Animation videos, which offer flexible expression without the hassle of casting celebrities or filming live-action footage, are increasingly being adopted by companies. For example, many people have likely seen Apple's animated advertising videos displayed in train stations.
Recently, using animation videos for PR centered around YouTube channels and animated music videos (anime MVs) have also become commonplace. Many companies are likely starting to consider utilizing such animation videos themselves. However, they probably have questions like these:
“I want to produce an animated video, but I don't know the typical quote range.”
“I'm unsure how to effectively utilize an animated video.”
“I don't understand the typical delivery times or scheduling for animated videos.”
While producing a video is important, it's meaningless if it doesn't deliver results. Conversely, something too expensive is likely difficult due to budget constraints.
Therefore, to help you balance cost and effectiveness, this article will broadly explain production costs, delivery times, and usage examples for each type of animated video.
・Understand production costs for each variation of animation video
・Understand the schedule and process for completing an animation video
・Learn about the recommended application for each type of animation video
・Understand the characteristics and reference images for each type of animation video
Animation video features, pricing, production time, and usage methods
Animation videos are currently popular, but even though we call them animation videos, their content varies widely. There are as many as seven different types, and the standard rates also change depending on what kind of video you choose.
Video production pricing list by style
Let's dive right in and explain not only the specific types, costs, and production periods, but also the best ways to utilize them effectively in a table.
Video Types
Price range
Production period
Ideal use
Slideshow
¥300,000–¥600,000
1–2 weeks
Introducing products
Motion graphics
¥800,000–¥6,000,000
1–2 months
Detailed explanations of services
Whiteboard animation
¥1,000,000–¥2,000,000
1–1.5 months
Sales videos, Educational explanations
Character animation
¥1,000,000–¥3,0000,000+ Character development fee
2–3 months
YouTube posts, Short video ads
Full animation
¥6,000,000+
2–6 months
Branding
Short animation
¥200,000–¥600,000
1–2 weeks
TikTok, Twitter posts
3DCG
¥4,000,000 - ¥10,000,000
2-3 months
Product/building interior explanations, Games
Anime MV
¥2,000,000+
2-3 months
Game MVs, Artist MVs
Loop animation
¥600,000–¥1,600,000
1–2 months
Web ads, Work BGM videos
There is also “indie animation” similar to the full animation mentioned above. Since indie animation requires fewer people involved in production than typical full animation, it can be produced for around ¥1 million or more.
Now, let's take a closer look at each one in turn.
Slideshow videos (Manga videos)
Slide animations refer to videos created by stringing together individual frames, making them relatively simple to produce. Compared to other animation types, they are easier to create, making them ideal when speed is a priority.
Their use has also expanded to include adding simple motion to manga, creating manga animations.
Prices typically range from ¥300,000 to ¥600,000, keeping costs relatively low. Production time is also short, usually taking about two weeks to a month. If you need something produced quickly, why not consider a slide animation?
Source: [Manga Video][Anime] The Shy, Plain Girl Was Actually a Popular, Sarcastic VTuber, But She's Terrified of Her Neighbor and Has Hit a Wall [Not Knowing My Favorite Lives Next Door Episode 1] - YouTube
Price Range
¥300,000–¥600,000
Production Period
1–2 weeks
Ideal Use
Product Introduction
By adding motion to manga-style LP visuals, viewers can smoothly grasp the service's concept. This approach is frequently used when simple product descriptions alone yield diminishing advertising results—creating a story through manga videos (slide videos) that makes viewers feel the necessity of the product or service, aiming to generate demand.
Motion graphics videos
Motion graphics videos refer to videos that incorporate movement into text and images. When outsourcing to an external production company, it's essential to carefully negotiate estimates, as costs vary significantly based on factors like the availability of vector assets and the video length.
The smoother the motion, the more labor-intensive the process becomes, and consequently, the cost tends to increase accordingly.
Video ads are widely used to introduce services because they convey messages simply and clearly, and allow for easy partial revisions.
Additionally, more specific categories include infographics and typography animations. For details on their characteristics and examples, please refer to the following article.
Whiteboard animation
This refers to videos where drawings and text are handwritten on a blackboard or whiteboard and presented. The content presented can include learning materials, book reviews, company introductions, and other narrative-driven stories.
