Invoice template for motion designers
Motion work tends to grow sideways. The quote was for one 30-second spot in 16:9, and the delivery ends up as a 30, a 15, a 6-second bumper, each in 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1, plus a version without the end card for one market. Each of those is a render, a check and often a re-layout. If the invoice only shows the hero spot, all of that was free.
List the stages too. Styleframes and the animatic are where most of the creative decisions get made, and clients who see them as separate lines understand why changing the look after animation has started is expensive.
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The example lines and prices are illustrations. Replace them with your own.
What motion designers forget to bill
- Each extra aspect ratio or duration cutdown as its own line.
- Language or market versions with swapped text or end cards.
- Changes to approved styleframes or the animatic, billed as extra rounds.
- Stock footage, music or plugin licences bought for the job.
- Project file handover (After Effects, Cinema 4D), if the client wants to edit later.
Invoicing a campaign with many deliverables
Studios that make motion for campaigns usually deliver a matrix: durations down one side, formats and markets across the top. Put that matrix on the invoice as grouped lines (hero spot, cutdowns, aspect ratios, market versions) so the client can match every line to a file in the delivery folder.
If the job ran with a deposit, show it as received and deduct it, and quote the reference of the approved estimate. Agencies pass motion invoices on to their own client, and a clear link to the approved quote is what gets an invoice through their accounts team without a call.
Questions motion designers ask
Should motion designers charge per second of animation?
Per second is a useful way to price the final animation once the style is set, because complexity scales with length. Keep the creative stages, styleframes and animatic, as separate fixed lines so a short piece with a lot of design work is not underpriced.
How do I bill for different aspect ratios?
As separate lines, one per version. Reframing a 16:9 piece to 9:16 often means moving or rebuilding elements, not just cropping. If it really is a simple crop, charge less, but still list it.
Do I have to give the client my After Effects files?
Only if the agreement says so. Most motion designers deliver rendered video by default and price project files separately, since they include your rig setups, presets and sometimes licensed plugins.
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 motion designers: quote template and contract template. Invoice templates for related trades: animators, 3D artists, video editors, graphic designers. Or browse all invoice templates.