3D animation services
Show what’s inside without taking it apart.
Or an industrial process, a space that doesn’t exist yet, or a world that won’t fit on a set. 3D animation with the idea, concept and art direction behind it, right through to the final render.
Who we’ve worked with
In short
What is 3D animation?
3D animation uses software to build objects, characters and spaces in three dimensions, then moves them frame by frame to create video. It can show the inside of a product, an industrial process or a place that doesn’t exist yet, with full control over the camera, the lighting and the materials.
For a brand, 3D earns its place when filming is impossible, very expensive or doesn’t show what matters. If graphics and type will do the job, motion graphics is usually quicker.
What 3D animation is for
Showing what a camera can’t: the inside, the invisible, what hasn’t been made yet. Two real projects.
01Showing what a product promises
For Energizer, the idea, the concept and the 3D animation for EcoAdvanced batteries, made partly from recycled batteries and designed for the most demanding devices.
EcoAdvancedEnergizer
View the case study
02Stepping inside a work of art
For the 25th anniversary of the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, sponsored by Endesa, and for Fundación BBK: artworks rebuilt as 3D simulations you can step into. The museum’s social media campaign passed 300,000 views.
Artworks for BBK and the Thyssen MuseumMuseo Thyssen · Fundación BBK
View the case study
Motion graphics, 2D, 3D or live action: which one fits
No technique is better than the others. One just fits what you need to say. Plenty of pieces mix two or three.
| Motion graphics | 2D animation | 3D animation | Live action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Type, shapes, icons and data in motion | Hand-drawn characters and scenes | Objects, characters and spaces modelled in three dimensions | Filmed with a camera: real people, places and products |
| When it works | Explaining a process, a figure or a brand message | Telling a story with characters, or in a warmer tone | Showing a product from the inside, or something you can’t film | Showing your team, your premises or the person fronting it |
| When it doesn’t | When what matters is seeing real people | When a product has to be shown with technical precision | When the message is simple and graphics will do | When what you need to show can’t be seen or filmed |
| One of ours | Fins made from Fins (Decathlon) | 77 veces gracias (Mahou) | EcoAdvanced (Energizer) | Practicooking (Fundación Mapfre) |
How we work
Five stages. In 3D, what saves the most is signing off each one before moving on: changing a model once it’s animated costs far more than changing the sketch.
Start with the briefStep 1: Brief and concept
What needs showing, to whom and where. If it’s a product, everything you have on it: photos, drawings, samples or 3D files.
You getA proposal with the concept, plan and quote
Step 2: Script and storyboard
What we see in each shot, and how the camera moves.
You getThe script and storyboard
Step 3: Modelling and look
We model, texture and light everything to the piece’s art direction.
You getImages of the model with its materials and lighting
Step 4: Animation
First a simple pass to set the pacing and the camera; then the final animation.
You getAnimation previews
Step 5: Render, compositing and delivery
Rendering, compositing, sound and a version for every screen.
You getThe final video in every format
Frequently asked questions
How much does 3D animation cost?
It depends on how many objects or characters need modelling, how detailed the materials and lighting are, the length, and how many versions you need. If drawings, photos or models of the product already exist, the job gets shorter; if a character has to be designed from scratch, it gets longer. Once we have the brief, we’ll send you a proposal with a quote.
How long does a 3D animation take?
Longer than a motion graphics piece of the same length, because before animating anything we have to model, texture and light it, and render it afterwards. If you have a launch date, tell us at the start: we plan backwards from it and tell you what can be done in that time.
2D or 3D animation?
3D wins when you need to show volume, materials or the inside of something, or when the camera has to move around a product. 2D and motion graphics win when the message is an idea, a figure or a story with characters, and they’re usually quicker to make. Plenty of pieces mix the two.
Motion graphics and 2D animationWhat do you need from us to get started?
What needs saying and to whom, where it will be seen and by when. If it’s a product, everything you have on it: photos, technical drawings, physical samples or 3D files. Your brand guidelines too, if you have them. With that, we put the proposal together.
Can 3D be combined with live-action footage?
Yes. Putting a 3D object into a filmed shot is compositing work: matching the camera movement, the light and the shadows so the join doesn’t show. We do it in the same studio as the post-production, so it’s planned in from the start.
Post-production and VFXIs your company in Madrid?
What we need to animate your product in 3D, how the model is signed off, and work for Energizer and the Museo Thyssen.
3D animation in MadridWe also do
02Explainer videosYour product, service or idea, understood in a minute.
01Motion graphics and 2D animationPieces that explain, sell and stick.
06Post-production and VFXWhat the shot is missing, we add. What it doesn’t need, we remove.- 05AI video productionGenerative AI with art direction and a studio finish.
What do you need to show?
Tell us what it is, who it’s for and when you need it. We’ll get back to you and set up a time to talk it through properly.
info@isla-studio.com
The Isla Studio teamVideo production studio in Madrid