January 15, 2021 /
Animation can be a truly magical way to get your message across. It is the perfect way to engage your audience and present information in a clear and entertaining way. There are so many different styles of animation that you can tap into, from infographics and character animation to explainer videos and telling stories with exciting, out-of-this-world characters and visuals.
But how much does animation cost? If you’ve been sending out requests for quotes for animation, you’ve likely received a wide range of prices. So how do you know what you should expect to pay to receive a great looking final video? The bottom line is that this is a tricky question to answer. There are many factors involved that can impact the cost of animation. In this post, we’ll walk you through some of the key factors that can influence animated video production cost and show you some examples in various price ranges so you can know what to expect.
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With so many factors involved that can impact the final price, it’s not easy to nail down an average cost for animation. Two videos of the same length could have wildly different prices depending on the style of animation being used, how fluid and refined the animation looks, and the level of expertise of the artist working on the spot. That said, here are some basic price ranges you can expect for a one-minute animated video:
- $3,000-$7,000 Per Minute. Videos in this price range would be considered low budget. You should expect to get some very simple 2D animation. Animation at this level is very basic, the fluidity of the movements are often a little jerky looking, and the characters unrefined. The artist may use stock elements to keep costs low. Be aware that, for projects with smaller budgets, the studio may not offer services like scripting, voice over and music. Those might be considered add on costs.
- $10,000-$20,000 Per Minute. This price range is the minimum for a professionally produced animated video. At this rate, the animation studio will deliver scripting, voice over, art direction, character animation, advanced transitions, and more.
- $20,000-$50,000 Per Minute. In this range, animation studios will deliver high quality videos that can incorporate more advanced animation effects. This is also the price range where 3D animation begins to become feasible.
- $50,000-$100,000+ Per Minute. Around $50,000 is when you can begin to expect broadcast quality production values. These projects hold nothing back, with the studios often providing full animation services from concept development and scripting to 2D/3D animation, advanced lighting effects, and more.
Scroll down to see some visual examples of animated videos in various price ranges from Creative Humans!
As we mentioned, there are many factors involved that influence the final cost of your animation project. Let’s take a look:
The style of animation is another important consideration when determining cost. The more time consuming and refined the animation, the more expensive it is going to cost you. Here’s what you need to know:
- 2D Animation. 2D animation is generally going to be the most affordable style of animation offered. It’s less time consuming than stop motion or 3D animation. Within 2D animation, typography and graphic vector style is more affordable, while shaded or character hand-inked animation is more costly.
- Illustration. Illustration is a visual explanation of a text. The designer will take your script and interpretation of a text in his/her vision. An illustrator often produces the imagery themselves as opposed to a graphic designer who will use other tools such as images, graphic forms, and words to relay her message to the viewer.
- Motion Graphics (Typography and Animated Logos). This style can be both 2D and 3D, and you'll see examples everywhere in commercials, explainer videos, sporting events, the news and other TV productions. Character animation is generally outside the scope of motion graphics, but many of the core animation principles apply to motion graphics too.
- Infographics. Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly. This style is often used to help break down big data and make it more easily understood. Financial institutions and government agencies are often a fan of this style of work.
- Stop Motion Animation (Claymation, Cutouts, Action Figures, Puppets). Stop motion is a fun and playful way to tell your story. It involves the artist taking physical items, like toys for example, and moving them and photographing them frame by frame. The costs will vary based upon what is being animated. For instance, if the item needs to be built from scratch out of clay, that will cost more than if the item is pre-built, like a toy race car or a cutout of an image. The price to produce a stop motion video can range from anywhere from 15k-150k. See examples here.
- 3D Animation. 3D animation is a very impressive style of animation. The good news is that as the technology behind the animation has been improving, the costs have been dropping. Simple product renderings are less expensive, while character models and Disney/Pixar style 3D animation run on the high end. The price to produce an animated 3D video can range from anywhere from 10k-300k. See examples here.
Many professional animation studios will offer services beyond simply animating your video. These may include:
- Concepting & Strategy. Do you have an idea for your video already, or will you be relying on the studio to produce the concept and strategy for your project?
- Scripting & Storyboarding. Do you have a script, or does it need to be written? If not, that can add to the cost of your video. Similarly, storyboarding can be a resource-intensive task requiring the involvement of a creative director, concept artist, and illustrators.
- Voice Over. Professional voice talent and recording will add to your video cost. Of course, you always want to ensure your videos will feature high quality audio.
