How much does 2D animation cost?
Animation is highly customised, so there is no single price that applies to every project. The cost depends on what needs to appear on screen, how it moves, and which production services are required. A promotional video (PV) will often cost more per minute than a standard animated production, because every second is expected to deliver a highlight.
Even among PVs, differences in quality and content can lead to prices that vary by as much as twentyfold. For full-pipeline production, we have encountered standard commercial PVs costing around $10,000 per minute, as well as top-tier PVs costing around $150,000 per minute. Personal original-character (OC) animations with less demanding production standards than commercial work may cost around $3,000 per minute.
Sundown — paid animation test
This is a paid animation test with a relatively high level of production quality. The project cost approximately $500. We handled the full production pipeline, from storyboarding to final delivery.
What affects the price?
Duration, number of shots, and content complexity
Longer animations generally require more work, but duration is only part of the picture.
A quote is primarily calculated from the script and storyboard: the number of shots, or cuts, and what each one contains. Duration is only a rough guide. In an extreme case, a single shot with complex character action and camera movement can cost more than a minute of straightforward dialogue.
Frequent cuts, new camera angles, and changes of location require new layouts, animation drawings, and backgrounds in hand-drawn animation. A short film containing many different shots may therefore require more preparation than a longer film built around a single setting.
Drawing quality and number of drawings
The quality and number of drawings are also major cost factors. High-quality animation requires more refined drawing work and may use more drawings from the first key animation pass to achieve the intended movement and fluidity.
As a rough illustration, a simpler fight might require a dozen or so drawings for one second of animation, while a more complex, highly polished fight could require several times that number across its character and effects layers. The actual count depends on the shot; these figures describe the total drawing workload, not the frame rate of the finished video. Of course, more drawings do not necessarily mean better animation.
Compositing and effects
After key animation and in-betweening, compositing brings the finished elements together and adds or integrates effects such as smoke, water, fire, lighting, and highlights along the edges of a character's clothing.
High-quality animation often separates the image into many layers, which are then combined and adjusted to achieve the final look. The number of layers and the complexity of the effects add to the compositing work.
Production scope
We can handle the full animation pipeline, but not every client needs every service. You may already have a storyboard, for example, or may not need music. Reducing the services required can lower the project cost.
Revisions and deadlines
Changing a storyboard before animation begins is different from changing it after the drawings have been completed. Later changes can affect several stages at once, so the timing and extent of revisions matter.
A shorter production schedule may require changes to the team or production plan. Staffing availability and any additional costs need to be checked for each project.
What does an animation quote cover?
A complete quote should clearly list the services included in the project. Depending on your needs, these may include:
- Storyboards and an animatic based on an approved script or concept
- Character design, colour references, and art direction
- Backgrounds, key animation, animation direction and drawing corrections, in-between animation, and colouring
- Compositing, editing, and final delivery
- Voice recording, music, sound effects, and related licensing, where applicable
The quote will also specify the delivery files, number of revisions, and service scope. 3D elements, additional versions, and revisions outside the agreed scope will be quoted separately once the requirements have been confirmed.
You can see what these stages involve in our 2D animation production process guide.
How to work within a budget
Put the detail where it matters
Decide which moments need the most attention. A key performance or action shot may deserve a larger share of the drawing work, while quieter shots can use simpler movement.
Review each stage before moving on
Use the storyboard and animatic to check the story, pacing, and shot choices before animation starts. Clear feedback at these stages helps avoid repeating finished work later.
Share your priorities early
Your budget, target production schedule, and a few visual references give us a starting point for planning. We can then discuss which production choices best suit the project and which adjustments would make the most difference.