Do you want to hire an animation studio but aren’t sure how to get started? Video Igniter’s FAQ about animation studios answers the most popular questions about hiring and working with an animation studio to create a custom animated video.

This FAQ includes answers to questions like:

• How much does it cost to hire an animation studio?
• How long does it take an animation studio to create a video?
• How do I work with an animation studio to create my video?
• How can I save money on my production budget?
• …and more!

Examples of Videos You Can Get From Video Igniter’s Animation Studio

Video Igniter can create any kind of 2D or 3D animated video for you. Check out our animation portfolio here. Request access to our demo reels and price sheet here.

Contact us or schedule a call to start making your video.

Why should I hire an animation studio instead of a freelancer?

Hiring a freelance 2D animator could save you some money on your production budget. However, there are a few strong reasons to consider hiring an animation studio over a freelancer for your project:

Industry Expertise

Animation studios are experts at creating beautiful animations, engaging stories, and managing production so that you don’t go over budget. It takes a team to do all of these well; not all freelancers are equipped to do all three. Some may only be good at creating beautiful illustrations or storytelling. Animation studios have an abundance of all the skills needed to successfully complete your animated video project.

Variety of styles

Typically, freelance animators specialize in a narrow range of animated visual styles they can produce. Animation studios are made of a large pool of talented animators that can work together to design and animate endless custom animated visual styles. If you are looking to create an animated video using a unique visual style, hire an animation studio (or VideoIgniter.com) to create your video.

Great for long projects

Animation studios are staffed with dozens, hundreds or thousands of animators and are well equipped to take on long, feature-length projects (30-90+ min). If you want to create a video more than a few minutes long, you should hire an animation studio. Otherwise, it will take the freelancer many months to complete your project.

Trust

These days, most animated video projects are run virtually. You don’t need to physically be with the animation studio or freelancer to create the video. When it comes to working with someone virtually, trust matters. A freelancer is a lone wolf working by themselves; if they get sick or something happens in the middle of the project, there isn’t someone else there to jump in and keep the project going. Animation studios are staffed by large groups of people that can deliver on your project, even if some members of the project get sick. You can trust that an animation studio won’t ghost you in the middle of production; they will help you see the project through to the end.

Promotion

If you want help getting your animated ad in front of your target audience, some animation studios are capable of helping you with video marketing services.  Freelancers typically stay focused on production and are limited in their ability to advise the best ways to promote your video.

How to hire an animation studio?

Here are Video Igniter’s resources to help you find and hire the right animated video production company to produce your video’s ideal visual style, on time and within your budget:

• 9 Things to Look For When Hiring An Animator to create an animation.
• How do you hire an animator?
• How do you outsource an animated video project?
• What goes into production cost of an animated video?
• What’s the difference between hiring an animation studio, a freelance animator and Video Igniter?
• Pros and Cons of Different Animation Styles.
• Learn the different types of online animated video makers.
• Interested in 3D animation? Read about 3D animation makers.
• What is Video Igniter Animation?
• Need your video fast? Learn about rush delivery.

How do you work with an animation studio to create a video?

The animated video production process usually looks like this:

Learn about the project -> Script -> Storyboard -> Illustrations -> VoiceOver -> Soundtrack -> Animation.

Let’s dive in for a deeper look at the animated video production process:

Learn about the project

Production typically starts with a questionnaire or a phone call to learn about the video you want the animation studio to create.  This is your opportunity to explain:

• What information you want to convey in the video.
• What visual style you want to use to create your animated video.
• Who your target audience is and how to speak to them.

Script

Now that the animation studio understands what you want to convey in your animated video, they will develop the first draft of the script. You get an opportunity to review the script and request revisions before approving the script for production.

Storyboard

The animation studio will turn your script into a storyboard so that the illustrators and animators know what to create. Each page includes a sentence from your script, a rough visual mockup of the scene, a list of instructions for the animators and a list of the assets needed to create that scene. You get a chance to review the storyboard and share your feedback before approving it for production.

Illustrations

After the storyboard is approved, the animation studio’s art director will develop concept art for your video.

Let them know which concept you like best + let them know if you want to refine the visual style at all. Then, the illustrators can create all of the art for your video to match that visual style. You’ll get a chance to review all the illustrations and request revisions before approving the art for production.

VoiceOver

The animation studio will audition multiple voiceover artists for each speaker in your video. Let them know which option(s) you like best so that they can get the full length voiceovers recorded. You get an opportunity to review the voiceover(s) and request revisions before approving them for production.

Soundtrack

The animation studio will also select some soundtracks they feel will enhance the presentation of your animated video. Let them know which one(s) you prefer and they will purchase the license so you can legally use the music in your video.

Animation

Animation can begin after everything else is approved. If your video is 60 seconds long, it will take at least a week to animate your video. When the first draft is ready, share it with your production team and members of your target audience to get their thoughts. Collect everyone’s feedback and share it with the animation studio so that they can incorporate your edits and render the final draft.

What does it cost to hire an animation studio?

Depends on the cost and complexity of your animated video. A 60-second animated video will cost you about $1,500-$10,000 for 2D animation and +2-3x more for 3D animation.

Interested in pricing information for your explainer video project? Get a custom quote!

Or, you can request access to our pricing page.

How long does it take an animation studio to create an animated video?

Depends on the length of your animated video and whether you are using 2D or 3D animation. Here are a few ballpark timelines to help you get a loose idea of how long it takes to make different kinds of animated videos:

• A 1 minute 2D animated video can be produced in 3-6 weeks.
• A 1 minute 3D animated video takes 2-3x longer to produce.
• 90 minute 2D or 3D animated films take years to produce.

If you want an estimate for how long it will take to create your animated video, use our contact form to tell us about your project and deadline and we will follow up with a production plan and budget proposal.

Need your animated video fast? Video Igniter offers rush delivery animation to help speed up production so you can get your video delivered before your deadline.

How can I save money when hiring an animation studio to create my video?

• Download our free script writing template and use it to write the script for your animated video.
• Download our free storyboard template and use it to create the storyboard for your animated video.
• Consider using stock assets to reduce your design cost.
• You can provide the voiceover for your animated video.
• You can use free (legal) music in your video.

For more tips on affordable animation and how to keep your animated video production budget as low as possible, check out this companion article:

Animation Studio vs. In-House Production: Pros and Cons

When deciding how to produce animated content for your business, one of the biggest questions is whether to partner with an animation studio or build an in-house animation team. Each approach has its pros and cons, depending on your project scope, budget, and timeline. Working with an animation studio gives you access to a diverse team of specialists—including scriptwriters, illustrators, animators, and producers—all under one roof. This enables faster production times and high-quality results without the overhead of hiring and managing full-time staff.

On the other hand, building an in-house team offers more creative control and seamless collaboration with your internal departments, but it also requires a significant investment in personnel, equipment, and training. For many businesses, outsourcing to a professional animation studio is the smarter option for one-off campaigns or when quick, polished output is needed, while in-house production may be better suited for brands producing a high volume of animated content regularly.

The Role of Animation Studios in Marketing and Branding

An animation studio plays a vital role in helping brands stand out in today’s content-saturated digital landscape. From explainer videos and product demos to social media animations and brand storytelling campaigns, animation studios bring marketing strategies to life with visual flair and emotional impact. These studios have the creative and technical expertise to turn complex ideas into easily digestible, memorable animations that resonate with target audiences.

Whether you’re introducing a new product, educating customers, or reinforcing your brand identity, a professional animation studio can ensure your message is communicated clearly and creatively. By aligning animation style, pacing, and voiceover tone with your brand personality, studios enhance consistency across all marketing channels, driving greater engagement and brand recognition.

Animation Studio Portfolio: What to Look For

Before choosing an animation studio, it’s crucial to evaluate their portfolio to ensure their work aligns with your vision and quality expectations. A strong animation studio portfolio should demonstrate a wide range of styles and industries, showing the studio’s ability to adapt creatively to different brand aesthetics and storytelling needs. Look for smooth animation, clear storytelling, and visually compelling designs that keep the viewer engaged.

Don’t just skim through flashy visuals—assess whether the videos achieve their intended goals, like educating, converting, or entertaining. Case studies, client testimonials, and behind-the-scenes insights can add helpful context to the studio’s capabilities. If a portfolio looks repetitive or lacks substance, it may indicate creative limitations. A versatile, professional portfolio is a reliable indicator of what the animation studio can deliver for your brand.