- Music & Sound Effects. Creating custom soundtracks or purchasing rights to music can be costly. If you’re hoping to save money, ask your studio about your stock music and sound effect options.
Depending on where you are in the production process, you may or may not need some of these services. Of course, the more services requested from the animation studio, the greater the ultimate cost of your video.
The length of your video also will greatly impact the price. Keep in mind that most animation projects are priced by the second. The longer your video, the more expensive it will become. The shorter it is, the less expensive it will be.
In addition to the length of your video, another factor that can impact animation cost is your timeline or expected deadline. The tighter your requested turnaround, the more expensive your video can become—especially if you need the studio to rush the project faster than their typical turnaround time.
While most studios will have some revisions priced into the project, change requests beyond key stages in your project will likely add to your cost:
- Concepting, Scripting & Audio. Requesting changes after scripting and voice over work has been completed will increase the cost of your video, as voice over talent will need to be brought back to perform the new script.
- Animatics, Styleframes & Characters. Likewise, requesting changes after styleframes and character models have been finalized will increase your cost.
- Production. At this stage, all concepting and styling should be finalized. The animation studio will be actively illustrating your assets. Asset change requests at this stage can increase the cost of your video prior to animation.
The further along you are in the production process when you request changes, the more costly your revisions can be. If possible, ensure you are happy with a script before moving forward with voiceover. The same goes for character concepts and styleframes. Once production begins, it will be more costly for you to make changes.
To help you visualize animation cost in various price ranges, here are some examples from vetted studios within the Creative Humans network:
$9,000 - $12,000
$10,000 - $15,000
$10,000 - $15,000
$12,000 - $16,000
$25,000 - $30,000
$32,000 - $51,000
$30,000 - $50,000
$30,000 - $50,000
$60,000 - $72,000
$75,000 - $85,000
$185,000 - $205,000
We hope this animation cost guide has helped you define your budget for your project. Whether you have an idea or need help concepting your animated video, you can find the right talent at Creative Humans. We’ve brought the world’s best animation studios and freelancers together in one place.
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Tania Sarra & The Secret Sauce
Tania Sarra has been making waves as a top executive in the film industry for over a decade. She is the Founder of Hot Sauce - a boutique consulting firm specializing in Producing, Executive Production and Creative Direction for major film and television projects. Creative Humans sat down with Tania to learn more about her perspective on today's ever changing film industry and the secret sauce to success.
Tania's services offer the film industry trusted advice from the film executive’s perspective, from the perspective of the business behind the film business, and allows others to leverage creative ideas to build out a successful career in film. Tania describes her business as a place where "creative pragmatics can nerd out on box office figures, industry stats and good looking spreadsheets just as much as a strong story hook in a badass script."
Tania is leveraging Hot Sauce to help guide film projects in the right direction - sharing her secret sauce to bringing great ideas to fruition on the big screen. Hot Sauce offers consulting services on all aspects from marketing and distribution, structuring finance and handling negotiations. By helping to mange all of these moving parts and creating a strategy, Tania helps to ensure creative goals are aligned with the pragmatics of the industry.
Navigating The Post Pandemic Theatrical Window
Tania explained that companies like FOX recently reopened a sales arm in order to exploit different rights outside of the streaming platform. "The theatrical window is still very important to the industry," Tania says, "It brings exposure to the title, because once a filmmaker sells their content to a streamer - not only is there a high chance that content will get lost in a sea of content, but that is also the end of the road for the revenue stream as opposed to seeing returns over a films lifetime." Overall, the bar is a lot higher, especially for independent films, because people have gown accustomed to watching films from the comfort of their own home. From Tania's perspective, it seems like the dust hasn't settled yet on how to capture an audience, and entice them to want to see a film now rather than wait and see it on their monthly subscription.
There's a good chance these things will remain uncertain in the film industry for a while, so there is no better time to learn the recipe for that "secret sauce". Check out everything Tania and Hot Sauce have to offer, from online workshops to consulting services, so you can nail that next pitch, land that finance deal, secure the best distribution and never compromise your ideas or creative merit.
Click here to check out everything that Hot Sauce have to offer!
9 Company History Video Examples from Creative Humans
To build brand awareness, encourage customer loyalty, and establish brand culture, it’s important for companies to establish familiarity and trust with their core audience. One of the ways brands are able to do this is by detailing their stories and company histories through effective video marketing campaigns.
