How Long Does It Take To Create an Animation?

Today, we live in a world of instant gratification in almost every aspect of our lives. We expect same-day delivery for all of our goodies and items, as well as on-demand movies at our fingertips. That sweet and juicy burger you are craving? You NEED to have it within the hour.

That’s all well and good in our personal lives, but we’ve noticed that this mindset has spread to our professional lives too.

For example, we regularly work with B2B SaaS companies of all sizes. Clients absolutely want swift delivery.At the same time, how about quality? Quality should be exceptional and niche-defining. What about the budget, of course? Of course, they expect it to remain reasonable and within the average market range.

Here at Zelios, we’ve had more than our fair share of timeline discussions with clients.

While there’s much and more information about timelines, and specifically on many resources on our website, clients are still surprised when presented with an average turnaround time for full production.

“Three or four weeks?” WOW, aren’t these videos AI-generated and completed in, like, three days?”

Unfortunately, there is already a significant disconnect, with people not fully understanding the complexities of video production, and with the rise of AI, these expectations are becoming more widespread than we would like.

Yes, we live in an age of AI technological breakthroughs, but it appears that it is still slacking off in something more elaborate than, say, assisting you in cheating on your essay or writing a couple of LinkedIn posts.

Stil, distilling an idea and ensuring that it goes through a complicated production process, including scripting and animation, while communicating complex ideas is an art form that requires consistent work over time, the use of expert team skills, and meticulous attention to detail.

There’s no way to prompt your way out of this.

Different Types of Animations and Typical Timelines

Another factor to consider is that different video formats have different lengths, animation complexity, and design, all of which influence the timelines of these videos.

The main rule of thumb is that they cannot be completed in one day.

Of course, you can whip out a template video, but you can see the  selection here and have a moment to think if your brand reputation won’t be damaged if you use those.

But yeah, they can absolutely be done, even in half a day.

In this article, we will cover the formats most ordered by our b2b SaaS clients, and web design agencies.

Short Brand Awareness Videos

Kicking things off, let’s start with short brand awareness videos. These are small, bite sized pieces to keep your company top of mind.

They can also be used for Facebook ads and YouTube pre-rolls, which are ideal for converting your clients with quick and easy videos.

Most likely, they will include a quick value proposition or pain point, as well as a call to action, to begin leading your clients through the funnel.

We absolutely love bite-sized 15-30 second videos, which are also popular among clients because they can be completed in 10-14 days.

This way, you can strike a balance between supporting your campaigns with high-quality content and ensuring you receive the video quickly.

Here are some of our examples:

How-To Videos

How-to videos are inherently more time-consuming to create because they typically focus on explaining specific tasks or workflows in greater detail. These videos have simpler animation, but don’t assume that means shorter timelines.

They gain time during the animation stage, but lose it during the meticulous scripting and planning stage.

Taking all of this into consideration, these videos take approximately 2-4 weeks to complete.

Just make sure you’re not rushing it and that it’s actually useful to the clients who will be viewing it as they try to resolve issues with your platform or service.

Demo Videos

Now, similar to the previous section, are the demo videos. Looking to show off your software, app or product features? Then Demo videos are the way to go.

Similarly to the previous example, they don’t have crazy animation, although that varies from example to example.

Here’s an example of what we did for Univer: while the animation isn’t particularly complex, the design and overall platform view required a significant amount of creative effort to complete.

Furthermore, the client did not have a finished design, so we had to do additional web design work:

A demo video has an average turnaround time of 3 to 6 weeks.

To put things in perspective, it took us about 4-5 weeks to complete the Univer video above.

The majority of the heavy lifting was done by our design team, who had to nail the design vision.

So, that concludes the demo section.

2D Explainer Videos

To say that 2D Explainer videos is a broad category would be an understatement.

From templated $1 packs to 500,000 – 1,000,000$ productions, there are numerous examples, with turnaround times ranging from simply clicking the “buy” button on a template pack to the production team flying out to your office to brainstorm the production with you.

Yes, the gap is huge.

