Unsure how to get your animated film funded?
As you might know, animation can become expensive quickly. Beyond the animation itself, there are many other costs to consider—compositing, coloring, storyboarding, sound design, musical scoring, distribution, and more.
All these elements can add up fast. For instance, some estimates suggest that producing a 20-minute episode of Family Guy can cost around $2 million. However, if you don’t have that kind of budget, you’re likely aiming for something much smaller.
If you haven’t yet budgeted for your short film, you can find insight into what others are budgeting by checking out Kickstarter and searching for “animation.” There, you’ll find budget breakdowns for short films in production, with costs typically ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.
Once you have an idea of how much you’re going to need, it’s time to figure out how to get funded. In this post, we’ll explore five of the most popular ways animators fund their films. And by the way, it’s very common to use all five methods in tandem.
1. Art Grants
Applying for grants is one of the top ways animators seek funding for short films. Depending on where you live, you may have access to a wide range of grant opportunities.
For example, Canada’s National Film Board works with independent animators annually and has produced over 13,000 films since 1939. Europe also offers dozens of funding bodies that support many Oscar-nominated animated films each year, like Laura Gonçalves’s 2023 Oscar short-listed “The Garbage Man,” which was partially funded by Portuguese grants.
While grants can provide the necessary funding to bring a short film to life, they do come with challenges. Each grant typically has specific requirements, such as working with artists from certain regions, focusing on particular story themes, or adhering to production restrictions and tight deadlines.
Additionally, the process of applying for grants can be time-consuming, often requiring extensive applications that can feel like a full-time job in themselves.
2. Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding, while daunting, can be an excellent way to fund your short film. The obvious benefit is that other people are financing your project. However, the biggest challenge is finding enough supporters to meet your funding goal.
For instance, on Kickstarter, you only receive the funds if 100% of your target is reached, whereas other platforms have different rules, plus platform and payment processing fees to consider.
There are also additional challenges you might not have anticipated, such as creating and delivering rewards for your backers, which adds even more work on top of making the film itself.
However, a major upside to crowdfunding is that it forces you to start marketing your film well in advance. This helps build an audience excited about your project, who may even spread the word, increasing its potential success. In some cases, word of mouth can lead to surpassing your funding goals, as was the case with animator Tina Nawrocki’s short film Syrenka: Legend of the Warsaw Mermaid.
3. Personal Funds
There are many reasons animators choose to self-fund their short films, primarily because budget constraints prevent hiring others to contribute.
However, self-funding comes with several advantages. It gives the creator full control over every aspect of the project—from the creative direction and style to the story, pacing, and choice of collaborators (if any). For example, Adam Ciofi has self-produced six ten-minute stop-motion films entirely in his spare time.
That said, self-funding also comes with significant challenges. These include finding the time to produce the animation, affording high-quality sound effects and music, and facing limited distribution opportunities, which are often restricted to social media and film festivals (which cost money to enter!).
4. Private Funds
There’s not much to add here except that if you have connections—whether they’re family, friends, colleagues, or others—who are willing to help fund your project, it can be a valuable resource. The main difference between private funding and crowdfunding is that you’re personally approaching people you know, which may involve making deals or agreements, rather than appealing to the general public.
A variation of this is exchanging favors with other artists. Some animators agree to help out on a friend’s project in return for similar support on their own. While no money changes hands, these mutually beneficial arrangements can be incredibly valuable to bring your film to life.
5. Studio Partnership
While a bit of a longer shot, it’s possible to get a professional studio on-board to finance and produce your short film idea.
For example, director Andy Coyle teamed up with Mercury Filmworks to produce his “Don’t Walk Home Alone After Dark” YouTube series. It likely helped that Coyle was already working at Mercury when they decided to support the project, but it’s worth considering approaching a studio you’re affiliated with to see if they might be interested in partnering on your idea.
Every Funding Journey Is Different
There’s no single right way to fund your film—many animators pursue multiple paths simultaneously. However, it’s often a good idea to focus on one approach at a time (e.g., crowdfunding vs. studio partnership) since each opportunity requires a different strategy for success. We hope this guide helps you find the funding you need to bring your next project to life.
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