How Much Do VFX Cost for a Short Film?

Visual effects add interest and value to your movie or film, but how much do VFX cost for a short film? This question comes up just about anytime the use of VFX is considered for a short film project and is especially important when there’s a low budget for production of the film. To anyone that is hoping to include VFX in their short film but wondering how much VFX will cost, this is for you!

So, how much do VFX cost for a short film? The answer is, the cost is dependent upon the complexity of the effects, the labor involved, and the budget that is available to spend. That’s right, VFX tend to have costs in relation to the budget.

Why? Because most VFX artists will read the script, view the storyboard, and discuss with the director or the producer the budget that’s available for the production, specifically the best-estimated calculation of budget for VFX specifically. Visual effects can be produced in elaborate ways that have huge expenses, and they can be scaled down for production in less advanced, less complex ways which will cut costs and curb the budget.

VFX Costs

What is it that makes VFX cost so much? Visual effects have higher costs involved in production than other types of special effects for several reasons as follows:

• The amount of training and experience required for the artists that produce scenes with VFX.
• Demand for skilled visual effects artists is high, thus they can charge high rates. (Supply and demand)
• Professional VFX artists are skilled and take less time to produce professional results.
• VFX shots require involvement with several different working departments including:
  • Paint
  •  
  • Matte painting
  • Compositing
  • Lighting
  • FX simulations
  • Rigging
  • Matchmove
  • Rotoscoping
  • Texturing
  • Animation

Although not all VFX shots will require all of these working professionals, each that is involved will have a wage due that is based on their individual professional capacity and various other factors.

Short Film VFX Costs

So how can you possibly budget what it will cost for VFX shots in a short film? Time, budget, and complexity. First, consider the amount of time that is involved and how fast you need to produce your short film. The more time you have, the lower your costs could be as you will not find yourself paying premiums for last-minute visual effects.

Your budget for the short film plays a role too. Short film VFX can be produced with a lower budget, such as $10K or $15K if you’ve got an idea in mind and a plan in place upfront.

Steps can be taken to keep your VFX costs low such as:

• Hiring a VFX supervisor early on to help you cover all avenues and keep costs low and within budget.
• Using real images as your reference source.
• Using cloud-based solutions to secure low-cost VFX shots that can be incorporated into your film.
• Turning to the library for your research and your open-source video shots that could be used for your project.

Finally, consider the complexity of your short film VFX. The more complex your visual effects, or the more complex your short film storyline, the more you’re going to spend on total VFX costs. Keep things simple and be open with your production studio to help them know that you’re wanting to include VFX in your short film and that you’ve got a budget to work with that you must stick within. They can help you determine if your vision is too complex for your budget.

If you’re still wondering, “ how much do VFX cost for a short film? ” Give Beverly Boy Productions a call today! you will receive a free and price specific quote for your project.