3 Questions to Clarify Your Motion Graphics Budget by Emmy-Winner Orlando Delbert
Posted on: Feb 18, 2025
Photo Credit: Orlando DelbertOrlando Delbert is a motion graphics artist with multiple National Emmy Awards for his work in the industry, plus more nominations. He’s worked on hundreds of projects ranging from indie production and studio feature films, to network television. Orlando says that many producers carry the common misconception that freelancers like him are just button pushers. This approach means they don’t properly prepare to work with motion graphics artists or animators, resulting in a less-than-smooth process when it comes to determining the production budget.
“They should be able to answer three questions,” Orlando says of producers. “What is your budget? What is your deadline? Do you want quality or quantity?”
These three questions help identify potential compromises if the project faces time or budget limitations.
What is Your Budget?
Orlando has often been the person called in to problem solve when cheaper freelancers have failed to deliver. This is a common pattern among producers, as many treat graphics as an afterthought. Often, productions run out of money before they get to post-production and have to fundraise. Engaging a graphics artist early on clarifies the project’s needs, including any specialized equipment and its budgetary implications.
When productions wait until the last minute, they focus on saving money and hire cheap freelancers, or people who use cookie-cutter methods and filters. If those people don’t meet the producers’ quality expectations, they hire a more experienced graphics artist, resulting in extra costs beyond the initial lower price. This effectively increases the already constrained production budget and equally delays the production schedule.
Are You More Invested in Quality or Quantity?
From pre-production, the producer and director should ask “Do we need motion graphics? Do we need titles? Credits? Visual effects?”
Thinking about these things will help you develop a proper budget. It may not be entirely clear in the beginning the exact graphic design needed, but the producers should at least know they will need a title or a credit roll, and about how long it will be. Other things to think about include gathering colors and other creative elements, or finding examples from other sources to help the artist understand the vision. One way to do this is by creating a mood board.
Orlando said TV is usually more structured because there is a pre-existing brand to work with, but the producers should still be specific about what they want and know what needs to be provided to the artist. This may include brand kits, logos, fonts and other elements associated with the production or brand. There are often forms to fill out, and Orlando has worked with many producers who wouldn’t use the forms and would just tell him what they wanted and would say, “Be creative.” Leaving the artist to work without specific instructions or guidelines can lead to multiple expensive revisions or even switching artists, further affecting the budget.
What’s Your Deadline?
Consulting with artists during development can help you accurately schedule post-production and consider a realistic deadline in advance. Many producers seem to think that just asking if an artist knows how to use After Effects or Cinema 4D is enough, but there are many more variables to consider. Different artists may have different plugin preferences. This can be difficult when taking a file from one artist and handing it to another when they need to make a change. If you get files from an artist, make sure you get all the plugins and fonts they used! You’ll need them if the artist isn’t around for revisions.
Producers should be ready to tell the artist in advance what they have to work with and be prepared to purchase upgrades or plugins the artist may need to work efficiently. Thinking about these questions early in production helps your vision come to life and better equips your artist to succeed.
Jessica Mathis (AKA Divinity Rose) is an award winning screenwriter/performer/producer from Louisville, Kentucky. She is the CEO of She Dreams Content Development and Production, which focuses on female forward projects in comedy, docustyle and genre entertainment.
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