Understanding Animation Studio Contracts and Agreements

When working with an animation studio, having a clear contract is essential for protecting both parties and ensuring the success of your project. A well-written agreement should outline the scope of work, including deliverables, production timeline, pricing, and the number of revision rounds included. It should also define who owns the rights to the final animation and under what conditions it can be used, especially if the video is intended for widespread distribution.

Animated video payment terms—such as milestone-based payments, deposits, or final balances—should be clearly spelled out to avoid surprises. Many studios also include confidentiality clauses or NDAs to protect proprietary information shared during production. Before signing, take time to review the contract carefully and ask questions about anything unclear. A transparent, fair agreement sets the stage for a smooth and successful collaboration with your animation studio.

How to start an animation studio?

At the bare minimum, all you need are:

• A computer with animation software on it
• A microphone (your smartphone’s microphone could work)
• Quality storytelling skills
• Illustration and animation skills

If you possess all of these, you can run your own animation studio by yourself.

To expand beyond there, find people who have production strengths that compliment yours. For example, if you’re a better illustrator and animator than you are a story teller, consider partnering up with someone who is good at script writing and storyboard creation.

The larger your team becomes, the more projects you can take on. Before you know it, you’ll have gone from making animated videos by yourself to running your own animation studio.

Still have questions about animation studios?

Do you have a question about animation studios that wasn’t included in this FAQ?  Use this form to contact us with your question. We will follow up with an answer and then we’ll post the question and answer to this page.

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 animation or 3D animated video you can imagine. Check out our animation portfolio!

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.

Watch our explainer video to learn more about how we can help you create an animated ad for your business:

 

Looking For An Animation Studio In The U.S.A.?

Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Animation Studio 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

Get in touch!

Schedule a call to discuss your project.

Get a quote for us to create your animated video.

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 your animated video.

This is The Video Igniter Show where we teach you all the ways you can use videos to improve your business. In this episode, you’ll learn how customer support videos can help you provide a better customer support experience. They can also save you time from having to answer the same questions again and again.

If you have a question about customer support videos 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:

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How Can Customer Support Videos Improve Your Customer Experience and Lower Your Support Costs?

Business owners know their leads and clients tend to ask the same questions again and again.

Thankfully customer support videos can save you from having to spend your time repeatedly answering the same questions.

Start by creating a list of your most commonly asked questions. Then produce short videos that walk people through the answer. Providing your answers in the form of a video also improves the customer’s ability to follow along and understand every step they need to take because they can follow the example in the video.

For Video Igniter, the questions everybody asks are: What does it cost to make a video? And: “What is the production process like?”

We created a series of short videos to answer these questions, and now our leads and customers are able to educate themselves faster than we ever would be able to respond. This frees up bandwidth for our support team as well.

Gaining Customer Insights From Your Customer Support Videos

And as an added bonus, if you use a video hosting service that shows you data and analytics about your videos, you can check out the viewing stats for your support videos to see how people are watching them and look to see if there are any major drop-off points in the video.

If so, it could mean something is unclear in the video. Consider going back and fixing it to improve the customer experience and comprehension.

As a pro tip: I like putting these videos on easy to remember links so that if somebody ever asks me a question, I know exactly where to tell them to go to get their question answered quickly. (Example: https://videoigniter.com/how-much-does-animation-cost/)

Best Practices for Creating Animated Customer Support Videos

Creating high-quality animated customer support videos involves more than just using fun visuals. Here are some best practices to follow to ensure your animated videos are both effective and engaging:

• Clear and Concise Storytelling: Animation allows for creativity, but the core message should always be clear and concise. Focus on explaining the support topic in simple terms, without overloading viewers with excessive details.
• Visual Appeal and Branding: Use consistent branding elements such as colors, fonts, and logos to ensure the video matches your company’s style. Well-chosen color schemes and motion graphics can also help guide the viewer’s attention to important information.
• Keep It Short and Sweet: Ideally, your animated customer support video should be between 1 and 2 minutes long. Attention spans are short, so ensure that each frame adds value and helps move the story forward. If your video is longer than 2 minutes, consider breaking it up into multiple videos.
• Include a Call to Action: End your videos with a clear call to action (CTA), such as a link to further resources, additional videos, or a contact page, to keep the user journey flowing smoothly.

By following these practices, you’ll create animated videos that capture your audience’s attention and provide real value in a digestible format.

Different Types of Animated Customer Support Videos

Animated customer support videos come in a variety of formats to meet different business needs. Here are some popular types you should consider integrating into your support strategy:

• Animated Tutorials: These videos break down complex processes or tasks into easy-to-follow steps. Animation allows for seamless transitions, making it perfect for explaining procedures or configurations that might be difficult to understand through text alone.
• Animated FAQ Videos: Frequently asked questions can be answered quickly and efficiently with short animated clips. This helps customers get immediate answers without needing to search through long text-based content.
• Product Demos: Animated product demonstrations showcase features and functionality in a highly engaging and visual way. These videos help clarify how a product works, what makes it unique, and how it benefits users.
• Troubleshooting Animations: For technical issues or common problems, animated troubleshooting videos provide step-by-step visual guides. Customers can easily see how to resolve an issue without needing to call support or search the knowledge base.
• Interactive Animated Support: Advanced animations allow for interactive elements, such as clickable options or decision paths. This is ideal for guiding users through customized support experiences or troubleshooting processes based on their specific needs.

By diversifying the types of animated videos you create, you can provide tailored support for a wide range of customer inquiries.

Animated Customer Support Example Video

The videos below are examples of animated customer support videos that were created to provide in-app support for users in a mobile app and in a desktop app:

 

How to Integrate Animated Customer Support Videos into Your Support Channels

Integrating animated customer support videos into your existing support infrastructure can make help resources more accessible and engaging. Here’s how to do it effectively:

• Knowledge Base and Help Centers: Embed animated support videos directly in your help articles or FAQs. This allows users to access visual explanations as part of their self-service experience, making troubleshooting easier and more intuitive.
• Live Chat and Chatbots: Use animated videos as part of your live chat or chatbot interactions. When a customer asks a question, the chatbot can suggest relevant video tutorials or explanations, improving the response time and accuracy of your support team.
• Social Media Platforms: Share animated customer support videos on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. Short, digestible videos can quickly capture the attention of your audience, providing them with helpful information that they can share with others.
• Email Support: Include animated videos in email responses to provide more context and assist customers in resolving issues quickly. This is particularly useful for complex inquiries where text alone might not be sufficient.

By strategically integrating animated videos into these touchpoints, you provide customers with immediate access to the support they need, improving their experience with your brand.

The Role of AI and Automation in Animated Customer Support Videos

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are transforming the way animated customer support videos are created and delivered. Here’s how businesses can leverage these technologies:

• Personalized Content: AI can be used to analyze customer behavior and tailor animated videos to individual needs. For example, if a customer is having trouble with a specific feature, AI can trigger an animated video that addresses that exact issue.
• Automated Video Responses: AI-driven systems can automatically generate animated responses for common support queries. This reduces wait times for customers and provides them with immediate assistance.
• Interactive Experiences: AI can enhance interactive animated videos by responding to customer inputs. This creates a dynamic and personalized support experience that guides users step-by-step through troubleshooting or account management.

By combining animation with AI, you can deliver highly personalized, efficient, and scalable customer support that meets the unique needs of each user.

Animation Accessibility and Inclusivity in Customer Support

Ensuring your animated customer support videos are accessible is critical for reaching all customers, including those with disabilities. Here are some tips to make your animated videos more inclusive:

• Add Subtitles and Captions: Including subtitles or captions helps users with hearing impairments follow along with the video. It’s also beneficial for non-native speakers or people who prefer to watch videos without sound.
• Offer Voiceovers and Transcripts: For customers with visual impairments, adding a voiceover to the animations can ensure they still receive the necessary information. Additionally, providing a transcript of the video allows customers to read the content in text form.
• Color and Contrast Considerations: Use high-contrast colors in animations to ensure that people with visual impairments can clearly see the content. Avoid overly bright or flashing colors that could trigger sensitivities.
• Sign Language and Visual Cues: For customers who rely on sign language, including animated sign language interpreters or visual cues can make your videos more accessible to a broader audience.

Prioritizing accessibility in your animated videos ensures that all customers, regardless of their abilities, can benefit from your support content.

