at him in action.
At the beginning of a long journey
The idea of packaging the business into a franchise did not come to the owner of the Gryadki-Pryatki brand right away - people themselves began to find out how such a space could be opened. The team has only recently launched a franchise; negotiations and approvals are currently underway with potential partners. Under the “Gryadki-Hide and Seek” brand, an entrepreneur can organize an art cafe, a children’s center, or a family studio. The company’s specialists will advise, analyze the market, select contractors and premises, draw up documents and bring you to the first transaction.
Natalya Terenina: “We will try to make the tasks easier, remove all the fears that I initially had. Of course, the success of the business will depend on the hard work of the franchisee himself, and we will help you take the first steps and protect you from the mistakes that you made yourself. “Hide and Seek Beds is a business that is suitable for the fair sex and married couples who dream of organizing interesting holidays and events for children in their own family studio, developing unique projects and making good money.”
The company's development plans include selling franchises and opening its own studios in Moscow, entering the market of souvenir products with branded characters: negotiations are underway with the Pinup brand on the release of badges, T-shirts, mugs and lamps are being produced together with Gift for Baby, there is a desire to create short cartoons with brand bunnies.
“Hide and seek beds” in facts and figures
Year of brand creation
Opening a family space
Starting investments
From 800 thousand to 1.2 million rubles.
Room area
From 100 sq. m.
Minimum staff
2-3 people for the first time: customer service manager, decorator, pastry chef (does not have to be on staff). You can perform the first two functions yourself at first. Animation and show contractors, photographer.
Monthly expenses
From 180 thousand rubles.
Monthly income
From 400 to 600 thousand rubles.
Net profit for the month
From 220 thousand rubles.
Payback period
14 months.
Average number of clients per month
On weekdays - 5-15 children in various creative and preparatory courses; from Friday to Sunday 3-5 birthdays for 3-4 hours for 7-15 children and 7-15 adults.
Average bill
Festive complexes - from 18 to 42 thousand rubles, the average bill for a birthday is 20 thousand rubles, 800 rubles / 1 child - master class.
Seasonality, peak attendance
Festive events, birthdays, creative master classes, training sessions are held all 12 months of the year.
A new section dedicated to the workflow in the creative industries. In the “Team” section, we talk about how many people are needed to create a particular product (film, TV show, website, etc.), what their responsibilities are and whether they can be replaced by someone else.
In this material, the headings are the composition of the animation studio team. We find out which creative and technical specialists it is impossible to create animation without, and the founders of Toondra studios and Max Sviridov's Plasticine Studio talk about their experience.
Hover over the image for more information
Screenwriter
is responsible for the script of the cartoon, as in any other film.
Director
the main person of the project, whose function is no less important than in a film project.
“In my opinion, it all depends on what kind of studio we are talking about. There are large and very small studios. For some it is a business, for others they are just here to have fun.
If we talk about the minimum, then there are cases when one person is able to perform the entire range of work at a good level. But this doesn't happen often. The most general division into roles in the process is: screenwriter, director, animators, illustrators, sound engineer, announcers.
It is also important what animation technique we are talking about: it’s one thing if we are talking, for example, about flash - it’s easier to do everything yourself, but in the case of three-dimensional animation there is almost always a division of labor: everyone is assigned their own role in the process. Although I know people who can do everything perfectly fine in 3D without any help. But this rarely happens, because the amount of work is very large, and it is easier to focus on one part of it. Plus, the speed of work completion, of course, depends on the number of people.
It often happens that the animator does everything himself, but when the flow of orders increases, he organizes his team, and that’s where it all begins. The more work, the larger the team. It often happens that people are brought together for a specific project, and then they disperse. For example, for some animated series or full-length film.
I myself don’t like big, long projects, which studios usually try to get. Of course, they bring a stable income, but at the same time they bring endless routine and bustle.”
Cartoonist
as a rule, not one, but several, depending on the project. The division of animator artists by specificity depends on the type of cartoon (hand-drawn, plasticine, puppet, 3D, etc.).
Illustrator
creates storyboards, titles, etc.
“For a full-fledged animation studio to operate, a minimum of 16 people are required.
Responsibilities are distributed as follows: production director, screenwriter, production designer, composer, dubbing artists, animators (drafters, phasers, mierdists), layout designer of the animated half-phase, motion dog creator, director of photography, sound engineer, administrator, lighting designer .
