| Animation Style | Price Range (per minute) | Typical Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| 2D Animation | £2,000-£7,500+ | Brand stories, educational content, character narratives, social media |
| 3D Animation | £5,000-£15,000+ | Product demonstrations, architectural visualization, medical explanations |
| Motion Graphics | £3,000-£5,000+ | Corporate presentations, data visualization, title sequences |
| Whiteboard Animation | £800-£5,000+ | Training videos, educational content, process explanations |
| Explainer Videos (60-90s) | £5,000-£15,000 | SaaS demos, company introductions, marketing campaigns |
£2,000-£7,500+ per finished minute
Traditional hand-drawn or digital 2D animation offers versatile storytelling across character animation, illustrated explainers, and brand films. The wide price range reflects complexity variation—simple flat design animation sits at the lower end, while detailed character animation with complex movements commands premium rates.
£5,000-£15,000+ per finished minute
3D animation represents the premium end of the market due to modeling, rigging, lighting, and rendering requirements. Pricing varies significantly based on model complexity, environmental design, and photorealistic rendering needs.
£3,000-£5,000+ per finished minute
Motion graphics combine graphic design with animation, ideal for data visualization, logo animations, and text-driven content. Generally more cost-effective than character animation while maintaining professional polish.
£800-£5,000+ per finished minute
The most budget-friendly option for educational and explanatory content. Lower production costs reflect simpler animation techniques, though quality varies significantly between basic automated tools and professionally crafted sequences.
£5,000-£15,000 per video
The most commonly commissioned animation format. This project-based pricing typically includes scriptwriting, storyboarding, animation, voiceover, and sound design as a complete package for explainer videos.
The chosen animation style fundamentally determines production costs. Simple flat design motion graphics require fewer production hours than detailed 3D character animation. Complexity factors include:
Production costs scale with duration, but not always linearly. The first 30 seconds of any animation includes fixed costs (concept development, style frames, initial setup) that subsequent seconds don't repeat. A 90-second video isn't precisely 50% more expensive than a 60-second version.
Standard production timelines (4-8 weeks for most projects) reflect realistic workloads. Rush projects requiring weekend work or priority scheduling command 25-50% premium fees. Conversely, flexible timelines allowing studios to schedule work during quieter periods sometimes yield modest discounts.
Most quotes include 2-3 revision rounds at key stages (script, storyboard, animation). Additional revisions add costs—typically £500-£2,000 per round depending on scope. Clear initial briefing minimizes revision needs.
Full audio packages including professional voiceover, original music composition, and sound design add £1,500-£5,000+ to projects. Budget-conscious projects often use stock music (£100-£500) and client-recorded voiceover to reduce costs.
London studios operate with higher overheads (studio rent, staff costs) reflected in pricing. BAFTA-nominated studios or those with major brand portfolios (Microsoft, Intel, LEGO) command premium rates justified by proven delivery quality, experience with complex briefs, and reliable project management.
Regional UK studios and freelancers offer lower rates but variable reliability and capacity for complex projects.
Every custom-illustrated character, designed environment, or bespoke icon requires design time. Projects using existing brand assets or simplified visual approaches reduce costs significantly compared to fully custom creation.
| Project Length | Typical Cost Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Second Video | £2,500-£8,000 | Social media, paid advertising, product teasers |
| 60-Second Explainer | £5,000-£15,000 | Standard explainers, concept explanations |
| 90-Second to 2-Minute | £7,000-£18,000 | Detailed storytelling, product demonstrations |
| 2-3 Minute Training Video | £8,000-£22,000 | Professional training, instructional content |
| 5-Minute Brand Film | £15,000-£35,000+ | Premium content, events, high-value campaigns |
Ideal for social media, paid advertising, or punchy product teasers. Short duration demands tight scripting and impactful visual design. Often motion graphics or simple 2D style.
Professional scriptwriting (£800-£2,500) delivers focused messaging that makes animation more effective. While optional, quality scripts reduce revision rounds and improve final results.
Beyond included revision rounds, significant storyboard changes after approval (£500-£2,000) delay timelines and increase costs. Thorough initial feedback prevents this.
Stock music libraries charge £100-£500 per track. Premium stock footage (if incorporated) adds £200-£1,000+. Custom alternatives cost more but offer uniqueness.
Square formats for Instagram, vertical for TikTok, or additional language versions each require reformatting work (£500-£2,000 per format variation).
Timeline compression requiring weekend work or staff reallocation commands 25-50% premium on standard pricing. Plan ahead when possible.
London studios typically charge 20-40% more than regional UK studios due to operating costs, but offer:
Regional studios and skilled freelancers provide excellent value for straightforward projects with flexible timelines.
BAFTA-nominated studios like Hocus Pocus Studio command premium rates reflecting:
For high-stakes projects (product launches, major campaigns, regulatory training), premium studios reduce risk of substandard delivery or missed deadlines.
Freelance animators (£300-£800/day) offer competitive pricing for simple projects but limited capacity for:
Small agencies (2-5 staff) bridge this gap at moderate premiums. Established studios provide full-service capabilities with predictable delivery.
Define what the animation must achieve before discussing style. A product demo requires different approaches than brand storytelling. Clarity reduces revision rounds and wasted exploration.
Even with clear briefs, expect refinement. Budget for 2-3 revision rounds beyond the quote to prevent late-stage surprises.
The cheapest animation rarely delivers best results. A £3,000 video that fails to convert viewers wastes money. A £12,000 video generating leads or training staff effectively justifies investment.
Animation assets can be repurposed across multiple campaigns, social channels, and presentations. Higher initial investment often delivers better ROI across extended use.
Rushed projects cost more and limit creative exploration. Standard 6-8 week timelines allow proper development while avoiding premium rush fees.
Typical 1-minute animation costs range from £2,000-£7,500 for 2D animation, £3,000-£5,000 for motion graphics, and £5,000-£15,000 for 3D animation. Pricing varies based on complexity, style, and studio credentials.
Animation requires skilled specialists working across multiple disciplines—scriptwriting, storyboarding, illustration/modeling, animation, audio production, and sound design. A 60-second video typically requires 80-150+ hours of professional work across these stages.
2D animation generally costs less (£2,000-£7,500/minute vs £5,000-£15,000/minute for 3D) due to simpler production pipelines. However, simple 3D product demonstrations can sometimes cost less than complex 2D character animation.
Standard timeline for a 60-90 second explainer is 6-8 weeks including concept development, storyboarding, animation production, and audio post-production. Rush projects can compress to 3-4 weeks at premium pricing.
Very simple whiteboard animations or basic motion graphics from freelancers might reach sub-£1,000 pricing, but professional broadcast-quality animation rarely falls below £2,000-£3,000 minimum due to production hour requirements.
Most studios quote per-project based on detailed briefs. This provides budget certainty and aligns incentives—studios work efficiently without clients worrying about hour accumulation. Day rates (£800-£2,000/day) apply for ongoing relationships or open-ended projects.
Animation complexity and style choice create the largest cost variations. 3D photorealistic product demonstrations require fundamentally more production time than flat design motion graphics. The second biggest factor is timeline—rush projects command significant premiums.
Precise quotes require detailed briefs including:
Studios like Hocus Pocus Studio provide detailed quotes within 24-48 hours based on comprehensive briefs, with transparent breakdowns of costs across production stages. As a London and New York animation studio with BAFTA-nominated credentials, we work with clients across finance, technology, and corporate sectors to deliver animation that balances budget requirements with quality expectations.
About this guide: Pricing data reflects current UK market rates from established London animation studios including BAFTA-nominated producers working with major international clients. Rates updated February 2025.