Drawn first.
Since 1997.
Hand-drawn frames. Full timing, voice direction, sound design. The studio behind animatics for Goodby, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Wieden+Kennedy, BBDO, BBH, Droga5, and Adam & Eve/DDB. Founder Scott Ownbey personally drew the boards Spielberg signed off on for Progressive's ET Super Bowl spot.
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Boards and animatics for the creative departments of —
Send the script.
We draw the frames, time the cut, direct the voice, finish the sound.
The full studio process.
Send the frames.
You generated them. We handle the editorial, timing, voice, sound, color, and delivery.
Twenty-eight years of finishing craft.
Either way, the same studio finishes the work.
The same studio that drew the boards Spielberg signed.
A 2D animatic is the blueprint that proves the commercial is worth making. Whether you draw the frames or generate them, the editorial craft is what makes them read as a film instead of a slideshow. That craft is what the agencies have hired us for since 1997.
Boardomatic. Animatic. Photomatic.
Five formats under one roof. Same hand-drawn foundation. Different finishing levels. Pick by what the brief needs to test, not by what's most expensive.
| Format | Turnaround | Visual fidelity | Best for | Revisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boardomatic | 7 days | Illustrated frames | Concept testing · Pitch reels | 2 rounds |
| 2D Animatic You are here | 9–14 days | Animated illustration | Story & emotion testing | 2 rounds |
| Hybrid Animatic | 10–14 days | Mixed media | Premium presentations | 2 rounds |
| 3D Animatic | 10–14 days | CGI realistic | Complex camera moves | 1 round |
| AI Photomatic | 9–14 days | AI photoreal | Performance & look testing | 2 rounds |
All five formats start with hand-drawn boards. The finishing tools change. The author doesn't.
Four steps. One studio.
The same process whether you bring a script or a stack of frames. The pencil starts every project. AI is a finishing tool, not the headline.
Script in. Scope out.
Thirty-minute kickoff covers what the animatic needs to do — sell, test, plan, or finish. Visual approach, character direction, and tone locked in the first 24 hours.
Drawn or supplied.
Hand-drawn from scratch, supplied by the client, or a mix of both. The studio matches house illustration styles, brand systems, and existing character bibles.
Time, voice, sound.
Timing, voice direction, scratch and final voice tracks, music, sound design, color. The work that makes the frames read as a film instead of a slideshow.
Broadcast-ready.
Masters in every format your campaign needs. 16:9 hero. 9:16 vertical cutdowns. Square, platform-tuned, research-panel-ready. Whatever ships.
Twenty-eight years. Ten thousand frames.
Trusted by Fortune 500 brands, global agencies, and entertainment studios — for animatic, pre-vis, and editorial finishing work — since 1997.
From the people who hired us.
I personally worked with Animaticmedia/Storyboards.com over an intensive three day period for a pitch. They do great work and I will definitely use them again.
GOODBY SILVERSTEIN
Animatic questions, answered straight.
Not in here? Email hello@animaticmedia.com. We answer in one business day.
What is a 2D animatic? +
A 2D animatic is an illustrated storyboard sequence brought fully to life with character animation, lip sync, voice direction, sound design, and music — all working together in an edited film. A step beyond a boardomatic, which uses illustrated frames with motion effects but no scene animation. A 2D animatic gives the audience a complete emotional read and clear narrative comprehension before a single frame of live-action or final animation is produced. More finished than a boardomatic. Faster than full pre-visualization. The format the agency-side test reel was built on.
How much does a 2D animatic cost? +
2D animatic pricing varies by length, frame count, finishing scope, and whether the frames are supplied or drawn from scratch. A typical agency-pitch animatic runs from a few thousand dollars for a short cut to mid five figures for a full broadcast spot with original sound design. We scope every project on a 30-minute call.
What turnaround should I expect? +
Nine to fourteen business days for most :30 second 2D animatics. Frame-finishing-only projects can land in three to seven business days depending on scope. If you are working multiple scripts or to a tighter window, get in touch — we are used to pitch cycles and we will give an honest view of what is achievable.
Can you finish frames I already have? +
Yes. This is a growing portion of our work. Send us your frames — AI-generated, hand-drawn, mixed-media, or anything in between — and we handle the editorial, timing, voice, sound design, color, and final delivery. The studio has been an editorial finishing house for 28 years. The frame source has changed; the craft has not.
How is Animatic Media different from other animatic studios? +
Twenty-eight years of pre-production for Goodby Silverstein, TBWA\Chiat\Day, Wieden+Kennedy, BBDO, BBH, Ogilvy, Droga5, FCB, McCann, Leo Burnett, Adam & Eve/DDB, Lucky Generals, and Publicis. Founder Scott Ownbey personally drew the boards Steven Spielberg signed off on for Progressive's 1999 Super Bowl spot. We also hold U.S. Copyright Registration PAu 4-297-548 — the first studio to formally register an AI-finished animatic with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Can 2D animatics be used for commercial testing with focus groups? +
Yes. 2D animatics are routinely used for System1, Kantar, ASI, Ipsos, Millward Brown, and other focus group testing platforms. The illustrated format gets clean reads on emotion and narrative without distraction from talent casting or set decisions. Our :30 Deluxe animatic for BBH London scored the fourth-highest Millward Brown quant score ever recorded in France — the kind of result that gets ideas greenlit.
Do you work with advertising agencies on animatic projects? +
Roughly half of our 2D animatic work flows through advertising agencies as the production partner under their creative direction — white-labeled or co-credited per the engagement. The other half is direct-to-brand. Studios in the US and UK have shipped pitch boards, animatics, and pre-vis with us for nearly three decades, with production teams across four continents.
Can you match our brand's illustration style? +
Yes. We work with your existing brand illustration system, art-director-supplied reference, or character bible — bringing our own interpretation to avoid IP or copyright conflicts. Or pick from our house styles, or develop an original visual style for the project. Either way, a style frame is approved on Day 1 of every animatic. Our visualizers have drawn for every major brand category since 1997.
How many revisions are included? +
The standard package includes three revision rounds — pencils, color, and edit. Most animatics are approved within those rounds. Additional revisions are quoted by complexity and delivered same-day where possible.
Do you handle voice and sound design? +
Two options. If you have an existing sound partner, we work directly with them or lay back their audio mix. If you need full audio services, we handle casting, voiceover record, music search, and sound design in-house — voice direction, scratch and final voice tracks, custom music, and full mix, all under one roof since 1997. AI-assisted voice work available where the brief allows it. Share your audio brief and we will come back with a clear estimate.
What file formats do you deliver? +
MP4, MOV, ProRes, and broadcast-ready formats. 16:9 horizontal is standard. 9:16 vertical and 1:1 square cutdowns available on request. Source files (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects) available with project on request.
Where is Animatic Media based? Are you a federal vendor? +
A global studio with remote offices in Palm Beach, London, and Los Angeles. SAM.gov-registered for US federal work (UEI CKCTG4PXFCL5, CAGE 5ENQ7) under NAICS 541810. Active socioeconomic certifications: Native American–Owned, Minority-Owned, Veteran-Owned. For non-US engagements we work directly or through your existing agency structure.
Send the script.
Or send the frames.
Either way, we move it from idea to finished sequence. Twenty-eight years of pre-production for the agencies that wrote the modern ad book. Two business days from your first email to a real estimate.