Explain what caught your attention
A reference film can start a useful conversation, but “make it like this” hides the most important question. What do you like about it? The humour, drawing style, pace, transitions, character performance or use of sound may each suggest a different creative direction.
Describe those qualities in plain language. A reference does not have to come from animation: a photograph, piece of packaging, movement in a live-action scene or a musical rhythm can help communicate a feeling. The point is to clarify the idea, not to assemble a library of things to reproduce.
Keep the brief in view
A beautiful example may solve a different problem from yours. It may have another audience, running time, budget or place where people will watch. Use it to discuss possibilities, then check which qualities actually support your own purpose.
A useful reference board is selective. Several images with clear notes can tell the team more than a long folder of conflicting styles. Identify which qualities you want to keep and which do not suit the project. That gives the studio room to make something coherent rather than guess how unrelated styles fit together.
Look for a personal connection
The Jamie O’Brien project brings the personality of a surfer into animation for a coaching app. It is a reminder that inspiration can come from the person and subject at the heart of a brief. The distinctive qualities do not have to be borrowed from another studio’s film.
The same applies to brand and story projects. Existing language, everyday situations, a character’s behaviour or the intended audience can provide the seed of a visual idea. References can help express it, but they should not replace it.
Develop rather than imitate
Ask the creative team to explain how the reference has informed the proposed approach. A shared sense of warmth might lead to different character design; an admired transition might inspire a new way to connect your own ideas. The result should have a reason for its choices beyond resemblance.
Review the direction against the brief and the wider body of your brand or project. Does it feel appropriate? Is the main message clear? Could the same concept be transferred to anyone else without changing it? These questions help reveal whether the work has found its own identity.
Give different references different jobs
A useful reference collection might include a photograph for its light, a film for its timing and an illustration for its shapes. Those are specific starting points that leave room for a new idea. A folder of ten nearly identical animations can make it harder to see beyond the existing solution.
Write down what you are responding to before sharing each reference. “The pause before the reveal makes it funny” is more useful than “make it like this”. It also helps a collaborator tell you when that quality might not suit your audience or format.
After the first exploration, put the references aside and return to the brief. Does the new work communicate your idea on its own? If its appeal depends on looking like a particular artist’s work, keep developing it. Inspiration should open up your choices, not leave someone else’s decisions in place.
