How Do You Control The Limitless?

Ideas are limitless, but the real challenge is distilling them into something tangible. For a new Candid SaaS ad, our task was to take those big, boundless ideas and distill them into a standalone 15-second motion graphics video, an Optious first—a short-form video without the support of a longer hero piece to reference or adapt.

Fifteen seconds might sound simple, even trivial. Less time means less work, right? Not really. Every frame has a role to play. Every second needed to be tightly choreographed to tell the story, deliver the message, and leave a lasting impression. This wasn’t just another explainer video; it was motion branding at its most distilled.

We started with two completely different storyboards. The first came together quickly. The second one, not as fast. When we presented them to the client, they couldn’t choose—so they told us their favorite frames from each one. We combined those into a hybrid that retained the best of both.

The animated line graphic we developed became the backbone of the video. It wasn’t just a design element—it was a brand-defining motif. We were deliberate with its movement, ensuring it didn’t just appear but flowed into the frame with purpose. The line transitioned smoothly between sections, morphing into shapes and guiding the viewer’s eye. Every easing curve and every keyframe had to feel intentional. Take the moment where the line turns into an underline, for example.

We didn’t stop there. We synced the cuts to the soundtrack’s beat to elevate the pacing. This required exact timing, with transitions timed to downbeats and key visual accents placed on rhythmic peaks. Syncing motion to audio is a cornerstone of effective animation, but compressing that level of precision into a 15-second format added complexity. It’s a technique we carried forward into many future Candid projects, but this was our proving ground.

Speaking of music, the background track used for this video was also the start of another design trend we did with Candid. In the beginning the tracks we used were usually stomp clap music with a bit of rhythmic percussion. But for this project we used a more laidback techno track to match the energy of the visuals. The music search process didn’t change however; as for every project we comb through hundreds of songs to find the right track for your video. And that’s no exaggeration.

This video was crafted with scalability in mind. We created a comprehensive animation style guide for Candid, documenting everything from kinetic text behaviors to motion principles for future videos. This wasn’t just about solving today’s problem but equipping ourselves with a toolkit we could build on.

Like a samurai, we like to keep our swords sharp. Every day, we analyze the work of top studios and animators to keep our techniques sharp and innovative. This is where the idea for the animated line originated—a blend of inspiration and technical experimentation.

But the constraints were real. Cramming a message, a call to action, branding, and a logo into 15 seconds without overwhelming the viewer required pinpoint precision. Some ideas had to be scrapped to maintain the pacing and clarity, no matter how creative. The timing was…everything.

In the end, the attention to detail paid off. The final video wasn’t just well-received; it spread across Candid’s team, earning commendations from everyone—including the CEO. More importantly, it set the direction for all their future video projects. It proved that animation wasn’t just an accessory to their brand but integral to how they showed their value.

This project wasn’t just a technical challenge. It was a testament to how far we’re willing to go to ensure every keyframe, every transition, and every second of motion is perfect. Because minor details often make the most significant impact on animation.