Breaking Down the Cost of an Industrial 3D Animation Project
by Nathan | 8 years ago
Prepare to have your mind blown—remember Walt Disney’s Frozen? You know, that one movie that had little kids (and adults) everywhere singing, “Let it go!” whenever socially acceptable?
Thanks to the hefty price tag associated with 3D animation, the movie ran at a cost of around $24,510 per second.
If your jaw’s on the floor, I’ll give you time to pick it up before you keep reading …
Seeing as how I work for Industrial Visualizations (iViz) and specialize in 3D animations, whenever I share these kinds of facts with friends and family members, the knee-jerk reaction is to assume that all 3D animations (including the ones I create) follow a similar pay structure.
The truth of the matter, though?
While there are certainly 3D projects out there that command this kind of cost, most industrial projects don’t come close to it. Instead, they vary according to a more realistic series of factors.
Below, you’ll find the biggest ones—check ‘em out to get a better idea of what will influence your next 3D project’s total:
* Factor #1: Length
Makes sense, right?
The longer a spot is, the more 3D animation that’s needed to make it happen.
For example, a television commercial featuring real-life actors and a single animated character who appears throughout the ad won’t cost as much as one composed purely of animations.
So, before reaching out to discuss an industrial 3D animation, map out the specifics of what you’re looking for.
That way, when you hop on an introductory call with a 3D animation provider, you’ll be met with more accurate price estimates.
* Factor #2: Design
Design is everything, especially with dealing with complex feats of civil engineering.
Think about it—used primarily to instruct, inform and educate, your project’s 3D animation will need to be as close to real-life as possible.
Because of this, it’s important that you understand what the bulk of your money will pay for: time, skill, experience and quality. Any old rag-tag team of animators simply won’t do the trick if your animation is to be taken seriously …
The good news?
More often than not, when you work with a team of qualified animators, your project is completed in a timely manner, helping to minimize costs.
* Factor #3: Outside Costs
As strange as it may seem, some animation studios aren’t actually a “one-stop shop” for their clients. Because of this, they’ll require that you provide your own scripts, research or any number of odd-ball assignments.
Should this be the case, you’ll need to take into account the cost of anything you’ll be doing on your end to move along the production of your 3D animation.
Forgive the plug for iViz, but I’m proud to say that everything we do is an in-house affair.
When you work with us, once we’re on the same page with creative direction and budgets, you’re given a price, and no matter how big or small it is, we’ll deliver a polished product you can be proud of.
Truth be told, we wouldn’t think of doing things any other way.
The End Results Is Always Worth It
I didn’t become an animator to talk about pricing all day.
Yes, it’s an important part of the process, but once it’s squared away, it’s my job to make sure that a client is 100% happy with the animation their hard-earned money has gotten them.
By no means am I perfect, but after countless hours, the 3D animations iViz produces are about as close to it as you can get …
But don’t take my word for it—see for yourself:
Not bad, right?
In the comments section below, let me know what you think of the animation!
Or, if you’d like to talk privately about industrial 3D animation and pricing, send your questions my way by clicking here.
Either way, I can’ wait to hear from you—thanks for reading!
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