90 Second Animation Cost UK: Clear Pricing Insights for Businesses

A team of professionals working together in an office with digital screens showing animation timelines and budget charts, with a view of London landmarks in the background.

Average Cost of 90 Second Animation in the UK

A team of professionals working together in an office with digital screens showing animation timelines and budget charts, with a view of London landmarks in the background.

If you want a 90 second animation in the UK, you’ll usually pay between £8,000 and £20,000 for professional 2D work. Prices might drop to £4,000 for basic motion graphics, but can climb to £40,000 if you want high-end 3D character animation.

The final price depends on the style you pick, how complex the animation is, and which studio you choose.

Typical Pricing Tiers

Animation studios in the UK work across different pricing tiers, each reflecting a certain production standard and service level. Entry level jobs cost £4,000 to £7,000 and usually involve templates with little customisation.

These projects often rely on offshore teams or freelancers and offer only a few revision rounds.

Mid-range projects sit between £8,000 and £20,000 and come from established UK studios. Here, you’ll get custom characters, pro voiceover, and proper project management.

Most businesses looking for explainer videos land in this bracket.

Premium animation costs from £20,000 to £40,000 and comes from top studios with broadcast-quality output. You’ll see detailed characters, richer environments, and creative input that helps your commercial aims.

At Educational Voice in Belfast, we mostly work in the mid to premium range, focusing on custom 2D animation that actually serves your business goals—not just eye candy.

Standard Rate Ranges

Animation pricing jumps around a lot depending on style. If you want motion graphics or kinetic typography, expect to pay £3,000 to £10,000 for 90 seconds.

2D flat or infographic styles usually cost £5,000 to £14,000, and 2D character animation ranges from £8,000 to £25,000.

If you want something more complex, like parallax or 2.5D animation, you’re looking at £10,000 to £22,000. Frame-by-frame drawn animation can hit £15,000 to £40,000.

Full 3D animation for products or explainers lands between £15,000 and £40,000, with 3D character work often topping £25,000.

“When clients ask about pricing, I always say style choice makes up about 60% of the total cost. But complexity inside that style matters just as much,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice. “A simple 2D character piece might be £8,000, but if you want detailed expressions and performance, it can hit £20,000.”

Cost Per Second vs. Full Project

Working out animation cost per second sounds simple, but it rarely matches how much animation costs in reality. Pre-production—like scriptwriting, storyboarding, and character design—stays mostly fixed, no matter how long the video ends up.

Shorter videos usually cost more per second than longer ones.

A 90 second animation at £12,000 comes to £133 per second. If you stretch it to 120 seconds for £15,000, the per-second rate drops to £125.

The animation itself scales with length, but the creative groundwork doesn’t.

Studios across Northern Ireland and the UK usually quote per project, not per second, for this reason. When you brief your animation, focus on your total budget and what you want to achieve.

Ask studios what you get at different price points within your range. That way, you pick the best fit for your needs.

Key Factors Affecting Animation Pricing

A creative studio showing a digital storyboard, animation tools, and icons representing time, budget, character design, voice recording, and rendering, with UK landmarks in the background.

Animation costs go up or down depending on how complex your project is, how long your video runs, and how quickly you want it finished. Style and detail in each scene matter most for your animation budget.

Production Complexity

How complex your animation is will make the biggest difference to the cost. If you just want motion graphics with text and shapes, you’ll pay much less than for character-driven stories with detailed backgrounds and expressive acting.

When I quote projects at Educational Voice, the main price swings come from what’s happening on screen. A 90-second explainer with three characters and lots of scene changes needs a lot more work than a video of the same length using just icons and text.

Character design adds a chunk to pre-production. Each character needs to be designed, tweaked, and rigged before anything moves.

If your brief has five speaking characters instead of one, expect the animation pricing to jump by 30-50%.

The number of unique scenes matters too. One environment with characters talking costs less than a story that jumps through offices, streets, and homes. Every new setting needs fresh art.

