The Ultimate Guide to Hiring and Working with Animation Studios

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Are you looking around for different animation studios to hire but aren’t sure which one to choose or how to work a studio?

Luckily, you’re in the right place! Video Igniter’s guide to hiring and working with animation studios has answers to all of your top questions including:

Where can I find animation studios to hire?
What do animation studios cost to hire?
How do I evaluate which animation studio to hire?
How do I work with animation studios to create my video?
How long do animation studios take to create videos?

All that, plus tips to help you save $1,000 or more off your production budget. But first, let’s take a look at examples of the types of animations that Video Igniter’s team can create for you:

Animation Studio Examples

Video Igniter can make any kind of 2D or 3D animation for you. You can see some of our favorite example videos below. For additional production samples, check out our animation portfolio or request access to our demo reels and price sheet.

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

How and where can I find animation studios to hire for my project?

Searching for animation studios is a very important part of the production process. They need to be able to create the style of animation you seek, on time and on budget. Also… just because a studio can make pretty visuals doesn’t automatically mean they’re good at crafting compelling stories that resonate with the intended audience. You need to look for animation studios that can accomplish all the above.

We’ve created a separate article to help you find, evaluate and hire the right animation studio for your project: How To Hire An Animator.

In the article, you’ll learn:

Where to look for animation studios
How to evaluate the portfolios of different animation studios
How to negotiate your production budget.

And so much more. Get the full guide here.

How do I work with animation studios to create my video?

Let’s do a high level walk through of the production process so you understand how to get the idea in your head turned into a custom animated video.

1). Get A Quote

Send us a message, schedule a call with our production team or fill out this questionnaire to get a quote for your animation.

Our studio will review your goals and work with you to develop a plan and a budget to create your dream video.

Once we agree to the scope of the project, you will receive an invoice for the first 50% of your production budget.

2). Script

Animation studios typically start the production process by organizing a kickoff call to learn the following information:

Who is your target audience?
What do you want to convey in your animation?
What problem(s) does your target audience experience?
What do you want your audience to do when they’re done watching your animation?

We’ll use this information to develop the first draft of your animation script. You will receive a link to a digital copy you can share and review with your team. After you add your feedback to the doc, we’ll integrate your revisions until you mark the script as approved.

3). Storyboard

After your script is signed off, the next step animation studios typically take is to turn the script into a storyboard. The storyboard acts like a visual blueprint so our production team knows exactly what to create for every part of your script.

You will receive a digital copy of the storyboard to review with your team. Add your revision notes to the doc and we’ll incorporate the edits until the storyboard gets your sign off.

4). VoiceOver

Animation studios typically maintain a roster of voiceover talent. You will receive a selection of voiceover recordings to listen to that we feel will be a good fit for your project. Let us know which one is your favorite and we’ll hire that person to record the full voiceover narration for your animation. You get an opportunity to listen to the full recording and request edits, if needed.

5). Soundtrack

You will also receive a selection of soundtrack options to consider for your animation. Give them a listen and let us know which is your favorite. We’ll make sure to acquire the appropriate license(s) to legally use the music in your animation.

6). Illustrations

Animation studios handle the illustration phase of production a variety of different ways. In most cases, the process starts with the creation of concept art. Our art director will review your brand guidelines, storyboard and any reference videos you may have shared. This information will be used to create several pieces of custom concept art for your video.

Give the concepts a detailed review and share your honest feedback with the art director. Let them know which concept is your favorite. If you like, you can collaborate with the art director to refine your favorite concept until everything looks exactly the way you envision it.

Once the concept art is locked in, our animation studio’s illustration team will get to work creating all of the custom illustrations for your animation. You will get an opportunity to review all of the art and request edits before we animate your video.

7). Animation

Now that everything is approved, our animation studio can start animating! As soon as the first draft is ready, you will receive a link to download a copy of your animation. Give it a detailed review with your internal team and members of your target audience.

Collect everyone’s feedback and send it our way. We’ll integrate your edits and render out the final draft of your animation.

What do animation studios cost to hire?

The answer to this question depends on what kind of animation you want to create. Animation studios like PIXAR and Dreamworks require budgets in excess of $100,000,000 to create a feature-length film. That comes out to about $1,000,000 for every minute of animation they create.

Most folks aren’t looking to create something that fancy. Most independent animation studios are substantially more affordable to work with.

Animation studios that specialize in 2D animation typically charge between $1,500-$25,000 to create each minute of video content.

Independent 3D animation studios typically charge north of $10,000 to create each minute of video.

Get a quote for your animated video.

How long do animation studios take to create videos?

The big guys like PIXAR take about 5 years to go from idea to final animation.

But what about shorter 1-2 minute videos created for the Internet or for various business purposes?

Most animation studios can create a 60-second 2D animation in 4-8 weeks.

If you are looking for animation studios that create 2D animations using the traditional hand drawn animation technique, it may take 2-3x more time to complete the project.

3D animation studios typically need 8-16 weeks to create a 60-second animation.

Need to speed up production for an upcoming deadline? Rush delivery animation is available.

Want to figure out how long it will take to create your animation? Send us a message.

Budget Saving Tips For Animation Studios

After you decide which of the hundreds of animation studios you’re going to hire, review these tips to see how you can save $1,000 or more off your production budget.

Write The Script – Animation studios are happy to help you create the script for your video. However, if you provide the script for your project, you’re eligible for a discount! Video Igniter will knock $500 off the price of each minute of video we create for you when you provide the final, approved script for your project.

Need help writing your script? Download our free animated video script template.

Record The VoiceOver – VoiceOvers can be cheap (usually $50-$500). However, animation studios also need to charge extra to pay the voiceover talent for a broadcast license and for a commercial license. These can easily add a few hundred dollars to your production budget. Luckily, there’s a free and easy way to record professional quality voiceovers at home if you don’t want to pay animation studios to produce and license them for you. Watch 1:31 in this video to see how.

Use Free Music – Soundtracks can run you anywhere from $9-$100,000 to license for your animation project. Stock music can be cheap but may require you spend a few hundred dollars for a broadcast license. If you want to avoid paying extra to use music in your animation, look for royalty free music on sites like Facebook’s sound collection and Incompetech.

Create The Storyboard – Animation studios will happily create your storyboard for you. On the other hand, if you create the storyboard yourself, you are eligible for an additional discount of $500 off the price of each minute of video we create for you. Download our free storyboard template and review the included storyboard creation guide to see how easy it is to create a storyboard.

Start Production ASAP – The easiest thing you can do to save money on your production budget is to start as soon as possible. Animation studios need to charge extra for rush delivery if your project has a short deadline. This can easily add 10%-50% or more to your production budget. We recommend starting production as soon as possible so you can minimize or avoid paying extra for rush delivery. Send us a message or schedule a call today to begin the discussion about your video project.

Resources For People Researching Animation Studios

The following articles are popular among people researching which animation studios they should hire for an upcoming project:

How To Improve Your Video Conversion Rate

How To Find & Hire The Best Animation Studio For Your Project

How To Work With An Explainer Video Studio

How To Work With A 2D Animation Studio

How To Work With A 3D Animation Studio

Still have questions about animation studios?

Do you have a question about animation studios 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.

Watch the demo reel below for examples of the kinds of animation our team can produce for you.

Looking For An Animated Video Company In The U.S.?

Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

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.

“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

“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

Get in touch!

Schedule a call 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.

Animation Studios | How To Hire & Work With Animation Studios