3D animatics.
Storyboards in motion.

A 3D animatic is a CGI commercial sequence built in software like Maya, Unreal Engine, and Redshift — used to test commercial concepts before live-action production. It is the format of choice when the brief calls for camera moves, physics, or spatial blocking that 2D illustration cannot fake. A 3D animatic is test stimulus, not finished broadcast video.

Choose a 3D animatic when the brief requires precise camera choreography that has to match what the live-action shoot will physically execute, when the action involves accurate physics that AI generation cannot reliably hold across frames, or when an architectural or product environment must be navigated rather than depicted. For most other use cases — concept testing, emotional read, look development — an AI animatic is faster, cheaper, and now produces comparable visual fidelity. Most projects that previously called for 3D animatics now run as AI animatics or hybrid animatics combining hand-drawn boards with AI-photoreal output.

A boardomatic uses static illustrated frames with motion effects. A 2D animatic adds animation to those illustrated frames. A 3D animatic builds the entire scene in CGI space, allowing camera moves, physics simulation, and spatial accuracy that 2D formats cannot deliver. The trade-off is cost and turnaround — 3D animatics take longer and cost more than 2D for equivalent content.

3D animatic pricing is scoped per project because the variables are wide — scene complexity, asset count, camera choreography, simulation requirements, and rendering pipeline all materially affect cost. Demand for 3D animatics has declined significantly as AI animatics have absorbed most of their use cases, so we recommend a 30-minute scoping call to determine whether 3D is genuinely the right format for your brief or whether an AI animatic or hybrid animatic would deliver the same outcome faster and for less.

Ten to fourteen business days for low-complexity scenes. Hero shots with detailed character work, complex simulations, or photoreal lighting can run longer and are scoped per project. Pitch-cycle rush work is possible — call us and we will tell you what is achievable.

Maya, Unreal Engine, and Redshift form the core pipeline. Asset libraries, motion-capture data, and rigged character models from existing brand systems can be incorporated. Output is rendered to broadcast-ready video formats for testing or pre-visualization use.

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. Animatic Media holds U.S. Copyright Registration PAu 4-297-548 — the first studio to formally register an AI-finished animatic with the U.S. Copyright Office. Featured on CNN. Project Odyssey Top 25.

Yes. 3D animatics can be cut for System1, Kantar, ASI, Ipsos, and Millward Brown panels. They are particularly useful when the testing brief requires accurate spatial blocking or physical action that an illustrated animatic could not represent. For most testing applications, however, AI animatics now deliver equivalent or better results faster.

Yes. Agency-side work flows through advertising agencies as the production partner under their creative direction — white-labeled or co-credited per the engagement. Direct-to-brand work is also accepted. Studios in the US and UK have shipped boards, animatics, and pre-vis with us for nearly three decades. Agency-grade standards either way.

Yes. We work with existing brand 3D asset libraries, art-director-supplied references, character bibles, or product CAD files — bringing our own interpretation to avoid IP or copyright conflicts. Or develop an original visual style for the project. A style frame is approved on Day 1 of every animatic. Our 3D artists have worked across automotive, CPG, product hero, sports equipment, and architectural categories since 1997.

Three revision rounds — pre-vis, animation, and render. Most 3D animatics are approved within those rounds. Additional revisions are quoted by complexity. Note that 3D revisions are more time-intensive than 2D or AI revisions because changes typically require re-rendering, so scoping the brief carefully at kickoff materially shortens the production schedule.

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.