Length and Scope

How long your video runs affects how many frames need animating, but it’s not a straight line between duration and cost. A 90-second animation doesn’t cost three times as much as a 30-second one, because a lot of the expense—like script and storyboard—doesn’t change much with length.

Scriptwriting, storyboarding, and style frames are fixed costs that spread out better over longer videos. That’s why 90-second projects usually give you better value per second.

Most UK businesses pick 60-90 second explainers because this length fits enough information without losing the viewer’s attention. In Belfast studios, these usually cost £8,000 to £20,000 for professional 2D work.

“A 90-second animation lets you set up a problem, show your solution, and add a call to action without rushing,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice.

Scope goes beyond length. If you want extra versions for social media, subtitles, or other languages, expect to pay 15-25% more—but you’ll get more assets from one production.

Turnaround Time

Standard animation production timelines in Northern Ireland run from 6 to 10 weeks, start to finish. If you need it in 3-4 weeks, studios usually add 20-40% to the price.

Rush jobs mean studios have to put more animators on your project at once, and sometimes work evenings or weekends. This parallel working bumps up labour costs quite a bit.

The production timeline breaks into phases that each need their own time. Script and concept take 1-2 weeks. Storyboarding needs another week. Animation production takes 3-5 weeks, depending on how complex things get.

If you allow enough time for feedback and revisions, you’ll avoid last-minute changes that cost more and mess up the workflow.

If you’ve got a hard launch date or event, brief your studio at least 10-12 weeks ahead. That way, you’ll get the best rates and quality won’t suffer from a rush job.

Animation Styles and Their Impact on Cost

A team of creative professionals working together around a table with visual representations of different animation styles and cost indicators, set in a modern office with a digital screen showing a UK map.

The style you pick will set most of your budget for a 90-second animation. Motion graphics and kinetic typography usually start at £3,000 to £10,000.

Character-driven work ranges from £8,000 to £25,000. 3D animation sits between £15,000 and £40,000.

Motion Graphics and Kinetic Typography

Motion graphics give you good value for 90-second projects because you skip the slow character design and rigging. At Educational Voice, I’ve seen plenty of Belfast and Northern Ireland businesses get strong results with motion graphics when they need to show data, processes, or brand messages clearly.

A typical 90-second motion graphics piece costs £3,000 to £10,000 from a UK studio. Template-based animation is cheaper, while custom work with original illustrations and slick transitions lands at the top end.

Kinetic typography works well for testimonials, brand manifestos, or product features where words drive the story. I usually suggest this style when your script is strong and you want impact without paying for character design.

The per-second cost drops compared to character work, since animators spend less time on rigging and faces.

2D Character Animation

2D character animation costs £8,000 to £25,000 for 90 seconds because you need character design, rigging, and animation of expressions and movement. This style builds emotional connection and brand personality that motion graphics just can’t.

“When a Belfast business puts money into character animation, they’re creating a visual asset they can use again and again, not just for one video,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice.

The price depends on how complex your characters are. A basic flat-design character with simple features might add £2,000 to £4,000. More detailed characters, with expressive faces and hand-drawn textures, can add £8,000 to £12,000.

Frame-by-frame animation costs more because every movement needs to be drawn, not just tweened. I only suggest this when you need a truly unique, artisanal look for a premium brand. Most 90-second explainers use a mix—rigged characters and a bit of frame-by-frame for special moments.

3D Animation Price Comparison

3D animation cost starts at £15,000 for 90 seconds and can reach £40,000 for complex character work. Modelling, lighting, and rendering takes much longer than 2D.

I usually recommend 3D if you need to show off a physical product, demonstrate how something works, or create environments you can spin around. A Belfast SaaS company once needed their platform’s architecture visualised in 3D, which 2D just couldn’t do as clearly.

The main cost drivers in 3D are the number of unique models, texture and material detail, lighting, render time, and how much character rigging you need. A 90-second product demo with one main object might cost £15,000 to £22,000. If you want character-driven 3D storytelling with lots of speaking roles, it can go over £40,000.