While handwriting text on a whiteboard might seem like something you could easily create yourself, outsourcing this work allows for higher-quality illustrations and the ability to produce videos with more elaborate storylines.
Source: Whiteboard Animation 2.0 Promotional Video - YouTube
Price Range
¥1,000,000–¥2,000,000
Production Period
1–1.5 months
Ideal Use
Sales videos, educational explanations
The standard range is around ¥1,000,000–¥2,000,000, but please note this is solely for video production costs and does not include fees for using characters. Additional charges apply when incorporating characters.
This format is ideal for selling products or services directly online—such as sales videos—without involving sales representatives. It can even replace landing pages, sometimes requiring highly calculated scripts. Consequently, pricing varies significantly based on script complexity.
If you can design the script yourself, why not try creating it in-house using production tools? When there's potential, you can then commission a video production company based on that initial video to quickly elevate the quality.
Character animation
By showcasing character-focused “conversational formats” and “character movements,” these videos foster viewer familiarity and enable natural explanations.
Using influencers or celebrities carries the drawback that they become difficult to continue using once trends fade. Many companies utilize original characters to eliminate this disadvantage and achieve differentiation.
When planning original characters, an additional cost of approximately ¥300,000 to ¥600,000 is required.
For content distribution, we recommend posting on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. This approach is ideal for boosting the visibility of original characters without showing your face, which directly enhances your company's brand recognition.
It's also highly effective for creating clear, explanatory content by having characters interact with each other. For instance, converting article content into video format with an explanatory style can attract viewers who prefer watching explanations.
Furthermore, producing explanatory videos for new employee training eliminates the need to manually deliver the same explanations repeatedly.
Full animation
While production methods have now shifted entirely to digital, the original technique involved drawing vast quantities of illustrations on cels and creating motion by flipping them like flipbooks. Production costs fluctuate based on the number of illustrations used per second. More illustrations result in smoother motion.
It possesses a powerful appeal that draws viewers into its world, offering expressions and memorable characters unattainable in live-action. Since it easily conveys abstract concepts difficult to portray in live-action, its use in business has also increased.
Full animation, with its strength in evoking emotion in viewers, is ideal for recruitment activities and branding when companies want to foster empathy for their story or create buzz.
Source: Rengo Tochigi CM / Creating the Future Edition - YouTube
Price Range
6 million yen and up
Production Period
2 to 6 months
Ideal Use
Branding, video advertising
There is also a method called indie animation (self-produced animation), where individual animators take the lead in production, allowing for easier creation than standard full animation.
Short animation
Short animation videos are animated clips lasting up to about 60 seconds that express a complete narrative arc. They are ideal for platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok, where viewers repeatedly watch short content.
One approach is to prepare a full-length version separately and use the short animation video as an overview to spark viewer interest.
By animating portions of articles created for owned media and sharing them on platforms like TikTok and Twitter, you can drive traffic to your owned media and build customer relationships. This approach increases traffic beyond just SEO.
3DCG animation
As the name suggests, these are animated videos using 3D models. Since they can be filmed from multiple angles in 360 degrees, they enable the creation of more dynamic and easily understandable videos.
3D animated videos require creating and filming dedicated models, making them expensive with an average cost of around 3 million yen. However, once a model is created, it can be reused for subsequent animated videos, making them recommended for producing multiple series.
They are particularly popular in games and promotional videos where anime-style characters need to move around. Additionally, their ability to realistically recreate vehicles and real estate allows them to be used for conveying the finished image before production or construction begins.
Product or building interior structure explanations, games
Tools for easily creating animated videos start at tens of thousands of yen per month, so if you have a script ready, it's worth considering.
There are also ways to utilize VR for displaying works, such as the world's largest 360° VR NFT illustration gallery. This gallery, on the NFT marketplace called PROJECT EMOTION, displays 1,700 NFT-ized works in 360° VR.
3DCG excels at capturing viewers' attention. Therefore, utilizing it for PR makes it easier to create a competitive advantage over other companies.
