Prod 187 · 1:15
Copperleaf Credit Union
Explainer
Where your money sleeps
A 75-second character explainer on how savings accounts earn while you don't. Savings sign-ups rose 38% in the first quarter.
Explainer & brand animation · Portland, Oregon
Every good filmstarts as adoodle.
We're six artists and one very patient ox in Portland's Central Eastside. We write, storyboard, draw and animate explainers and brand films that make a complicated thing feel obvious. Every frame is made in-house, from the first pencil line to the final mix.
- 212films finished since 2014
- 7 wksfor a typical 60-second explainer
- 0stock characters. Ever.
A third of a second
Eight drawings make one hop.
At 24 frames a second, drawn on twos, Barnaby's hop is eight drawings: anticipation, stretch, hang, squash, settle. A 90-second film is about 1,080 of them. We still draw the key poses by hand, because that's where the charm lives.
Selected work · 2024 to 2026
Films that made a hard thing simple.
Credit unions, transit agencies, clinics and coffee roasters. Every character on this page was drawn here, first in pencil.
Prod 194 · 1:00
Ninebark Transit
Launch campaign
Tap once, ride anywhere
A 60-second launch film plus six social cutdowns for a new fare card, in English and Spanish.
Prod 201 · 2:10
Emberly Coffee
Brand film
Saturday, slowly
A frame-by-frame brand film about a roaster's slowest day, with an original score.
Prod 199 · 5 × 0:45
Mossgrove Health
Onboarding series
Your first week with us
Five short films that walk new patients through booking, billing and their first visit. Support calls in week one fell by a third.
Prod 205 · 1:30
Sundial Solar
Product launch
The roof that pays you back
A 90-second launch explainer that turns a fifteen-page financing sheet into one clear story.
Prod 210 · 8 × 0:15
Inkwell County Library
Social series
Your card does what?
Eight fifteen-second films about the surprising things a library card gets you, from seed packets to sewing machines.
We sent them a forty-slide deck and a lot of nerves. They sent back a sketch of a sleepy coin, and the whole room laughed. That's when we knew.
How a film gets made
From doodle to motion, in five stages.
- 01ScriptWk 1–2
We interview your team and write every word, read aloud and timed to the second.
- 02StoryboardWk 2–3
Every shot drawn in pencil, then cut to a scratch voice so you can feel the pace.
- 03Style framesWk 3–4
Flat colour, clean lines, your palette. You approve the look of every frame.
- 04AnimationWk 4–7
Rough motion, then clean-up, at 24 frames a second. This is where it breathes.
- 05SoundWk 6–7
Voice, effects and music, mixed for laptops, phones and the big screen.
We interview your team and write every word, read aloud and timed to the second.
Prod 214“Barnaby gets a brief”Board v3 · Pg 1/4
SH 01FR 0001
fwip!
Action: the brief folds itself into a plane and crosses town.
VO: “Every film starts with somebody's idea.”
SH 02FR 0001
ding!
Action: CU Barnaby. Eyes up. The bulb flickers on.
VO: “Ours is to make it make sense.”
SH 03FR 0001
clop clop
Action: WS. Barnaby trots right, trees pan left. Hold on sign.
VO: “…and then, to make it move.”
The exposure sheet
Who does what, week by week.
Based on a 60-second Storybook explainer. Each stage ends with one sign-off from one person on your side, so nothing gets made twice.
| No. | Stage | We make | You bring | You sign off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | ScriptWeeks 1–2 | A kickoff call, three short interviews, then a script read aloud and timed to the second. Two drafts. | Your brand guide, any must-say lines, and one person who can say yes. | The words. After this, they're locked. |
| 02 | StoryboardWeeks 2–3 | Every shot drawn in pencil, then cut to a scratch voice as an animatic so you can feel the pace. | Notes on clarity and order. Not drawing style; that comes next. | Shots, order and timing. |
| 03 | Style framesWeeks 3–4 | Three finished frames in full colour: characters, palette, type and texture. | Honest reactions. Bring the skeptic from sales. | The look of every frame. |
| 04 | AnimationWeeks 4–7 | Rough motion first (blocky and honest), then clean-up, colour and polish at 24 frames a second. | Notes on timing and accuracy, gathered in one document. | The rough cut, then the final picture. |
| 05 | SoundWeeks 6–7 | Voice recording with the cast you chose, sound effects, music and the final mix. Captions too. | A listen on real speakers and on a phone. | The finished film. Then it's yours. |
Packages & timelines
Pick a size. We'll keep the schedule.