The Impact of Animated Customer Support Videos on Reducing Support Costs

Animated customer support videos can have a significant impact on reducing support costs. Here’s how:

• Decreased Volume of Support Requests: By providing clear, easy-to-follow animated videos, customers are more likely to solve their issues independently, reducing the need for live chat or phone support.
• Faster Resolution Times: Customers can quickly find the answers they need through animated tutorials or troubleshooting guides, which helps resolve issues faster than written instructions or waiting for an agent.
• Reduced Training Costs: Animated videos can also be used for training your support staff, providing them with a visual and consistent reference to better assist customers.

Incorporating animated videos into your support strategy not only enhances the customer experience but also leads to measurable cost savings.

Animated Content for Self-Service Customer Support

Self-service is a growing trend, and animated videos are an excellent tool for empowering customers to find answers without contacting support. Consider the following:

• Step-by-Step Visual Guides: Animation simplifies complex concepts, allowing customers to resolve issues on their own. Whether it’s setting up a product or troubleshooting an error, animated videos provide an easy, visual way for customers to learn.
• Interactive Self-Service: Combine animation with interactive elements, such as quizzes or decision trees, to guide customers through a personalized self-service process. This increases engagement and helps users resolve their issues more effectively.

Self-service options like animated videos not only improve customer satisfaction but also free up resources for handling more complex cases.

Mobile Optimization for Animated Customer Support Videos

With a significant portion of customers accessing support via mobile devices, it’s essential to ensure that your animated customer support videos are mobile-optimized. Here’s how:

• Responsive Design: Ensure that videos are formatted to adjust seamlessly across different screen sizes. Mobile users should be able to easily view, pause, and navigate through the video without issues.
• Optimized Video Quality: While high-quality animation is important, the video should be compressed for fast loading on mobile devices. Slow loading times can frustrate users and result in a poor experience.
• Touchscreen-Friendly Navigation: Implement simple touch gestures, like swipe or tap-to-play, to enhance the mobile user experience.

Optimizing animated videos for mobile users ensures that your support content is accessible and functional no matter how customers interact with your site.

Measuring the Success of Animated Customer Support Videos

To determine the effectiveness of your animated customer support videos, it’s crucial to track and measure key metrics. Some important indicators to monitor include:

• Engagement Rates: Track how many customers are watching your videos, how much of the video they’re watching, and how many watch it to completion.
• Customer Satisfaction: Use surveys or feedback tools to gauge how helpful the animated videos are in resolving customer issues.
• Support Ticket Reduction: Measure how the availability of animated videos correlates with a decrease in support requests or ticket volume.
• Video Conversion Rates: If the goal of your video is to drive users toward a specific action (e.g., upgrading a service), track how well the video leads to conversions.

By closely monitoring these metrics, you can continuously improve your animated videos to ensure they deliver maximum value to both your customers and your business.

The Future of Animated Customer Support Videos

The future of animated customer support videos looks promising, with new advancements continuing to improve both the quality and interactivity of content. Here’s what we can expect:

• Increased Use of Interactive Elements: Expect more animated support videos to incorporate interactive elements, such as clickable options or dynamic responses based on user input, offering a personalized experience.
• Integration with Augmented Reality (AR): The potential for AR to enhance customer support videos is exciting. Imagine customers using their mobile devices to view 3D product animations or troubleshooting steps in their own environment.
• AI and Voice Integration: AI will likely continue to play a role in creating more personalized animated support videos, with voice-driven commands and automation enabling seamless interaction between customers and support systems.

As these technologies evolve, animated customer support videos will become even more powerful tools for improving customer satisfaction and support efficiency.

What is Video Igniter Animation?

 

Examples of Videos You Can Create With Video Igniter

Video Igniter can create any kind of 2D or 3D animated video for you.

To see more animation examples, check out our animation portfolio and request access to our demo reels and rate sheet.

Contact us or schedule a call to start making your video.

 

Customer Support Video Resources

Looking for extra help to create your customer support videos? Here are a few handy resources to look into:

+160 Free Resources To Help You Create Animated Videos

How to Hire An Animator

How To Work With An Animation Company To Create Your Videos

Comprehensive List Of Animation Services Offered By Video Igniter

If you want to use animated video marketing to improve your sales and marketing funnel, this video highlights all the ways you can integrate animated videos into your sales and marketing strategy.

Do you have a question about video marketing that isn’t answered in this article? Use our contact form to ask your question or click the image below to with a member of our production team:

We’re going to be covering things level here so that you can understand all the basic elements and ways you can use video. And then in future videos, I’ll dig into each of these in more detail so you know how to properly implement them. For this video, the idea is to show you all the areas where video fits into the sales and marketing funnel.

 

Awareness

To start generating interest and awareness in your business, you’ll want to create video content that is tangentially related to your business so that when people are searching online for relevant and related questions, your content will be easier to discover. For example, Video Igniter is an animated video production company, and we create content about how to make, market and promote video content because these are the kinds of topics business owners are searching for.

Notice how we don’t start by talking about ourselves and what we do. Instead, we focus on the topics we can teach to people who are potentially interested in our services down the line.

 

For these kinds of videos, you’ll want to feature them on YouTube and social channels to make it easy for people to discover you.  

Interest

The next level of content is designed for people who have become aware of your business and want to learn more about who you are, what you do, and what the benefits are of working with you. 

This kind of video content should reside on your website. Have at least one video on your homepage to explain your business. And if you have additional educational videos, consider putting them behind an email gate in order to help you generate more leads and contacts.

Evaluation

Once you have people interested in potentially doing business with you, this is the time to start presenting more specific videos like, “How to work with us,” and “How to use the product or service.” 

Email is a great tool for your sales team to deliver videos directly to your prospects. Many video marketing services like Wistia let you see prospects are watching your videos which helps you determine how interested they are in your business. 

This can give you clues about who to follow up with and how to tailor your pitch. 

Relationship Nurturing

The last kind of content you want to create is essentially the same as the first kind, however, it serves a slightly different purpose. 

When you have a list of prospects that you want to keep engaged with over time, and existing customers that you want to continue to provide value for, we recommend you continue to create educational content that’s tangentially related to your business and can help your existing customers and prospects.

Keep posting this content to YouTube and your social channels in addition to periodically sending these updates out via email.   

That’s all for this episode. Thank you for watching, and if you want to support the show, share this episode with someone who will find it useful and you can subscribe and like the content on these channels (Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook). 

How to Create a Video Marketing Strategy From Scratch

Creating a successful video marketing strategy starts with a clear understanding of your goals and audience. Without a solid plan, even the most beautifully produced videos can fail to generate results. A thoughtful video marketing strategy ensures that your content is aligned with your brand, optimized for your target platforms, and positioned to drive measurable outcomes—whether that’s boosting awareness, increasing conversions, or supporting customer retention.

Start by defining your video marketing goals. Are you trying to generate leads, explain a complex product, or improve brand recall? Setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) provides clarity and sets the direction for your content. Next, identify your target audience—consider demographics, pain points, and where your audience spends time online. This helps tailor your messaging and choose the right video format for each viewer segment.

From there, decide which types of video content best match your funnel stages: animated explainer videos work well for the awareness phase, product demos for consideration, and customer testimonials or case studies for decision-making. Build a content calendar that outlines your production schedule, deadlines, and distribution plan to ensure consistency and avoid last-minute scrambles.

An essential component of any video marketing strategy is determining where your videos will live. Will you host them on your website, social platforms, YouTube, or all of the above? Different channels serve different purposes and audiences. Don’t forget to plan for video SEO optimization, including keywords, video titles, descriptions, and transcripts to improve discoverability in search engines.

Finally, establish KPIs to measure performance—such as video views, engagement rates, conversions, or time on page. By consistently evaluating performance and iterating based on data, your video marketing strategy can evolve and improve over time.

How to Optimize Your Videos for Search Engines

Video marketing isn’t just about creating great content—it’s also about ensuring people can find it. That’s where video SEO comes in. Optimizing your videos for search engines increases visibility, drives organic traffic, and helps your content appear in search results, including Google’s video carousel. An effective video marketing strategy should always include steps for SEO optimization.

Start with keyword research. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or YouTube’s search suggest feature to identify relevant terms your audience is searching for. Incorporate those keywords into your video titles and descriptions to give search engines context. A compelling title should be both clickable and SEO-friendly, while your description should provide a concise overview of the video’s content and include targeted keywords naturally.