Pick between 2D and 3D based on what your message needs, not just what looks fancy. I’ve advised plenty of UK businesses to stick with 2D when 3D wouldn’t add much but would cost a lot more.

Studio Location and Type

An animation studio in the UK with animators working at computers surrounded by storyboards and drawing tablets, with a cityscape visible through large windows.

Where your animation studio is based changes both the price and how you’ll work together. A 90-second animation from a London studio usually costs £8,000 to £20,000.

A similar project from a regional studio in Belfast, Manchester, or Bristol often sits between £6,000 and £18,000.

London Studios vs Regional Studios

London animation studios charge 10 to 20 per cent more than regional studios. That’s mostly down to higher running costs, not better quality.

You’ll find top creative talent outside London. Studios in Belfast, Cardiff, and Edinburgh regularly match London’s quality at better rates.

At Educational Voice, we’ve delivered 90-second animations for fintech and healthcare brands that perform just as well as anything from central London agencies.

The real difference shows up in your budget. If you’ve got £12,000 for a 90-second explainer, a regional studio gives you more room—maybe for extra character design or another revision round. With a London studio, you might have to simplify your brief.

Freelancers and Animation Agencies

Freelancers usually charge £3,000 to £10,000 for a 90-second animation. Animation agencies quote £8,000 to £22,000. The price gap comes down to capacity and process.

A freelancer suits simple briefs with clear specs. An agency fits complex projects that need scriptwriters, illustrators, animators, and sound designers all working together.

Timing matters too. If you need your 90-second animation in four weeks, an agency can put a team on it. A freelancer works solo.

Pick based on how complex your brief is and your deadline, not just the price.

Revisions and Their Effect on Budget

A team of professionals in an office reviewing animation drafts and budget charts showing the impact of revisions on project costs.

Revision rounds hit your animation budget directly. Most UK studios build in two or three rounds as standard, but if you want extra changes, expect to pay another £500 to £2,000 for each round. If you know how revisions work, you’ll have a much easier time managing costs and avoiding nasty surprises on your 90-second project.

Standard Revision Rounds

Professional animation studios usually offer specific revision chances at key stages. You’ll get revision rounds at the script, after the storyboard, and when the first animation draft lands.

These revisions let you give feedback on content, pacing, and visuals. At Educational Voice, we build three revision points into our Belfast projects, so you can tweak things without pushing up your budget.

The standard revision rounds included in quotes make sure you can steer the project as it develops. For a 90-second animation, each revision stage usually takes three to five days, depending on how much you want changed.

It’s best to gather all your feedback before sending it over, rather than drip-feeding requests. If you collect input from everyone upfront, you avoid endless back-and-forth and keep the timeline on track.

Costs of Additional Changes

Extra changes after the included revision rounds bump up your animation costs quickly. Each extra round can add £500 to £2,000 per round, depending on how tricky the changes are and how late you request them.

Late-stage changes cost more because the team might need to redo finished animation. If you ask for character design tweaks after animation has started, the price goes up a lot compared to making those choices at storyboard.

Major script rewrites after animation kicks off can push your budget up by 20% to 30%. We’ve seen Belfast clients dodge these costs by getting everyone’s approval at each stage before moving ahead.

A clear brief at the start means you’re less likely to need extra revisions. If you supply detailed brand guidelines, references, and examples, your budget stays predictable and your 90-second video stays on track.

Elements Included in Animation Quotes

A group of professionals working together at a desk with animation storyboards, tablets, and budget charts in a modern office with a city view.

Professional animation quotes usually split into pre-production planning and the visual assets that bring your video to life. Script development and storyboarding lay the groundwork, while asset creation shapes the final look and feel of your 90-second animation.

Script Writing and Storyboarding

Most UK studios include script writing and storyboarding in their base price for a 90-second animation. These early stages usually make up about 20-25% of the total cost.

