What Do VFX Cost Per Shot? 

What Do VFX Cost Per Shot? VFX budgets for a film will vary greatly depending on the involvement of the effects and the features that play out. Movie VFX budgets can really range based on the production crew and editor involved, the studio that works on the film, and several other factors.

The truth is, there is no standardized practice that is used by production studios to define or estimate the VFX cost per shot which makes it challenging for anyone to attempt to figure out the estimated costs involved. Some movies come in with a low VFX cost per shot while others can have substantially more costs involved.

Without a standardized budgeting tool, defining a per shot cost for visual effects is tough and actually impossible. However, we can help you understand where and, more importantly, how VFX estimates are determined internally as well as what figures into the final cost externally too.

Internal VFX Budgeting Estimates Per Shot

The first step is for the production crew (specifically the editor) to review the video brief and come up with a baseline starting estimate for the video production that includes VFX shots. The natural thing for the Director or production VFX supervisor to do when visualizing a creative brief is to consider all the different ways that visual effects could potentially be incorporated into the scene. This, of course, can lead to an elaborate potential use of VFX as each shot is considered and the desired potential effects are estimated.

So, to begin with, VFX cost per shot is almost always significantly higher in the immediate estimates that are considered by the producer versus the actual cost per shot that is later defined based on factors such as technical skills, individual desire of the filmmaker, and various other “amateur” needs.

VFX Cost Per Shot Estimated by Complexity

Another way that the VFX cost per shot is sometimes derived is through the use of storyboards, script breakdown, and appropriate understanding of the complexity involved with each shot. Studios often define VFX cost per shot estimates in this way by breaking down the total number of potential VFX shots to appear in the film and the difficulty of each shot. Things like the creation of assets, researching data, and developing new concepts can all add to the total cost of VFX shots.

Time estimates and the amount of labor involved are produced to help the studio come up with a cost estimate for each shot. The totals are based on how many challenging shots there will be, how many easy shots there will be, and how many that are average will be produced.

Average VFX Cost Per Shot

So, what’s the average VFX cost per shot? That answer is — it depends. Big movie productions can have production budgets that cost over $200M and some can even cost up to $300M or more (think, Spider-Man 3 and The Avengers). Many do not have a budget for visual effects when they realize how much these adaptations cost.

Production studios can help you determine what type of effects are ideal for your needs. Single movie scene shots for VFX can cost between $10K and $60K or, somewhere between one-fifth of or up to half of the total estimated movie budget depending on the movie itself and the number of scenes or complexity of each scene.

Still, need to know what VFX cost per shot? Call Beverly Boy Productions today to learn more about VFX costs and how they apply to your production needs.