But let’s focus on what we love and excel at: creating product and explainer videos for B2B SaaS companies. The typical turnaround time for Explainer Videos is between 4 and 8 weeks for full production.

What do you get for the longer wait time? So you get a beautiful animation and a memorable story.

Here’s a great example of a SaaS 2d Explainer videos that we’ve done:

For Agent Go – Character based:

For Allfred.io – a platform based:

Granted, developing a character with a soul that can be a great mascot for your content, takes slightly more time – so Agent Go took around 5-6 weeks to get done, while Allfred.io video was done under 3-4 weeks.

3D Explainer Videos

Now, if you are looking to have a quick turnaround time, this section is definitely not for you.

3D videos increase the complexity of animation by incorporating 3D design and animation, resulting in a more immersive and premium look and feel.

But the wait certainly pays off—just look at this example, which we fully produced for Helio.co.

We have a whole case study done on this baby. We were able to assist the client in pitching new investors and receiving a 33x return on their investment, which increased from $5,000 to an astonishing $3,3 million USD.

However, while the results are fantastic, you’ll have to deal with long wait times.

We expect a 1.5 to 2 month turnaround time for a video like Helio.co.

However, the advantage of this is that you receive the assets gradually, allowing you to track your progress on a weekly basis.

Showreel Video

Here comes another format which we absolutely love – a showreel video.

But, before we understand the timeline of creating a video like this, let’s first understand the beast we are trying to put a timeline on.

A showreel video serves as a calling card for web design agencies, allowing them to showcase all of their experience and skill in less than one minute. From your branding to intricate website designs, you can showcase your 360-degree services.

We make them for our web dev and development clients.

Here we actually have quite a number of clients updating those on a yearly basis. And why not?

These videos take about 2-3 weeks to complete because the design load is lighter due to the use of the client’s web design assets.

We have a great example from Perspective design – check out their testimonial here.

And here’s the latest update we’ve done for them:

Factors That Affect Animation Timelines

Quite a variety, right?

Of course, it’s always best to consult with your video production team to determine the project’s final scope and timeline. Maybe you have a special request for a meteor crashing into Earth, or something with a lot of design and animation – you get the idea. Additionally, depending on the number of revisions, the timeline can be extended.

But, most importantly, consider your response time, dear client.

Yes, that is an important topic. Consider this: when creating timelines, project managers and teams typically allow for a one-day response turnaround time. What if you, as a client, have conferences, vacations, or business trips? Yes, this will inevitably cause a delay in the timeline. While the production team will promptly deliver design, for example, they will be unable to proceed without your feedback, delaying the revision round as well as the entire timeline, as they cannot proceed with animation until the design is fully approved.

So, keep this in mind while planning your next production – especially if you are looking to produce a video just in time for a big event.

A professional team that handles full production, will also positively influence your timeline.

For example at Zelios, we have established processes and quality control steps.

Now, let’s imagine if you are working with a freelancer and they don’t handle the design, and voice over.
Imagine how much time you’ll need to spend figuring out the best person for the job, talking with them and finalizing everything.

For example, at Zelios, if we know the client is in a hurry to release a good asset, we try to create a shortened/less content-heavy piece so that the client has something to show for.
Then, after the show or major event, we can return and add the missing time-consuming pieces with extra polish.

The Fallacy of Parallel Production

Let’s start with a little bit of a giggly joke here: let’s say, if one woman takes 9 months to give birth to a baby, then can we have two women deliver in 4.5 months?

Alright, calm your hysterical laughter!

While it sounds funny and unrealistic, this is actually sort of true with video production.

Here at Zelios we can actually assist with your videobaby coming to life quicker, with our rush delivery option.

If you require rush delivery, we recognize that timelines can be impacted by a variety of factors.

Maybe you’ve worked with a freelancer or another agency that hasn’t delivered on their promises, and now you’re left with half-baked assets and an impending deadline for a big conference, with your CEO breathing down your neck, asking where the hell the video is.

Yikes.

Take note that rush deliveries usually come with a rush delivery fee, which can range from 30 to 100 percent of the quote.
Our fee typically ranges between 40 and 50 percent because we need to allocate more manpower to work specifically on your project, who may work longer hours.

