Cost of CGI?

[Jan van den Hemel]

I was wondering what the cost is for really good CGI animation (at DV resolution). I want to integrate really great CGI with "shaky" DV footage.

Any idea on the price? Is it per frame or per working hours?

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

My guess is you're going to have to be more specific. For your average Hollywood blockbuster, several-second shots, even those that aren't necessarily cutting-edge, get help from a crew of planners, matchmovers, modelers, animators, shaders, lighters, compositors, TDs, and frequently enough a host of software engineers to write specialized routines for a prickly situation--not to mention the producers who stand over their shoulders with clipboards--over a number of months and at the cost of millions of dollars.

On the other hand, check out Oscar-nominated shorts like <i>Fifty Percent Gray</i> and <i>The Cathedral</i> which were built with (for the most part) off-the-shelf software by small teams of artists in their spare time. Done commercially, such work might cost only a few hundred thousand dollars.

There are a number of CG boards out there where freelancers post their portfolios and their rates. You might be able to find one or more of them willing to help you out for probably a just few grand, depending on the complexity of your shots.

To make it look good, such work involves people who are highly skilled and experienced.

[Jan van den Hemel]

Am I right to assume that DVD-resolution CGI would be cheaper than detailed film-resolution CGI?

[Glenn Chan]

You need to be more specific on:
A- what you want
What level of detail and realism are you looking for? (i.e. Matrix, Final Fantasy or the stuff you see on cheap TV shows)
What the content of the animations would be

B- What your budget is.

C- How many shots and how long each animation is.

Am I right to assume that DVD-resolution CGI would be cheaper than detailed film-resolution CGI?

Higher resolution CGI will require more detail and more time to do.

Higher resolution animations will take a lot longer to render, which also increases your costs. Complex detailed animations will take very long times to render (especially things like water and smoke).

[Jan van den Hemel]

Ok, thanks for the answer.

I guess I need to storyboard it pretty exactly and then ask an effects or post production company for an estimate.