SO WHAT DOES ANIMATION COST THESE DAYS?

This is a commonly asked question which unfortunately has no exact science. Each and every project is completely unique and custom built however, there are several key factors that may help you get an idea of what costs money in the world of animation and how to still get a quality product for the right price. Most animation is done on a very strict budget so, if you have budget constraints this does not mean that getting quality animation is out of reach for you. You just need to work with a company, such as ours, that will work with you to find the right solution.

While we will not claim to be the cheapest animation studio around we are flexible and are more affordable than most. We will always work with you to find the best solution and will break it down so that you can understand what you can get for your particular budget.

Top 5 items that affect the cost of animation:

1. Length of Time – What's the length of your project? This question is always asked to determine how many seconds of animation will need to be produced. Each second of animation can take anywhere from 1 week to 2 months to be created from start to finish so each second is precious and the longer the project the more costly it will be. In many cases you may even find that studios will quote you on a flat per second basis but, more and more studios are starting to shy away from this type of quote since each project usually requires such varying levels of quality and complexity.
2. Style of Animation – When we say STYLE we mean are you looking for Photorealism, Flat cel-shaded cartoon, Cut-out animation, 3D Toon or 3D Hybrid? There are many types of animation out there however, we specialize in these styles and the style will also have a direct connection to cost. The cost typically has to do with how difficult it is to get the desired look and the amount of the man hours it takes to achieve it.
3. Revisions – A good portion of the animation cost can be spent on needless revisions, so always make sure to have a clear idea of what you want and be ready to communicate those ideas openly. While a few revisions are always part of the process, your cost can be greatly minimized by simply knowing what you want and communicating those ideas clearly. We pour ourselves into every project and will always strive to get your vision right the first time.
4. Complexity of your project – In all animation, the rule is that the more characters you have in an animation or the more detailed your sets are, the more it is going to cost. So, if you have a tight budget, keep it simple!
5. Time to produce the work – The amount of time that you need the project completed in will also have a hand in the final cost. If the amount of time given to complete the project is within reason then you can expect a pretty straightforward quote with little overhead costs. However, if the project requires it to be done within a very high turnaround time then your quote will probably also include an extra amount of overhead costs. These can include anything from bringing on extra staff to get the job done on time to renting out extra equipment or space in order to store or render the amount of work that is being completed.

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © RED GIANT STUDIOS LLC., 2009.