How to Compare Animation Quotes: A 60-Second Budget and Revision Scope + Free Template
A price per minute is not enough to compare animation suppliers. A 60-second icon-based explainer and a film requiring original characters, product modelling and multiple voiceovers can involve very different work. Start with the same brief, then compare stages, versions and revision responsibilities.
This guide helps marketing and procurement teams build a budget and control changes. If your project has reached storyboard approval, use the animation storyboard review checklist before authorising production.
Answer six questions before requesting a quote
Define the audience and intended action, then confirm length, primary language, visual style, placement and decision-maker. When sharing a reference video, identify whether you mean its pacing, colour, characters, camera movement or materials. A reference is useful only when the relevant features are clear.
A brief such as “60 seconds, Cantonese voiceover, Traditional Chinese subtitles, 16:9 website use, flat icon animation, no 3D modelling” is easier to price than “a premium animation”. List vertical versions, English narration and editable project files separately. Ask whether alternative formats require redesigned layouts or only a crop.
Compare deliverables at each production gate
Stage | Expected deliverable | Approval focus |
|---|---|---|
Brief and script | Core message, narration and call to action | Facts, duration and message order |
Style and storyboard | Visual direction, shots and movement notes | Brand fit, scenes and visual logic |
Design and production | Illustrations, models or animation draft | Motion, transitions and subtitle safe areas |
Sound and finishing | Voiceover, music, sound, subtitles and export | Pronunciation, rights, levels and file specifications |
Additional versions | Other ratios, languages and cutdowns | Layout, recording and editing requirements |
Assign one person to consolidate feedback. Multiple departments can review, but conflicting comments should not reach production as separate instructions. Record approval and its date so subsequent changes have a clear baseline.
Build a planning budget for a 60-second film
These figures illustrate internal budgeting; they are not Hong Kong market statistics or Allua fixed prices. The assumed project uses flat icons, one language, one master version and existing brand assets, without filming, 3D or complex character acting.
Budget stage | Illustrative planning range, HK$ | Assumption |
|---|---|---|
Brief and script | 4,000–6,000 | Message development and one 60-second script |
Storyboard and visual design | 8,000–12,000 | One visual direction and storyboard using brand assets |
Animation | 14,000–20,000 | Flat motion design and basic transitions |
Voice, music, subtitles and export | 4,000–6,000 | One language and master; licensing to be confirmed |
Total before contingency | 30,000–44,000 | No overlapping package charges |
Using the HK$37,000 midpoint and a 10% change allowance produces an internal budget of HK$40,700. Contingency is not an automatic supplier fee: use it only for approved changes. A provisional four-to-six-week schedule can include client review time, subject to the supplier confirming scope and availability. Quote 3D, rush work, extra languages and new aspect ratios separately.
Free animation quote comparison template
The template contains a brief, stage-by-stage comparison, change request and delivery acceptance record. Compare three suppliers and ask each to price the same change scenario. It makes “two revision rounds” a defined commitment rather than an ambiguous selling point.
Specify when revisions apply
Define the stage covered by each round, how feedback is consolidated and what counts as additional scope. Two rounds on the first animation draft may exclude rewriting an approved script, adding scenes or replacing the visual direction.
For example, suppose a 12-shot storyboard is approved and the business adds two product features and 15 seconds. Ask for the effect on script, storyboard, design, animation and recording before approving cost and schedule. A simple per-second calculation may miss new assets or reusable elements.
Check five things at final delivery
Check subtitles, brand names, figures and product interfaces word by word. Confirm resolution, aspect ratio, file format and subtitle versions for the actual placement. Record the permitted use of music, fonts, stock assets and voice performances. Establish whether editable project files are included, which software they require and whether third-party assets limit transfer. Finally, agree an error-correction window and the method for pricing future updates.
Technical quality alone does not prove that the message works. Ask a colleague who has not joined the project to watch once and explain the problem solved and next action. If the answer is unclear, revisit message order and pacing before adding more text.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 30-second film half the price of a 60-second film?
Not necessarily. Planning, style development and some assets are fixed work, while a shorter film may require denser design and editing.
Does AI eliminate animation production costs?
AI may assist particular tasks. Scripting, brand consistency, fact-checking, licensing and corrections still need owners. Compare the accepted output and ask about generated-asset usage terms.
Are editable project files always included?
No. Specify them before quotation and confirm formats and third-party asset restrictions.
Can the script change after animation begins?
Yes, but changes may affect several completed stages. Approving the script and storyboard first reduces avoidable rework.
Ask Allua to assess the same animation brief
Provide purpose, audience, duration, languages, reference style and intended launch date so Allua can assess stages, revisions and delivery versions. Explore animation production or submit your animation brief.
Verify third-party online information before use. Services and prices are subject to a formal quotation. Please contact us with corrections.
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