Services / Motion Systems · Step 02
Custom creative production tools and automation
Tools that take the repetitive work off your designers' plates.
Scoped against the hours it should save
What it is
Once you know where the hours go, the next step is removing them. I design and build the After Effects tools that do it: scripts for the repetitive steps, packaged into plugins your whole team can install and use.
The tools are built for the people who will use them every day. They live inside the software your designers already open, they follow your naming and file conventions, and they come with documentation and training so they keep working after I hand them over.
My clearest example is the Mary Poppins packaging tool: an After Effects plugin used by a dozen motion designers that cut packaging and localisation preparation from three days to three hours.
The kind of steps a tool can take over
- 01Packaging and preparing files for localisation and handoff.
- 02Resizing and reformatting one master into every channel and placement.
- 03Versioning copy, languages and offers across a template.
- 04Labelling, organising and cleaning up layers and project files.
- 05Exporting, naming and delivering files to the right place.
What I build
01
After Effects scripts
Scripts that take over a repetitive step inside After Effects, such as labelling, organising or preparing layers and projects.
02
After Effects plugins
Scripts packaged into a plugin with a simple panel, so the whole team runs the process in one step and every file comes out the same way.
Proof
Packaging and localisation preparation with the Mary Poppins tool, down from three days. An After Effects plugin used by a dozen motion designers.
How a build runs
01
Scope from the audit
I start from a ranked opportunity, ideally measured in a Pipeline Audit, so the build has a clear target in hours saved.
02
Prototype on real files
A working version tested on live projects early, with the designers who will use it, before the edge cases get built.
03
Harden and package
Error handling, documentation and a proper installer or panel, so the tool survives contact with the whole team.
04
Train and hand over
A training session, written guides and source files. Your team owns the tool, and maintenance is available as a retainer if you want it.
Who it's for
Good fit
- Teams with a measured, repetitive production step that costs real hours every week.
- In-house creative teams in SaaS and DTC companies shipping high asset volumes.
- Leads who want tools their designers will actually use, not a platform migration.
Not a fit
- Large enterprise software projects with long procurement cycles.
- Problems that are really about headcount or briefing, not production steps.
- Teams looking for a single animated asset rather than a tool.
Questions
What kind of tools do you build?
After Effects scripts and plugins for motion teams. Each one removes a repetitive step from a real pipeline, like the Mary Poppins packaging tool.
Do you use AI to build them?
Yes, where it helps. The Mary Poppins tool was built from AI-written After Effects scripts, then packaged and tested as a plugin. AI speeds up the writing; the value is in knowing which step to automate and how the team actually works.
Who owns the tool afterwards?
You do. Handoff includes the source, documentation and training. Maintenance and new tools are available on a retainer, but it is a choice rather than a dependency.
How long does a build take?
It depends on the tool. A focused script can ship in days; a packaged plugin with a panel and documentation takes longer. I scope each build against the hours it should save.