Differences Between 2D Animation vs 3D Animation Cost

The rise of 3D animation has been gaining popularity since the 1990s and continues to see increased demand, but what about the cost? There are significant visual differences between 2D animation and 3D animation but are there equally significant differences between 2D animation vs 3D animation cost? The truth is, yes and no. Let’s take a look at some of the primary factors that influence the total cost of both 2D animations and 3D animations per minute and how the costs add up.

Differences Between 2D Animation and 3D Animation

First, we’ll consider the differences between 2D animations and 3D animations. When comparing 2D animation vs 3D animation cost you can generally expect 2D animated videos to be more affordable. These do not require the same level of resources including hardware and software needs that come with the production of a 3D animation.

If you’re considering a recurring animated series, you may find that producing a 3D animated series is more affordable long term because many of the models that are created for the initial series can be reused over and over whereas this is not as likely with a 2D animated series. Thus, if considering 2D animation vs 3D animation cost for a series, you are likely to find a more affordable option with a 3D animation project.

Cost of 2D Animation Per Minute

If you’re considering 2D animations, you can expect a quoted cost of somewhere between about $3,000 and up to $50,000 or more per finished minute. This means that you can expect to pay generally at least $3,000 per minute for your video content. This is based on the absolute most basic 2D rendering that would probably not include any characters in the video footage and would be just very basic stock graphics.

Of course, you can always have a more advanced 2D video animation created that does include characters, but those will cost more than the lowest average rate per minute of $3,000. Multiple characters, significant advances in the research required to bring the animations to life, and additional production needs will further add to this cost.

Cost of 3D Animation Per Minute

If you’re considering a 3D animation, you can expect the quoted cost to run somewhere between closer to $10,000 per finished minute up to $100,000 or more. Lower end 3D animations that do not include characters can cost about $10,000 per minute.

However, when you add in characters and various scenes and complex animations you can expect that per-minute price tag to quickly rise. This is why you see many recent 3D animated movies list the cost per finished second rather than the per finished minute cost — and even then it is often in the range of $12,000 – $20,000 per second. Advanced effects and features add substantially to the cost of 3D animated videos. It’s important to take this into account when budgeting for a 2D or 3D animated video.

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