Not because it is cheaper than 3D, but because it fits better.
Most requests for 2D start with a budget question. That is understandable, and it is also the quickest way to get a bad animation.
2D and 3D are not a cheap and an expensive version of the same thing. They are two tools for different problems. 3D is strong when it comes to something physical: a machine, a product, a body. 2D is stronger as soon as you want to explain something you can't touch. A process, a service, a strategy, a relationship between figures. There, 3D can get in the way, by making everything concrete that should stay abstract.
Choose 2D to save money while your subject calls for 3D, and you get an animation that shows a little too little. Choose photorealistic 3D for an abstract idea, and you get an animation that shows too much. So the question is not what you can afford, but what your subject needs.
In 3D, the model determines much of what you see. In 2D you decide everything yourself, so the style says something before a single word has been spoken.
The flat little figures with big hands and purple backgrounds you see on a thousand websites mainly say one thing: a template was used here. That is not a matter of taste. It is a signal the viewer picks up immediately, and it undermines exactly the credibility you wanted to build with the animation.
That is why we develop a visual language of its own for each project, derived from the brand, the subject and the viewer. For NS, the Dutch railways, that meant research into font size, white space and the amount of movement, tested on everything from big screen to phone, before a single component was drawn. That sounds like detail work. It is the difference between a style that suits you and a style you have rented.
These three mistakes have one cause: design started before the story was in place. A good animation doesn't start with the style, but with a sharp concept and a story that is right, based on research into the audience, the client and the product. The style follows from that. The other way round doesn't work.
The template look
The result looks like a thousand other explainers, and so it says nothing about you. This is by far the most common mistake, and the most expensive, because you only see it when everything is finished.
2D chosen for budget
The subject really called for space and depth, but 2D was cheaper. The animation then becomes a long detour to show something that would have been clear in three seconds of 3D.
What the voice-over says is shown on screen as well. The viewer reads and listens at the same time, and as a result remembers neither.
Rijkswaterstaat
PRESENTATION ANIMATION
Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch public works agency, asked for static infographics and got a presentation that moves with the speaker. The subject was Verkeersbeeld op Zee, the maritime traffic picture: how infrastructure, connections and sensor data on the North Sea relate to each other, for decision-makers on the Coastguard Council. Instead of slides we built animations in which each element only appears when the speaker gets to it. That way the audience never sees more than it needs to understand at that moment.
NS
VISUAL COMPONENTS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
NS had new videos every week and no recognisable line. For their social media we developed a complete set of 2D components: titles, lower thirds and end cards, in packages for Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, with a style guide. The starting point was research into font size, white space and the amount of movement, tested on big screen and phone. The result is a system NS uses to make professional videos itself that are all recognisably NS.
VPI
MEDICAL SOFTWARE
VPI had to sell something that can't be shown on a flat screen. REVEAL turns CT and MRI data into stereoscopic 3D. We combined 3D anatomy with an isometric, illustrative style, so the image stayed honest about what it can and cannot show. VPI uses the animation to sell the product to specialists.
The (Any)Thing
ONBOARDING VIDEO
The (Any)Thing opened the first on-demand private cinema, and visitors needed to understand how it works. In an isometric visual language around a mirrored box, with projections of film atmospheres, we explain how to choose a film, a date and the atmosphere in the room via the app. Three pauses make room for readable text. The video plays at the entrance of the first location.
"Your fantastic artwork helped make our vision understandable! This was extremely valuable in our development process and greatly contributed to securing multiple investment rounds."
“We always enjoy working with you! From start to finish, there's excellent communication, clear agreements, and high-quality production. You're constantly contributing ideas to achieve the best possible result, both creatively and technically."
“By combining your animation skills with our audiovisual expertise, we'll elevate the creative concept to the next level. You'll also deliver the right assets and files on time, and we'll work together to meet the deadline!"
"Working with Studio Analoog was impressive! They are true experts in their field. The final product made a huge impact, which we were able to showcase to state officials and important customers."
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Explaining a process or service: 2D. There is nothing physical to show, so you build the images yourself.
Letting figures or data speak: 2D. Charts and relationships are flat by nature.
Bringing a brand identity to life: 2D. Your brand is already 2D, so the animation fits seamlessly.
Showing how a product works inside: 3D. Cross-sections, scale and perspective.
Explaining a machine or installation: 3D. The viewer needs to be able to read the space.
Something in between: a mix. See below.
The line is less sharp than you might think. 3D doesn't have to look photorealistic. It can be stylised, isometric or in a style all its own, and sometimes an animation feels like 2D to the viewer while it was technically made in 3D. That is how we worked for The (Any)Thing and for VPI: in 3D, but with a flat, isometric visual language that reads like illustration. That wasn't a compromise. It was the best way to make something complex look simple. The point is that you choose the style based on what the story needs, not on the technique behind it.
With us, a 2D animation starts from €10,000 excluding VAT. An animation of a minute and a half takes four to six weeks, from briefing to delivery.
One 2D animation with its own visual language: from €10,000, 4 to 6 weeks
Animation plus a set of components for reuse: €11,500 to €15,000, 6 to 8 weeks
A mix of 2D and 3D: from €10,000, 6 to 10 weeks
A visual language of your own takes more time at the start than a template. But afterwards it is reusable: for a next animation, for social, for presentations. For NS we didn't deliver separate videos but a complete system of titles, subtitles and end cards, plus a style guide, so their own editorial team can keep working with it every week.
Want to see the prices of all types of animation side by side? Take a look at animation production.
You will hear from us within one working day. Usually with a few questions, because a budget that makes sense doesn't come from a single email.
After that there are two routes. If you need a number now, we give a rough estimate based on what you have sent us. If you have half an hour, we discuss the project and you then receive a well-founded scope with a matching budget. The second route gives a better answer, and often a different project than you had in mind.
In a hurry? Feel free to call. We do the same the other way round.
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