So, of course, faster turnaround times come at an additional cost.

Of course, with a rush fee delivery you can still expect the high production quality which we provide with normal deliveries.

So, if you have a dumpster fire because you are late for the event, please contact us with your message and we will talk.
However, it is unrealistic to expect to complete a video that can take 4-8 weeks in a week or ten days.

There comes a point when there are simply too many cooks in the kitchen, and having 3-4 animators and 3-4 designers on the job can slow things down, especially since orchestrating everything can result in creative differences and inconsistency.

So, obviously, there comes a point when too many people on the project begin to provide diminishing returns, constantly waiting for each other or for previous stages to be completed.

And so, while we can obviously speed up the production significantly, we can’t shrink time.

So it’s best to plan on realistic timelines, allow the creative process to unfold, and let the team naturally create the best asset possible.

Why Quality Animation Takes Time

So, now that we’ve looked at all of the main examples, you understand why quality animation takes time.

We combine your key message and business objectives with our creative approach and knowledge of SaaS video production to create magic.

And, especially if you have a lot of thoughts and revisions on the assets, this will have an impact on the overall timeline, causing the stages to take longer.

In summary, attention to detail is critical, which is why it takes so “much” time.

Setting Realistic Expectations

After you’ve read everything above, we’d like to emphasize one more point.

One of the most difficult aspects of B2B video production is communicating realistic delivery expectations to clients.
Many clients underestimate the required timeline, which is fine because you do not need to be an expert in everything.

However, listening to your video production team will help you set more realistic expectations throughout the collaboration, avoiding the inevitable frustration for both parties.

As a video production company or agency, you must educate your clients on the animation production process and how it is distributed throughout the various stages.
Each stage necessitates a considerable amount of attention to detail and intricate finishing touches.

Experienced agencies will make sure to be upfront about timelines and whether your expectations are realistic – they benefit from building trust with you and working for the long term, so they will not promise you quick turnaround times just to win your business.

For example, one of our main questions during the discovery call is whether there is an upcoming important deadline or event that may impact the production schedule.

The Benefits of Investing Time in Animation

Alright alright – so you get that it’s hard to deliver a great animation really fast.

But – it’s important to understand why this is the case, and why companies maintain that it’s important to keep the meticulous production process in place, and to bring results.

First and foremost, a well-crafted animation and message will essentially reside in your viewers’ heads rent-free.

Especially with SaaS products, where new clones are released and upgraded on a daily basis, it is critical to stand out and ensure that you are remembered and your message is retained.

Second, longer timelines allow for more creative ideas to emerge. There’s a great creative process known as “staring at assets until they annoy you and make you vomit” – but jokes aside, working with specific assets for longer periods of time allows you to refine them and see if they stand the test of time.

Because if you don’t like the assets after only a month of production, consider using them for a year.

Then there’s a third point: people associate cheap, rushed productions with their bones. Their subconscious tells them to associate your brand and product with less expensive, faster solutions, and sometimes even worse – a knockoff of something greater or a greater product that has yet to be discovered.

So take this into consideration.

The fourth and final point is that you have plenty of time to do quality assurance and test your assets on your company’s internal audience, as well as the video production team itself. The inconsistencies can be fixed, and your viewers will get a polished product.

This will ensure that your animation has a longer shelf life and will benefit your ROI by allowing you to repurpose those assets for different platforms and campaigns, as a well-crafted and designed animation can become a staple across multiple marketing channels.

Conclusion

And – this is it for his article.

Video production is a complex and time-consuming process that requires a solid plan, a strong team, and a well-defined timeline to complete.

Creating videos faster than the timelines outlined above can reduce the quality and overall appeal of your video marketing content.

Agencies offer rush delivery as a way out if your previous production failed or you’ve been tasked with completing a video on short notice.

But, at the end of the day, high-quality animation (created within the required timeline) is an investment and benefit for your marketing assets, and at Zelios, we believe it is a sin to create a marketing campaign without a killer video.