Hiring a 2D animator, studio or animation production company to make a custom animated video is much easier than trying to figure out how to make it yourself. We at Video Igniter get a lot of questions about working with 2D animators so we created this FAQ to answer the most commonly asked questions. In this guide, you will learn how to hire a 2D animator, how to work with them to create an animated video, how much it costs to make a 2D animated video, tips to save money on your production budget, and more!

2D Video Animator Examples

Check out these examples of 2D animated videos you can get from Video Igniter. Video Igniter can create any kind of 2D or 3D animated video for you. Check out the example videos below.

To start your project contact us, schedule a call with our production team or request access to our new pricing page.

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

How To Hire A 2D Video Animator?

If you’re interested in hiring someone to make a 2d animated video, take a look at their video portfolio to see if they can do the level of quality work you expect for your video. It’s also worth asking about their design process, pricing structure and the amount of revisions you get when working with them. Here are some additional animated video production resources to help you find and hire a 2d animator for your project:

• 9 Things to look for when hiring an animator.
• How do you outsource an animated video project?
• How do you hire an animator?
• What is Video Igniter Animation?
• What to look for when hiring and collaborating with a 2D animation studio?
• What goes into production cost of an animated video?
• Considering making the animated video yourself? Learn about DIY options.
• Need your video fast? Learn about rush delivery.
• Pros and Cons of Different Animation Styles

Where Can I Hire A 2D Video Animator?

Video Igniter

Fiverr

Upwork

Craigslist

How To Make A 2D Animation With Video Igniter’s 2D Animator?

1). Questionnaire

Once you’ve selected a 2D animator for your project and paid to start production, the animator will send you a questionnaire. The questionnaire helps the animator collect information about the animated video you want them to create.

2). Script

The 2D animator will review your questionnaire and draft the script for your video. You will get an opportunity to review the script and request edits before approving it for production.

Download Video Igniter’s Free Script Writing Template

Deep Dive: Check out our animated video asset review guide for tips on how to review your script and other assets for your animated video.

3). Storyboard

Next, the animator will create the storyboard. The storyboard contains instructions for the illustration and animation team so they know what to create for each part of your script. You will get an opportunity to review the storyboard and request revisions before moving on to the next stage of production.

Download Video Igniter’s Free Storyboard Template

Insider Tip: Video Igniter’s simple and standard animation projects include unlimited revisions which means we will continue to work with you to revise your storyboard until you love it!

4). VoiceOver

After your storyboard is approved, the 2d animator will help you audition voiceover talent for your video. If you love one of the voiceover auditions, the animator will procure and license the full recording for your animated video. You will get an opportunity to review the full recording and request edits before approving the voiceover for production.

5). Soundtrack

Your 2D animator will also help identify soundtracks for your animated video that will enhance the presentation of your animation. The animator will help secure the broadcast license for the soundtrack you approve for your animated video.

6). Illustrations

Illustrations are a two phase production process. First, the artist will create custom concept art based on a scene from your storyboard, your branding and style references.

After you send your feedback to the art team, the illustrators will create all the custom art for your video. You will get an opportunity to review and approve all the art for your video before it moves into production.

7). Animation

Now that your storyboard, voiceover and illustrations are approved, it’s time for the 2D animator to really get to work. It will take them about a week to animate a 60 second video. When the first draft is ready, we recommend reviewing it with your internal team and members of your target audience (if available). Collect everyone’s feedback and send it back to the 2D animator to complete the final draft.

2D Animation Deep Dive

For a more in-depth explanation, check out this companion article that explains how to make a 2D animation and our FAQ guide about 2D animated videos.

How Long Does It Take A Video Animator To Create A 2D Animation?

The 2D animated video production process takes about 3-6 weeks to produce a 1-2 minute animated video.

I need my animated cartoon fast! Do you offer rush delivery?

Yes we do offer rush delivery animation. If you need to get your 2D animation video produced quickly for an upcoming deadline or launch date, fill out this form to get a custom quote and let us know you are interested in rush delivery for your cartoon video project. We’ll prepare an accelerated production schedule and rush delivery quote to get your video produced on time.

What Does 2D Video Animation Cost?

