Animated Video Company FAQ
Do you want to hire an animated video company to help you produce a custom animated video? Video Igniter has developed a comprehensive FAQ about all the different types of animated video companies you can hire to help you produce your video. We also answer popular questions like:
- What’s it like working with an animated video company?
- Where do I find an animated video company to work with?
- How do I hire an animated video company?
- What does it cost to make a video with an animated video company?
- … and more!
We’ll get started with an overview of the different types of animated video companies out there so you can get some context on the industry.
Famous Motion Picture Animated Video Companies
These big name companies are probably outside your production budget. We’re sharing information about them so you can compare what it costs to produce a full length animated movie to what it costs to produce a shorter animated video.
Pixar Animated Video Company
Website: Pixar.com
Pixar Animation popularized 3D animated movies and brought us modern classics like Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Up and Wall-E. Pixar was originally started by George Lucas’s production company (known for the Star Wars series) and later developed into the production company you know today, thanks to the co-founder of Apple Inc., Steve Jobs.
Budget Range: $30,000,000-$200,000,000 for a feature length movie.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Website: DisneyAnimation.com
Walt Disney Animation – the original animated movie powerhouse known around the world brought us Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Beauty & The Beast, and other countless beloved classics. Walt Disney Animation acquired Pixar Animation in 2006 for $7.6 billion.
Budget Range: $858,000-$100,000,000 for a feature length film.
DreamWorks Animated Video Company
Website: DreamWorks.com
DreamWorks joined the world of 3D animation shortly after Pixar blew people’s minds with their rich animated visuals and timeless storytelling. DreamWorks eventually brought us famous movies like Shrek and the How To Train Your Dragon series.
Budget Range: $30,000,000-$175,000,000 for feature length films.
Studio Ghibli Animated Video Company
Website: GhibliCollection.com
Studio Ghibli is based out of Tokyo, Japan and is known for its ultra detailed hand drawn illustrations and animations. Studio Ghibli’s famous productions include: My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.
Budget Range: $11,000,000-$34,000,000 for feature length films
Animated Video Company Marketplaces
Marketplaces are great for finding affordable freelance animators
Website: 90seconds.com
90Seconds.com is an online marketplace where you can source videographers and animators in every zipcode. You pick who you want to work with and collaborate with them online to create your video.
Budget Range: A few hundred or thousand dollars per project.
Fiverr
Website: Fiverr.com
Fiverr originally started as a website where you can find people to do something for 5 bucks. They’ve since expanded to offer more high end services including animated video production.
Budget Range: $5-$5,000+/project + transaction fees
Freelancer
Website: Freelancer.com
On Freelancer, you can find freelancers to help you complete your tasks and projects. Post a job and let people bid on your project, or you can reach out to freelancers for a quote.
Budget Range: $250-$15,000+
Thumbtack
Website: Thumbtack.com
Thumbtack is a website where you can search for local professionals to help you with everything from cleaning your house and mowing your lawn to filming a wedding video and creating an animation.
Budget Range: A few hundred or thousand dollars per project.
Boutique Animated Video Companies
Looking to hire a smaller animation studio?
Explainify
Website: Explainify.com
Explainify is an independent animation studio that specializes in creating animated explainer videos that inspire the masses.
Budget Range: Thousands -> tens of thousands of dollars per minute of animation.
YumYumVideos
Website: YumYumVideos.com
YumYumVideos is another independent animation studio you can hire to create fully customized videos.
Budget Range: Thousands to tens of thousands of dollars per minute of animation.
Epipheo
Website: Epipheo.com
Epipheo is an animated video company that makes sure your message gets understood.
Budget Range: Tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per project.
Online Animated Video Company
If you’re looking for a way to make videos online, there are two categories of companies you can work with. One kind offers DIY production options where you create the animated video yourself using pre-created video assets. The other enables you to work with professional animators online to create custom animated videos.
Video Igniter Animation
Website: VideoIgniter.com
Looking for the fastest and most cost effective way to produce a professional looking custom animated video? With Video Igniter, all you need to do is describe the video you want to create, pick your budget level – and we handle everything else! We create your script, storyboard, voiceover, and the illustrations for your video. You get notifications when they’re ready to review and share your feedback online. Once all the parts of your animated video are approved, we animate your video.
Budget Range: Request access to our current price sheet here.
PowToon
Website: PowToon.com
If you’re looking for a cheap way to make animated videos, look no further than PowToon! PowToon enables you to create your own animated videos online using their library of pre-created characters, scenes and objects.
Budget Range: $20-$100/month
Examples of Videos From Our Animated Video Company
What’s it like working with an animated video company?
Questionnaire
Production starts with a questionnaire or a phone call with the animated video company you hired. This is your opportunity to communicate what key messages you want to include in your video, what visual style the animation company should use, and who your target audience is.
Script
You can write the script for your animated video yourself using our free scriptwriting template. Or, you can hire the animated video company to create the script for you. Your scriptwriter will send you the first draft as soon as it’s ready (usually >1 week for a 1-2 minute animated video). Give it a detailed review and share your feedback with the scriptwriter so they can incorporate your revisions.
