What does a medical animation cost?

Our projects start from €10,000 excluding VAT. An animation for one audience is usually around that amount. Stills and short versions can be included as options, up front or after the project. Once several audience variants or languages are added, the cost rises, but less steeply than you might think, because the models and anatomy are only built once.

How long does it take?

Six to ten weeks for a 3D animation of a minute and a half. The research and the specialist approval happen up front; bear in mind that the diary of a reviewing specialist is often the critical factor.

Does a medical animation need to be photorealistic?

No, and that surprises people. Specialists ask for correctness, not realism. Proportions, sequence and function must be right. Stylisation, simplified colour and omitted structures are fine, as long as what is shown is correct.

How do you make sure it is medically correct?

By not deciding it ourselves. We do our own research into the treatment and the anatomy, and then have a clinician approve the storyboard and the first movement test before we animate.

Can you make one animation for both doctors and patients?

Not one, but two from the same production. We make the content layer once; from it we edit versions with their own pace, length and tone. That is considerably cheaper than two separate productions and works better than a compromise.

How do you handle claims and regulations?

We ask early for the approved product claims and check the storyboard against them, so the imagery never suggests anything that is not substantiated. Those claims and the input from regulatory affairs come from your side, and you approve the scenario and storyboard on content. In addition, a clinician or medical expert reviews the storyboard and the first movement test. If you would like us to liaise with the regulatory department ourselves, that is possible too.

Our product hasn't been announced yet. Is that a problem?

No, that is the rule rather than the exception. We sign an NDA as standard, files are kept on secured storage that only the project team can access, and we publish nothing without your approval and never before the launch. Some of our work never makes it into the portfolio, and that is a normal agreement.

Can the animation be made in multiple languages?

Yes, and it helps a lot if we know from the start. We then keep on-screen text to a minimum and build room into the edit for longer voice-overs. For Springlife Medical we delivered several languages for international markets this way.

Do you also work for agencies in the medical sector?

Yes. We work under your name or as a named partner, whichever you prefer.

Medical animation studio

Three audiences, three expectations, one production. This is how we solve it.

Illustration of a knee joint with a red pain point, and a 3D view of an eye with surgical instruments for medical procedures.

3D animation for D.O.R.C.: eye with surgical instruments

One animation for clinician, procurement and patient doesn't exist

With almost every medical request there are three parties at the table, even if only one of them commissions the work.

The clinician wants to know whether it is correct. The procurement committee wants to know why this is better than what is in place now. The patient wants to know what will happen to them. Those three questions can't be answered in one film, because they differ in pace, level of detail and language. An animation that tries anyway becomes too superficial for the specialist and too technical for the rest.

What we do as a medical animation studio: build once, edit several times. The research, the concept and storyline, the design, and the models, anatomy and scenes are the expensive layer, and we make that once. From it we can create versions with their own pace, length and voice-over. You include those as options in the quote, or have them made later. For Springlife Medical we made two versions of the same content this way: a calm instruction version and a faster commercial variant.

That is why in the first conversation we ask who the animation is for. The answer determines what we build.

What we find out before we start designing

Research for a medical animation follows two tracks, and the second is almost always skipped.

The first track is the content. The product, the treatment, the anatomy around it, the technology behind it and the context in which it is used. For Orteq Actifit that meant following the clinical steps around a biodegradable meniscus implant until we could explain them step by step ourselves. For D.O.R.C. we sat down with leading eye surgeons before a single scene existed.

The second track is the audience. What does an eye surgeon already know, and what is actually new to them. Where does a procurement committee drop off. Which words make a patient anxious. That research shapes the edit more than the anatomy does.

There is one thing we have learned over the years that regularly surprises people. Specialists don't ask for photorealism. An animation can be stylised, even abstract, as long as the proportions are right. An instrument shown twice too large relative to the tissue is spotted by a surgeon immediately and costs you their trust for the rest of the film. A simplified colour scheme goes unnoticed. That is a very different bar from "as real as possible", and it is the reason our medical animations sometimes look less photographic than you might expect.