Next, add transcripts and captions to your videos. Not only does this make your content more accessible to a wider audience, but it also provides text for search engines to index, improving your chances of ranking for relevant queries. For platforms like YouTube, using tags and accurate categories further helps your video surface in related searches.

Don’t overlook your video thumbnail, which serves as the visual hook for your content. A custom-designed thumbnail that includes brand colors, readable text, and a strong visual cue can dramatically increase your click-through rate.

Embedding your video on a high-quality landing page is another key tactic. Pages that provide additional context and value around the video tend to rank better, especially if they include structured metadata like video schema markup. Submitting a video sitemap to Google can also speed up the indexing process, ensuring your video marketing content is quickly discoverable.

When you optimize your videos for search, you’re not just increasing views—you’re building a sustainable, long-term content asset that contributes to your overall video marketing performance.

Best Practices for Promoting Video Content on Social Media

Creating an engaging video is only half the battle. To get the most out of your video marketing efforts, you need a strong social media promotion plan. Social platforms are where your audience discovers, interacts with, and shares content—making them essential distribution channels for any video marketing campaign.

Start by choosing the right platforms based on your audience. If you’re targeting professionals, LinkedIn is ideal for B2B video marketing. For consumer brands, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook offer massive reach and high engagement. YouTube remains a powerful search engine in its own right, perfect for educational or evergreen content. Adapt your video format to match the norms of each platform, such as vertical video for Instagram Reels and snappy intros for TikTok.

When posting, always upload videos natively rather than linking from other platforms. Native content performs better in most algorithms and offers richer preview experiences. Use strong hooks in the first 3 seconds to stop the scroll, and always add captions or subtitles, since a large percentage of users watch without sound.

Incorporate relevant hashtags, keywords, and geotags to boost discoverability. Posting at the right time—based on when your audience is most active—also increases visibility. Don’t hesitate to boost high-performing content with paid promotion or use targeted video ads to amplify reach.

Encourage viewers to take action—whether it’s liking, commenting, sharing, or visiting your website. Calls-to-action (CTAs) at the end of the video or in the caption can guide behavior and drive traffic. Monitor performance closely using each platform’s analytics to see what content resonates and adjust your strategy accordingly.

A strong social sharing strategy not only expands your reach but also strengthens your overall video marketing performance by feeding your content into algorithms, sparking conversation, and building community.

Hire Video Igniter To Create Animated Marketing Videos

– World class design talent 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.

– 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.

Video Marketing Demo Reel

 

Video Marketing Success Stories & 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

“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

Get in touch about animation and video marketing

Schedule a call to discuss animation production and video marketing for your company.

Get a quote for your animated video.

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 then we’ll make your animated video for you.

What is Video Igniter?

Video Marketing Resources

These popular video marketing resources are recommended for your video production journey:

How to create an animated sales video?

How do I create animation videos for marketing?

Learn about the animated explainer video production process.

How do I market my business with video?

Interested in learning how to create an animated video but don’t know where to start? In this article, we’ll teach you how you can create an animated video yourself and how to create an animated video when you hire a studio, freelancer or Video Igniter to create your animated video for you. We also answer the most frequently asked questions about making custom animated videos – including how to keep your video production budget low.

Examples Of Animated Videos We Can Create For You

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 Create an Animated Video When You Hire Video Igniter?

 

Scriptwriting

If you are hiring an animated video production company, a freelance animator, a studio or Video Igniter, we can help you create your script for you – or you can save money on your production budget by creating it yourself. When you work with an outside party to create your script, they’ll want to learn about the story you want to convey, who the story is for, and what the purpose of the animation is. This helps the writers understand what their goal is, what must be conveyed in the script and who the information needs to be relevant for.

After you’ve briefed your animation team, they will take a little time to research your target audience more to understand how to communicate with that audience and how to make things seem relevant for them. Then the writing team will take 1-3 days to create the first draft of your script. You will get an opportunity to review the script, share your feedback and have the writing team update the script with your changes. If you aren’t completely satisfied with the script, the team will move forward with creating the storyboard. Otherwise, if you have any last minute changes to the script, let your team know now so they can integrate your edits before moving forward.

Free Download: Get our free script writing template:

 

Storyboarding

Now that your script is production ready, it’s time to create the storyboard. This is another step of the production process that you can do yourself or you can hire your animation partner to do for you. It takes about 1-3 days to create the first draft of a storyboard for a 30-120 second animation. The storyboard is a blueprint for the animation and design team so they know what to create for each sentence of your script. Each page of your storyboard includes a sentence from your script, a mockup of the visuals, a list of actions that will happen in the scene and a list of all the assets that are needed to create the scene.

You will get an opportunity to review the storyboard and request edits before approving the storyboard for production.

Soundtrack

Your animation producer will identify a handful of soundtracks that will compliment the vibe of your animation and will share them with you for your thoughts. If you’re in love with one of the selections, your animation team will license the soundtrack for use in your animated video. If you’re unsure about the soundtrack options, wait until you can see the animation with your soundtrack playing so that you can get a better sense of which soundtrack really works with your animation before you spend money procuring the appropriate license for the soundtrack.

To learn more about how to pick the right soundtrack for your animated video, check out this video.

VoiceOver

Your animation team will help you audition voiceover talent for your animated video. First, you will receive 1 or more auditions for each character in your animated video. If you have a favorite selection for each, your animation team will guide the voiceover artist through the full recording so that they pronounce everything correctly and bring the right energy at the right moment. If you aren’t satisfied with the voiceover auditions, your animation team will procure more voiceover auditions for you to listen to until you are happy.

After you get a chance to listen to the full recording, take detailed notes to share with your production team. Useful feedback looks like this:

0:10-0:15: Have the VO artist slow down the rate at which they speak.

0:17: Add a pause

0:37: Rerecord the line, the VO artist was speaking too close into the microphone

Illustrations

The illustration process starts with the creation of concept art. Your design team will start by reviewing your branding and the visual style references you shared at the start of production. Then, they will take a key scene from your animated video and use it to design one or more pieces of concept art using original visual designs custom illustrated for your animated video.

After you’ve reviewed the concept art, let the design team know if there is one particular style frame that stands out to you. Feel free to send them notes to refine the visual style before approving it.  Maybe there’s parts you like about each of the pieces of concept art that you want the art team to combine into a new piece of concept art. If you aren’t in love with any of the pieces of concept art, let the team know why you don’t like the concept art and what you want to see differently. Then, they’ll work to incorporate your feedback and create a new piece of concept art. Your production team will continue working with you to refine the style frame until you are completely happy with it.

Once your style frame is approved, the art team will create all of the illustrations for your animated video and give you a chance to request revisions before approving the art for production.

Animation

Now that everything is approved, it’s time to create your custom animated video. Animation takes about 1 week to create each minute of animation. If you have a longer animation, your production team will coordinate multiple animators working together to produce multiple minutes of animation each week.

When you review the first draft of your animation, give it a detailed review and collect your feedback for the production team. We also recommend sharing the first draft with members of your target audience to make sure everything makes sense and resonates with them before approving the final draft of your animation.

Payment

Now that your animated video is complete, talk with your animation producer about finalizing payment for your animated video so that you can receive the final unwatermarked version of your animated video. In many cases, animation producers require prepayment of 50% of your production budget before they begin making your video and require the project balance before they deliver the final draft to you.

Learn more about working with animators

• What goes into production cost of an animated explainer video?
• How to hire an animator?
• What to look for when hiring an animation studio, freelancer or Video Igniter?
• How to outsource my video project?
• Need your video fast? Learn about rush delivery.

What programs can I use to create my own animated video?

Now that you know what it takes to create an animated video, maybe you are considering learning animation so you can make animated videos yourself. If so, here are a few services and programs that are used to make animated videos – ranging from easy to complicated to learn:

Easy To Learn Animated Video Creation Software

Online animated video creation software like Wideo, PowToon and Vyond can be learned in a few hours and cost substantially less than professional animation programs.  These easy animated video makers can be used to create simple animated videos with pre-created scenes, characters, objects, text and icons.

Pros: Low cost. You can learn how to use the program in a few hours.

Cons: You have to teach yourself how to use the program. The videos use pre-created stock visuals (characters, scenes, objects, etc) which means that your video won’t look completely original.

Advanced Animated Video Creation Software

Adobe After Effects is the go-to animation program for many professional animators. The program enables an endless list of visual creative possibilities and integrates with the Adobe Cloud ecosystem (so it’s easy to work with Photoshop and Illustrator art).