Animated MVs (Music videos)
Music videos aim to visually convey the atmosphere and worldview present within a song. They often feature footage throughout the entire track, and videos created by bands for their fans typically fall under this category.
Recently, due to the popularity of vocalists, more artists have begun producing music videos using animation. This allows them to create a unique worldview through expressions not possible with live-action or singing alone, making it effective for aiming for viral spread via social media. Since it requires less filming effort, it also reduces the burden on the artist and keeps production costs down.
Source: Ōkame Hachigatsu “Meikyō Genmu” Official Video - YouTube
Price Range
¥2,000,000+
Production Period
2–3 months
Ideal Use
Game music videos, artist music videos
Additionally, many music videos featuring original songs are used as commercials for game apps.
Loop animation (GIF/videos)
Loop animations are short animations lasting a few seconds to a few minutes that return to their starting state after playing to a certain point, repeating this cycle. Since they loop seamlessly without feeling jarring, they create the impression of continuous playback.
Leveraging this characteristic, loop animations are frequently used as visuals for “work BGM” videos commonly found on YouTube.
They are also utilized by converting them into GIF animations for web advertising or posting on social media. Incorporating images of your company's products within the loop animation or depicting scenes that indirectly lead to using your services can also yield promotional benefits.
Price Range
¥2,000,000+
Production Period
2–3 months
Ideal Use
Game music videos, artist music videos
Using the video image above as an example, it's a looping animation depicting someone “working from home using the internet” with the goal of signing up for an internet service.
This could create a branding effect where the urgency of the work = the need for a high-speed internet connection.
Beyond just posting background music videos for work on YouTube, combining looping animations with messages and distributing them as YouTube video ads can create advertising creatives that also appeal to the sense of hearing.
Animation video based on budget and purpose
So far, we've explained the types of animated videos and their production costs. The criteria for choosing them vary depending on your marketing budget and objectives.
High-volume video production: Slide Videos (Manga-Style Videos)
For example, if you want to produce many videos at a low cost and one of your goals is to create animated videos, we recommend using slide videos for production.
When creating YouTube channels or video ads, it's crucial to “increase the frequency of high-quality video updates” to maximize effectiveness. For this purpose, inexpensive, eye-catching ad creatives are ideal. Produce multiple variations of slide videos, which have short production times, and conduct effective testing.
Manga videos, with their entertainment value, are well-suited for YouTube, where users often visit specifically to watch video content. Why not explore the advantages and disadvantages of YouTube ads and see how you can effectively utilize manga videos?
Branding or recruitment: Full Animation Videos
For branding elements like promotional videos and TV commercials, or situations like recruitment where appealing to emotions is essential, we recommend full animation video production. This approach facilitates storytelling and allows flexible control over expressions that are difficult to convey through live-action footage.
Creating customer touchpoints: Short animation videos
If you want to create touchpoints with many customers and increase awareness of your products or company, short animated videos are recommended as they pair well with TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
This is because on each social media platform, individual users primarily upload their own content, meaning live-action videos dominate and animations tend to stand out.
Furthermore, while the challenge of “getting your video watched” persists regardless of where you publish, TikTok and YouTube Shorts have the unique feature of being swiped through continuously, making it easier to gain viewing opportunities. This makes them ideal platforms for boosting brand awareness.
What are the core benefits of using animation videos?
We'll also explain the benefits of utilizing animated videos. Specific advantages include the following:
Easily conveying complex concepts
Leveraging character IP
Easier cost control compared to live-action
Ability to make revisions and improvements even after delivery
We'll delve into each of these in detail.
Animation videos make it easy to convey difficult concepts.
The advantage of animation videos is that they visually represent information, allowing concepts to be communicated more directly than text explanations. This enables the precise delivery of key messages to viewers in a short time.
Depending on the animation technique, text (captions) can be minimized. When all explanations are conveyed visually through animation alone, audience comprehension increases dramatically. For example, complex or difficult-to-understand content, like internal structures, can be simplified and communicated to users.
Another advantage is the ability to more effectively highlight and emphasize key points you want to leave an impression on the audience.
