Much like car repair, when you buy a 3D visualization service you rarely know what goes on behind the scenes. Unless you are keen on this profession, you don't need to. But if you are researching 3D animation prices and wondering why quotes vary so much, it may help to know about the technical details that affect pricing.
What happens behind the scenes varies depending on many parameters: the client's requests, the provider's approach, the details of the product, service or idea to be visualized, the impact you want to have on the viewer, the method and approach to be used, the software required, the visual quality you want to achieve, the length of the delivered work, the deadline, and so on. In light of these parameters, each of the headings below can be priced differently.
1. Workload
- 3D Modeling: Does the 3D animation require 3D modeling? Or will the 3D models be provided by the client? If modeling is needed, the level of detail of the objects to be modeled will affect the 3D animation price.
So if you are a perfume brand that sources its bottles from a supplier, modeling will be required. But if you are a company that manufactures bottles for perfume brands, the CAD drawings you made for production can be used for 3D visualization. (There can occasionally be exceptions, but since that is not the topic of this article, I won't go into it.) - Motion Detail: There will be a price difference between a 3D animation in which 3D objects make simple linear or circular movements and one in which they make complex movements. The movement of a linear bearing or the circular movement of a door handle are examples of simple animations. Examples of complex animations are character animation, or animations made up of the movement of many interacting parts, such as an excavator.
- 3D Simulation: In animations that need water, fire, smoke or cloth movement, physical simulations are used to make the 3D animation realistic. If you are a company manufacturing compressors, pneumatic systems or water treatment systems and want certain fluids visualized in your 3D animation, you should take the cost of 3D simulation into account.
Handling fluid visualization with visual effects in post-production instead of 3D simulation can be an alternative option that saves both time and money.
2. Animation Length
Although it is not decisive on its own, the length of the animation is one of the factors that significantly affects the price of 3D animation. The main reason is the 3D rendering process, which, in its simplest definition, is what “produces the output of the 3D animation production process.”
What Is 3D Rendering?
It is the generation of images by 3D software, using the computing power of the graphics card (GPU) or processor (CPU), based on hundreds or thousands of correctly entered parameters that determine the visual result, such as the form of the models, the strength of the light, the camera angle/movement and the texture of the product.
In other words, once we've bought the ingredients for a cake, whisked them and put them in the mold, we can't say “enjoy your meal” yet; we still have to bake it. Baking = Rendering.
A longer animation will extend not just the production process but the rendering process as well. A thin cake batter bakes faster 🙂
- Frame rate (FPS/Frames Per Second): Video content actually consists of still images played one after another. A video in which each second consists of 24 frames has a frame rate of 24 fps. If each second consists of 30 frames, the frame rate is 30 fps.
Let's assume a 2-minute animation is to be produced.
A simple calculation: 2 minutes = 120 seconds,
120 * 24 = 2880 frames,
120 * 30 = 3600 frames,
3600-2880=720 frames.
So between two videos of the same length but with different frame rates, there is a difference of 720 frames.
Let's assume each frame takes 1 minute to render.
According to the calculation above,
a 120-second animation at 24fps will take 2880 minutes to render,
and a 120-second animation at 30fps will take 3600 minutes to render.
Both videos are 120 seconds long, but since the 30fps one is denser than the 24fps one, it should come as no surprise that it costs more. This should not lead to the conclusion that denser is always better. (That topic could be an article of its own.)
In 3D animation work, frame rates of 60, 120 or higher may be used in scenes where a slow-motion effect is desired. Since this increases render times, it will be reflected in the 3D animation price. (I plan to write about this topic in more detail in the coming days.)
On this matter, it is best to listen to the guidance of the colleagues of mine you trust with your work.
3. Render Quality and Size
- Resolution: For a while, resolution was something TV and camera phone manufacturers talked about constantly (yes, I'm over 40 :) ). So many “megapixels”, HD, Ultra HD, Mega-Hercules HD, who-knows-how-many “K”, and so on. As a result, the notion that “more resolution means more quality” may have become ingrained.
In 3D visualization, a high-resolution image does not on its own mean a “high-quality image”.
It is perfectly possible to produce a low-quality, high-resolution render. If you draw an ugly picture on A4 paper and then draw it just as ugly on a larger sheet of A3, your picture does not become more beautiful. It just becomes visible from further away.
Render quality takes priority over render resolution.
In short, in terms of both price and quality,
high quality + high resolution > high quality + low resolution > low quality + high resolution.
