Cost · Pricing · Hand-Drawn Explainer Videos
How Much Does a Hand-Drawn Explainer Video Cost?
Many of my custom-illustrated explainer videos cost between €3,000 and €6,000. Professional voice recording, music licenses and other third-party services are additional and paid directly to the providers.
Shorter or simpler films can cost less, and more complex projects cost more. What matters is less the running time than the scope of production: the script, the number of scenes, the illustration work, the animation and any additional languages.
I quote every project as a fixed fee. Scope, revision rounds, usage rights and cost are agreed before production begins.
Updated October 2026
On this page: Price range · Price factors · What’s included · Running time · Projects · Timeline · Questions
€3,000–€6,000
typical range for a custom-illustrated explainer video
1–3 weeks
typical production time, depending on scope and approvals
50 / 50
50% at the start, 50% on final delivery
Price Range
What does a hand-drawn explainer video cost?
A typical project includes concept development, a script within the agreed scope, storyboard, original illustrations, animation, agreed revision rounds and the final video files. Projects with this scope typically cost between €3,000 and €6,000.
All prices are in euros. My invoices do not include VAT (French micro-enterprise, art. 293 B CGI). Voice talent fees, music licenses and other third-party services are not included in this range: you pay them directly to the providers.
Prices for explainer videos span a very wide range because the term covers template tools, freelancers and full studios. My films are custom-drawn for the subject by one illustrator, and where a project sits within my range depends mainly on its starting point:
| Project type | Typical scope | Position in the range |
|---|---|---|
| Compact film | Short running time, finished script, few scenes, restrained animation | Lower end of the range; very simple projects can come in below it |
| Standard project | Script edited or developed, several scenes, characters and diagrams | Middle of the range |
| Extensive film | Complex content, many scenes, detailed illustration, several language versions | Upper end of the range and above |
| Series | Several films in one shared visual language | Quoted together: the visual world is built once and extended |
The table is a guide, not a price list. After a short briefing I give you a fixed-fee quote for your project.
Price Factors
What determines the cost of an explainer video?
Two videos with the same running time can involve very different amounts of work. These are the points that matter most for the quote:
- Script status: An approved text needs less editorial work than a script that has to be developed from a brief and technical documents.
- Illustration workload: Characters, complex scenes, infographics, technical content and visual metaphors developed for the subject.
- Running time and number of scenes: More scenes mean more illustration, animation, editing and coordination.
- Animation: Simple animation generally requires less production time than scenes with multiple moving elements and complex transitions.
- Language versions: Additional languages require adjustments to text, timing, voice recording and individual graphics.
- Extras: Subtitles, accessible versions or special output formats. Fees for voice talent and other third-party services are paid directly to the providers and are not included in my project fee.
Fixed Fee
What is included in the project fee?
The exact scope is defined for each project. A typical quote covers visual production from the initial brief through final delivery.
- Concept and visual development
- Script editing or development within the agreed scope
- Storyboard and scene planning
- Original illustrations and character design
- Animation and editing
- Agreed revision rounds and approval stages
- Final video files, subtitles and language versions as agreed
- Coordination of voice talent where needed
- Agreed usage rights
- High-resolution illustrations for agreed further use
I stay directly involved in concept, script, storyboard, illustration and animation, rather than handing the project from account manager to storyboard artist to illustrator to animator. That keeps the drawing, pacing and storytelling consistent from the first sketch to the finished film. The artwork is made for your project, with no stock characters and no prebuilt illustration packs.
The proposal can also include rights to reuse the original illustrations in presentations, on websites, in print, in training documents and in other communications materials.
Running Time
What does a 60-, 90- or 120-second explainer video cost?
Whether your explainer video runs for 60, 90 or 120 seconds, I prefer to quote a fixed fee for the complete project rather than charge by the minute. Running time is one factor; the number of scenes, complexity of the illustrations and amount of animation also determine the work involved.
After discussing your brief, I provide a project quote with the deliverables, revision stages and usage rights clearly defined. You know the agreed price before production begins.
Terms and Price
Whiteboard animation, illustrated explainer, training video: what changes the workload?
The terms overlap, and similar productions go by different names. They describe technique, purpose or scope and can be combined. For the price, the label matters less than what has to be drawn and animated.
| Term | Describes | What it means for the workload |
|---|---|---|
| Whiteboard animation | A technique: drawings appear step by step as the narration develops | The workload follows the number of drawings and scenes, not the technique alone. |
| Illustrated explainer | A broad term for animated explainers with custom characters, scenes, diagrams and visual metaphors | The workload depends on how much is drawn and how elaborately it is animated. |
| Training video (e-learning, microlearning) | A purpose: training, onboarding or compliance | Can be a single film or a series. In a series the visual world is built once and extended. |
Educational Video · United Kingdom · 2025
The Science of Kindness
An example of what a fixed fee covers: concept, storyboard, characters, illustration, animation and editing for a three-minute film, all from one creator.
