Spoiler alert: motion graphics take a lot of time and resources to produce with quality.
If you’re thinking about using motion graphics and video to promote your brand, we have great news — you’re on the right track! However, motion graphics pricing can be expensive to produce. Studies from Wordstream and Animoto show that marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video marketers, and Social media brand video ads are the #1 way consumers find out about brands. While you’re super excited and ready to get going on your brand’s next motion piece — you’ll soon find out that motion graphics can be pretty expensive to produce. But why is that? The simplest answer would be that sophisticated motion design takes weeks to create.
There are a lot of moving parts to coordinate when producing motion graphic magic. It’s worth noting, that the best way to ensure your project is handled correctly is by working with a senior-level team. This ensures that they have the technical know-how, experience, curiosity and artistry to make it happen. Let’s look into a few reasons why motion graphics can be expensive.
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The amount of animation and complexity directly influence the price
Some studios charges on by a per-minute basis — that means the actual length of your motion graphics will determine the scope of work and price of the project. Of course, the end result can range anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes or longer. Minutes of video translates to days and weeks of work.
Another factor that determines the price is the complexity of the animation. Simple, linear animation without robust movement and creative transitions are cheaper to produce. However, they tend to lack the refinement and powerful visual impact of higher-end motion productions. They are usually missing extra hours of work that goes into perfecting the details.
What sort of work goes into the hours of animation, and what determines how complex it is? You may have a ton of questions, especially if you’re not familiar with the animation creation process. Not to worry—let’s break it down.
Motion graphics is all about telling a story, not just making things move. It takes a team!
Unsurprisingly, motion graphics aren’t just about hopping on to a computer, creating and animating as you go. The most important part of the motion graphic process is crafting a cohesive narrative. It’s important that it explains your brand’s message in a clear and engaging manner. The best way to achieve an effective message is to make sure a professional copywriter is involved with scripting. Messaging is key, and a poor story will make for an uninspired animation. Great motion graphics are more than just making objects move, it’s about speaking to your audience in a way that matters to your brand.
Creative planning is the secret sauce of motion graphics that separate the good, the bad, and the ugly. A proper narrative allows motion graphics studios like ours to carefully consider what happens visually, and also why it happens. It allows us to look at the piece as a whole and understand the visual flow, rather than trying to connect the dots at the end.
By using a defined script and visual storyboard, we can ensure that everything will work, and all elements of motion act in harmony. Having professional copywriting is essential, it’s the foundation that everything is built on. A talented copywriter will clarify your message as succinctly as possible, explain your core services, and express your unique selling points. All without losing your viewer’s interest. He or she will also find your brand voice and shape the narrative while determining if the content should be serious or more playful.
Custom illustrations will make your motion graphic shine and stand out
This is what separates the majestic from the monotone. Unique, hand-drawn assets that are custom to your brand are the next step in making your motion graphics stand out from the rest. Of course, pre-made graphics on Shutterstock can be a cheaper alternative, but they come with major caveats. Stock illustrations might be bland, limited or simply lack customization. The other issue is they will not be unique to your brand because they are open source and who knows how many organizations have used the same images.
The organizations that use the same imagery may not align with your philosophy which can create brand confusion. It’s also possible that pre-made graphics might not be stylistically cohesive with other pre-made graphics. This causes your motion graphics to feel visually scattered and detracts from your brand messaging. Having all the assets created by a designer ensures that your vision will be executed to your specifications. It also ensures the motion piece will feel visually consistent and will have continuity throughout. Of course, having everything custom made by a designer will increase the price of the animation, but the benefits of having something visually unique are tremendous. This will also prolong the life of the video.
Additionally, files must be meticulously separated, sliced, layered, and prepared before animating in Adobe After Effects. Much like baking a cake, you need to prepare your files using exact specifications, or something is sure to get funky. And not in a groovy way.
Animation — it’s all in the keyframes
The majority of motion graphics operate by keyframing. Every layer of motion needs to be keyframed in a meaningful way with clever visual messaging. At the same time, they need to cleverly transition from one scene to the next in a way that makes it seem effortless. This where our imaginations take off as we think of the many visual metaphors that we can use to create awe-inspiring transitions.
Motion graphics are all about amazing transitions!
In the end, the quality of motion graphics comes down to “you get what you pay for.” You can get a very basic animation with stock graphics and iconography made pretty efficiently, but they may lack character, interesting movement, or that extra “wow” factor. The less visually interesting it is, the less likely someone is to remember it. So, naturally, engaging animation is the key to keeping your viewers interested. On top of that, animators need to ensure that our brains can understand and relate the movements made on the screen to real life in some way.
It’s a matter of knowing the rules of physics, and also knowing when to break them. For example, imagine a bowling ball dropping on a hardwood floor. What aspects of the movement make it feel heavy? What about how it reacts to the surface it’s bouncing on? The considerations that animators make when creating motion graphics follow a long list of similar questions. Making motion graphics may feel like a walk in the park but requires animators to run a marathon. Our animators are generally working with hundreds of layers and keyframes when we are producing sophisticated motion designs.
Don’t forget about the sound!
Sound can make or break any animation. It’s no exaggeration to say that sound in motion graphics is as important as the illustrations or animation itself. Of course, one of the key points of sound design in motion graphics is the voice over. It’s important to make sure that your motion graphic studio hires a professional voice actor who is clear, concise, and can convey the mood of the piece with their voice.
Most voiceover artists will record your work in a professional studio with the best equipment available. We pay $350-$550 on average for good voiceover talent for a two-minute video. The price can increase if you are going to run a national TV campaign. A common trait of good motion graphics is that the sound enhances the feel and emotional value of the project. The right soundtrack and sound effects that support the animation will take it to another level. The sound always exists to support the emotional response you’re trying to evoke from the viewer.
Final Thoughts
Excellent work doesn’t always require every bell and whistle. But, it’s important to note that much like in a restaurant, the “add-ons” will affect the pricing. That said, we always recommend that it is best to establish a clear budget for your motion graphic project.
Most of our motion design projects start at $5000 and go up depending on the scope and sophistication of the project. The good news is animation can boost your business and return your investment ten-fold. As we’ve discussed, motion graphics have a bunch of benefits for your business. Ultimately, the best way to determine what sort of motion graphic would fit your budget is by talking directly with a professional. They understand the business and can determine the best solution for you.
Here at ES Creative, motion graphics are something that we have been passionate about for the last 20 years. We’re always here to help by answering any questions you may have. Give us a shout and we’ll get to work!
And if you have any further questions about Motion Graphics or Video Production, be sure to check out our FAQ.
