Animation Price: How To Calculate The Price Of Your Animation

Table of Contents

Do you want to figure out the animation price for your next video project? If so, you’re in the right place! Video Igniter‘s guide to animated video pricing explains everything you need to know about how to calculate the production price for your new animation. In this guide, we’ll cover:

How to calculate the price for your animation?
Examples of animations videos made with small, medium and large budgets.
What costs factor into the price of making an animation?
Tips to help you save $1,000 or more off the price of making your animation!

What Is The Price Range For Making An Animation?

The price for making an animation can be as little as a few hundred dollars and upwards of $100,000 or more for each 60-seconds of animation.

Prices for most 2D animations range between $1,500-$10,000 to create each minute of animation. Prices for 3D animations cost 3-4x more to create.

Looking for a production quote? Get a quote for your animation

How To Calculate The Price For Your Animation?

Learn how to estimate the price of your animation in 5 steps:

1). Are You Providing The Script For Your Animation?

If so, the price for creating your animation’s script = $0. If you want Video Igniter to write your script for you, add $500 to your production budget.

2). Are You Creating The Storyboard For Your Animation?

If so, the price to create your storyboard is $0. If you want Video Igniter to create the storyboard for your animation, add $500 to your production budget.

3). How Much Do You Want To Spend on Visual Production?

The higher your visual production budget, the more beautiful, modern and original your animation will look. We recommend a minimum budget of $1,500 for a 2D, 60-second animation. For a modern, original looking animation style, we recommend budgeting $3,000-$6,500 for each 60-seconds of video that we produce for you. For 3D animations, we recommend budgeting 3-4x more for your visual production budget.

4). Are You Providing The VoiceOver or The Soundtrack?

VoiceOver and soundtrack costs are included in the price to make your animation. If you plan to provide the soundtrack or the voiceover for your animation, you can subtract $50 from the price of your animation budget. If you are providing both the soundtrack and the voiceover, you can subtract $100 from your animation budget.

5). Multiply By Length

The number you’ve calculated at this point is the price to create a 60 second animation. Now, it’s time to multiply that rate by the number of minutes of animation you want us to create.

If you want us to create a 2.5 minute animation, multiply the price per minute by 2.5 to get your production price. If you want us to create a 30 second animation, divide the cost per minute in half to arrive at the production price for a 30 second video.

6). Rush Delivery (Optional)

If you need to guarantee delivery of your animation within a short timeframe, Video Igniter offers rush delivery to speed up the production process. Contact us to get a rush delivery production quote for your animated video project.

Now, let’s take a look at examples of animations that Video Igniter can make with small, medium and large budgets!

Animation Price Examples ($1,500-$2,500 Budget)

Are you looking for a different style of animation? Send us a message to let us know what kind of production example you want to see and we will follow up with some relevant production samples.

Animation Price Examples ($3,750-$5,750 Budget)

Premium Animation Examples

These animations cost +$10,000 to create each minute of video.

Video Igniter can make any kind of 2D or 3D animation for you. Check out our portfolio here.

Request access to our price sheet here.

What Goes Into The Price Of Making An Animation?

The animation production process has 6 main phases, each with it’s own production cost. This breakdown will help you wrap your head around the different pricing variables that go into creating a custom animation.

1). Script Writing Price: $500/Minute

The foundation of every animation is the script. Our team will spend time learning who your target audience is and what your main talking points are. Then, we’ll use that information to draft a script for your animation. You get an opportunity to review the script and request revisions before approving the script for production.

The price to create your script is $500 for each 60 seconds of animation. This means if we are creating a 90 second animation, the price for us to research, write and revise your script for you is $750 ($500/min x 1.5 minutes).

Budget Saving Tip: You can skip this production cost and lower the price of making your animation by writing the script for your video. Download our free script writing template to help you get started.

2). Storyboard Creation Price: $500/Minute

Next, we need to turn your script into a storyboard. The storyboard acts as a blueprint for your animation. Our illustrators and animators need a storyboard so that they have clear instructions that explain what they are supposed to create, show and animate for every sentence of your video’s script.

The price for making a storyboard is $500 for every 60 seconds of video we create for you. This means if we are creating a 30 second animation, the price to create your storyboard is $250 ($500/min x 0.5 minutes).

Budget Saving Tip: You can skip this production cost and lower the price of making your animation by creating the storyboard for your project. Download our free storyboard template to get started.

3). Illustration Price: Variable

Illustration costs for a custom animation range widely. The higher your budget, the better your illustrations will be. At a minimum, we recommend spending $500-$1,000 for every 60 seconds of 2D animation that we create for you.

More realistically, expect to spend $1,500-$3,000 for 60 seconds worth of custom illustrations for your animation.

The price for an animation that includes custom illustrated characters tends to to be a little higher because of the extra time and detail it takes to illustrate and animate characters.

