The Brief

Ship.Link are a vessel brokerage company working to make their process faster, easier, and more efficient. In the past, finding a cargo vessel meant relying on human brokers with limited networks, which could slow things down. Ship.Link solves this problem by providing a single, easy-to-use platform where vessel owners can list their ships and charterers can quickly find the best match. Once connected, both parties can negotiate and sign contracts digitally, streamlining the entire process.
We partnered with Ship.Link to create an engaging 90-second software explainer animation video for them to show to clients and the public, highlighting their modernised process in a creative way. The objective was to clearly illustrate the inefficiencies of traditional brokerage and highlight Ship.Link’s seamless, tech-driven solution. This software animation video needed to maintain a serious yet engaging tone, ensuring clarity for vessel owners and cargo clients while emphasizing the industry’s digital evolution.

Our Response

Our team worked closely with Ship.Link’s global team to develop a compelling explainer animation that effectively demonstrated the platform’s capabilities. The process began through working with them to create a concise script that outlined the industry’s challenges and Ship.Link’s streamlined solution.

This software explainer animation followed a basic structured narrative. We started with talking through the problem via highlighting the outdated nature of vessel brokerage, emphasizing the difficulties of manual vessel searching and negotiations. We then illustrate Ship.Link’s solution, showcasing how vessel owners can list their ships in a global database and how charterers can easily search and secure vessels. Finally we made sure to show the unique selling points of their brand, namely the seamless transactions involved, demonstrating how negotiations and digital contract signing occur within the platform, removing the need for intermediaries.
Throughout the animation, we focused on aligning the on-screen content with the final polished look of the video. In some parts, transition slides were used to illustrate the flow of the animation, making complex concepts easier to follow and reinforcing the seamless nature of Ship.Link’s process. It features smooth motion graphics, a crisp, modern design, and a colour scheme that aligns with Ship.Link’s branding. One of the key visual elements includes animated lines dynamically connecting vessels and charterers, reinforcing the concept of seamless digital connectivity. The video also incorporates subtle yet engaging transitions, making complex concepts easily digestible.
The final product is an software explainer animation optimized for Ship.Link’s website and social media presence, ensuring maximum engagement. With a professional voiceover in an American accent and thoughtfully selected background music, the video delivers a polished and authoritative tone that resonates with its target audience.

Style Frames

Shot Development

Here are some examples of how the first shot in the video developed, from the initial reference image to the final look. The reference was provided by the client, to show how real shipping maps look that we were able to adapt. Your can then see how we played with using an aged map effect, which was used in the final animation to fade into the modern map.

Storyboard Development

Behind the scenes

To demonstrate our process throughout projects and give a little insight into how we create our characters, here are some behind the scenes assets from our artists, along with one of the first reference images provided by the client to guide us in branding and tone.

Below is an example of how we took the client’s branding and adapted it within the animation. These curves were an example of existing branding used throughout Ship.Link’s website, so using them within the video was an important aspect to incorporate.

final Animation

What our client Said

“Producing our first ever animated video was a scary proposition and uncharted territory for us as an agency. Working with The Animation Guys they put us at ease, listened to our ideas and made the process come to life. They’re genuinely decent, honest and hard-working people that ultimately produce first-class animation videos. We couldn’t be happier with our final product and no doubt will return to them for a follow up video at some point! Fully recommend.”

Beth Hellowell

Managing Partner @ Signify Digital

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