2D animators charge between $1,000-$10,000 to create a custom animated 60 second video. Your production budget is function of the following criteria:

• Are you creating the script or are you hiring the animator to write it for you?
• Will you create the storyboard or do you want to hire the 2d animator to make it for you?
• Are you providing the voiceover?
• How quickly do you need the animation produced?
• What style of animation do you want for your video?
• How long is the video going to be?

If you want to dial in the production budget for your video,  schedule a call with our production team, contact us to get a quote, or request access to our newest price sheet.

Deep Dive: How Much Does It Cost To Hire An Animator?

What are some tips to save money on my video animation budget?

1). Write your script

You can save hundreds-thousands of dollars off your production budget by writing your own script. Check out all our scriptwriting resources here.

2). Create your storyboard

Same story for your storyboard. Lots of budget saving to be had if you create your own storyboard. Check out our storyboard template and storyboard creation guide here.

3). Record your own voiceover

Check out 1:31 in the video below to learn how you can record your own professional sounding voiceover for free without having to buy any fancy equipment or special software:

4). Use stock assets

Not every part of your animation needs to be custom made. Consider asking your animator if they can help reduce your production cost a little by using some stock images, videos, text, icons, clip art and pre-made 3D models. Free (or low cost) icons, clip art, stock images, fonts, graphs and video clips are available on sites like Mixkit, TheNounProject, Google Font Library and Envato Elements.

4). Download free (legal) music from these sites for your animation

Incompetech

Facebook Sound Collection

5). Resources for cheap animated videos

How to make cheap animated explainer videos.

6). Can I make animated videos for free?

Yes, there are some ways… Check out: How to make animated videos for free.

What is the Video Igniter animated video creation platform?

Video Igniter provides animated video production services online. We modernized the experience of creating an animated video to help you create custom content faster and save on your production costs. Video Igniter streamlines the complex process of making a custom animated video and does 99% of the work for you. All you need to do is tell us what you want us to create and review the assets we create for your video (script, storyboard, voiceover, soundtrack, art and animation).

If you’re looking for a website to create an animated video online, Video Igniter’s custom animated video production service enables you to create any kind of animated video you can imagine. Our talented staff collaborates behind the scenes to create custom 2D and 3D animated videos so you don’t have to figure out if you have the right animator for the job. We handle all the technical and creative aspects of production including helping you develop your video script and storyboard – if you haven’t already created them yourself!

Where to find a 2D animator for hire?

This topic deserves its own article – so we wrote one: Where to find 2D animators for hire?

Hire Video Igniter To Animate Your Video

World class animation and design talent at prices startups can afford.

We can make any kind of 2D animated video or 3D animation you can imagine. Check out our animated video portfolio!

+20 reasons companies love hiring us to create animated videos.

Video Animation Demo Reel

2D Animator Success Stories and Testimonials

“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 made 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

“I found exactly what I needed: custom animated production with lots of options, fair price and fast communication. I loved working with the Video Igniter Team. Million thanks.”

Antonina Rome, MD – Bioresona

“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 collaborate with our 2D animators

Get a quote for your video.

Schedule a call with our production team to discuss your project.

Request access to our newest price sheet.

Create your Video Igniter account

Fill out a creative brief for your 2D animation.

Unlimited revisions for a custom animated video? Sounds too good to be true… Here’s what we mean by that:

What does the unlimited revisions policy mean?

Unlimited revisions means we will revise each major deliverable of your animated video an unlimited number of times until you mark it as approved. That includes the script, storyboard, voiceover (and auditions), soundtrack options, illustrations (and concept art) plus the final animation.

If you request a revision that was not previously specified earlier in the production process, your revision request may require a budget increase. A member of our production team will reach out and discuss options with you before proceeding.

Read this companion article to learn more about animated video payment terms and how production budget increases (or decreases) are assessed.

Why do we offer unlimited revisions?

Nobody likes getting nickel and dimed. We don’t want to have to bug you for more money if you keep asking for more edits. Unlimited revisions makes things work better for everyone.

By paying our animators and designers competitive market rates, it motivates our team to do their best work the first time. This minimizes the number of revisions and extra work we have to do.  It’s about making a great production experience and having great production outcomes for everyone. By charging what we need to charge to a good job, we’re able to get your content produced and polished faster and for less than hiring a full animation studio.