Pros: You can make any kind of custom animated 2D video you can imagine.
Cons: Requires more time to learn and master the program.

Expert Animation Creation Software

Cinema 4D is the industry leading program animators use to create custom 3d animations.

Pros: You can create any kind of custom 3D animated video you can imagine.

Cons: Takes longer to master and requires learning multiple skillsets (rigging, lighting, modeling, etc).

How To Create An Animated Video Yourself

How to write the script for your video

If you are going to create an animated video yourself, the first step is to write the script. To help you estimate the length of your animated video, we recommend using 120-180 words per minute of animation. 150 words/ minute is a good target. For tips on how to write a script for your animated video, check out these resources:

• Download our free script writing template.
• How to write a script.
• 7 Tips to Supercharge Your Video Script!
• Examples Of Explainer Video Scripts & How To Write A Script

How to create your storyboard

The second step of the animated video production process is to create the storyboard. This is where you brainstorm ideas for what to show during each sentence of your script. We recommend downloading our storyboard template and pasting one sentence of your script on each page of the storyboard. Then, create a simple mockup of what you want to show in that scene. You can use free images & icons you find online to mockup the scene, or you can draw a simple sketch, take a photo with your phone and paste it into your storyboard doc.

Then, you’ll need to include a bullet point list of what you want you want to have happen in each scene.

Finally, create a list of the assets that are needed to create the scene. Include descriptions about what the characters look like, what the scene looks like, what objects are in the scene, what sound effects (if any) will be used in the scene and along with any other miscellaneous assets like logos or icons.

For more resources on how to create your storyboard, check out these resources:

• Download our free storyboard template and storyboard creation guide.
• What is a storyboard? And why do you need one?
• How to create a storyboard?
• Get our tips for building a great storyboard for an animated explainer video.

Where to find music

There are many websites where you can find high quality affordable soundtracks for your animated video. Some of our favorites include AudioJungle and PremiumBeat. We recommend you download the free watermarked version of your favorite soundtracks and test them in your animated video when you’re ready to render out the first draft.

Note: If you plan to use your animated video for a paid media advertisement (TV or Online) you may need to pay extra for the song’s broadcast rights.

How to get a voiceover for your animated video

Affordable professional voiceover artists can be located on websites like Fiverr and Voices123. Once you’ve identified a few good candidates for your voiceover recording, we recommend hiring your top 3 candidates to record the first line of your script as an audition. This way, you can feel what kind of energy they will bring to your script instead of relying on their demo reel from previous clients to hear how they’ll sound.

Once you’ve identified your favorite voiceover artist, we recommend you annotate your script before sending it to the voiceover artist for the full recording. Include notes to let them know how what kind of energy, pacing and tone they should use at various parts of your script. Should they use a special inflection here and there? Where should they pause? And how do they pronounce those difficult / uncommon words in your script? Be sure to include a pronunciation guide.

Note: If you plan to use your animated video for a paid media advertisement (TV or Online) you may need to pay extra for the voiceover’s broadcast rights.

You can also record a professional sounding voiceover at home for free without having to buy any expensive equipment or software. Check out 1:31 in this episode of The Video Igniter Show to learn how.

Creating illustrations for your animated video

So far, everything we’ve done has been relatively easy. Something anyone can do without any artistic ability. Now comes the time to create the art for your animated video. Depending on the visual style you are using for your animated video, there are a few different ways you can create the art. If you are an experienced digital artist, you will most likely use a combination of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create the art for your animated video.

But what if you aren’t an artist? Check out this list of online animated video makers. Some of these online animated video makers give you a library of pre-created illustrations, characters, scenes, objects and effects that you can use to lay out the scenes for your animated video. Simple controls enable you to apply basic motion to animate your scenes. Other options enable you to describe the video you want to create and have a professional animator make a custom animated video for you.

Animating your video

There are a variety of different animation programs out there. At its most basic, you could use a program like Microsoft Word, Apple Keynote or Google Slides to lay out your scenes on each slide and use the simple motion tools in those programs to sequence when elements should move in or out of the scene.

Taking things up a notch, services like Wideo and PowToon enable you to animate their pre-created illustrations using simple animation controls.

Finally, there are professional programs like Adobe After Effects and Cinema 4D which you can learn to create any kind of animated video you can imagine. Scroll down to the section titled “What programs can I use to create my own custom animated video? to learn more about the different types of animation programs out there.

How to create a 3D animated video

The production process for creating a 3D animated video is similar to the way we described the 2D animated video production process above. However, there are a few notable areas where the production process is different:

Storyboard Creation

Creating a traditional storyboard for a 2D animated video could work for a 3D animated video, however it may have more detailed 3D style renderings in the images to help the art team understand what they are supposed to create.

Storyboarding for 3d animation can go a step further by creating something called an “animatic.” An animatic is like an ultra rough draft of the animation. In most cases, the purpose of an animatic is to establish the pacing and timing of the animation’s motion design to ensure details move with the right timing to achieve the intended effect for the viewer. It also helps set the animation timing to sync up with the voiceover.  Animatics can be created with simple pencil sketches and flipped through like a flip book – or they can be grayscale 3D mockups of the scenes and characters in a video that has been lightly animated.

Animated Video Art Creation

Art created for a 3D animated video takes more time to create because 3D art requires multiple steps to create:

– First, modelers will create colorless 3D shapes for all the characters, scenes and objects the viewers will see.

– Next, riggers will add a ‘digital skeleton’ inside the visual elements that will move. This provides structure for things like a character’s legs, arms, neck, etc so that the animators have some structure to work with when they apply motion and animate the 3D characters, scenes and objects.

– Then, color and texture skins are layered onto to the outside of the 3D objects.

– Finally additional environmental effects are added – lighting, smoke/haze, even the effects of gravity can be adjusted.

Animating

The 3D animated video production process requires more technical skills and expertise to achieve the desired level of realism or unique visual representation on screen. As such, 3D animations require substantially more time to animate and render your video.

Tips to keep your production budget low

Write your own script

Writing the script for your animated video can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars when creating an animated video. Freelance animators. animation studios, and Video Igniter are capable of helping you craft your script. However, as the originator of the idea for a video, the heart of the story is in your mind. You have the best chance of writing a first draft that will articulate the story you want to present. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Providing the first draft of your script to your animation team is enough to help you save money on your production budget and help your animators understand more about what you want them to create. Your animated video producers can help you polish your first draft and make it production-ready.

Here are a few resources to help you create a great script:

• How To Write A Script For An Animated Explainer Video
• 7 Tips to Supercharge Your Explainer Video Script Writing
• Examples Of Explainer Video Scripts + How To Write A Script
• Get our free script writing template here:

 

Create your storyboard

Creating the storyboard for your custom animated video is another way you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars off the cost of your animated video’s production budget. You don’t need any artistic ability to create a storyboard. All you need to do is brainstorm visuals to correspond with each line of your script and create instructions for the illustrators and animators so that they have a clear understanding of what you want them to create for each scene.

Free Download: Get our free storyboard creation template.

Deep Dive: Building a great storyboard for an animated explainer video.

Record the voiceover yourself

Native-English speaking voiceover artists charge $10-$199 for 1-2 minutes of recorded audio. You can try sourcing low cost voiceover talent from Fiverr or VoiceBunny. Or, you can record a professional sounding voiceover at home for free without having to buy any professional equipment or expensive software programs. Check out Episode 3 of The Video Igniter Show (at 1:31) to see how you can record a professional sounding voiceover for free.

Use stock assets

Nobody says every scene in your animated video needs to be custom created from scratch.  Using pre-created assets is a great way to speed up production and keep your budget down; in most cases pre-created assets cost less to buy or license than it would cost to create something comparable. Marketplaces exist to buy 3D models of common objects (lightbulbs, hands, houses, plants, etc) to save on your 3D animation budget. 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.

Use free music

Soundtracks typically cost $10-$299 each. If you plan to promote your animation using paid media (TV and or Online), you may need to pay even more for the broadcast rights to use the soundtrack in paid promotional campaigns. If you’re looking for free, legal music you can use in your custom animated video, there are two sites to check out. The first is called Incompetech. Artist Kevin MacLeod provides his music for free – all you need to do is provide proper credit and attribution to him as the creator. Another great option for free music is Facebook’s Sound Collection. There, you’ll find an even larger variety of musical options you can use for free in your paid media campaigns.

How to choose a producer to create your animated video?