People working in an animation studio often combine several functions: for example, a production designer can also be a phase designer, and a cameraman can also be a lighting designer. But whatever one may say, the minimum number of people for a normally functioning animation studio is 16.”
To open your own children's animation studio, there is no need to invest large start-up capital.
At its core, this type of school is a school for the creative development of children. But it has the difference that animation studios are not widespread (especially when it comes to small cities), which means that there is practically no competition in this area.
In the animation studio, during classes, children will become familiar with many stages of work, which begin with the development of a script, characters and ending with the actual filming and scoring of a film; they will also learn how animated cartoons are developed. After completing the training course, children receive a cartoon that they created during the training.
The equipment that is necessary to open a small studio and does not take up much space, a room of 25-30 sq.m. is suitable. meters, where it will be possible to place a group of 3-6 students.
To implement the project, you will need a digital video camera or digital camera, a computer with all special programs, lights and spotlights are needed to set the light, to view ready-made films you will need a video projector, you also need material, blanks, tools for making cartoon characters and scenery.
You need to pay attention to the camera or camera; it must support manual shutter mode and chart control. The resolution on the camera does not have to be high; one megapixel will be enough. In addition, you should not forget about furniture, tables, chairs; by the way, you also need a white board, you can write on it, as well as view videos and slides on the project.
The training program should consist of several sections - search and then analysis of the plot for the cartoon, correct writing of the script, breakdown of individual scenes and their drawing, creation of scenery, sketches of characters, as well as the creation of scenery and characters from ceramics and plasticine, selection of music, shooting various scenes, editing and dubbing the film.
The technology used to create an animated video is actually quite simple. First, you need to draw up a script, and then the necessary scenery and characters are developed and created. Further, according to the script, first individual scenes are filmed, and then you begin to edit everything into a single video. When projecting, the speed per second should be 16 frames, this is when the video is not voiced, but 24 frames when the sound video is already running.
And after that, the sound is superimposed on the created picture and synchronized with the movement. Computer animation can be taught to middle and older schoolchildren. To do this, it is better to use a tablet; it is convenient to draw all the poses and facial expressions of the characters on it, and only then, using the necessary programs, the cartoon itself is created.
Before choosing a location for your future studio, you need to take into account the competitors that probably exist in your city. But if there is no competition at all, don’t be too happy; perhaps it will appear soon. That is why, at the moment, it is necessary to use all your resources and your advantage. A pretty good place to locate a studio is in the city center or closer to the center. It will also be convenient for children and parents to get to you.
The sign of your studio should be designed quite brightly and have an unusual name, and this will attract your potential clients. During the opening of the studio, it is advisable to conduct an advertising campaign, this may include placing advertisements in magazines and newspapers, outdoor advertising on banners, and holding events where invitations and leaflets will be distributed. It is also necessary to provide a special discount to the first clients, and paying for classes one month at a time is more profitable than paying for each lesson.
The successful development of any institution depends not only on its location, advertising and quality equipment, although, undoubtedly, this is also of great importance. But since your institution is a pedagogical institution, this means that the success of its development will largely depend on the teachers working in it. If you decide to save on teachers’ salaries, then you need to be a professional in the field of animation yourself, and in addition, you need experience in teaching with children, and then you can conduct all the classes yourself.
In any case, when you develop a business plan, you must immediately include the costs of two teachers for at least 3 months of work, but in the future it will all depend on the schedule and the number of students enrolled. In addition to teachers, an administrator is also needed; his duties include answering all phone calls, he also draws up a class schedule and accepts payment for training.
Like any other business in the field of providing services to the public, your animation studio will actively operate seasonally. As in any educational institution, the first stream of students is recruited at the beginning of autumn. Students will study for six months. Next, the second intake will take place; it can be determined from mid-January and the first half of February. As a rule, in the summer, the demand for such services decreases, this is directly related to the fact that many students leave the city for the summer holidays.
Depending on the region, one lesson will cost from 350 rubles per person with a minimum group of 6 people. The duration of classes is 40-60 minutes and 1-2 times a week.
In order to open an animation studio, you need about 350 thousand rubles, the same amount includes the rental of premises, the cost of equipment, and the salary of studio employees for the first month of work.
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