Most importantly, we want to do everything we can to ensure your animated video project doesn’t go over budget.

Questions?

If you have a question about the unlimited revisions policy that isn’t answered in this article, you can use our contact form to ask your question or click the image below to with a member of our production team:

Which assets does Video Igniter allow unlimited revisions?

Script

Download Video Igniter’s Free Script Writing Template

We will continue to revise your script until you love it. We can increase or decrease the length at your request and will notify you if these changes will result in a larger or smaller final budget. Even though we offer unlimited revisions, most scripts are reviewed and approved after 1-2 rounds of edits.

Storyboard

Download Video Igniter’s Free Storyboard Template

Just like the script, we will create and revise your storyboard as many times as you want until you mark it as approved. If you ask us to go back and rewrite the script at this phase of production, it may result in a budget increase. Otherwise, if you are sending edits for our storyboard artists to continue revising and refining what visuals we should show for each part of your animated video, we will continue to work with you to generate new original ideas for every part of your storyboard until you are completely satisfied with it.

How to send your storyboard revisions

It’s best to send feedback for each page of your storyboard, in order. If there’s no revisions needed for a particular page, you can leave it blank or say: “N/A.” Even though we offer unlimited revisions, most storyboards are reviewed and approved with 1-2 rounds of edits. Here’s some examples for how you can submit your storyboard revision requests:

“Slide 7: We want to see lots of characters in this scene. 7-8 is good but can we make it look like a whole crowd of people cheering?”

“Slides 9-13: We love the concept for this motion graphic. Can you add more design accents to it so that it will compliment our logo?”

VoiceOver

The first phase of getting voiceover(s) recorded for an animated video is to audition voiceover talent. When you hire an animator or Video Igniter we will identify multiple voiceover talents that will sound great for your animated video and have them record a few sentences from your script. This way, you can hear what kind of energy they will breathe into your script. This is better than relying on their demo reels. Let us know if you aren’t in love with any of the auditions. We’ll happily order up a new wave of auditions for you to review… and will continue to do so until we’ve nailed it!

After you select the voiceover artist of choice, we will hire them to record the full voiceover for your animated video. You will get a chance to review it and sign off on it before we move forward with production. If there are any parts of the voiceover you want to get rerecorded, let us know and we’ll get those parts rerecorded. We will continue to let you request revisions until you approve the voiceover.

What if you want to change voiceover artists after selecting one? This may incur a budget increase.

If we get beyond the VO phase of production and we receive a request to change part of the script or the voiceover, we will get in touch with a quote to cover the cost of re-hiring the voiceover artist to make the changes.

How to send your voiceover revisions

It helps if you send your voiceover revisions in chronological order and include the timestamp to indicate which part of the voiceover you are referring to. Even though we offer unlimited revisions, most voiceovers are reviewed and approved with 0-1 rounds of edits. Here are some example revisions you might send:

“0:09: The VO artist mispronounced the word ‘cacophony.’”

“0:58-1:10: Sounds like there is some background noise or the VO artist bumped something. Please have them rerecord this section. Otherwise it sounds perfect!”

Concept Art

After the storyboard is signed off, our design team reviews your brand guidelines & design inspiration for the animation and selects a key scene from your storyboard to create multiple pieces of concept art.

How to send revision notes for your concept art

When you review the concept art, it’s your job to tell the illustration team what you like and dislike about each piece of concept art. Maybe one of the designs is perfect and just needs a few refinements. Or maybe you like a few ideas from multiple pieces of concept art and want them pulled together. If you’re not in love with any of them, let us know what isn’t working for you and we’ll to discuss what you want. Either way, we’ll take your feedback and use it to refine the concept art as many times as it takes to nail the visual design. Normally concept art gets nailed down with 0-3 rounds of revisions.

Illustrations

Now that the concept art is approved, the illustration team will use it as a style reference and create all the remaining art for your animated video. You can request as many edits as you want for the illustrations as long as it’s within the scope of what was already agreed upon in the storyboard.

Suppose you request something simple – like changing a car’s design from red to black. That’s what we would consider a simple revision that doesn’t cost extra.

