Start with what you need to show
Style is not decoration. Each one is good at showing a different kind of thing: numbers, steps, people, craft or physical objects. Decide what the viewer has to see, and the style usually picks itself. The prices below are our starting prices for 60 seconds.
Motion graphics, from $899
Type, shapes, icons and screens in motion. It is the best fit for software, data, services and announcements, where there is no character and the idea is the star. It is usually the quickest style to produce and the easiest to update later.
Whiteboard, from $1,299
A hand draws the picture while the voice explains it. The drawing pulls the eye along, which makes whiteboard a strong choice for teaching: training, education, health information and any process with steps in a fixed order.
Explainer, from $1,699
Custom scenes with simple characters who have a problem and find the answer. Choose it when the story is about a customer: what was hard, what changed and what to do next. This is the style most people mean when they say "explainer video".
2D character animation, from $2,599
Characters that act: walks, expressions and lip sync. It suits mascots, series, children's content and brands that want a personality people remember. A character costs more to build the first time and less in every video after that.
3D animation, from $3,199
Models with real depth, materials and light, and a camera that can go anywhere. Choose it when the subject is physical: a product, a device, a building or a medical procedure, especially when you need to show the inside.
Cel animation, from $5,699
Drawn by hand, frame by frame. It takes the most work per second and it looks like nothing else. Choose it for brand films, music videos and title sequences, where the craft itself is the message.
A quick way to decide
Ask these in order and stop at the first yes:
- Is it a physical object or a procedure? Look at 3D.
- Is it a story about a person or a customer? Look at an explainer or 2D character animation.
- Is it a process to teach step by step? Look at whiteboard.
- Is it software, data or an announcement? Look at motion graphics.
- Is the look itself the point? Look at cel.