Animation quotation
Quotation template for animation studios and animators: storyboard production, character rigging and scene animation. Download it as Excel or Word.
Templates by industry
- Storyboard production
- Character rigging
- Scene animation
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: start with "Storyboard production", confirm the required quantity and client inputs, then agree completion criteria for each item.
Review and approve the quotation
Confirm acceptance evidence for "Scene animation", all line quantities, exclusions and quote validity with the customer, and retain the approved version.
Deliver and prepare billing
Hand over approved versions and a file manifest, confirming usage scope and completed revisions. When the agreed milestone is complete, prepare an invoice using actual quantities and approved changes.
Animation is priced by the second, and most budget overruns start with changes after a scene has already been animated. This template sets the work out in production order: the storyboard that fixes timing and shots, the rigging that makes characters movable and the animation of each scene. Studios and freelance animators use it for explainer videos, short ads and game trailers, where the client approves the storyboard before the expensive part begins.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Storyboard production, Character rigging, Scene animation: specify the planned quantity and delivery scope for each item.
- Storyboard production
- Give the number of panels and the target running time, and allow one round of storyboard changes before animation starts.
- Character rigging
- Count the characters or objects rigged and the level of detail, such as facial expressions or full-body movement.
- Scene animation
- Quote per second of finished animation or per scene, and state that changes after the animatic is approved are charged.
- Quantity and output format
- Record pages, images, word counts or running time, final file formats and whether editable source files are included.
- Review and usage scope
- Specify the draft approver, revision rounds, intended media and duration, and who supplies third-party assets.
- Scope to agree
- Set storyboard panels, rigged assets, scene duration and the allowance for scene changes after approval.
Before sending
- Does “Storyboard production” say what is included and what quantity the price assumes?
- Would the customer read “Character rigging” the way you do, including what it leaves out?
- Can you still honour the price of “Scene animation” on the last day the quotation is valid?
Show 3 more
- Agree when a change of direction after draft approval becomes additional work.
- Check separately whether editable sources and final delivery files are included.
- Check quote validity, the customer approval method and payment milestones.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Storyboard production | 20 × $95.00 | $1,900.00 |
| Character rigging | 6 × $60.00 | $360.00 |
| Scene animation | 3 × $750.00 | $2,250.00 |
| Subtotal | $4,510.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $360.80 | |
| Total | $4,870.80 | |
Quoted net amount $4,510.00, sales tax $360.80, quoted total $4,870.80.
What the document must show
The details a quotation has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: How to write a quotation: format, example and checklist
Frequently asked questions
Is voice-over included?
Say so either way. If you arrange the voice, quote it on its own line with the language and usage; if the client supplies it, give a deadline for the recording, since the animation is timed to it.
How do I quote a series of short videos?
Price the rigging once, on the first quotation, and the scene animation per video. The client then sees the saving on later episodes, and you are paid for the setup only once.
Which files does the client receive at the end?
Name the rendered formats and say whether project files and rigs are included. Source files are often priced separately, because they let others reuse your work without you.
How is the sales tax worked out on this quotation?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $360.80 on a net amount of $4,510.00, for a total of $4,870.80. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Can I use it in another language or currency?
Yes. The document language can be set to any of 33 languages, and changing the country setting updates the currency, the date format and the tax rate.
Read next
Reading for the Animation quotation: How to write a quotation: format, example and checklist and Quotation vs invoice: differences and timing. The VAT and GST calculator adds tax to your quoted prices.