But what if you wanted to change that car into an airplane. That requires a bunch of redesigns. The airplane wouldn’t make sense driving on the ground so we’d need to redesign scenes showing the airplane in the sky. Or maybe you want to change the main character of your animation from a human to a dog. These types of edits are possible at this phase in the production process. However, they require additional rework outside the scope of what was defined in the storyboard. A member of our production team would reach out in a case like this to discuss how the production budget would need to be modified in order to address these types of revision requests.

How to send your revision notes for the art.

It’s best to send feedback for each slide in order. If no revisions are needed for a particular illustration, you can leave it blank or say: “N/A.” Even though we offer unlimited revisions, most illustrations are reviewed and approved with 0-2 rounds of edits. Here’s some examples showing how you can share your revision requests:

“Slide 3: Please change the color of the phone from red to black.”

“Slides 5-8: Can you add more clouds throughout this sequence?”

Animation

By this point, most revisions are related to the motion design since the voiceover and illustrations have already been signed off. If you want to make more substantial edits at this phase of production – something like adding a scene or changing the visuals or the voiceover – we would set up a discussion with our production team to figure out the minimum budget needed to address these particular requests.

How to send your animated video revision notes

It’s best if you organize your feedback in chronological order. This keeps everything organized and helps the animation team process your requests in chronological order. Even though we offer unlimited revisions, most animations are reviewed and revised just one time. Here are some examples of how to share your revision requests:

“0:11-0:14: Please speed up the appearance of the logo by ~1 second.”

“2:42: Looks like there’s a slight glitch that appears in the upper right corner.”

Good News!

Luckily, we almost never need to have a discussion with our clients about charging extra for their projects. As long as your project stays within the guidelines that were prescribed when the project started (namely: visual style, video length and deadline), you should not expect to receive a request for a budget increase just because you requested an edit to the video thanks to the unlimited revisions policy and our streamlined production process.

We designed the production process in a way that minimizes the odds we will need to revert back to a previous stage of the production process to address any revision requests that may come up.

Which types of projects does Video Igniter not allow unlimited revisions?

3D animation, hand drawn frame-by-frame animations, rush delivery animation, and high end 2D animations.  Basically, anything that we consider a Premium Animation project, a rush delivery project, or a discounted project is not eligible for unlimited revisions.

What if my custom quoted project goes over the maximum number of revisions allowed?

If your project doesn’t include unlimited revisions and you request more than 2-3 rounds of revisions for your script, storyboard, voiceover, soundtrack selections, illustrations or animation, we will consider a few factors before discussing with you whether or not your particular revision requests requires a budget increase. If your project requires a budget increase we will discuss options with you before proceeding.

Exceptions:

– If you request an edit multiple times and for whatever reason it was overlooked… We will address it at no extra charge.

– If the animator or designer did not follow or understand the specific revision request you previously asked for.

Note: Not all projects include unlimited revisions. If you were issued a custom quote, offered a discount or you’re making a 2D or 3D premium animation, your project is capped at 2 – 3 rounds of revisions. Contact your project manager if you are unsure if your project has unlimited revisions. If your animated video is being created using the Simple Animation or Standard Animation production option and no discount was given, your project includes unlimited revisions.

Hire Video Igniter For Your Next Animated Video Project

In addition to getting unlimited revisions on your Simple Animation and Standard Animation projects, you get:

– World class design talent at prices small businesses can afford.

– The ability to outsource the production of any kind of 2D or 3D animated video you can imagine.

+ 20 reasons why companies love hiring Video Igniter for their animation projects.

P.S. Check out our animation portfolio!

Animated Video Demo Reel

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

Animated Video Success Stories & Testimonials

“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 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 made 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

Animated Video Production Resources

These popular articles are recommended for people that have been reading about Video Igniter’s unlimited revision production policy:

How To Make A Video Animation

How To Review Your Animated Video

Should You Hire A Freelance Animator Or Video Igniter?

Get in touch about pricing and unlimited revisions for your video

Schedule a call to discuss pricing and unlimited revisions for your animated video.

Get a quote for your video project.

Check out our animated video portfolio to see our latest and greatest creations.

Request access to our newest price sheet.

To get your animated video created as fast as possible, create your Video Igniter account and fill out a creative brief to start the production process.

We’ve created a few explainer video templates and miscellaneous resources to help you make the most amazing custom animated video possible. Looking for help writing your script? Or creating your storyboard? This article includes links to all of the free explainer video templates and resources we have created.