Three things are needed for visual content to be seen: the visual content itself, the screen/technology on which it will be viewed, and the viewer. When deciding on the resolution of the content to be created, the screen resolution and the viewer's distance from the screen should be taken into account.
Showing an image to a viewer looking closely at a small PLC screen and creating visuals for people who will look at giant LED screens from 20 meters away at a trade show or concert involve different dynamics.
In this respect, when determining the resolution you need, I recommend consulting the colleagues of mine you trust with your work. - Photorealism: There is a lot to say about photorealism in 3D visualization, especially in the industrial field. I'm saving that side of the topic for another article. Coming back to the subject of this one: yes, photorealism increases the price of 3D animation.
Photorealistic 3D visuals are 3D images that look as realistic as real photos or real videos. To achieve this realism, the person or team making the animation first needs knowledge of areas such as photography and video shooting, the settings and working principles of recording equipment, lighting, and so on. Because achieving photorealistic 3D visuals means imitating physical life well in a digital environment. To achieve photorealism, imperfections must be imitated. Otherwise, we can't talk about realism.
What are these imperfections?
Details such as scratches, fingerprints and manufacturing defects on the product being visualized in 3D
Imperfections caused by the camera and lens
Imperfections caused by light, etc.
3D visualization is flawless by nature. While this flawlessness is a positive in manufacturing, it is a negative for 3D visualization. In physical life, production processes contain imperfections, and extra effort is needed to eliminate them. In 3D visualization, the opposite is true: to imitate reality, you have to add imperfections to your work with extra effort.
In other words, photorealism = Cost
4. Experience and Expertise of the 3D Service Provider
Although this topic may not seem related to the technical side, it contains a technical point I want to draw attention to.
A provider who is experienced and an expert in the field will contribute positively not only to the quality of the work but also to the workflow. Because these people have wrestled with many problems while gaining their experience, and they have developed various precautions and solutions for those problems, first and foremost for the sake of their own sanity. Thanks to precautions taken and hours invested at the very start of a 3D project, lifesaving solutions can be offered for mishaps or revision requests that arise later in the process. Or quick solutions can be produced for alternative versions of the animation. The comfort of this approach, which you may not even notice during production, may be reflected in the 3D animation price as an extra cost, or, quite the opposite, these precautions may reduce the cost of other versions of your animation very significantly.
I should also mention this.
Of course, experience is not the only criterion here, and by experience I don't mean “just getting older”. A young, sharp-minded, hardworking, curious colleague with very little experience but burning with the desire to create can also deliver a monster of a job for you. Because my young colleague has not yet been exposed to certain conventions, they can come up with very creative ideas. Since they have no other clients to look after besides you, being able to put all their focus on your work can be an advantage. It could also turn out to be a regret :). I can't say about that, but I know there are good ones out there. I wish them the best of luck.
5. Digital Assets Used or Created
To speed up or simplify the 3D animation production process, some digital assets may need to be purchased and used. What these assets are varies a lot depending on the job: the music used, a 3D airplane model, animal or food models, video content where appropriate, perhaps textures, or various pieces of furniture can be given as examples. If a fireplace insert manufacturer wants to see its product in a fully furnished living room, the fireplace insert model is obtained from the manufacturer, and all the remaining details are either modeled or purchased. For a job like this, modeling every detail such as the chandelier, the sofa, a magazine lying around and the rug on the floor would take a lot of time, so purchasing is usually the way to go. These expenses vary from project to project. Depending on the source from which the digital assets are obtained, the cost will be reflected in the 3D animation price.
6. Sound Design and Voice-Over
- Sound effects: When added correctly and without exaggeration, sound effects are among the important tools that strengthen the impact of a 3D animation. The purchase of this content and the hours spent applying it to the project will affect the 3D animation price.
- Voice-over: Adding a voice-over to a 3D animation brings costs such as the voice artist, studio recording and integrating the recording into the 3D animation project in sync. These costs vary depending on parameters such as the voice artist, the language of the voice-over and the recording quality.
7. Post-Production and Editing
- Video editing: After the 3D animation rendering process, bringing the renders together in a video editing program, color grading each scene and, if necessary, applying local effects or enhancements to certain scenes will affect the 3D animation price.
- Compositing and effects: Adding heat, sound waves, smoke and, if necessary, 2D vector animations to the 3D animation after rendering will affect the pricing.
Follow our social media accounts to keep up with the technical processes behind our projects, take a closer look at our latest 3D animation work and get in touch with us.
YouTube LinkedIn Instagram