Famous examples of animation, along with how much each second cost to create (Budget Adjusted for Inflation / Running Time).
Hopefully, this can help other animators and potential clients judge pricing more clearly.
Keep in mind, though, that the employment laws and studio systems differ from country to country, and different animation styles require different amounts of time and resources.
Studios usually hire entire teams of animators, celebrity voice actors, etc., so not every bit of the budget went toward animation, but animation is typically the most expensive part of any film.
Plus, if you were hired to create something that looked like Toy Story 3, for example, someone would need to pay for the rigging, modeling, animation, and rendering, so most expenses are unavoidable.
For more tips on animation, storytelling, and film-making, check out the free eBook here
Tangled
$49,059 per second
Toy Story 3 (2010)
$36,639 per second
Brave (2012)
$33,217 per second
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
$24,689 per second
Ratatouille (2007)
$25,759 per second
Finding Nemo (2003)
$21,027 per second
Hercules (1997)
$19,292 per second
Coraline (2009)
$11,690 per second
Toy Story (1995)
$9,990 per second
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
$6,906 per second
Snow White (1937)
$5,448 per second
Akira (1987)
$2,852 per second
The Simpsons (1990)
$1,030 per second
Steamboat Willie (1928)
$495 per second
Millennium Actress (2003)
$397 per second
South Park (2006)
$223 per second
For more tips on animation, storytelling, and film-making, check out my free eBook here
Sources:
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/most-expensive-animated-movies-of-all-time/
http://www.powerhouseanimation.com/wp-content/themes/maxima-v1-02/dist/index.php
http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/budgets/all
http://www.imdb.com/
https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
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