If you have a question about our explainer video templates that isn’t answered in this article, you can use our contact form to ask your question or click the image below to with a member of our production team:

Explainer Video Template & Resources For Scriptwriting

Writing the script is the foundation for your entire explainer video. You can save time and money on production by creating the script yourself. Even if you aren’t confident with your writing, you can still save money by using our explainer video scriptwriting template to write the first draft. Then, we can help you polish it and make it production-ready! Download our free scriptwriting template below and check out our explainer video script examples.

Download our free explainer video script template here:

https://videoigniter.com/script-template/

Download our free scriptwriting explainer video template.

Free Explainer Video Scriptwriting Guides:

– How to write a script for an animated explainer video?

– 7 Tips to help you write a great explainer video script for your animated video.

– Examples of explainer video scripts and how to write them.

Explainer Video Template & Resources For Storyboarding

The storyboard is like the blueprint for your animated video. It tells the illustrators and animators what to create. By downloading our explainer video storyboard template, you can easily create your own storyboard using Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote or Google Slides. This will help you save 1-2 weeks off your production timeline and can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars off the cost of your custom animated video.

Download our free explainer video storyboard template here:

https://videoigniter.com/storyboard-template/

Free Explainer Video Storyboard Creation Guides:

• What is a storyboard?
• How to create a storyboard for an animated video?
• Extra tips to help you build a great storyboard for an explainer video.

VoiceOver Resources

VoiceOvers are included in almost every explainer video (but not always!) If your animated video includes a voiceover, you can save money on your production budget by recording your own voiceover at home. In the video linked below, we show you (at 1:31) how to record your own professional sounding voiceover at home for free – without needing to buy any fancy equipment or expensive software.

Free Animated Video Voiceover Resources:

Where to get a voiceover for your animated video and how to record a professional voiceover for free?

Soundtrack Resources

Sound enhances the experience of watching your animated explainer video. The right soundtrack can make (or break) your whole video. It’s worth spending an hour or more looking for various tracks you can test with your animation. Check out the resources below to learn where to find soundtracks for your explainer video and how to pick the right one for your project.

Explainer Video Soundtrack Resources:

How to pick the right animated video soundtrack for your explainer, where to buy them and where can you find free, legal music to use in your explainer video?

How to Hire an Animator?

Selecting the right animated video producer is a key decision in the animated video production workflow. While there’s no template for hiring an explainer video producer, these resources will help you figure out the right animation producer and animation style for your timeline and budget:

• 9 Things to Look For When Hiring An Animator to create an explainer video.
• How to outsource an animated explainer video project?
• How to hire an animator?
• Pros and Cons of Different Animation Styles
• What’s the difference between hiring an animation studio, a freelance animator and Video Igniter?
• What goes into production cost of an explainer video?
• Learn the types of online animated video makers.
• Need your video fast? Learn about rush delivery.
• What is Video Igniter Animation?

Sales & Marketing Templates & Resources

Is your explainer video being created to support a business objective? If so, the following templates and resources will help you maximize the impact your explainer video has on your business outcomes:

• 6 Ways to get high viewer engagement for your animated videos.
• How to use animated videos to improve your sales and marketing efforts.
• 7 Tips for using and improving your business’ explainer video.
• How to grow your business with visual content marketing.
• Learn how to interpret your video’s viewer stats to see if it needs improvement.
• How to use a sales animation video to increase sales.
• A/B Test variations of your animated video to improve its conversion rate.
• How to use animated videos to generate leads.
• Learn how an animated sales video can improve your bottom line.
• What are the benefits of using animated videos for digital marketing?
• How To Create A High Performing Marketing Video Animation.
• A round up of +100 animated video production resources to help you create all kinds of animations for your business.

Pre-Production Resources

Some things to think about before you hire an animation studio, freelancer or Video Igniter to create your explainer video:

• Learn about the different styles of animation.
• Pick the right visual style for your animated video.
• Review our explainer video tips.
• How to figure out the right pricing option for your animated video.
• 9 Things to look for when hiring an animation studio, freelancer or Video Igniter.

Thank you for looking at our explainer video templates & resources!

Want To Make An Animated Video?