Created for UK charity 52 Lives and The School of Kindness, this three-minute film explains neuroscience, empathy and emotional well-being to younger audiences. The story of a boy named Sam shows how kind actions quietly change the world around him, and explains dopamine, oxytocin, empathy and stress reduction.
My role: concept development, storyboard, character design, illustration, animation, editing and final 4K UHD delivery.
Ongoing Series
Men Harvesting Wisdom
An illustrated film translating a substantial self-leadership framework into a coherent visual narrative about identity, purpose, values, change and personal transition. The approved narration was developed into characters, landscapes, maps, symbolic imagery and recurring visual metaphors.
My role: creative direction, visual development, storyboarding, illustration, character design, animation, editing and final 4K delivery. The film belongs to an ongoing series for which I handle the illustration and video production.
Multi-Format
One visual language, from print to motion
A film may be only one part of a communication project. The same original characters, drawing style and visual ideas can also appear in brochures, on websites, in email campaigns, presentations and trade show displays.
IN TALENT WE TRUST · Paris · 2024–2025: For the consultancy I developed illustrations for the PPHO methodology created by Anne Weber: the recurring character Léonard, explanatory diagrams, printed learning materials, digital assets and campaign illustration. A hand-drawn Uncle Sam-inspired campaign image was also developed into a short drawing animation. It was a campaign animation, not a full scripted explainer film, but it shows how motion can belong naturally to a wider illustration assignment.
Motion: short drawing animation based on the illustrated “I WANT YOU TO CHANGE THE WORLD” campaign.
The complete PPHO case study documents the character, illustrations, information graphics and their different applications. A detailed PDF case study is also available.
One defined scope. One fixed project fee. Agreed usage rights included.
For a multi-format project, we can define the animation, illustrations and required applications together at the briefing stage. A single fixed-fee proposal can then cover the agreed production work and the specified usage rights, rather than leaving the client to commission each application separately.
That may include a film, brochure illustrations, website or mailing graphics, exhibition artwork, character variations or merchandise designs, according to the actual brief. Formats, quantities, review stages, production files and usage rights are specified in the agreement. Printing and fabrication, third-party voice-over and licensed music are not part of my fee; external providers invoice you directly.
More Projects
Further series and campaigns
These projects show how original illustration and animation work across individual films, campaigns and series. Each involves a different production scope, so prices are quoted individually.
2021 · Germany
Hawlik — ten films
Ten films on cultivation, laboratory analysis, product composition and sustainability, from visual system to animation. English versions with my own voice-over.
2018 · German, English, French
Mycotrition — six films
Cultivation, processing and quality management for medicinal mushrooms: text adaptation, storyboards, watercolor-style illustration and animation.
Germany & Switzerland · Campaign
dfreeeze
Whiteboard film and comic campaign for digades.
Healthcare · International
Dräger — Infection Prevention
Illustrated communication on Infection Prevention and Control and patient safety.
United States · Federal Training
Federal Acquisition Institute
Concept art, storyboards and animation-ready vector scenes for a multi-part training series, commissioned through Coley & Associates.
Zürich · Swiss vocational learning
LAP-Vorbereitung / Blocklearning.ch
Short educational videos for Swiss vocational students with hand-drawn cartoon characters. Concept and direction: André Schelter, Solid Steel GmbH.
Editorial Background
Decades of cartooning and editorial illustration
My editorial work includes Switzerland’s satirical magazine Nebelspalter and NZZ am Sonntag. Cartoons have also appeared in MAD and The New Yorker. I am a member of Cartooning for Peace, the international network of editorial cartoonists.
That experience helps me turn complex subjects into clear visual ideas for explainer videos.
- Characters and mascots for Expo.02 in Switzerland
- Official mascot of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, St. Moritz 2003
- Editorial & Educational Illustration: newspaper and magazine work, including NZZ am Sonntag
- Cartooning for Peace: 20 years
Applications
Where an illustrated explainer video pays off
They are particularly useful when viewers need to understand relationships, processes, responsibilities or abstract ideas that are hard to show with conventional footage.
- Employee training and onboarding
- Government and professional training
- Learning, e-learning and microlearning
- Internal communication and organizational change
- Health, safety and compliance
- Educational programs
- Product and service explanation
- Software and technical communication
- Scientific and medical communication
- Public-information campaigns
- Presentations and conferences
- Charities and mission-led organizations
Process
How the production works
- Brief and script: Message, audience, use and scope are defined. Existing material can be edited, developed or written into a complete script.