Storyboard
After the script is approved, it’s time to turn it into a storyboard for your animation. A storyboard is like the blueprint for your animated video. It tells the animated video company what to create. You can create the storyboard yourself using our free storyboard template. Or, you can hire the animated video company to create it for you. You will get an opportunity to review the storyboard and request revisions before approving it for production.
VoiceOver
After the storyboard is approved, the animated video company will help you audition voiceover talent. You will get an opportunity to hear several voices for each character in your video. Let the animated video company know which option(s) you prefer. They will oversee the recording of the full voiceover so they can ensure it uses the proper pacing, tone, and pronunciation. You will get an opportunity to review the voiceover(s) and request revisions before approving it for production.
Illustrations
Creating the art for your animated video starts with the creation of concept art. The art director for your video will review your brand guidelines, style references and select a key scene from your storyboard to illustrate with one or more unique visual styles
Review the concepts and tell the animated video company which concept you prefer. Then, the art team will create all of the illustrations for your animated video.
Give the art a detailed review and let the animated video company know if there are any revisions you want them to make. Otherwise, mark all the illustrations as approved so animation can begin!
Animation
Now that everything is approved, it’s time to animate. Animation takes about one week for each minute of animation that is being created. Longer videos can be sped up with rush delivery animation. When the first draft is ready, give it a detailed review with your internal team and members of your target audience (if available). Collect everyone’s feedback and share it with your animated video company so they can incorporate your revisions and render out the final draft.
SFX + Music
Now that the timing of your animation is locked in, the animated video company will help add a soundtrack and sound effects to help enhance the presentation of certain moments in your video. They will select a few soundtracks and let you preview them to decide which one you like best. Then, they’ll purchase the license so that you can legally use the music in your animated video.
Where can I find an animated video company to work with?
How do I hire an animated video company?
Choosing the right animated video company for your project is a key step in the production process.
Here are some resources to help you hire the right animated video production company for your project, budget and desired visual style:
- How to outsource an animated video project?
- How to hire an animator?
- 9 Things to Look For When Hiring An Animator to create an animation.
- What goes into production cost of an animated video?
- Pros and Cons of Different Animation Styles.
- What’s the difference between hiring an animation studio, a freelance animator and Video Igniter?
- What is Video Igniter Animation?
- Learn the different types of online animated video makers.
- Interested in 3D animation? Read about 3D animation makers.
How can I save money when working with an animated video company?
- Download our script writing template and use it to create the script for your animated video.
- Download our storyboard template and use it to create the storyboard for your animated video.
- Consider using stock assets to reduce your design cost.
- You can use free (legal) music for your animated video soundtrack.
- You can record the voiceover for your animated video.
For more tips on making your video animation more affordable, check out this companion article:
What does it cost to hire an animated video company?
Depends on the length and style of the animated video you are creating. Most 2D animated videos can be created for under $5,000 for a 60 second video. Some 2D animations are more expensive to produce based on the visual style and the amount of detail going into the animation. 3D animated videos cost 2-4x more to produce.
How long does it take an animated video company to create a custom animated video?
It depends on the length of the video and the visual style used to create it. A typical 60 second, 2D animated video can be produced in 3-6 weeks. 3D animated videos take 2-3x as much time. Longer videos can take a few months or even a year to produce. To get an estimate for how long your video will take to produce, use this form to message our team about your project and let us know you are interested in getting a production timeline estimate for your video(s).
Need to speed up production for a deadline? We offer rush delivery animation to help you get your video produced faster:
Still have animated video company questions?
Do you have a question about animated video companies that wasn’t addressed in this FAQ? Use this form to send us your question and we’ll follow up with an answer. We’ll also post the question and answer to this page so other people can benefit from the knowledge.
What is Video Igniter Animation?
Video Igniter Animation is an online animated video production service. By working with our team online, you can get your custom animated video produced faster and for less than hiring a brick and mortar animation studio.
We can help you create any kind of 2D animated video or 3D animation you can imagine. Check out our animated video portfolio!
Watch our explainer video to learn more about how we can help you create an animated ad for your business or check out our demo reel below:
Looking For An Animated Video Company In The U.S.?
Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
Success Stories & Testimonials
“Video Igniter offered us the critical combination of creative value, clear communication, and patience with stakeholder feedback. We ended up with truly high-quality design assets for our video series largely due to the extra level of commitment — and the right balance of efficiencies with flexibility in the process when called for.”
Larry Schlessinger – Sr. Creative Program Manager, Amazon Web Services
“Video Igniter came to us with a number of creative and engaging ideas and were able to create an exciting, impactful video in a short period of time. And the best part was that it cost much less than other options of similar quality. The video they made is a great marketing tool for us.”
Alex Raymond – Founder, Kapta Systems
“I am beyond satisfied with my experience with Video Igniter. The first drafts of the work were almost exactly what I had in my head when developing the concept. After that each step along the way was seamless until arriving at a perfect finished product. And all this at a tremendous value. Anyone who has considered creating a marketing video should check out Video Igniter.”
Anonymous Customer Feedback
Looking to hire an animated video company? Get in touch!
Schedule a call with our production team to discuss your animated video project.
Get a quote for us to create your animated video.
Request access to our newest price sheet.
Create your Video Igniter account, fill out a creative brief, and we’ll start your animated video.