Company history videos allow you to tell viewers the story behind your brand. They tell audiences how your business began, where it started, what it has accomplished, and how it provides value to customers. To help you get inspiration for your project, here are nine great company history video examples from the professionals at Creative Humans.
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Day Rate: $800 - $15,000
Director, Creator ID: DIR7707CS
What comes to mind when you think of Tyson? Most people tend to think of frozen grocery store chicken nuggets and similar products. To dispel this notion, Tyson created this company history video that focuses on highlighting the many different uses of its products, from fine dining to a wide variety of grocery store products that many consumers wouldn’t recognize as Tyson.
Production Budget: $10,000 - $20,000
Production Company, Creator ID: PRO5352NF
Rather than creating a video aimed at consumers, Ralph Lauren wanted to create a video to instill in its employees an appreciation for the way that Ralph Lauren sees New York City. This 60-second video focuses on capturing small, hidden moments throughout the city that highlight NYC’s unique cultural qualities.
Day Rate: $1,500 - $3,500
Cinematographer, Creator ID: CIN7693LH
This corporate history video by CVS aims to explain the company’s new focus on its health food and beauty strategy and how the company is counting on employees to successfully carry out this strategy.
The video concisely explains core components of this strategy, like creating sections in stores that are dedicated solely to health foods. The video hammers the message home that CVS is relying on employees to play an important role in this new business initiative.
Production Budget: $30,000 - $45,000
Creative Agency, Creator ID: CRE7760TL
HP commissioned this trade show ad web video for its annual customer conference. This short, one-minute video focuses on the major role work plays in our lives with an emphasis on modern workflows and collaboration. With this in mind, HP goes on to explain how its products improve collaboration and how the company’s focus on innovation allows them to remain at the forefront of modern workplace technologies.
Production Budget: $30,000 - $40,000
Animation Studio, Creator ID: ANI7842AH
One of Patagonia’s key corporate values is #NBBC, or ‘Not Bound By Convention.’ Patagonia employees and brand reps are encouraged to ensure customers have a great experience, even if it means breaking or bending the rules.
To demonstrate this, Patagonia commissioned this video, which tells stories from employees in the form of an animated documentary. The audio comes from recorded employee interviews, and the visuals include hand-drawn animations over backgrounds made of Patagonia fabrics.
Production Budget: $30,000 - $50,000
Production Company, Creator ID: PRO280RM
To highlight Wells Fargo’s partnerships with young mission-driven brands and companies, the company produced a six-part video campaign with each video focusing on a different partnership.
This video focuses on Wells Fargo’s partnership with Clutter to demonstrate to viewers how the banking company is able to help young companies grow through innovative services and banking technologies.
Production Budget: $8,000 - $10,000
Production Company, Creator ID: PRO7714EB
5G technology presents a number of exciting new opportunities for tech companies like Nokia. This company history video highlights these opportunities as they were discussed at the “Converge 2018” conference held by Nokia Bell Labs.
Through a collection of on-stage presentations and one-on-one interviews, this video effectively paints a picture of what the future might hold for companies like Nokia as they are able to take advantage of 5G and Industry 4.0.
Day Rate: $800 - $15,000
Director, Creator ID: DIR7707CS
Zurich Insurance commissioned this corporate video, which involved recording interviews and shooting footage in several locations around the world, to highlight how the development of green spaces can positively impact the world.
This video demonstrates the importance of green spaces by appealing to the human compulsion to help others and bring value to the communities around them. Finally, it closes with an effective tagline that appeals to the viewers’ emotions: “Zurich Insurance. For those who truly love.”
Day Rate: $650 - $800
Motion Graphic Designer, Creator ID: MOT7657ES
SolarisBank is a fin-tech company based in Berlin. Unlike similar companies, it has a German banking license built into its platform. To highlight the qualities that set SolarisBank apart from its competition, this two-minute company history video goes over all the unique ways the company is able to provide value to both consumers and companies through modern banking and financial services.
Company history videos serve as an incredibly effective tool to build brand awareness, encourage customer loyalty, shape company culture, and establish trust between brands and their audiences. By partnering with a professional production company, you can create an impactful corporate video that effectively tells your brand’s story and history.
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How to Shoot Cinematic Video with iPhone
With renowned directors like Steven Soderbergh now using iPhones to shoot feature length films, it should be no surprise that the modern smartphone is an incredible tool for shooting video. Even if you don’t need or want to use your phone to shoot your next short or feature, having it on hand for use as a B or C camera can transform a final edit. Here’s how to shoot cinematic video with iPhone in 10 easy tips!