Hire Video Igniter!

World class animation and design talent at prices startups can afford.

Check out our animated video portfolio! We can make any kind of 2D or 3D explainer video you can imagine.

+20 reasons companies love hiring us to create animated videos.

Check out our list of +160 free resources to help you create animated videos.

Explainer Video Demo Reel

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

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

Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Explainer Video Success Stories and Testimonials

“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 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

Need help making an explainer video?

Here’s how you can hire us for your explainer video project:

Get a quote for us to create your explainer video.

Schedule a call to discuss your video project.

Request access to our newest price sheet.

Check out our animated video portfolio to see our latest and greatest creations.

Create your Video Igniter account, fill out a creative brief, and we’ll start creating your explainer video.

What is Video Igniter Animation?

Looking for rush delivery animation to get your video produced quickly? In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions we get about making custom animated videos, fast!

If you have a question about rush delivery animation that isn’t answered in this article, you can use our contact form to ask your question or click the image below to with a member of our production team:

When Do I Need Rush Delivery For My Animated Video Project?

> 30 second animation

30 second animated videos normally take 2-4 weeks to produce. If you need to guarantee delivery in less than 3 weeks, get a quote and let us know how quickly you need your video and we’ll help generate a custom quote and develop a production plan to get your animated video produced on time.

60 second animation

60 second 2D animated videos take 4-5 weeks to create without rush delivery. If you need to guarantee delivery of the final draft in less than 3-4 weeks, contact us and let us know how quickly you need your animated video. Rush delivery in 2-3 weeks isn’t recommended but is possible with simpler animation visual styles or if you have your script and storyboard already ready for production.

+60 seconds or 3D animations

Rush delivery isn’t recommended, especially for longer projects or 3D animated videos. That being said, we’ve taken on our fair share of aggressive deadlines and are happy to discuss what it will take to accomplish your vision, on time. to get the ball rolling.

What is the normal, un-rushed animated video production process like?

The production process for making an animated video goes sequentially through this process:

• Script
• Storyboard
• Voiceover
• Illustration
• Sound Design
• Animation

You can create the script and or the storyboard for your animated video to save on your animation production cost – or you can hire Video Igniter to create it for you. After that, we create concept art for your animation, we audition some voiceover artists and select some soundtrack options for your video.

After you send your feedback to us, we will create all the art for your animated video, record the full voiceover from your favorite voiceover artist, and license the soundtrack for your video. You will get a chance to review all of them and request revisions before approving them for animation. For a more detailed look at the animated video production process, check out this article.

How Much Does Rush Delivery Animation Cost

Rush delivery is calculated as an extra percentage based on top of our normal prices. Depending how quickly you want your animated video produced and how detailed the visual style is, rush delivery can account for a 10%-100% animated video production budget increase over the normal, non-rush delivery price. The best way to figure out your rush delivery cost is to contact us via our get a quote form and let us know how quickly you need your animated video, what style of animation it is (2D or 3D), how long the animation is, and whether or not you will be providing the script or storyboard.

What do rush delivery costs go towards?

We agree, rush delivery adds a lot to a production budget. But quality work takes many hours and there’s only so many hours in a week.  Rush delivery production costs go towards expediting your project and paying our team to work longer, later hours and on weekends, if needed, to meet your deadline. Rush delivery also provides funding to add additional animators and illustrators to a project in order to help it get produced quicker. This in turn requires additional project manager time to ensure illustrations and animation design is consistent between each video animator/designer before all the pieces are stitched together into a single animated video. We don’t like having to charge extra for rush delivery, but now you know what the extra costs go towards.

To learn more about what goes into the cost of making an animated explainer video, check out this companion article: “What goes into the cost of an explainer video?”

When possible, try to avoid rush delivery animation projects.

This goes without saying but creative work shouldn’t be rushed. On the flip side, we know the internet runs very fast, 24/7 and people want to make high quality video animations as fast as possible. With simple visual styles and animations, it’s possible to crank out easy animations in short amounts of time. But more detailed animation requires planning and creative time from the storytelling team, the visual design team, and the animation team.

