Animated promo videos
Animated promo videos have seriously come into their own of late. And that is because of a few very good reasons. A visual, digital savvy audience that consumes media like mad. A proliferation of software tools to assist in the animation and you don’t have to hire or pay any ‘talent’. Ok, you are likely going to hire a talented person to do this for you BUT you are not going to pay them royalties until the cows come home. That’s the big difference!
Animated promo videos in South Africa
The first thing that you will find when you start shopping around for a price for your awesome animated promo video, is that there is a huge range of prices you will receive. The most animated promo video I costed out got quotes ranging from R 30 000 to R 120 000, just for production. Yes, those were quotes for the same video. That is the kind of crazy price variation you will find in this arena.
The kind of international standard for a simple animated promo videos is $3 000 – $8 000. So R45k – R120k. And in this case you are dealing with a production house overseas, so you better be sure your communication skills are really sharp.
A South African company, with the rates we pay our animators, is going to struggle to do the video at that price and make profit. Local producers are more likely going to cost you in the region of R150k+ for that same video. And that’s not all…
Other animated promo video costs
Production is only one cost you have to consider. There are a few more costs that you should not forget about.
Wireframes: This will help you & everyone you speak to in the process to understand what you are trying to do at the end of the day. Having a wireframe before you get a production cost, is likely to get you a more accurate quote. You can get these designed locally but you will also find that most production companies will also cost you to create these (if you haven’t already). This can add another R10k+ of cost.
If you don’t have the money for this though, have a look around on the net, there are many online wireframe creation tools. Some even offer a “free” for life option (limited by the total amount of projects). This might even help you to flesh out your idea properly, so it is well worth having a go at it:)
Design: It really, really pays to get a professional designer to design your graphics before you even start getting costings. Same as wireframes, most prod companies will also quote you for this (if you have not done it). But if you have this already done before you speak to them, you will likely get a more accurate production quote.
There are some online design tools BUT there is no substitute for the training and experience of a professional designer here! There is a BIG difference in the final product between something professionally designed and something designed by developers (or yourself). This aspect can add another R6k to R30k to your project cost BUT it is an absolutely vital cost. If you want to create a great final product, start with a great designer!
An animated promo video we created…or ‘why you need an explainer video’
How to get it done cheaper?
So people ask “what does it cost” and I run through all of the above and I get this look, this “are you effen serious” look. And the next question is always “how can I get it done cheaper”?
If the animated promo video you want is something completely custom that has not been done before, there is NO shortcut or cheaper option, sorry. Get a professional agency and expect to spend R 150 000+
If your video is something more simple, like a whiteboard animation and you are willing to compromise on a few things, then complete the form below because we can help you. We can offer simpler animated promo videos, using templated designs and functions, with a little customisation, that will work for you. In the price range of R40k+
What kind of videos fall into this category?
Explainer videos: Simple whiteboard animation videos that explain just about anything. Whether you have invented an awesome product, created some super software or are peddling an amazing new service, a simple ‘explainer video’ is the best way to tell people what you do!
Why is it cheaper and what other costs are there?
We have some software that does lots of the heavy lifting. But there are a few thing you can do to ensure that you get it a little cheaper.
First, come with an idea or script or something. Look around, you will find there is lots of inspiration on the internet. And you know your product/service better than we do. So come with an idea that will work for your market. Design the basic script yourself.
Create or find your graphic elements. If you can create the elements you need to use in your video you will save yourself some money. You will also find that there are large online repositories of graphic elements that you can download and use for free. So if you cannot make it, find it. This will save you money!
The voice-over. If your movie works with just the written text (like our example above) that is great. If you need or want voiceover on top of that, it will cost extra.
If you want an awesome animated promo video in the R40k+ range, please complete your info below.