How Much Does Stop Motion Animation Cost?

Stop motion animation costs can range drastically based on a variety of factors including things like the style of the animation, the length of the production, and the intricacies of the stop-motion. Where one freelance animator may charge $25 an hour to create a stop motion animation, a production company may discuss the charge by a “cost per finished minute” which represents the final usable video length and is typically a rate somewhere between $1,000 and up. At Beverly Boy Productions, stop motion animation rates vary largely based on the individual project needs. Here’s what you can expect:

Price Per Finished Minute

Stop motion animation costs are typically referenced by a production company as a price per finished minute. Rates generally range from about $1,000 to upwards of $10,000 per finished minute of video. Industry standards typically refer to the cost of stop motion animation in either a total cost per finished minute or as a cost-plus basis in which the rate is billed based on the cost to make the product plus the addition of costs associated with the amount of time involved to produce the animation.

Stop motion rates can climb quickly based on the style of animation, the characters, and the complexities of the work involved to produce the stop motion. An intricate storyline, multiple characters, and the need to reshoot can quickly add to the costs of stop motion film resulting in higher costs per finished minute. This is why it is equally possible for a stop motion animation to cost more than $10,000 per finished minute depending on all of these variables.

Industry Estimates

Industry estimates place the cost of stop motion animation closer to $50,000 per finished minute. However, the pricing is not definitive and does not include details based on the characters or individual project needs which are vital for defining total cost. Cost can easily be less if there are fewer characters or if the scenes are very basic it can lighten the load on your budget. Likewise, a stop motion animated film that includes more characters, highly complex environments, or a complex storyline can cost more.

Influencers

Stop motion animation costs are influenced by the total length of the animation and various other production time hogs like the style of animation and the technical requirements. Product costs can scale to some extent therefore while you may find yourself paying $10,000 per finished minute for a 1 or 2 minute stop motion animation, this figure is often a bit lower for longer projects that allow for the repeated use of various production resources.

The style of stop motion video and the scenes or environments that are produced in relation to the stop motion will also influence the total price. Keep in mind that complex shoots will be harder to achieve, taking up more production time and resulting in higher over all costs. The same is true for stop motion animations that require reshoots — if the production environment has already been taken down, the cost to reshoot could be rather steep.

Need more information or still looking for answers to your question, “how much does stop motion animation cost?” Give Beverly Boy Productions a call today!