We come up with our best work when we can bounce ideas off each other and ideally test them with the target audience if time and budget allows. But when rush delivery deadlines are looming, we often need to make the best design decisions we can with the time we have available. Sometimes this means we have to leave out fun ideas – or at least for the first draft. Whenever possible, it’s best to plan 4-8+ weeks ahead of your deadline for the best production outcomes.

Hire Video Igniter For Your Rush Delivery Animation

– World class animation services at prices small businesses can afford.

– You can use Video Igniter to outsource the production of any kind of 2D or 3D animated video you can imagine.

– +20 reasons companies love outsourcing their animation projects to Video Igniter.

Animated Video Demo Reel

Rush Delivery Animation Success Stories & Testimonials

“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 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

“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 made 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

Get in touch about rush delivery animation for your video project

Schedule a call to discuss rush delivery for your animated video.

Get a quote for your rush delivery video project.

Request access to our newest price sheet.

Check out our animated video portfolio to see our latest and greatest creations.

To get your animated video created as fast as possible, create your Video Igniter account and fill out a creative brief to start the production process.

What is Video Igniter Animation?

Building a great storyboard for an explainer video will set your video project up for success. Whether you’re creating the storyboard yourself or hiring an animation studio/freelancer to create it for you, this article will teach you how to ensure you end up with a polished storyboard that will be easy for your illustrators and animators to understand what you want them to create.

What is a storyboard?

A storyboard is like a blueprint for your animated explainer video. It’s a document made by the creative team that needs to be approved by the client before moving forward with production. The storyboard specifies what visuals need to be created for each sentence of the script and how the images are going to move in sync with the narration.

Download Video Igniter’s Free Storyboard Template

Why make a storyboard for your animated explainer video?

Helps lower your production budget

Creating your own storyboard can help you save hundreds or thousands of dollars off the price of your explainer video. You can create a storyboard even if you don’t think you have any artistic abilities. Stick figure sketches are good enough to help our illustrators know what you want them to create.

Helps production run smooth

The storyboard helps everyone involved with your explainer video get consensus about what is going to be created. It’s the blueprint that tells the illustrators what they need to illustrate for each scene. It also provides instructions for the animators so they know how to make the illustrations move in sync with the voiceover.

Without clear documentation, the illustrators might waste time creating the wrong art and the animators wouldn’t know exactly what they’re supposed to animate.

It’s important to take the time to clearly and unambiguously document everything you want the animation team to create. Every detail left unspecified means you are ok with the creative team coming up with their own way to show something. If a character’s hair needs to be a specific color, say so in the storyboard. If a certain movement shouldn’t happen in a scene until a key word is spoken by the narrator, include that detail in your storyboard’s instructions. The more specific you are, the smoother production will go.

How to create a storyboard for an explainer video?

1). Download our free explainer video storyboard template

Our free explainer video storyboard template is a great way to keep your production budget low. You can create a storyboard even if you don’t think you have artistic abilities.

2). Use Powerpoint, Keynote or Slides to create your storyboard

Count how many sentences are in the script for your explainer video. Then, open up our storyboard template in Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Keynote. You will see one page of the storyboard template in the document. Duplicate that page so that you have as many pages in your storyboard as you have sentences in your script.

3). Add your script

Copy the first sentence of your explainer video’s script. Paste it in the box in the lower left corner of the storyboard. Repeat for every sentence of your storyboard.

Put one sentence on each slide of your explainer video’s storyboard.

If a sentence is particularly long or there is a lot of action happening during it, consider breaking that sentence up into multiple slides. This will allow more space for you to provide instructions to the illustrators and animators.

4). Mock up the visuals

Next, you’ll mock up the visuals for each scene in the upper left corner of the storyboard. All you need is a rough napkin sketch of what you want to show in the scene. Something that provides a rough layout of what you want to show in the scene. Take a photo of your sketch and paste it into the storyboard. Repeat for each slide.

Add visuals to your explainer video’s storyboard so the design team knows what to create.

Alternately, if you don’t want to sketch out each scene, you could mock up each scene using free clip art and stock assets you find online.

Use free clip art and stock assets to mock up the visuals for your explainer video’s storyboard.

Don’t worry about making your scene mockups or sketches look perfect. It’s our job to turn your storyboard into the finalized art for the explainer video.

