undefined undefined October 6th, 2022

Why is Animation Becoming More Expensive?

Let's look at why the costs of hiring animators for your custom 3D characters, for games, film, VFX is getting more expensive, ranging from software prices to the COVID-19 pandemic, and what solutions are available.

The header image used for this article was provided by Kroftle Studios. View here

Rising costs in Animation

Animation is getting more expensive. For those looking to hire an animator to bring their custom 3D character to life, you may struggle to find someone available without incurring expensive overheads. As the industry turns to hire fulltime employees, the supply of qualified animators is sinking.

However, specialist artists are ready to bring their expertise to your project as a freelancer.

Why has animation gotten more expensive?

Combined with a near-global cost of living increase and inflated software prices, despite free alternatives, animators are having to boost their rates to recuperate expenses. Outsourcing studios across the board have seen a 4% drop in demand since 2021 - and a 13% drop since 2020. This is a direct reflection of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact it had on an industry that previously rarely worked from home.

This chart shows the demand service providers, such as freelance artists and outsourcing studios, have seen in each discipline over the past four years. Demand for freelance animators is at the lowest since 2019. Source: XDS.

Projects that need animation

Hiring a freelancer is cheaper and faster than hiring a full-time artist; for the cost of onboarding a new employee, a far more experienced and qualified freelance animator will be well within your budget. Flexibility is an important factor in taking on a freelancer. For a smaller project, you may be daunted by the large overheads of hiring, onboarding and training a new artist.

CGHero offers a rapid solution to this problem. Our artists are selected based on their skillset and portfolio, and are supported by our in-house production team on managed projects to allow the seamless delivery of your requirements. The high quality of their work, combined with our production team's experience, means we can guarantee a successful speedy result.

Many project managers struggle to factor in complexity for their projects, and quotes can be a lot higher than expected. For example, your custom 3D character needs animating for your first person shooter. This can entail complex finger and hand movements to realistically operate a weapon or gun, which generally requires a specialist for best results. Alternatively, a highly stylized character will require a comprehensive rig and movement system, which is only achievable with an experienced animator.

By hiring a freelancer through CGHero, there is no need to compromise on quality due to tight deadlines or a limited budget. Our specialized talent is well-versed in delivering industry standard deliverables, with the majority of our Heroes having worked in industry before; their experience includes work from companies such as Disney, FromSoftware, Ubisoft and Samsung. Our cost-effective system means that you can hire on a per-task basis, allowing you to overcome budget limitations and invest in high calibre artists.

Rigging custom 3D characters for animation, especially stylized ones, can be expensive. Source.

The Freelancer Solution

CGHero offers a dynamic solution to fit your project’s requirements, as we work with remote freelancers across the globe who bring their unique experience to each task. Depending on your needs, we’ll source a range of creative artists, honed in the freelance trade, for your project.

Animators on CGHero can provide 3D animation for games, film, VR and more. Our past animation projects have included integrating motion graphics for alien robots, perfecting hyperrealistic creature animation for television, and a full rig and animation for a character in a video game trailer.

If you need an animator for your project, get in touch with our sales team today.