How much does an animated explainer video cost? That’s quite a difficult question to answer, and you’ll often get the reply “how long is a piece of string?”. That’s not a helpful answer- its not an answer at all really. I won’t beat around the bush; a high quality animated video typically costs anywhere from £1000-£10,000 per minute of animation.
Figure out What Kind of Animated Video you Want
That range is almost as unhelpful as
comparing it to a piece of string… bear with me here. Pricing an animated video
is difficult because there are so many variables that need to be taken into
account, so here are some of things you should consider:
- What is the video objective?
- What visual style do you want?
- How long does the video need to be?
- How soon do you need it?
- Do you want characters included?
- Does it need to be custom and bespoke?
- What is your budget?
If you can answer these questions, you’re closer to getting and accurate quote. If you’re having trouble answering some of these or need some advice on what would suit you best, you can get in touch with us for a Free Consultation.
We’ve also put a handy price guide on our site here
What Effects the Cost of Animation?
With a better idea of what you might need, here are some of the biggest factors that effect cost:
Add Some Character
Adding well animated characters to your
video does impact the price, as it involves extra design stages, technical
rigging, and much more advanced animation techniques – but the Return on
Investment is high!
Characters are able to drive a
narrative in the video and create an emotional response, making it more than
just an advert and into something that your audience will remember. What are
the most memorable TV adverts you’ve seen? Chances are they feature people or
animals.
What's Your Style?
The style of the animation can also
impact the price. When creating an animated video, we create everything from
scratch and that can take a long time. Sometimes a simple and clean style is
all that’s needed, other times more complex artwork may be required – this
comes back down to how you answered those earlier questions. Whatever
type of style suits you best, animation is sure make it stand out!
How Long?
The length of the animation does weigh in, but not quite how you might expect. We base our prices on 1 minute of video because it’s the most common length, but making this longer or shorter does not affect the price proportionately. A large portion of the time that goes into creating an animation is spent on producing the artwork and character rigs, but once this is done, they can be adapted and reused throughout the video. This can work out quite cost effective if you need a longer animation or even a series.
How Long... Again?
Turnaround time is a big factor.
Animation takes time, and we only have so much of it in the day. On average a
60 second animated video will have a 4-6 week turnaround time, but if something
needs to be done quicker we will do our best. This can involve paying our
artists to work late nights and drink lots of coffee, so it can raise the cost.
Hidden Fees? Absolutely Not!
It’s just not who we are. We believe in full transparency, and never charge hidden fees! Extra costs are rare but can sometimes appear, we’ll always let you know if they arise and get your approval before they are added. Extra fees may come from:
- Major changes – We include multiple amendment stages to make sure you’re happy with the end result, but if something big is changed too late in the production cycle there might be extra costs.
- Moving deadlines
- Changing the Voice Over after it has been approved recorded
Voice actor fees are usually charged
separately as their prices can vary, but will always be quoted in advance.
Budget Animation Can Have a Hidden Cost
There are cheaper options out there, DIY software tools, premade templates and freelance sites such as Fiverr and Upwork all offer animated videos at a very tempting price point. While for some this is a suitable option, be sure do your research and keep your starting criteria in mind.
There’s no easy way to say it, using a cheap looking video can damage your brand, and deliver poor return on investment. A cheap looking animation could actively turn people away from your brand as it can give off the wrong impression.
If you’re looking for quality on a budget, keep it simple and effective to get the most for your money. Our cheapest options for bespoke animation starts at £800, and make use of clean, effective motion graphics and dynamic text to share your message.
In Conclusion...
It’s hard to give set price for an
animated video, especially if you’re looking for something bespoke, as there
are a great deal of variables that can impact how much time must be spent on
creating them. Hopefully this has explained why animation prices can be hard to
find, and why they vary so much! If you have any questions about prices, or you
want a custom quote you can get in touch.