Looking for someone to create your animated video but not sure where to start? Whether you’re looking to hire an animation studio, a freelance animator, or a production service like Video Igniter Animation, there are many factors to consider including: pricing, visual style, storytelling, customer service, production timelines and more. Here are some resources to help you figure out the right production option for your custom animated video:

– 9 Things to Look For When Hiring An Animator to create an animated video.

– Pros and Cons of Different Animation Styles

– What’s the difference between hiring an animation studio, vs a freelance animator vs Video Igniter?

– Considering making the animated video yourself? Learn about DIY options.

– What is Video Igniter Animation?

How long does it take to create an animated video?

Shorter 2D animated videos (30 seconds-2 minutes) take 3-8 weeks to produce.

3D animated videos easily take twice as long to produce.

If your animated video is longer than 2 minutes, we recommend  to help define the scope and timeline of the project. This will ensure you end up with an optimized budget that minimizes the need for rush delivery costs.

Read this companion article to learn more about the animated video production workflow and what’s involved at every stage of production.

What does it cost to create an animated video?

Custom animated video prices can range widely. Pixar’s animated movies cost over $100 million to make. Cheap freelance animators will offer to make animated videos for less than $100. It’s all about paying for production quality. And when I say production quality, I’m not just talking about pretty pictures put into motion. It’s also about the storytelling and the pacing of how the message progresses and how the visuals are used to bring out the story. Ultimately, when it comes to animation, you get what you pay for.

To give you some loose numbers, consider these data points for costs related to creating a 60 second custom animated video:

Script Costs

Script writing takes 2-10+ hours to research the company/topic/target audience, draft the script, present the script to the client, collect their feedback, integrate their feedback and present the 2nd draft of the script. Ballpark cost: $250-$1,000.

Storyboard Costs

Storyboard creation takes 4-10+ hours to brainstorm the visuals that will correspond with each sentence of your script. The storyboard artist needs to create a simple visual mockup for each scene, describe the motion that will happen on screen using unambiguous language, and list all the assets (visual and auditory) that are needed for that specific scene. After the first draft of the storyboard is created, it takes additional time to review the storyboard with the client and incorporate their revisions.

If the storyboard isn’t well written, the illustrators may create the wrong art and the animators may animate the wrong details. This is why storyboarding is so important. Everyone can get consensus about what is going to be created so that there’s no need for expensive rework in the design or animation phases of production. It also helps keep production running on time. Otherwise, illustrators and animators need to sit and wait while a project manager gets clarification about what a client wants to have happen during a specific part of the animation. Ballpark cost: $300-$1,000+

VoiceOver Costs

VoiceOvers cost $10-$300 for non-celebrity, English-speaking voiceovers. Non-English voiceovers may cost more. Planning on using your voiceover for a paid media campaign (TV or online)? You may need to pay extra for the voiceover recording’s broadcast rights.

Soundtrack Costs

Soundtracks also cost about $10-$300 for pre-created stock music. Expect to spend a few hundred extra dollars for the broadcast rights if you plan to promote your video on TV or online.

Illustration Costs

Creating the custom illustrations for a 60 second animated video usually takes 3-10 full days of work from an illustrator depending how intricate and unique the art is. Illustrators are paid $15-$45+/hour for 2D animations and even more for 3D animation.

Animation Costs

It takes about 30-60 hours to animate one minute of a 2D animated video. And that’s if we’re using computer animated graphics. If your animation uses frame by frame animation (where the illustrator is drawing every scene), it’ll take even more time to animate your video. The average hourly rate for a 2D video animator is $25-$35/hour.

Rush Delivery Costs

We recommend 4-6 weeks to create most animated videos. However if you need to create your animated video faster, rush delivery options are available. To learn how rush delivery can get your animated video produced faster and how we use rush delivery budgetary increases to speed up production, read this companion article: Need an animated video in a hurry? Get rush delivery animation!

Project Management Costs

In order to keep production running smoothly, it’s important to have a project manager organize client feedback and ensure the production team is delivering content on time and has everything they need to keep production moving forward.

That all adds up

Add all these expenses up plus some monthly overhead costs on top and it’s easy to see why custom animated videos cost at least a few thousand dollars to create a high quality 60 second animation.

Check out our companion article for a more comprehensive breakdown on animated video production costs.

Avoid These Common Mistakes When You Create an Animated Video

As you create an animated video, it’s important to be aware of the most common mistakes that can derail your production. One major misstep is starting without a clear strategy. Before jumping into animation, take time to define your video’s objective, target audience, and key message—otherwise, you risk producing content that lacks focus or fails to connect. Another frequent issue is weak scripting. Even the most stunning visuals can fall flat if your script doesn’t tell a compelling, concise story. Avoid overloading your audience with information—stick to a single core message and support it with engaging, easy-to-follow narration.

Choosing the wrong animation style is another pitfall. Your visual aesthetic should align with your brand identity and the tone of your message. A mismatch here can confuse or alienate your viewers. Many creators also neglect audio quality—using low-quality voiceovers or poorly mixed music can damage your video’s professionalism and credibility. Lastly, don’t forget to include a clear call to action. After you create an animated video, guide your viewers on what to do next—whether it’s signing up, watching more, or making a purchase. Avoiding these mistakes helps ensure your animated video delivers real value and results.

Create an Animated Video That Boosts Your SEO

Animated videos don’t just engage your audience—they also help your website rank higher in search results. When you create an animated video and embed it on your site, you increase visitor engagement, reduce bounce rates, and boost the time users spend on your pages—all of which are positive signals for search engines. Google’s algorithm favors sites that deliver quality, engaging content, and animated videos are a proven way to keep users interested and scrolling.

To maximize the SEO value of your animated videos, optimize the title, file name, and description with keywords like “create an animated video.” Including captions and transcripts not only improves accessibility but also gives search engines additional text to index, increasing your chances of ranking for relevant queries. If you host your video on YouTube or another platform, be sure to add links back to your site in the video description. You can also use schema markup to help Google understand your video content and potentially display it as a rich snippet. When strategically created and optimized, animated videos can play a powerful role in driving traffic and improving your website’s visibility online.

Using AI Tools to Create an Animated Video Faster

The rise of artificial intelligence is transforming how people create an animated video—making the process faster, more affordable, and more accessible to creators of all skill levels. Today, AI tools can assist with everything from scriptwriting to voiceover, character animation, and even scene transitions. Platforms like ChatGPT and Jasper can generate engaging scripts tailored to your target audience, while AI-powered storyboard generators help visualize your scenes in minutes instead of hours.

AI voiceover tools like ElevenLabs enable you to create realistic narration with multiple voice styles and languages. You can even use AI to generate animated characters and motion graphics automatically, streamlining the entire production pipeline. While AI-generated videos may not offer the same creative nuance as fully custom animations, they’re a great option when you need to create an animated video quickly or with a limited budget. By combining AI efficiency with human creativity, you can produce high-quality animated content at scale—perfect for marketers, educators, and businesses looking to stay ahead of the curve.

What is the Video Igniter animated video creation platform?

Video Igniter offers animated video creation services online. Video Igniter modernizes the experience of creating a custom animated video to help you save on your production costs, and create custom content faster. We streamline the complex process of making a custom animated video and do all the work for you. All you need to do is tell us what you want us to create and then send feedback for the assets that we create for your animated video (script, storyboard, voiceover, soundtrack, art and animation).

If you’re looking for a website to make an animated video, Video Igniter is a new kind of custom animated video production service that 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 kind of animation you want to get created. We handle all the technical and creative talent sourcing for you in addition to helping you develop your script and storyboard (if you haven’t already created them yourself).

Hire Video Igniter to create your animated video

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

We can make any kind of 2D or 3D custom animated video you can imagine -> check out our portfolio here.

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

Animated Video Demo Reel

 

Success Stories and Testimonials

“My whole family and everyone on Facebook thinks you are amazing. My whole office is freaking out.”

Patricia Shields – Real Estate Agent

“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

Get in touch about creating an animated video

Schedule a call to discuss creating your animated video.

Get a quote for us to create your animated video.

Request access to our newest price sheet.

Check out our animation portfolio to see our latest and greatest creations.

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

Bonus Production Resources: How To Create An Animated Video

These popular explainer video resources are recommended for your video production journey:

How to make a video animation.

Want to create something custom? Learn how to create custom animation.

What is the animated video production process like?