Leveraging Character IP
Utilizing your company's original character IP beyond animated videos can further enhance its investment value. According to Professor Hirota Nagashima of the Marketing Department, Faculty of Business Administration, Toyo University, character utilization methods can be categorized into the following nine types:
Selling the character itself as content business
Creating characters for corporate brand building and selling products
Attaching characters to products and selling them as character goods
Licensing business: Selling character usage rights to other companies
Selling products in packaging featuring character illustrations
Using characters for regional revitalization
Having consumers nurture characters and then selling products using them
Turning existing entities into characters
Setting up characters to interact with customers in AI-powered customer service
Source: What is Character Marketing? The Secret of That Cute “Kid” Who Bridges the Gap with Customers
Please decide how your company will utilize these approaches. Creating a character before determining such usage methods often results in meaningless investment.
For example, some companies think they should create a character simply because major corporations use them on products. While this approach itself isn't problematic, it's crucial to reconsider whether it suits your brand and customers.
Furthermore, it's wise to consider not just the design, but also the character's personality and what messages it will convey.
Compared to live-action, costs are easier to control
Animation videos can also be created at a lower cost. In recent years, animation videos have become easy to create on computers, offering significant cost advantages such as “lower labor, equipment, and time costs compared to live-action.”
When creating live-action videos, securing locations and filming are often necessary. If the content can be expressed through animation, that approach will likely yield greater cost savings.
However, it cannot be stated definitively that all animated videos are cheaper than live-action. For simple videos or corporate introduction videos, live-action may sometimes be more cost-effective, so careful consideration is necessary.
For animations intended for PR purposes rather than television broadcasts, considering indie animation is also recommended.
Animation videos can be revised even after delivery, allowing for continuous improvement.
One advantage of animation is its ease of modification, making it ideal for long-term use. This is because scenes can be created or added without requiring subjects like actors.
For example, if viewer feedback requires modifying a specific expression later, adding missing footage or elements can be done relatively smoothly.
In contrast, live-action videos generally cannot be redone. Even with editing, you cannot create scenes that were never filmed. If a missing part is discovered later, the entire segment must be reshot. Worst of all, if an actor's appearance changes significantly over several years, the entire project might need to be reshot.
Choose the type of video based on where you plan to publish
Even if you go to the trouble of creating an animated video, it's meaningless unless someone sees it. Here are a few places well-suited for publishing your animated videos.
Publish on your own website
Even if you publish animated videos on social media platforms like YouTube or Twitter, getting people to watch them requires either “advertising power” or “significant knowledge and persistence.” However, for companies, the target audience they want to see their animated videos is generally well-defined. Therefore, it's recommended to place the animated video in a prominent location, such as your company website's homepage, ensuring that anyone visiting your site will definitely see it.
Unlike social media, this approach may not reach a large audience, but it creates a situation where “the people you want to see it will definitely see it.”
Publish on video platforms like TikTok and YouTube
It's a good idea to utilize video platforms like TikTok and YouTube as destinations for publishing your videos.
However, simply posting animated videos will only turn your account into a storage space. It's also crucial to understand each platform's characteristics and nurture your account accordingly.
Posting animated videos on TikTok allows you to increase exposure for free and aim for broader recognition. As the term “TikTok sales” suggests, it holds the potential to yield significant effects not only for recognition but also for sales.
On the other hand, posting animated videos on YouTube is well-suited for building a community to nurture potential customers over time. You can get potential customers who showed interest through TikTok or ads to subscribe to your channel, then engage them through videos related to your products or services.
Although YouTube Shorts, similar to TikTok, has been released, it's generally recommended to start with longer videos (8 minutes or more) as your foundation and use Shorts primarily as a means to gain awareness.
Since YouTube is better suited for nurturing relationships than for new discoveries like TikTok, it's best to focus on creating value within the videos themselves. This could mean using animation for explanatory content or providing entertainment through storytelling.
Publish via advertising (web, street advertising, etc.)
Publishing animated videos through advertising offers the advantage of controlling exposure levels from small to large audiences. Compared to posting on social media accounts, internet advertising allows for more rapid and strategic promotion of video views.
Furthermore, analyzing the metrics of animation videos used in ads via management dashboards makes them highly effective for optimization. While outdoor or station advertisements only reach passersby, they carry the potential for people to film the animation with their smartphones and share it on social media. This can lead to media coverage and generate buzz.
