Explainer Video Cost: How To Calculate Your Explainer Video’s Cost
Table of Contents
If you want to figure out the cost to make an explainer video, you’re in the right place! In Video Igniter’s guide to calculating your explainer video cost, we’ll cover:
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- 5 tips to help you save +$1,000 off your explainer video’s cost.
- What goes into the cost of making an explainer video?
- How to calculate your explainer video’s production cost?
- How much it costs to make different kinds of explainer videos.
But first, let’s take a look at some examples of explainer videos that Video Igniter can make for you with a small, medium or large budget.
Examples Of Explainer Videos That Video Igniter Can Make For You
Video Igniter can make any kind of 2D or 3D animated explainer video for you. Below, you can see our animated video demo reel. After that, scroll down to see additional demo reels and examples of explainer videos that we can make for you with a small, medium or large budget.
To start making your video, contact us or schedule a call with our production team.
Request access to our price sheet here.
Examples of Explainer Videos That Cost $1,500-$2,500
Are you looking for a different style of animation? We have hundreds of other production examples we can share with you. 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.
Examples of Explainer Videos That Cost $3,750-$5,500
Explainer Videos That Cost Over $7,500
How Much Does An Explainer Video Cost?
TL;DR: Most 2D animated explainer videos cost between $1,500-$10,000 to create 60 seconds of animation. 3D animations cost 2-4x more to create.
Let’s break these production budgets down to help you see what goes into the cost of making an explainer video so that you can estimate the cost to make your explainer.
Want to get a quote for your explainer video? Send us a message or schedule a call with our production team.
1). Script Writing Cost: $500/Minute
Writing the script for an explainer video is typically costs around $500 per minute of animation that is created. This budget is used to learn about what you want to communicate in your explainer video, who your target audience is and then create a script that conveys your key messages to your audience in a way that resonates with them. Big marketing campaigns require larger budgets to create the script because more time is spend on the customer research phase of production to research and test that your marketing messages resonate with your target audience.
Budget Saving Tip: You can skip this production cost by writing the script yourself!
2). Storyboard Creation Cost: $500/Minute
Storyboards are essentially blueprints for explainer videos. They tell the illustration and animation teams what to create and how to make everything move during every sentence of your script. Storyboards for 2D animated explainer videos cost about $500 for every 60 seconds of animation that is created. 3D animations and 2D cel animations may require a larger budget to create the storyboards because the storyboards for these kinds of videos typically require more detail.
Budget Saving Tip: You can skip this production cost by creating the storyboard yourself! Download our storyboard template.
3). VoiceOver Cost: $50-$500+/Minute
It isn’t too expensive to hire a voiceover artist. But if you are creating an animated video for commercial purposes, you will probably need to pay an extra license fee so that we can legally use the recording for the purposes of commercial promotion. Video Igniter takes care of sourcing voiceover talent for your video and procuring the broadcast license to legally use the recording in your explainer video.
Of note, non-English voiceover artists tend to cost more than English-speaking voiceover artists.
Want to make your video in other languages? Video Igniter can help you translate your video into other languages.
4). Illustration Cost: $500-$10,000+/Minute
Illustrations are one of the biggest parts of an explainer video’s production budget (especially if we are creating your video using cel animation). Creating the illustrations for your explainer video can cost as little as a few hundred dollars. That being said, you are much more likely to pay $1,000 or more for high quality, modern looking custom illustrations for your explainer video.
5). Music Cost: $50-$500+/Minute
Most stock soundtracks can be purchased for under $100. However, if you want to use the music in an explainer video that you pay to promote, it will cost you at least a few hundred dollars extra to license the music for use in your promo video.
6). Animation Cost: $500-$10,000+/Minute
Here’s where the bulk of your budget comes to play. Animating a video is likely going to cost you at least $1,000 per minute of animation – unless you are making a very simple explainer video with limited movement on screen. The more you put into your animation budget, the more smooth, fluid and realistic your motion design will look.
7). Project Management Cost: 10% of Project Total
All of this couldn’t happen without the help with a diligent project manager that works with you to ensure your animated explainer video is created on time and on budget. For most projects, assume that project management costs about 10% of the project’s total budget.
How To Calculate The Cost Of Your Explainer Video
1). Do you want Video Igniter to write the script for your explainer video? If so add $500 to your production budget. If you will be providing the script, ignore this production cost.
2). Do you want Video Igniter to create the storyboard for your explainer video? If so, add $500 to your production budget. If you will be providing the storyboard, ignore this production cost.
3). How fancy and detailed do you want your animation to be? Aim for a production budget between $1,000 and $10,000 for a 2D animated explainer video and over $10,000 if you want to create a 3D animated explainer video or an explainer video created using cel animation.
4). Add up your total at this point (script + storyboard + how much do you want to spend on animation production and design). You have now calculated the cost to create a 60 second explainer video.
5). Take this number and multiply it by the number of minutes in your explainer video. If the video you want to create is 1.5 minutes long, multiply your cost per minute by 1.5. If you want to create a 30 second video, divide your cost per minute in half. Of note: if you want to create an explainer video that is under 30 seconds long, you will still be billed the minimum production price for a 30 second video.
6). Optional: Do you need to speed up production for a fast approaching deadline? Video Igniter offers rush delivery animation. Most rush delivery costs will increase your production budget by 25-50% or more depending on how complex your animation is and how soon your deadline is. Contact us to get a quote for rush delivery projects.
5 Tips To Save Money On Your Explainer Video’s Cost
Here are 5 tips that you can combine to save $1,000 or more off the cost of making your explainer video:
1). Start Production Early
Explainer videos take at least a few weeks to make if you want to create a video that you can be proud of. Rush delivery is available if you need to speed up production for a fast-approaching deadline. That being said, rush delivery costs can increase the cost of your explainer video by 25%-50% or more! Avoid rush delivery costs by starting production as soon as possible!
2). Write the Script For Your Explainer Video
Video Igniter is happy to help you create the script for your explainer video. If you want to provide the script for your explainer video, you can save $500 or more off of your production budget. Download our explainer video script writing template here.
3). Create The Storyboard For Your Explainer Video
Video Igniter can also help you create the storyboard for your explainer video. That being said, if you provide the storyboard for your explainer video, you can save an additional $500 or more off the cost of making your video. Download our free explainer video storyboard template to help you create your storyboard.
4). Use Free, Legal Music
Music licensing costs can add $50-$500 (or more) to your explainer video’s production cost. You can avoid this cost by sourcing free music that we can legally use in your explainer video. Check out Incompetech for free music you can use in your explainer video. If your video will be used on Facebook or Instagram, you can also source free music from Facebook’s Sound Collection.
5). Record The VoiceOver For Your Explainer Video
Professional voiceovers for explainer videos cost $50-$500 or more to record and license. You can skip this cost by recording your own voiceover for free. No expensive equipment or professional software is needed. Just watch 1:31 in this video to learn how you can record the voiceover for your explainer video for free.
For more ideas to reduce your explainer video’s cost, read our companion article about how to make animations more affordable.
Still have questions about explainer video costs?
Do you have a question about your explainer video’s cost 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!
Need help syndicating your animated video? Ask us about video promotion!
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.
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 Explainer Video Company In The U.S.?
Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
Explainer Video 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 create your explainer video!
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.