Want to make an animated video and looking for a company that offers animation outsourcing services? Video Igniter Animation has been producing custom animated videos for world class brands, agencies, video production companies, tech startups and small businesses since 2011. We have over a decade of experience managing outsourced animated video projects for clients around the globe and we wanted to create a resource to answer the questions we get asked most often about outsourcing animation and white-labeling our productions for your clients.

Examples Of Animations You Can Outsource to 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.

 

Benefits of outsourcing your animation production

Animated video content is more popular than ever. With increased demand, why don’t big companies & agencies just fill up their in-house video teams with more animators? Why bother outsource your animated video projects in the first place?

Cost

It’s no secret that you can outsource animated video projects to animators in India, Pakistan and the Philippines (among many other countries) and get very cheap video production rates. However, a lot of these low cost options are also low quality. The art and motion likely won’t look that great and animation instructions can get misinterpreted leading to production errors. Outsourcing to the cheapest option isn’t recommended if you need your video to look professional.

However, if you outsource to an established animation production team, they can help you produce high quality animated video content for less than the cost of bringing on temporary or full time to your team.

Skill/Expertise

Creating an animated video requires a bunch of different skillsets. It requires storytellers to create the script and storyboard. You’ll need audio professionals to help with the voiceover, sound effects and soundtrack. A project manager or two… And a variety of talented artists and animators who know a variety of animation techniques and visual styles to create the exact kind of animated visuals you are imagining. That’s a bunch of people to have under one roof.

You probably have some great writers on staff that can help develop your script and storyboard. But when it comes to the infinite possibilities of 2D and 3D animation styles, it’s unlikely you’ll find the rockstar video animator that knows how to create it all. Instead, outsourcing animation offers you the ability to hire the right animator or studio that knows how to produce the kind of animation you are looking for.

Flexibility

Most companies don’t need to create animated content all the time. It’s more likely that they’ll produce a few here or there. Maybe once a year or every few years. Ether way, it usually doesn’t make sense to have a full time animator on staff if you’ll only need to use their skills occasionally. Outsourcing your animation projects offers the flexibility of having the exact kind of animator you need, right when you need it.

How Do You Outsource The Production Of An Animated Video?

Research Animation Outsourcing Companies

Start your project by researching different animation companies that offer outsourced or white label animated video production services. You’ll want to check out their demo reels to see if they produce the level of quality you want for your video. It’s also important to ask these companies how much does animation cost and what is their production process like. Are revisions included in the price? How many? Be sure to give these animation companies detailed information about what you want them to produce so that they can help you generate an accurate quote and ensure that they can deliver the final draft before your deadline.

For more tips on what to look for and how to select an animator or animation studio for your project, scroll down to the section titled, “How to Pick an Outsourced Animation Partner for your Project?”

Develop Your Script

After you have selected a production team for your animated video, it’s time to develop the script. You can hire your freelancer, animation studio, agency or Video Igniter to write your script for you. We recommend that you try creating the first draft of your script because you have the idea of the animation in your mind and it’s easier if you try to get it out of your head and polish it with an animation team than it is for the animation team to try and extract the first draft of your head. This also speeds up production and can save you money on your production budget.

Resource: Check out our script writing resource guide and download a copy of our free scriptwriting template.

Create The Storyboard

Now that your script is production-ready, it’s time to create the storyboard. The storyboard is a document that explains to the illustrators what they are supposed to illustrate and it tells the animators how they are going to animate those illustrations. You can create the storyboard yourself using our storyboard creation template. Or your animation outsourcing partner can create your storyboard for you. Either way, the goal is to brainstorm a visual to show with each sentence of your script. Each page of a storyboard includes a rough mockup of the visuals, a simple list of instructions to tell the animators what to animate, a list of assets (audio and visual) that are needed for the scene, and the corresponding sentence of the script.

VoiceOver

You can find voiceover artists for your project or your outsourced animation partner can help source them for you. Websites like Fiverr, Voices123 and VoiceBunny are a great start. We recommend getting at least 3 voiceover auditions for each character in your animated video. Have them record the first sentence of your script so that you can hear how they will bring their energy to your particular script. Once you’ve narrowed it down to your favorite candidate for each character, have them to record the full voiceover for your animated video. It’s important to include notes within your script to guide their pacing, energy, tone, and inflection as well as providing guidance on difficult to pronounce words.

When the voiceovers have arrived, give them a thorough detailed listen to ensure you are happy with the pacing and energy throughout the voiceover. Make sure there aren’t any weird background noises, mouth sounds, sniffles or coughs in the recording either. The timing of your animation is based around the pace of your voiceover so it’s very important that you are happy with the timing of the voiceover before your animation moves into production. If you want to change part of the voiceover later, it may require costly rework to retime the animation to sync up with the new voiceover.

Soundtrack

Soundtracks and sound effects enhance the presentation of your animation and create a fuller richer world for the viewer. Usually your animation outsourcing partner will handle this part for you. However, if you want to look yourself, check out sites like AudioJungle and PremiumBeat for high quality affordable soundtracks you can license for your animated video.

We recommend picking out a few of your favorite tracks, downloading the free watermarked versions of the songs, and previewing them in a test render of your animation so that you can figure out which one feels right within the context of your animation. If you plan to broadcast your animated video using paid media on TV or Online, you may need to budget a little extra for the music’s broadcast rights.

To learn more about how to pick the right soundtrack for your animated video, check out this video.

Illustrations

After your storyboard is approved, your animated video outsourcing partner will begin developing concept art for your animation. That means the lead designer will review your storyboard, your branding and any style references you provided. They will select a key scene from your animation and design it using one or more unique visual styles.

After you review the concepts, let the art team know what you like and don’t like about each concept. They will use your feedback to create an updated piece of concept art and will continue to work with you to refine the visual style until you are 110% happy with it. Then, the illustration team will create all of the art for your animate video using the approved concept art as a reference. You will get an opportunity to review all the illustrations and request edits until you approve them for animation.

Animation

Now that your illustrations and voiceover are approved, the animators can work their magic. It takes one animator about one week to animate one minute of animation. If you have a short deadline for your project, rush delivery is available to help speed up production. When you review the first draft of your animated video, preview it with members of your target audience to ensure it makes sense and resonates with them. Collect all the feedback and send it to your outsourced animation company for final revisions.

How to Pick an Outsourced Animation Partner for your Project?

What are some things you should look for when outsourcing your 2D or 3D animated video project?

Animation Style References

The most important thing you can do when outsourcing an animated video project is to check out examples of previous videos they’ve created.  Are they able to produce an animation similar to the style you want for your video?

Project Availability

Will they have enough time to complete your video before your deadline? Check to see how many projects they take on at once and how your project will be prioritized relative to other projects.

Responsiveness

What are your expectations when it comes to customer service. Outsourced animation projects mean you’re probably working with someone at least a timezone away from you. Is that going to be an issue? How quickly do you need to get a response from your animation partner? Be sure to discuss responsiveness and estimated turnaround times for your project when looking for outsourced animation partners.

Check out this companion article for more tips and information about how to hire an animator.

How much does outsourcing an animation cost?

The wide range is $100-$50,000+ for each minute of animation. Typically, people are paying between $1,000-$5,000/min to create high quality professional looking 2d animated videos. 3D animated videos start at $3,000-$10,000/minute but likely cost much more than that (Pixar animations are +$1,000,000/min).

For a deep dive on production costs, check out this companion article that explains what goes into the cost of an animated video.

How long does animation outsourcing take?

Depends on the production style and length of your animated video. Most 1-2 minute long 2D animated videos can be created within 3-6 weeks. 3D animated videos require about 2x as much time. Making a longer video? Schedule a call with our production team to scope out the production timeline for your animated video. Need your video faster than 3-6 weeks? Ask us about rush delivery. To learn more about the animated video production workflow and how long each of production takes, check out this companion article.

Where can I find studios or freelancers that offer outsourced animation production services?

Websites like Upwork and Fiverr can help you find cheap freelance animators. YouTube, Behance, Vimeo, Instagram and Google are all great places to find beautiful animations and connect with studios and creatives.

Shameless Plug: Video Igniter was designed to provide outsourced animation production services through the Internet to clients around the world. Here are 20+ reasons why companies love outsourcing animation projects to Video Igniter.

Why is Video Igniter the best option for outsourcing your animation?

Quality & Style

Video Igniter can create any kind of 2D or 3D animated video you can imagine. Instead of hoping your in-house animator or freelancer can create a certain visual style, go with the team that can do it all. Our family of illustrators and animators collaborates behind the scenes to develop unique concept art and animation styles to delight you and your target audience.

