What Does it Cost Per Minute to Produce Animated Videos?
The cost of animated video production can really vary a lot. In fact, you may be instantly surprised to find quotes from various animators that are so far apart. One production team provides you with a quote that is $3,500 per finished minute and another offers to do the job for $7,500 per finished minute. Instantly, you’re worried! Does the $3,500 per minute professional know what they’re doing? Is the $7,500 per minute professional ripping me off? Producing animated video content can truly have varied costs that can make you a little uneasy, but what does it actually cost per minute to produce animated videos?
The truth is, animated video production costs can range from about $2,500 per minute to more than $20,000 per minute. Most animations can be achieved for somewhere between $3,500 per minute and $10,000 to $15,000 per minute. Broadcast quality, animated features that use stop motion or advanced computer graphics can cost $20,000 per minute or more to produce.
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Where Animated Video Production Costs Vary
The amount you spend on animated video will vary based on the style of animation, the professionalism of your animator, the number of animators involved, the deadlines of the project, and several other factors. Entry level animations can be achieved by entry-level animators which may keep costs low but will also keep the end production quality rather amateur, too.
Likewise, animated videos that include advanced character designs and complicated or complex environments produced with expensive animation software can quickly result in higher cost per minute expectations.
Much of the animation costs are the result of:
- The script writing and revision process.
- The goals or priority of the video and how much time there is to work on the content.
- The storyboard, revisions, and planning process before production begins.
- The post-production editing and number of revisions that take place.
Producing one minute of basic animation in which simple color elements or some very basic character animations come into play will cost much less than a motion design animation that requires a professional art director and a script writer to pull it all together.
Animation Costs By Style
The cost per minute to produce animated videos varies mostly based on the style of animation. Whiteboard animations are naturally lower cost than a frame-by-frame animation but they are also less exciting and kind of over-played in the video world. Likewise, motion graphics animations are fun, but certain styles can be extremely costly to produce.
Here’s how animated video costs breakdown per minute by type of animation: (each is considering 1 minute of animation, 2 characters, a multi-colored layout that is a “flat” style design, and the addition of essential music, voiceover, and effects)
- Whiteboard animation – $3,000 – $5,000
- 2D animation – $5,000 – $20,000
- 3D animation – $10,000 – $20,000
- Motion Graphics – $3,000 – $5,000
As you can see, if you ask, “what does it cost per minute to produce animated videos?” You can still get a very different answer because you have not specified the style of animation, the number of characters involved, the style of the environment in which the story takes place, and various other key influencers of cost. Need more information or a direct quote? Give Beverly Boy Productions a call today!