Script writing turns your message into a tight story that fits the time. At Educational Voice, we aim for 150-180 words for a 90-second script, leaving space for the visuals to do their job. A good script makes sure your main points come across without overwhelming the viewer.

Storyboarding lays out every scene before animation starts. You’ll see exactly what you’re getting, shot by shot. It’s your chance to request changes before the production timeline moves ahead.

“Storyboarding saves Belfast clients thousands by catching scope issues early, before we’ve animated a single frame,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice.

Most studios offer two revision rounds at the storyboard stage. If you want more, expect to pay 10-15% extra. Giving clear feedback now keeps your project moving and your budget under control.

Asset Creation and Design

Asset creation covers everything visual, from characters to backgrounds. This phase usually takes up 35-40% of your quote for a standard 90-second piece.

Character design costs depend on how complex you want things. Simple, flat characters cost less than detailed designs with lots of expressions. Each extra character bumps up the animation service costs too.

Backgrounds and environments add depth. Detailed illustrated backgrounds take more time than plain colour backdrops. Your quote should say how many unique scenes and backgrounds you get.

Icons and graphics help tell your story visually. Studios need to create these from scratch unless you supply brand assets. In Northern Ireland, studios often include 8-12 custom assets in a 90-second animation quote.

Ask for a detailed asset list before you sign off. This protects you from surprise costs if you need extra design work later.

Voiceover, Music, and Sound Design Costs

A recording studio with a sound engineer, a voice actor in a booth, and a composer working on music for an animation project.

Sound for your 90-second animation usually adds £550 to £1,100 to your budget. Professional voiceovers cost between £250 and £600, and music sits around £200 to £500.

Professional Voiceover

Your voiceover choice affects both the price and how well your message lands. Professional voiceover costs run from £250 to £600 for a 90-second animation in the UK.

You’ll pay more for experienced artists, full usage rights, or a quick turnaround. At Educational Voice, we know voiceover artists across Belfast and Ireland, so we can match your brand to the right voice without blowing the budget.

A corporate explainer for a Belfast tech firm might use a neutral, clear voice for about £300. A character-driven animation needs more personality, which can push the price to £500 or £600.

“When selecting a voiceover artist, think beyond just the accent and consider the pacing and energy that will keep your audience engaged throughout the full 90 seconds,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice.

You should budget for possible retakes or script tweaks. Most quotes cover one or two minor edit rounds.

Music Licensing and Custom Music

Music and sound design cost between £200 and £500, depending on whether you use royalty-free tracks or order custom music.

Royalty-free library music is cheaper, usually £200 to £300. It’s a good fit if you want quality music fast and don’t need exclusive rights. Custom compositions cost £400 to £500 and give you something unique.

Sound effects add polish and sit within the same budget. We layer in ambient sounds, clicks, or character movements to make your 90-second video feel finished.

For a product demo animation we made for a Northern Ireland manufacturer, we mixed library music with custom sound effects to stay inside their £350 audio budget and still deliver professional sound. Ask for sample tracks early so you can check the music fits your brand before the final render.

Output Formats, Aspect Ratios, and Delivery

A modern workspace showing a computer with video aspect ratio frames and file format icons, alongside a clock and a subtle UK map in the background.

Your 90-second animation has to work on different platforms, and the delivery format shapes both cost and usability. UK studios usually include one main format in the quote, but extra versions cost more.

Delivery Format Options

Studios deliver animations as high-res video files like MP4, MOV, or ProRes. MP4 works best for web and social media, while MOV and ProRes suit broadcast or further editing.

At Educational Voice, we supply a 1080p (Full HD) master file as standard. If you need 4K for big screens or future-proofing, we can do that too. The master file gives you flexibility for future edits.

Many Belfast studios can give you layered project files if you ask. These let you make changes later without going back to the studio, but expect to pay £500-£1,500 extra, depending on complexity.

“Request your delivery files in the format you’ll actually use rather than just the highest resolution available, as render times and file storage become practical concerns when you’re managing multiple video assets,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice.