5). Describe the motions

After the visuals are established, you’ll want to explain how you expect the elements in the scene to move. Use the box in the upper right corner to provide a bullet point list of simple instructions that tell the animators what you want to see happen in sequential order. If two things happen simultaneously, say so. If something is supposed to happen in sync when the voiceover says a certain word, say so. When in doubt, over explain what you want to happen. The more information the better.

Add instructions for your explainer video’s storyboard

6). Create the asset list

The final piece of information that needs to be included in your storyboard is a list of the assets that need to be created for each slide. This can include background and scene design, characters and the clothes they wear, objects, special effects, icons, logos, sound effects and more. Be specific. The storyboard sketch isn’t detailed so use this place to provide information about how you want things to look. What does the character look like? What color surfboard are they holding? How intense should the waves sound in the background, etc.

Describe what assets are needed for each scene of your explainer video

7). Review with your team + target audience

When the first draft of your explainer video’s storyboard is complete, share it with your in-house creative team. Make sure it accurately reflects the messages you want to broadcast to the world. It’s also wise to run the storyboard by members of your target audience to ensure it makes sense with them. If any last minute changes need to be made, it’s much better and less expensive to address them during the storyboard phase rather than waiting til the art and animation have been produced.

8). Export the storyboard as a PDF for production

After your storyboard is approved for production, export it as a PDF so you can easily share it with the illustrators and animators working on your animated video.

Now you’re ready to choose a video animator to help turn your storyboard into a custom animated explainer video. Not sure what kind of animation service provider is right for your project? Check out our pros and cons list to help you decide what kind of animator is right for your project.

Tips to help you build a great storyboard for an explainer video

Use clip art to mock up your visuals

Storyboards for big budget animations are created with detailed sketches for each part of the script.

Most short animated videos that are created these days don’t require something this detailed. In most cases, you can create a simple stick figure sketch. If you’re still not feeling comfortable sketching out your ideas, consider using free clip art and stock images you find online to mock up the scenes in your storyboard. You just need enough detail to give the illustrators an idea of what you want to show in each scene and how everything is positioned and framed relative to everything else.

Example of an explainer video storyboard created using clip art and stock images to mock up the scene.

Use icons for your mockups

Can’t find the right piece of clip art to mock up your scene? Odds are you can find a free icon of the thing you’re looking for on The Noun Project.

How to use sketches for your storyboard?

When you build a storyboard for an animated explainer video, it’s best to sketch out each scene with enough detail as possible so that the illustrators have the clearest picture of what it is you want them to create. Of course, most people don’t have the ability to sketch decent images. Luckily, it isn’t a requirement to sketch images, illustrators can work from rough mockups.

If you are confident enough in your stick figure drawing abilities, it’s worth it to sketch out what you want to show in each scene. Use plain white paper to sketch each scene. Consider using a pencil in case you need to revise the storyboard. After you finish a sketch, take a photo of the sketch and send it to your computer. Then, paste the image into your storyboard.

Sketch the scenes for your explainer video’s storyboard

Use basic language to explain what you want

When you write the instructions for the animators and describe the visuals that need to be created by the illustrators, use basic language. Make it easy to understand. The more detail you can provide, the better. This will ensure the animators and illustrators stay on task and minimize the chance they will need to redo their work or take a pause because the instructions were unclear and they need clarification from the client.

Animated Video Production Resources

Here are some popular articles and resources we recommend for your video production journey:

Free Download: Storyboard Template + Storyboard Creation Guide

Free Download: Script Writing Template

How long does it take to make an animated explainer video?

How do I create a digital marketing animated video?

How to make an animation clip for a video project?

Hire Video Igniter to Create Your Storyboard and Explainer Video

World class design talent at prices small businesses can afford.

We can make any kind of 2D or 3D explainer video you can imagine.

+20 reasons companies love hiring us to create storyboards and animated explainer videos.

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

Demo Reel: 

Success Stories & Testimonials

“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

“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 made 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 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

If you need help building a great storyboard for an explainer video, get in touch with our team. We can help!

Schedule a call to discuss your animated video and storyboard.

Get a quote for your storyboard and explainer video.

Check out our animated video portfolio.

Request access to our newest price sheet.

Create your Video Igniter account, fill out a creative brief, and we’ll start creating the storyboard for your explainer video.

What is Video Igniter Animation?