When dealing with clients, issues usually occur when both parties make assumptions. It is important to ask questions that will help you and your animation clients avoid confusion, disappointment, stormy discussions, and even legal issues. Here are the 9 questions to ask your animation clients to fulfill their expectations.

1. What is the purpose of your animated video?

There can be many reasons why a business would like to have an animated video. Make sure that this is clear to you before you begin to work on the project.

2. What products and services do you sell?

Knowing everything a business does and sells will help you create the best-animated video for them. This information might also help you determine what content, colors, fonts, and character designs you should use for the video.

3. Who is your target market?

This will help you align your client's objectives with the interests of the audience or market that the video intends to target.

4. Who will provide the script, and who will be your voice over artist?

Some clients have already written the script for their animation video before coordinating with you. Meanwhile, some clients don't have. Make sure you understand the expectations your client has for you.

5. How long should the video be?

Some clients may have never hired an animator or an animation agency before. So they might have no idea how long their animated video should be. The script for the video is a good way to estimate the duration of the video. Usually, one minute of the video consists of 150 words of voice over.

6. What animation style do you want?

Ask them if they want a whiteboard video, motion infographics, video, 2D character animation, 3D animation, demo screencast, mixed media, etc.

You can also ask them if they have previously finished videos that you can use as a guide when making their animation video.

7. Do you have any special instructions?

Some animation clients are vague in giving instructions, while some give detailed and specific instructions.

Ask your client if they have a branding or a creative guideline for you to base on, and ask them if they have specific preferences for their video (ex: font style, font size, visual and text effects, colors, shapes, character designs, background music, etc.).

8. When is the deadline for the animated video?

Timelines and deadlines are significant when making animation videos. The date you and your client set should be reasonable and realistic.

9. How much is your budget for the animated video?

Before taking on an animation client, make sure that they are willing to pay the rate.

If they have a low budget, negotiate and give reasons why you come up with that price.