Multiple Aspect Ratios

You’ll probably need your animation in different aspect ratios for different channels. Standard 16:9 (landscape) works for YouTube and websites, 1:1 (square) is better for Instagram feeds, and 9:16 (portrait) is a must for Instagram Stories, TikTok, and Reels.

Most studios charge 15-25% of the original project cost to adapt your 90-second animation for extra aspect ratios. This means moving things around, adjusting layouts, and sometimes redesigning frames so nothing gets lost.

Ask your studio to plan for multiple formats from the start. If they design with safe areas for all three ratios, you’ll save money compared to reworking things later.

Cost Breakdown by Animation Sector

A segmented circular chart showing different parts of animation production costs with icons representing each sector and subtle UK-themed visual elements in the background.

Different sectors in business need different things from animation, and that changes the price. Healthcare animation and corporate work often need specialist knowledge or compliance steps, which stretch timelines and costs.

Corporate and Product Visualisation

Corporate explainers and product visualisation usually cost between £8,000 and £20,000 for a 90-second piece. These jobs focus on showing how products work or explaining services to customers and stakeholders.

Product visualisation often means showing off physical products, software, or technical processes. At Educational Voice, we work with Belfast and Northern Ireland businesses that need to explain machinery, SaaS, or complex manufacturing. These projects need careful storyboarding so every technical detail is right before animation starts.

Corporate work usually sits in the mid-range because it balances quality with reasonable timelines. Most companies want 2D character animation or motion graphics, not pricey 3D. A typical corporate project covers script, custom illustrations, voiceover, and two revision rounds at each stage.

The main cost factors are the number of products shown, how complex the interfaces are, and how many scenarios you need. Showing one product is cheaper than showing lots of use cases.

Healthcare and Specialist Animation

Healthcare and pharmaceutical animation costs range from £10,000 to £50,000 for 90 seconds. These projects demand scientific accuracy and regulatory compliance. Medical mechanism animations, patient education videos, and pharmaceutical content need extra research, expert review, and several approval rounds.

“Healthcare clients in Northern Ireland often need animations that satisfy strict MLR compliance processes, which means building in extra time for medical and legal review at multiple stages,” says Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice.

Scientific accuracy stretches production timelines. We spend more time in pre-production checking medical details, talking with experts, and making sure visuals match clinical facts. These projects often need subtitles for different languages and accessible formats for patients with different needs.

Higher costs reflect the specialist knowledge required, not just the visuals. A simple 2D animation explaining a treatment pathway might cost more than a flashy corporate piece because it needs medical illustration and compliance paperwork. Plan for at least 8 to 12 weeks for healthcare projects to get through all the approvals.

Budgeting Tips for UK Businesses

A group of business professionals working together around a table with financial charts and laptops in a UK office, with a cityscape view of London in the background.

Getting an accurate animation quote starts with a detailed brief. If you want your budget to go further, plan for multiple outputs from a single production run.

How to Get an Accurate Quote

Your brief sets the tone for how accurate your animation quote will be. Studios can only estimate costs based on what you tell them, so if you’re vague, you’ll get a vague quote—and that opens the door to those annoying surprises later.

Make sure you include the essentials. Who’s your target audience? What’s the core message you need to get across? Let them know what animation style you want—motion graphics, 2D character animation, or something else entirely. Mention your preferred length and any hard deadlines.

Be clear about your revision expectations. Most UK studios offer two or three revision rounds per stage, but more changes will bump up the cost. If you already have brand assets—logos, colour palettes, character designs—share them early. It saves everyone time.

Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice, says, “When businesses come to us with a clear brief that covers their audience, message, and budget parameters, we can send an accurate quote within 48 hours instead of dragging things out for weeks.”

For a 90-second animation, spell out if you want voiceover, custom music, or different aspect ratios for social media. These bits can add anywhere from £1,000 to £3,000 to your project.