When it comes time to create illustrations for your animation, our art director will develop multiple visual concepts for your video. You get to pick your favorite art concept and refine the visual details with our art director until you absolutely love it. Then, our illustration team will create all of the custom art for your animation. You get an opportunity to review all of the illustrations and request revisions before approving the art for production.

Deep Dive: Check out our companion article called: “How Much Does Animation Cost?” to learn how much it costs to produce episodes of The Simpsons and your favorite PIXAR animated movies.

4). VoiceOver Price: $50-$500+

The price to record a voiceover for a short animation typically ranges between $50 and $500. If you plan to use your animation in a paid promotional advertising campaign, an additional voiceover licensing cost may be added to your animation’s production price.

Our team will select several voiceover auditions for you to review. After you listen to them and select your favorite voiceover artist, we will hire that person to record the full voiceover for your animation. You get to listen to the full voiceover recording and request edits before approving the recording for production.

5). Soundtrack License Price: $50-$500+

Most animations include some form of music to set the mood and emphasize key moments in your video. The price to license a stock soundtrack ranges between $50-$500.

If you want to use a well known song and or you plan to use your animation in a paid media campaign that will be seen by millions of people, an additional broadcast license will be needed to secure the rights to use the music in your commercial.

Our team will select several soundtrack options that will enhance the the presentation of your animation. Let us know which one is your favorite and we’ll acquire the appropriate broadcast license so that we can legally use the music in your video.

6). Project Manager Price: 10% of Production Cost

Project managers are the unsung heroes of animation projects. They help keep your project moving forward so that your animation can be delivered on time and on budget. Project management costs generally equate to about 10% of your video’s total cost.

7). Animation Price: Variable

The largest piece of your animated video’s production price comes down to how many animators are needed to bring your video to life. Animation prices range widely from a few hundred dollars up to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the length and complexity of the animation style used for your video. Most animations you see online allocate $500-$3,000 of their video’s production budget to cover the animation phase of production.

How To Lower The Price Of Your Animation

Want to save $1,000 off the price of making your animation? Combine these tips to save $1,000 or more off of your video’s production budget:

1). Write The Script For Your Animation

Video Igniter’s world-class script writing team has written hundreds of scripts for animated videos for Fortune 500 companies, marketing agencies, non-profits and tech startups. We’re happy to lend our script writing expertise to develop a script for your animation that conveys your key talking points to your target audience in a way that resonates with them.

That being said, if you want to write the script for your animation, you can save $500 for every minute of animation we create for you. Download our free script writing template for help writing your script.

2). Create The Storyboard For Your Animation

Video Igniter can also help you create the storyboard for your animation. That being said, if you want to take on the role of creating your storyboard, you can save $500/min off the price of your animation.

No artistic skills necessary; just document your ideas and we’ll make sure your animation looks great! Download our free storyboard template to start creating your storyboard.

3). Start Production As Soon As Possible

Rush delivery costs can increase the price of your animation by 25%-50% or more! You can avoid this price increase by starting production as soon as possible!

4). Use Free, Legal Music

Using free, legal music can shave a little money off of the production price of your animation. Check out Incompetech for free music you can legally use in your animation. If your video is going to be used on Instagram or Facebook, you can get free music from Facebook’s sound collection.

5). Record The VoiceOver For Your Animation

Did you know it’s possible to record professional quality voiceovers at home for free? You don’t need to buy any expensive software or fancy production equipment. Watch 1:31 in this video to learn how you can record your own voiceover for free and skip this production cost!

For more cost-saving tips, check out our article about creating affordable animations.

Still have questions about animation pricing?

Do you have a question about the price of your animation 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!

Do you want to create an explainer video for your cryptocurrency or an animated video to explain how your blockchain technology works? We can help with that too.

Need help syndicating your animated video? Ask us about video promotion!

Watch our explainer video on our home page to learn more about how we can help you create an animated video. For examples of the kinds of animation our team can produce, check out the demo reel below:

Looking For An Animation Production Company In The U.S.?

Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Animation Success Stories & Testimonials

Don’t just take our word for it – these testimonials highlight Video Igniter’s reliability, creativity, flexibility and ability to deliver animations that exceed expectations. When you choose Video Igniter Animation, you can rest assured that you are working with a trusted and reputable studio.

“Video Igniter were very easy to work with and the entire process for creating and suggesting edits was seamless and stress-free. I would work with them again and would recommend to others looking to create a modern and stylish explainer video.”

Clair Simpson – VP Marketing, Repool.com

“I run a video production company and outsource animation. The team at Video Igniter did a great job in taking the concept I very crudely drew out and making it into a beautiful animation. The review process was easy and their turnaround time was very quick. I’d def recommend them if you’re looking for an animation project.”

Pat Henderson – Founder, Path8 Productions

“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

Get in touch to figure out the price for your animation!

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 for your video and we’ll begin production as soon as we receive your production deposit.