Fixed prices once the script is signed off. Half to start, half on delivery, and you own the finished film outright.
Package 01
Sketch
A 30 to 45 second motion piece
from$6,800
4 weeks · 2 rounds of notes per stage
- Script polish (you bring a draft)
- 8-frame storyboard and two style frames
- Motion graphics with light character moments
- Licensed music and sound design
- 16:9 and 9:16 masters, captions file
Good for feature launches, social ads, event openers.
Package 02
Storybook
A 60 to 90 second character explainer
from$15,500
7 weeks · 3 rounds of notes per stage
- Interviews and a script written by us
- Full storyboard and an animatic with scratch voice
- Custom characters with a model sheet
- Professional voice: pick from three auditions
- 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1, captions in two languages
Good for product explainers, homepages, sales calls.
Package 03
Feature
A 2 to 3 minute brand film, or a series of three
from$32,000
10 to 12 weeks · 3 rounds of notes per stage
- A story workshop day with your team
- Frame-by-frame hero moments
- Original score and a full mix
- Layered project files and a character kit
- Every cutdown and language you need
Good for brand launches, campaigns, annual meetings.
Add to any package
Prices for a 60-second film. We'll quote anything else in a day.
- Extra aspect ratio (1:1, 4:5, 9:16)$450
- Another language: new voice and captions$1,200
- Animated logo sting, 3 to 5 seconds$2,400
- Rush schedule: two weeks sooner+20%
- Extra round of notes at any stage$900
The cast
Six artists, one ox, no account managers.
The people who draw your film are the people on your calls. Lined up here like a model sheet, roughly to scale.
Mabel Thornquist
Founder · Creative director
Started Paper Ox on a kitchen table in 2014 with one client and a scanner.
Ngozi Odili
Animation lead
Acts out every walk cycle in the hallway first.
Aiko Matsuda
Storyboard artist
Draws thumbnails smaller than a stamp. They're always right.
Ikaika Kalua
Designer · Style frames
Owns 41 shades of orange. Uses three.
Saoirse Quinlan
Sound & music
Recorded Barnaby's hooves with two clogs and a cutting board.
Lupe Faustino
Producer
Keeps the schedule, the sign-offs and the good biscuits.
Barnaby
Studio ox
Head of morale. Checks every frame. Not billable.
Good questions
Before you send the brief.
The cost of one change
Same change, different week. That's why every stage gets a sign-off.
How long does a 60-second explainer take?
Seven weeks is typical: two for the script, one for boards, one for style frames and three for animation and sound. We can do five if your notes come back within a day.
What does an animated explainer cost?
Most 60 to 90 second character explainers land between $15,500 and $22,000. Motion-graphics pieces start at $6,800. The price is fixed once the script is signed off, and we tell you in writing what would change it.
Do we need a script already?
No. Most clients bring a messy doc, a sales deck and a strong opinion. We interview two or three people on your team and write from there. If you have a script, we'll time it and tighten it.
How many rounds of notes do we get?
Two at every stage on Sketch, three on Storybook and Feature. Notes come from one decision-maker in one shared document, so nothing gets lost between inboxes.
What if we change something after animation starts?
We can, and we'll quote it before we do it. A changed word at script stage costs an afternoon; the same change mid-animation can cost a week of redrawing.
Can you work with our brand and existing characters?
Yes. We build from your fonts, colours and illustration rules and extend them into motion where the guide runs out. Bringing an existing mascot to life is one of our favourite jobs.
Who owns the film?
You do, outright, once the final invoice is paid. Feature projects also include layered files and a character kit so your team can make simple edits.
Do you handle voiceover and music?
Yes. You choose a voice from three auditions, we record at a booth on SE Belmont, and Saoirse writes or licenses the music.
Start a brief
Tell us what the film has to do.
Lupe replies within one working day with a few questions, a rough timeline and an honest price range. No pitch deck, no pressure.
Rough guide
7 wksbrief to final
$15,500starting price
Closest package: Storybook
Call the studio(555) 012-7690
Email[email protected]
VisitUnit 3, 1418 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214