The importance of consistency between the scenario and video type
This applies to all videos used in business: videos are composed not only of visual expression but also of the elements of “story” and “presentation method.” Therefore, it's not about what kind of animation video is inherently good; the key concept is choosing the type that best conveys the story to the audience.
In other words, the general process is to create the story and then decide on the presentation method to match it. From here, we'll introduce the steps for creating effective videos.
Design the video according to its intended purpose
Regardless of whether it's animation or not, clearly defining the “purpose” is absolutely essential for companies to effectively utilize video content. If you produce videos without a clear purpose, they'll end up being merely visually appealing or seeming like they should work, yet failing to resonate with anyone.
From here, I'll outline the key points for designing videos aligned with their intended purpose, step by step.
Define the theme
Choosing a theme is crucial for attracting viewers, as it ties directly to what your customers want to know. For example, a company seeking video production requests might consider direct themes like “How to Utilize Videos” or “Why Videos Excel,” or indirect themes like “Business Challenges Related to Video.”
Clarify the theme based on the video's purpose and the audience's concerns.
Narrow down your target audience
Clearly defining who the company's customers are is also crucial. This is because creating a video with the optimal message for your target audience is necessary to change their impressions and behaviors.
Conversely, producing an animated video without defining your target audience risks creating vague content that resonates with no one. The result could be a video that fails to convey its intended message.
As mentioned earlier, the expression methods and structure change significantly based on the “purpose of use” and the target audience. It's vital to decide who the video is aimed at.
Plan the story
The reason the story is important is simple: it forms the backbone of the video. No matter how visually appealing or technically polished the video is, if it lacks substance, it holds no meaning for a company. While it might be fine as an art piece, a company likely has objectives like selling products or services, or building brand awareness.
To achieve a company's objectives, you need a story that changes customer perceptions and behaviors.
Planning characters
When creating characters for animated videos, there are two approaches: designing original characters or utilizing existing well-known characters. Using existing characters allows you to leverage their influence, much like employing celebrities. However, this may incur additional costs due to copyright issues and could restrict usage rights.
On the other hand, designing original characters creates unrestricted assets. By nurturing them like a brand, their influence can grow over time.
Select the style based on the planned video
Determining the optimal expression method
Once your video plan is finalized, you'll select the most suitable expression method for it. Expression methods can be broadly categorized into the following two types:
Live-action expression
Animation expression
Let's examine the differences between them.
Differences between animation expression and live-action expression
Unlike animation expression, live-action expression has the characteristic of conveying “realism.” Therefore, it is well-suited for directly communicating what a product is like. It's also well-suited for promoting the performers themselves or showcasing scenery, where realism is crucial.
The differences between these expression methods are explained in detail in “What's the Difference Between Animated PR and Live-Action PR? The Best Way to Promote Your Company's Services.”
Things to know before outsourcing video production
Even when commissioning video production, it's not just about making a video. Since it's used by a company, increasing profits beyond the investment is a prerequisite. Below, we outline key considerations for such scenarios.
Understanding the unique characteristics of web video
When publishing videos online—now the mainstream platform—it's essential to avoid causing viewer discomfort. Unlike TV, where viewing is compulsory, online viewers can easily “hide” or “block” ads they dislike.
Therefore, prioritizing the creation of a relationship where viewers willingly listen without feeling annoyed is essential.
To achieve this, you need to create content that leaves a positive impression. This can be done by developing engaging, story-driven content or by featuring well-liked celebrities or characters to spark viewer interest.
Among these approaches, animation is particularly well-suited. It allows for the free creation of characters and facilitates the development of compelling narratives.
Clarify the purpose of your request
The cost of animation videos has become more accessible even on low budgets due to advancements in production tools. Additionally, demand has increased as major companies utilize animated commercials to generate buzz, making it easier to gather creators.
However, since it's a specialized field, costs naturally tend to be higher when renowned creators are involved or for visually intensive projects prioritizing quality.
Understanding that pricing varies significantly based on the type of animation video and its intended use is crucial for creating an animation video that aligns with your company's needs.
