Meantime Roles
We uncover what the life of an animator at meantime truly looks like.
What Does an Animator Do in Web Animation?
When people think of animation, they often picture cartoons or Pixar films. But in the world of brand storytelling, explainer videos, and digital campaigns, web animation is a different beast — sharper, faster, and designed to connect instantly in a scroll-happy world.
At Meantime Studio, our animation team brings ideas to life every day — making the abstract understandable, the functional beautiful, and the serious playful (when needed). And leading that charge is Jack Purling, our animation lead and all-round motion wizard. So, what does an animator actually do in web animation? And why does it matter?
Turning Strategy Into Movement
Web animation isn’t about showing off — it’s about making something land. Whether it’s explaining how a smart shipping container works, guiding a user through a new app, or giving a brand personality in just three seconds, animators take strategy and translate it into motion that feels clear, effortless, and on-brand.
Jack is brilliant at this. He doesn’t just open After Effects and start making things fly around. He asks: What does this need to do? What’s the tone? Who’s watching it — and where? From explainer videos to animated logos, he designs with purpose.
“Attention is hard to earn and easy to lose. Web animation helps brands communicate faster, stand out more, and feel more alive. Done right, it can make a message clearer, a product more intuitive, or a brand more memorable; sometimes in just a few seconds.”
Making the Invisible Visible
One of the most powerful things about web animation is its ability to visualise things you can’t see — ideas, processes, systems. You can’t film “smart data tracking” or “sustainable logistics infrastructure” — but you can animate them. That’s exactly what Jack and the Meantime team did for Freightsafe, creating a 3D animated film that showcases their intelligent, secure shipping solutions. From sleek container visuals to seamless transitions, every frame was crafted to feel modern, technical, and trustworthy — just like the brand itself. This is where animators shine: taking something complex and making it feel simple, engaging, and alive.
A Mix of Art and Engineering
Good web animation is part creativity, part technical precision. Animators like Jack are storytellers, designers, and problem-solvers rolled into one. They need to understand pacing, user attention spans, visual hierarchy — and often, multiple software tools and plug-ins too.
At Meantime, Jack leads animation projects from concept through to delivery. He collaborates with scriptwriters, illustrators, voice artists, and sound designers to make sure everything works together. He’s also great at adapting: if a client needs a last-minute tweak or a format change, he’s already figured out how to make it seamless.
Motion That Reflects Brand Personality
n web animation, tone is everything. A wobbly hand-drawn line might feel warm and human. A crisp kinetic type layout might feel slick and corporate. The job of the animator is to make sure the movement matches the message.
Jack has a sharp eye for this. Whether he’s building playful transitions for Nike or refining slick motion graphics for a B2B tech campaign, he makes sure the animation reflects the tone and purpose of the brand, not just the brief.
Like what you see? Let’s work together