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Hidden away in your iPhone’s camera settings are various options for video, namely resolution and frame rate. If you want to shoot cinematic video with your iPhone, you will want to make sure you have 4K selected, since this will capture the greatest detail and hold up on the latest displays.
Next you should pick a frame rate. If you are one the lucky owners of a flagship iPhone X, you will see an option for 24, 30, and 60 fps. If you are shooting a movie, we recommend 24 fps for that classic look. For YouTube or television, feel free to use 30 fps. Avoid 60 fps unless you need to capture some sweet slow-mo.
Depending on your phone model, you may or may not have life-saving optical image stabilization. However, even with IS built-in you will see a bit of shake if you attempt to shoot longer takes handheld. This is where stabilizers like DJI’s Osmo Mobile 2 (B&H) work wonders. They will smooth out tracking shots with ease and are seriously impressive, transforming unusable takes into cinematic masterpieces.
Creating the shot you visualized in your head last night isn’t just luck, it requires taking control of all the tools at your disposal. To do this on an iPhone, you will have to download a dedicated app that gives you manual controls to the all-important ISO, shutter speed, and focus settings of your iPhone’s camera. My personal preference is for the simple Manual app since it works very well and has a clean design. For high-end filmmaking, I would definitely go with FiLMiC Pro, one of the best apps for recording videos ever made. It opens up a ton of settings, including higher bit rates and a log gamma option.
The hallmark of amateur video is poor audio and bad sound can quickly make a video unwatchable. If you want to make a cinematic video on iPhone, this is easily fixed by simply attaching a microphone to your setup. I would recommend a Rode smartLav+ (B&H | Amazon) for interviews and vlogging-style videos or a Rode VideoMic Me (B&H | Amazon) for run-and-gun shooting, though if you are looking to capture ambient sound or want something with some more versatility you should look at Rode’s iXY Module (B&H | Amazon) for stereo sound on par with standalone recorders.
Handheld shooting has come into vogue in the past decade, partially because it is so easy to capture steady handheld video these days. But we can’t forget about using the staple tripod in your video-shooting kit. Having a nice steady shot can change the look and tone of a film, and the precise movements of a fluid head will certainly up your game when it comes to pro-looking footage. Also, tripods tend to slow you down in a good way, requiring deliberate movements that will help you figure out the best way to frame the scene. To use a full-size tripod, you will need to pick up an adapter like this one from Joby (B&H | Amazon), or just go for the GorillaPod (B&H | Amazon) for something that will let you mount your iPhone almost anywhere (perfect for setting up a B camera).
Even with the dual-camera system of the latest smartphones, if you want to create stunning and unique shots, you will quickly hit the limitations of “wide” and “telephoto.” Some of my favorites would be Macro and Ultra-Wide attachments. Macro allows you to get super close to your subject, be it a plate of delicious food or an extreme close-up of your star actor or actress. This will reveal hidden details and as a side benefit will have a shallower depth of field than your usual shots.
Ultra-wides, like the Moment Wide Lens (B&H | Amazon) are completely different, with their all-encompassing perspective. While difficult to master, these lenses can create stunning landscapes or capture tight interiors that can set the tone for a scene. Telephotos, aka “zooms,” are nice as well, making it possible to get tighter framing or shoot more distant subjects.
Photography, and filmmaking by extension, is writing with light, which means that light is the single most important element of any shot. Making your footage look professional will require some work in the lighting department, even if it just means picking up a pocketable panel such as Aputure’s AL-M9 LED Light (B&H | Amazon) to fill in some shadows. This will let you quickly illuminate various subjects and won’t weigh you down.
Of course, if you want to create the next iPhone-shot feature for Sundance, picking up a three-light kit (B&H) is a great start. The next step is figuring out which modifiers to use, with an easy recommendation going to the softbox for flattering, soft light.
One downside to phone cameras is that they tend to have deep depth of field, meaning that a lot of the scene is in focus. You can certainly use this to your advantage to create shots with many layers to them, giving little hints and details about your characters by simply placing props in the shot behind or in front of them.
To do this well, you will need to pay attention to everything, ensuring no distracting elements are ruining your shot. If you are craving that cinematic shallow DoF look it is still possible, the easiest is simply to get closer to your subject as the shorter the distance the shallower your depth of field. You can also get optional lenses or even an anamorphic adapter to create more cinematic shots with your iPhone.