Price

We’re not the cheapest option and we’re not trying to be. That being said, for the level of production quality we bring to our creations, you won’t be able to find someone that can do the same level of high quality work for less. If you do, we’ll beat their rate by 10%. As of 2022, nobody has beat our balance of production quality and price.

Customer Service

We deliver custom animated video production services through a custom designed online production dashboard that streamlines your production experience. This helps production move faster and more of your production budget goes into creativity rather than project management and overhead costs.

Learn more about Video Igniter’s Animated Video Production Service

Outsourced Animation Services Offered by VideoIgniter.com

✅  Script Writing

✅  Storyboard Creation

✅  Customer Research

✅  VoiceOver Recording

✅  Soundtrack Licensing

✅  Custom 2D Illustration Design

✅  3D Animated Video Production

✅  2D Animated Video Production

✅  Video Translation

✅  Video Optimization

✅  Video SEO

✅  Video Promotion

✅  Explainer Video Production

✅  Startup Video Production

✅  Animated Corporate Video Production

✅  Animated Advertisement Production

✅  Commercial Video Production

✅  Animated Infographic Production

✅  Kinetic Typography Production

✅  Trade Show Video Production

✅  Social Media Animated Video Production

…and more! Looking for something not listed here? Use this form to get in touch and let us know what you want to create. If it’s animated, we can help you create it.

Tips to keep your animated video production budget low

If you’re outsourcing your animation and want to keep your production budget as low as possible, consider the following budget-saving tips to keep your production costs down:

Create your script

You can save hundreds or thousands of dollars off your production budget by writing the script for your animated video. Outsourced animation partners are capable of helping you craft your script. However, as the originator of the idea for a video, the heart of the story is in your mind. You have the best chance of creating a first draft that will articulate the story you want to present. Don’t worry about making your script perfect. If you can provide the first draft of your script, your animation partner can help you make it production-ready and you can still save some money on your production budget.

Here are a few resources to help you create a script for your animated video:

How To Write An Animated Video Script

7 Tips to Supercharge Your Video Script Writing

Examples Of Explainer Video Scripts + How To Write A Script

Get our free script writing template here.

 

Create your storyboard

A storyboard is the blueprint for your animated video. It tells the illustrators and animators what to create. By creating the storyboard for your custom animated video, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars off your production budget. All you need to do is brainstorm visuals that correspond with each line of your script and then write simple instructions for the illustrators and animators so they know what you want them to create in each scene.

Free Download: Get our free storyboard creation template.

Deep Dive: Building a great storyboard for an animated explainer video.

Record the voiceover

You can try sourcing low cost voiceover talent from sites like Fiverr or VoiceBunny. English-speaking voiceover artists tend to charge $10-$199 for 1-2 minutes of recorded audio.

You can also record the voiceover yourself for free! Check out Episode 3 of The Video Igniter Show (at 1:31) to see how you can record the voiceover for your animated video for free without having to buy any expensive equipment or software.

Use stock assets

Using pre-created assets can help you keep your budget down because they usually cost less to buy or license than it would to create something comparable.  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.

Use free music

Soundtracks typically cost $10-$299 each. If you plan to promote your animation using paid media (TV and or Online), you may need to pay even more for the broadcast rights to use the soundtrack in paid promotional campaigns. Looking for free, legal music? Check out Incompetech and Facebook’s Sound Collection.

Best Practices for Effective Communication with Outsourced Animation Teams

Clear and consistent communication is the backbone of successful animation outsourcing. When working with remote animation teams—often spread across continents and time zones—it’s vital to establish structured workflows and transparent channels of collaboration from day one. Miscommunications can quickly lead to costly delays, mismatched expectations, and creative misalignment.

One of the first steps to effective communication in animation outsourcing is setting clear expectations. This includes defining project scope, deliverables, timelines, and the intended visual style. Providing visual references, storyboards, and written briefs can ensure that outsourced animation teams are aligned with your creative vision. Utilizing cloud-based collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom, and project management platforms such as Trello or Asana helps centralize conversations and keep everyone in sync.

Regular check-ins are another vital component of successful animation outsourcing. Weekly or bi-weekly reviews help identify missteps early and allow for iterative feedback. To avoid confusion, feedback should be specific and visual whenever possible—frame-by-frame annotations or marked-up storyboards are especially helpful. Additionally, businesses outsourcing animation should practice cultural sensitivity and time zone flexibility to foster better collaboration with international teams.

By investing in strong communication strategies, businesses can unlock the full potential of animation outsourcing, leading to better quality, faster delivery, and more satisfying creative outcomes.

Leveraging AI in Animation Outsourcing

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, it is reshaping the animation outsourcing landscape in profound ways. AI animation tools are now playing a crucial role in accelerating production workflows, reducing costs, and enhancing creative output. For companies looking to outsource animation, leveraging AI-powered studios can mean faster turnaround times and access to cutting-edge techniques that enhance visual storytelling.

Many animation outsourcing providers now incorporate AI tools to handle tasks such as lip-syncing dialogue with character animations, generating realistic backgrounds, and automating the in-betweening process for smoother motion. These innovations not only save time but also allow animators to focus on high-level creative decisions rather than repetitive manual tasks. AI is also aiding in pre-visualization, enabling outsourced teams to deliver more accurate drafts and animatics early in the production cycle.

However, animation outsourcing teams must navigate certain limitations with AI. Creative nuance, emotional depth, and stylistic flair still rely heavily on human input, making it essential for clients to strike the right balance between automation and artistic vision. For businesses evaluating animation outsourcing partners, it’s wise to ask about the studio’s AI tools and how they enhance—rather than replace—the creative process. As technology continues to advance, AI is set to become a key differentiator for animation outsourcing studios leading the industry into the future.

Future Trends in Animation Outsourcing

The future of animation outsourcing is being shaped by rapid technological advancements, new creative demands, and shifts in production strategy. As more businesses seek scalable, cost-effective ways to produce compelling visual content, animation outsourcing is becoming more sophisticated and specialized.

One major trend is the rise of real-time animation using engines like Unreal and Unity. These technologies enable outsourced teams to deliver faster and more interactive content, making animation outsourcing especially appealing for game development, virtual production, and immersive experiences. Another growing area is personalized animation, where outsourcing studios use AI and user data to generate content tailored to specific demographics or even individuals—a trend gaining traction in marketing and e-learning.

In parallel, demand is surging for 3D animation, augmented reality, and virtual reality content. Many animation outsourcing providers are now investing in tools and talent to deliver these complex formats, giving businesses access to high-end capabilities without needing in-house resources. Additionally, we’re seeing a rise in niche outsourcing providers that specialize in explainer videos, medical animations, or educational content, enabling more precise matches between client needs and vendor expertise.

Ethical and sustainable animation outsourcing is also becoming a priority. Studios are beginning to promote environmentally friendly workflows and fair labor practices, aligning with the values of socially responsible brands. As animation outsourcing continues to evolve, businesses that stay ahead of these trends will be better positioned to capitalize on the creative and economic advantages the global animation industry has to offer.

How to get the most out of your animated video?

If you’re outsourcing the production of an animation, here are some resources to help ensure your project goes as smooth as possible. Is your animated video being created to help serve a business objective or initiative? These resources will also help you improve the marketing impact of your animation.

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

– Pick the right visual style for your animated video.

– 6 Tips To Increase Viewer Engagement for your animated video.

– Review the Do’s and Don’ts of Promotional Explainer Videos.

– 7 Tips For Using and Improving Your Businesses’s Video.

– Learn how to interpret your video’s viewer stats to see if it needs improvement.

– A/B Test variations of your animated video to improve its conversion rate.

Outsource Your Animation to Video Igniter

– World class design talent 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.

– 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.

Outsourcing Animation Demo Reel

 

Animation Outsourcing Production Resources

These resources and guides are popular among people interested in animation outsourcing:

Free Downloads: Video Script Writing Template & Storyboard Template.

Video Igniter’s guide to 3D animation outsourcing.

How to work on a video project with an animator near me.

How to make a video animation?

Animation Outsourcing 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 outsourcing animation for your next project

Schedule a call to discuss animation outsourcing for your company.

Get a quote for your outsourced animated video.

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 then we’ll make your animated video for you.

What is Video Igniter’s Animation Outsourcing Service?