<h4>Understanding the Risks of Outsourcing
While outsourcing offers benefits like leveraging external expertise when starting new initiatives or reducing internal labor costs, it naturally carries risks. A key risk to be particularly mindful of is that “your intentions may not be fully understood.”
This is because, although outsourcing partners are specialists in the requested work, they cannot grasp your intentions without knowing the values and philosophy of the client company. This frequently leads to situations where “the delivered product differs from what was envisioned.”
You may also consider bringing work in-house. If your goal is to build internal expertise through in-house production, it's crucial to collaborate with specialized partners possessing PR knowledge rather than simply selecting an outsourcer for production alone.
Different companies and different areas of expertise
To avoid failures in animation video production, understand the key points for selecting a production company. The key to choosing an animation video production company is to thoroughly understand the company's areas of expertise.
By knowing their areas of expertise and understanding the typical pricing range of the company you wish to commission, you can prevent a disconnect between your envisioned video and the final produced video.
Things to know before outsourcing video production
Even when commissioning video production, it's not simply a matter of having a video made. Since it will be used by the company, increasing profits beyond the investment is a prerequisite. Below, we introduce what you should know in such cases.
Understanding the uique characteristics of web Vvdeos
When publishing videos on the web (internet), which has become mainstream recently, you must consider avoiding viewer discomfort. This is because, unlike TV, where viewing is often forced, viewers can easily “hide” or “block” posts containing ads they dislike.
Therefore, prioritizing building a relationship where viewers willingly listen without feeling annoyed is essential.
To achieve this, you need to create content that leaves a positive impression. This can be done by developing engaging, story-driven content or by featuring well-liked celebrities or characters to spark viewer interest.
Among these approaches, animation is particularly well-suited. It allows for the free creation of characters and facilitates the development of compelling narratives.
Clarify Your objectives for commissioning
The cost of animation videos has become more accessible due to advancements in production tools, making it feasible even on a low budget. Additionally, demand has increased as major corporations utilize animated commercials to generate buzz, making it easier to gather creators.
However, since it's a specialized field, costs naturally tend to be higher when renowned creators are involved or for visually intensive projects prioritizing quality.
Understanding that pricing varies significantly based on the type of animation video and its intended use is crucial for creating an animation video that aligns with your company's needs.
Be aware of the risks of outsourcing
When starting something new, outsourcing can be very beneficial, as it allows you to leverage external expertise and reduce internal labor costs. That said, outsourcing naturally comes with risks as well. One risk in particular that deserves close attention is the possibility that your intentions may not be fully understood.
This is because, while an outsourcing partner may be a specialist in the tasks you are commissioning, it can be difficult for them to grasp your company’s values and philosophy if those are not clearly communicated. As a result, it is quite common for situations to arise where “the delivered work is different from what we had in mind.”
You may also consider bringing work in-house. If your goal is to build up know-how within your organization through internal production, it is important not only to choose an external vendor who simply produces deliverables, but also to work together with a specialized partner who has expertise in PR and can support you strategically throughout the process.
Should you outsource PR planning as well as production?
When utilizing animation for business PR, it's more important to focus on creating mechanisms that get your content seen—such as leveraging social media platforms and having PR expertise—than pursuing high-quality video production.
Marketing Perspective in Japan: Beyond Just Creation
NOKID provides creative planning and production for PR using characters, events, and video content. Effective videos balance business and creative perspectives, e.g., short clips optimized for TikTok, designed to capture attention in the first 2–3 seconds.
For first-time animation or PR-focused content, feel free to consult with us.
Tokuma Kanna
Founder and CEO of NOKID Inc., a premier creative studio specializing in short-form animation and graphic design. With a focus on narrative-driven visual storytelling, he has spearheaded high-profile projects across the global entertainment landscape. His portfolio includes the acclaimed VALORANT: YORU TYPICAL DAYS cinematic, the Hatsune Miku x Seven Premium 15th Anniversary campaign, and Koda Kumi’s music video "100 no Kotoba-tachi e." As a leading producer in the PV and MV sectors, Tokuma continues to redefine the intersection of animation and contemporary digital media.
Behind the scenes of the short-form anime production process! The secrets to capturing viewers' attention through planning, production, and outsourcing
