Who owns the source files?

Agree it in the contract. The common arrangement is client ownership of the final assets with source files delivered on request.

What is a healthy review cadence?

One scheduled review per stage, with a named single decision-maker consolidating feedback.

Creative Direction

A stage-by-stage map of what a creative director expects from a motion designer between the first brief and the final export.

April 18, 2026 · 3 min read · Alan Ambran

Expectations are rarely written down, which is why so many projects feel misaligned despite everyone doing their job.

Directors assume the designer will surface risks; designers assume the director already knows them.

Delivery specs are usually agreed last, when they should be agreed first — codec, aspect ratios and captions change how shots are framed.

The gap between 'approved' and 'final' is where most overtime lives.

Kickoff: restate the brief, name the single message, agree the review cadence and the sign-off chain.

Midpoint: deliver an animatic at final length, with the delivery spec list attached.

Delivery: master file, every crop, source project, fonts, and a short note on what is editable later.

Write the expectations down at kickoff. Almost every difficult project is an undocumented assumption arriving late.

Who owns the source files?: Agree it in the contract. The common arrangement is client ownership of the final assets with source files delivered on request.
What is a healthy review cadence?: One scheduled review per stage, with a named single decision-maker consolidating feedback.

Send the brief, the deadline and the budget range. You will get a scoped quote with a shot list within 48 hours.