- Storyboard: Scenes, visual logic, transitions and timing are resolved before final artwork begins.
- Illustration: Characters, environments, diagrams, objects and visual metaphors are drawn specifically for the project.
- Animation: Artwork is animated with drawing reveals, movement, transitions and pacing suited to the narration.
- Review: Agreed review stages keep corrections structured and predictable rather than open-ended.
- Delivery: Final films, subtitles, language versions and high-resolution illustration assets are supplied as agreed.
Timeline
How long does production take?
Many explainer video projects can be produced in one to three weeks. This is the production time once work begins and the necessary source material has been received. The overall timeline also depends on my availability and how quickly feedback and approvals are provided. The actual schedule depends on running time, complexity, script status and the agreed review stages, and it is set before the project begins.
Larger series and multilingual productions need more planning. The usual payment structure is 50% at the start and 50% on final delivery.
Not Part of My Fee
What additional costs should I budget for?
Third-party services are billed separately by the providers and are not included in my project fee. We discuss any services your project needs before production begins, so you can plan your overall budget.
- Professional voice talent: Fees for voice talent and recording studios go directly to the providers. I can recommend and coordinate suitable voices and studios.
- Music and licenses: Licenses for music or other third-party material are paid directly to the rights holders.
- Professional translation: Fees for additional language versions are paid directly to the translators.
Client Experience
Series production needs reliable collaboration
A series calls for consistent illustration, a reliable production process and clear communication from one video to the next.
“I worked with Ian on several projects, such as our illustrated videos for Mycotrition GmbH. We were always very pleased with his work.”
Sebastian Schmode-Laybourne
CEO, Mycotrition GmbH / Dronania Pharmaceuticals GmbH / Hawlik Gesundheitsprodukte GmbH
“Ian was my favorite illustrator working on an animation project I directed. He supplied us with many cutting-edge assets in very short deadlines.”
Avi Graiver
Animation Director
Frequently asked questions about explainer video costs
How much does a hand-drawn explainer video cost?
Many of my custom-illustrated productions fall roughly between €3,000 and €6,000. Shorter or simpler films can cost less, and larger projects more. After a short briefing you receive a fixed-fee quote for the actual scope.
How much does a whiteboard animation cost?
As with any explainer, the script, the number of drawings, the complexity of the scenes and any additional languages drive the price, not the technique alone. I draw the illustrations for your subject and quote the film as a fixed fee.
How much does an explainer video cost per minute?
I quote a fixed fee for the complete project because production work does not increase in direct proportion to running time. The script, the number of scenes, the illustration and the animation matter most. The running-time section above explains this.
Do I need a finished script?
No. I can work from a finished script, edit a draft, or develop a script from a brief and source material. The proposal specifies how much script development is included.
How many revision rounds are included?
The quote specifies the included revision rounds and approval stages before production begins. Requests that change the agreed scope or require revisions to approved work are discussed and quoted before any additional work begins.
What does an additional language version cost?
My fee covers adjustments to timing, editing and on-screen graphics, with the scope and cost specified in the quote. Professional translation and voice recording are paid by you directly to the providers. The existing artwork can usually be reused.
Can I reuse the illustrations later?
Yes, within the usage rights agreed in the quote. The original illustrations can be supplied in high resolution for presentations, websites, training materials and print.
Do you work with clients outside Europe?
Yes. I’ve developed explainer and educational videos for clients in the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, France and other markets. Most projects are completed remotely, in English, French or German.
Are the prices in euros?
Yes, the prices on this page are in euros.
For a First Estimate
What do I need to request an estimate?
A short overview is enough for a first estimate. A finished script or complete production concept is not required.
- What is it about?
- Who is the audience?
- Roughly how long should the film be?
- Where will the video be used?
- Do you already have a script, or would you like me to develop one?
- Do you need additional languages, subtitles or professional voice-over?
If you already have a budget or a range in mind, feel free to share it. It makes it easier to judge from the start what scope is sensible and realistic.
Next Step
Request an explainer video estimate
Send me a short outline of the subject, the audience and the intended use. If some points are still open, that is not a problem.
From that I can assess the scope and prepare a fixed-fee proposal with clearly defined deliverables, schedule, revision rounds and usage rights.
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Related services and portfolio
Hand-Drawn Explainer Videos (overview) · Case Studies · Commissioned Illustration · Editorial & Educational Illustration · Comics & Sequential Illustration · Live Graphic Recording · Download Illustration Portfolio · Deutsch: Was kostet ein Erklärvideo?