Maximising Your Animation Budget

The smartest move for UK businesses? Create one high-quality hero animation and adapt it for different formats. It works out better value than making separate pieces for every channel.

Start with your main 90-second video at 16:9. Then ask your studio for social cutdowns at 30 seconds and 15 seconds, plus portrait versions at 9:16 for Instagram Stories and TikTok. This usually adds 15% to 25% to your initial quote but gives you five to eight deliverables from a single production.

Think about how your sales animation can fit into your whole customer journey. The same explainer can sit on your homepage, pop up in email campaigns, play at trade shows, and feature in sales presentations. Using one asset in so many places drops your cost per impression a lot.

You could also save by working with a Northern Ireland studio. Belfast agencies often match London quality but offer regional pricing, saving you 10% to 20% without cutting corners.

Base your animation budget on your business goals, not random numbers. If a £12,000 animation brings in 50 qualified leads worth £500 each, that’s a return worth investing in, instead of going for a £6,000 version that doesn’t deliver.

Template-Based vs. Custom Animation Costs

A split illustration comparing template-based animation and custom animation costs for a 90-second animation in the UK, showing simpler design elements and lower costs on one side and more detailed designs with higher costs on the other.

Template-based animation usually costs between £500 and £2,000. Custom 90-second animation from a UK studio sits between £8,000 and £20,000. The price gap reflects how much creative control, brand fit, and production time you get.

When to Choose Custom Work

Custom animation really shines when your brand identity matters. If you’re launching a product, explaining a tricky service, or making content that represents your company, custom work gives you full control over character design, colours, style, and messaging.

At Educational Voice, we work with businesses in Belfast and across the UK who want their animation to match brand guidelines or stand out in crowded markets. A healthcare client once needed a 90-second explainer with their exact brand colours, custom illustrations of their clinical process, and characters reflecting their patient demographic. Templates just couldn’t do that.

Custom animation makes sense if you’re planning a series. We can reuse the style, characters, and assets from your first 90-second piece in future projects, which cuts costs for the whole campaign.

Your spend on custom work pays off with stronger brand recognition and content that works harder across different channels.

Savings with Template Animation

Template animations cost between £500 and £2,000 because they use pre-built characters, scenes, and transitions. You just add your text, logo, and tweak the colours. Production time drops from six to eight weeks down to just one or two.

Templates work well for internal comms, simple social posts, or any content where brand consistency isn’t top priority. A Northern Ireland retailer used template animation for staff training videos—clear information mattered more than brand look.

But you’ll spot the limits fast. You can’t really change character designs or create unique scenes, and the animation style stays mostly fixed. Other companies might use the same template, which doesn’t help you stand out.

Michelle Connolly, founder of Educational Voice, says, “If your animation needs to convert customers, represent your brand, or explain complex ideas, the savings from template work rarely justify the creative compromise.”

Pick template animation if speed and budget are your main drivers. Go custom when your 90-second video needs to deliver real business results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Four professionals in a meeting room discussing animation costs with charts and a digital screen showing graphs, with a view of the London skyline through the window.

A 90-second animation in the UK usually costs between £8,000 and £20,000 from a professional studio. Prices can range from £4,000 to £40,000 depending on style and production needs. Pre-production costs stay pretty fixed, so shorter animations don’t always mean a much lower budget.

What is the average cost for producing a 90-second animated video in the United Kingdom?

Professional UK animation studios typically charge £8,000 to £20,000 for a 90-second 2D explainer. That’s the mid-range where you get custom design, professional production values, and project management.

At Educational Voice in Belfast, most clients spend £10,000 to £18,000 for this length. The price depends on whether you want character animation or something simpler like motion graphics.

Entry-level options from template-based or offshore studios start around £4,000 to £7,000. High-end work—like 3D animation or healthcare content with compliance checks—can reach £30,000 to £40,000 for the same duration.

Your best bet is to request detailed quotes from at least three studios, and check what’s included at each price.

