Invoice template for animators
Character animation has a lot of setup the client never sees. Designs need turnarounds, characters need rigs, and the storyboard has to be timed before a single frame moves. On a short piece the setup can outweigh the animation itself. An invoice that only shows "30 seconds of animation" makes that setup look like padding.
Splitting it out also helps the client later. A rig built for one episode is reused in the next, and when they see the rig as a separate line on the first invoice, they understand why the second episode costs less.
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The example lines and prices are illustrations. Replace them with your own.
What animators forget to bill
- Character design and turnarounds, if you created them.
- Rigging per character, and extra controls added later.
- Storyboard and animatic as stages before animation.
- Re-animation after storyboard or animatic sign-off.
- Lip sync for dialogue, which takes longer than body animation.
- Clean-up, in-betweening or colour for hand-drawn work.
Billing a series or a multi-episode job
On a series the first episode carries the setup: designs, rigs, backgrounds and the pipeline. Bill that setup on the first invoice as its own section, then bill later episodes per episode or per finished minute, so the client reads the lower price as the reuse it is.
Invoice per milestone rather than at the end: animatic approved, animation locked, final delivery. A small studio paying its animators every month cannot wait three months for one invoice to clear.
Questions animators ask
How do animators charge for animation?
Commonly per second of finished animation, with the rate depending on style and complexity. Setup work like design, rigging and storyboarding is usually quoted as fixed items, because it does not scale with length.
Should rigging be billed separately?
Yes. A rig is reusable and it takes real time to build. Billing it once and separately makes the per-second rate honest and makes follow-up work cheaper for the client.
How do I bill changes after the animatic was approved?
As additional work, with the seconds affected listed on the invoice. If a change touches 12 seconds, bill 12 seconds of re-animation at your rate, plus any storyboard work it needed.
Keep the next one in OIO
Numbered automatically, tied to the client and the project, outstanding until you mark it paid. Overdue invoices get their own list and a reminder written for you. Free plan, no card.
Start freeAlso for animators: quote template and contract template. Invoice templates for related trades: motion designers, 3D artists, illustrators, game developers. Or browse all invoice templates.