Film sets are filled with highly specialized roles, but if you want to be better at your chosen discipline it will require learning as much as possible about your fellow workers. In my opinion the best way to start getting better at cinematography and story is to watch/try to edit. This will help you make sure you have complete coverage of your scene before you move on and that you can imagine how all the shots will flow together when you are sitting down in the editing suite.
None of these tips will help you make any impact if you don’t sit down and learn the basics of filmmaking. This can be done by reading some books, watching YouTube tutorials, or simply sitting down in front of Netflix and studying some classics and some personal favorites. Film school is no longer a requirement with the plethora of resources made available for free on the web—including this blog! Come back often for more tips, tricks, and news about filmmaking.
Smartphones are frankly some of the most amazing tools for capturing video today, as they make it possible for anyone to start creating movies at a moment’s notice. We hope these tips help you learn how to shoot cinematic video with your iPhone. There is simply no excuse for not making something—so go out there and start shooting!
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Different Types of Animation Styles
Animated videos are a great way to connect with viewers in an impactful and memorable way. They can be used to create explainer videos, product demonstrations, and more. By partnering with a professional animation studio or an experienced freelancer, you can create unique and engaging content to share with your target audience.
One of the most important steps in the animation production process is choosing a style. Different types of animation styles convey different tones and are best suited for different purposes. To help you understand what your options are, here’s a quick overview of some of the most commonly used animation styles.
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The best type of animation style for your production will depend on what you are hoping to achieve with your video. Additionally, different styles have varying cost and time requirements to keep in mind.
From standard 2D animation to stop motion, here are 10 of the most popular types of animation styles that you can choose from when creating your own animated video:
2D animation probably doesn’t need much of an explanation. It’s used to create flat, 2D characters and environments. While this is one of the oldest animation styles, its flexibility makes it a prominent choice for a variety of applications, including cartoons, promotional videos, explainer videos, and more.
In traditional animation, each frame was meticulously hand drawn, which can be very time-consuming. Today, animators have access to digital tools and techniques that help to streamline the 2D animation process.
3D animation was quite revolutionary when it was introduced. Not only has 3D animation allowed animators to create more immersive, realistic animated experiences, but 3D animation also has practical applications in industries like medicine and architecture.
3D animation is often used for full-length movies, interactive advertisements, commercials, and other marketing materials. However, for simple explainer videos and similar projects, 3D animation isn’t always the best option as it can be much more time and labor-intensive.
Originating over a century ago, stop motion is one of the oldest animation styles and can be seen in many classic animated movies.
To create stop motion productions, creators take pictures of still objects in a specific sequence and string these pictures together to create the illusion of movement. In addition to offering a unique aesthetic, stop motion is a fairly cost-efficient animation style due to a lack of need for expensive equipment and facilities.
Rotoscope animation involves taking live-action footage and tracing over it with a rotoscope tool—similar to traditional animation styles that involve tracing photographs onto glass panels.
Rotoscoping is often used in situations where it's necessary for the animated character to interact realistically with the environment. Rotoscope animation is typically cheaper than standard 3D animation and is great for commercials and films.
Motion capture is a modern form of 3D animation that allows creators to create ultra-realistic animations based on live-action scenes. Motion capture is frequently used in the gaming industry to create realistic character animations and lifelike facial expressions.
The motion capture animation process involves dressing actors up in suits that track their movements and interactions so that they can be recreated with computer graphics.
Typography animation is the practice of creating animated text. This animation style is often used in movies to create interesting title screens and credit segments.
Businesses can use typography animation to create explainer videos, interactive statistic models, interesting presentations, and employee training materials. This can also be one of the most affordable types of animation styles.
Mechanical animation is used to break down the functions and configurations of mechanical products. It involves drawing and animating every detail and mechanism of a machine to create an informative visualization.
This animation style has practical applications in the engineering industry, as it can be used to make adjustments to products before development. Mechanical animation is also great for product demonstrations.
Clay animation, or Claymation, is a type of stop motion animation that involves creating characters with clay and photographing their movements in sequences, just as you would with traditional stop motion animation.
Claymation has been most popularly used in classic children’s movies like Chicken Run, as its unique, playful style is appealing to children. It can also be used to create unique shorts and commercials. Claymation is very time-consuming and is often best-suited for short projects.