How are pricing structures typically broken down for short animated content in the UK market?

Most UK studios break pricing into pre-production, production, and post-production phases instead of a per-second rate. Pre-production covers scriptwriting, storyboards, character design, and styleframes—usually 30-40% of your cost.

Production is the animation itself, often 40-50% of the budget. Post-production—sound, voiceover, music, edits—makes up the last 10-20%.

At Educational Voice, I show clients the costs at each stage so they know where their money goes. For a 90-second project, you might see £4,000 for pre-production, £7,000 for animation, and £2,000 for post-production.

Michelle Connolly says, “Breaking down the quote by production phase gives clients clarity on what they’re paying for and where they can make adjustments if budget is tight. For example, simplifying character design in pre-production makes a bigger cost impact than trimming the animation by ten seconds.”

Most studios include 2-3 revision rounds at each stage. More revisions usually cost 15-30% extra.

What factors influence the budget required for a 90-second animated piece?

Animation style drives your 90-second budget more than anything. Motion graphics or kinetic typography cost less than character-based stories, and 2D is cheaper than 3D.

Complexity within the style matters too. Three simple characters in flat backgrounds cost much less than detailed characters with expressive performances and rich illustrated environments.

The number of scenes, characters, and speaking roles all add to production time. At Educational Voice in Belfast, I’ve noticed that projects with four or more characters can add £2,000 to £5,000 over simpler two-character videos.

Fast turnarounds push prices up. Rush projects can cost 20-40% more because they need extra resources and parallel workflows.

Your sector can also affect costs. Healthcare and pharma animations need scientific checks and compliance reviews, while financial content often requires several approval rounds.

Can you outline the price range for high-quality animation services per minute in the UK?

High-quality 2D animation from established UK studios usually costs £8,000 to £20,000 per minute of finished content. This includes professional character animation, custom design, voiceover, and sound.

If you want 3D or more complex character work, expect to pay £15,000 to £40,000 per minute. Medical or broadcast-quality content can reach £30,000 to £60,000 per minute.

Calculating by the minute doesn’t always make sense, though. Pre-production costs like scriptwriting and design don’t scale with duration—they’re mostly fixed whether your video is 60 or 120 seconds.

At Educational Voice, I’ve made 90-second animations for Northern Ireland businesses where the per-minute cost seems higher than a three-minute piece, but the total budget fits their needs. A focused 90-second explainer often delivers a better return than a longer, watered-down message.

The most cost-effective path? Make one high-quality 90-second hero animation, then ask for shorter social cutdowns and different aspect ratios from the same assets.

What additional costs should be anticipated when commissioning a 90-second animation?

Voiceover fees aren’t always in the base quote and usually add £300 to £1,200 depending on the artist and usage rights. A good voiceover makes a real difference, so budget for it from the start.

Music licensing is another extra. Stock music libraries charge £50 to £300 per track, while custom music can run £800 to £3,000.

Multiple formats and aspect ratios can add 10-20% to your cost. If you want your animation in 16:9 for your website, 9:16 for Instagram Stories, and 1:1 for LinkedIn, mention this upfront.

Subtitles and translations usually cost £150 to £400 per language. At Educational Voice, I always suggest including subtitles in your brief since most people watch social videos with the sound off.

Extra revision rounds beyond your contract usually cost £500 to £2,000 per round, depending on the changes. Last-minute revisions cost more than changes made at the storyboard stage.

How does the complexity of animation affect the pricing for a project of this length?

Complexity can quickly double or even triple the budget for a 90-second animation, even if you stick to the same style. A straightforward 2D animation might come in at £8,000, but a trickier one can shoot up to £25,000, all for the same length.

Character complexity bumps the price up quite a bit.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home

For all your animation needs

Related Topics

Top Animation Studios in Belfast: How Educational Voice Built Its Reputation

Animation Consultation With Michelle Connolly: Pre-Production Strategy

Sales Animation Services: How 2D Animation Converts Browsers Into Buyers