Medical 3D animation for VPI: shoulder and chest with muscles and blood vessels

What makes medical animation different from our other work

Clinicians review during the process, not afterwards. A mistake in the order of a procedure is not a cosmetic flaw. That is why we have a clinician approve the storyboard and the first movement test before anything is animated. For D.O.R.C. that went through their own team and through surgeons from their network.

Claims are fixed, on screen too. What you may claim about a medical product is set out in the product documentation, and imagery that suggests a claim falls under the same rules. A scene showing a result that is not substantiated is a problem for you, not for us. That is why we ask early for the approved claims and check the storyboard against them. You supply the input from regulatory affairs and approve the scenario and storyboard on content, and a clinician or medical expert reviews it. If you prefer, we can also liaise directly with your regulatory department.

We often work on something that doesn't exist yet. Products before launch, systems in development, technology that hasn't been announced. We sign an NDA as standard, files are kept on secured storage that only the project team can access, and nothing goes into our portfolio without your approval or before the launch.

Multiple languages are a design choice. If we know in advance that there are several markets, we keep on-screen text to a minimum and build the edit so that a longer voice-over fits. Adding a language later is always possible too. Choosing up front is often more cost-effective, because the animation is then set up for it from the start.

Illustration of a workspace with a desk, computer and red chair

Who does your animation need to convince?

Send us your question, even if the answer is "all three". You will hear from us within one working day, with a rough estimate or a proposal for a conversation. After that you receive a well-founded scope, including which variants you can get from one production.

Book a call

What each audience wants to know

why us?

Medical animation at cell level: molecules with highlighted binding sites

Clinician

Wants to know: is the sequence right, are the proportions right, what does this do differently. Pace: calm, repeatable. Tone: technical language, no simplification.

Procurement and management

Wants to know: why this, why now, what does it deliver. Pace: short, no build-up needed. Tone: businesslike, with the benefit up front.

Patient

Wants to know: what will happen to me, will it hurt, how long will it take. Pace: slow, reassuring. Tone: plain language, no figures.

Four medical animations
we made

D.O.R.C. International
OPHTHALMIC ANIMATIONS
D.O.R.C. International had to teach eye surgeons in more than eighty countries to work with a new system. For the EVA NEXUS system and individual products such as EVA AVETA, EVA EQUIPHACO and EVA INICIO, we made animations that had to be instructive, informative and promotional at the same time. That resulted in a package for multiple channels: training videos, stills for print, short versions for social and presentation material. After the launch in March 2022 it generated positive reactions from leading surgeons, plus leads and demo requests. The collaboration has continued since with new variants.
Orteq Sports Medicine
MEDICAL PRODUCT ANIMATION
Orteq Sports Medicine had an implant you can only understand once you see the procedure. Actifit is a biodegradable synthetic scaffold that restores lost meniscus tissue. We visualised the clinical steps in semi-realistic 3D, with graphic overlays for the explanation. That combination is exactly the point: the 3D shows what happens, the overlay tells you what it means. Delivered as a full animation, social shorts and stills for landing pages and the website.
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 that you view with glasses and can navigate through. That experience, by definition, can't be replicated on video. So the goal of the animation was not to convince but to spark curiosity, so that a specialist requests a demo. We combined 3D anatomy with isometric illustration, so the image stays honest about what it does and doesn't show.
Deep Sleep Technologies
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Deep Sleep Technologies still had mostly science and little product. This neurotech start-up reads and influences brainwaves to help people sleep more deeply, scientifically backed and published in Nature Neuroscience. For CES in Las Vegas we built a multi-screen experience across three 4K screens in an enclosed stand, with 3D animation, motion design, its own voice-over and sound design. Visitors walked out understanding sleep cycles and what the technology does.

What clients say about
working with us and the results

3D-animatie van het elektrische vliegtuig Maeve 01 in de lucht

"Your fantastic artwork helped make our vision understandable! This was extremely valuable in our development process and greatly contributed to securing multiple investment rounds."

Jan Willem Heinen
Co-founder & CEO - Maeve Aerospace

Geanimeerde zero-waste app op smartphones, uit het project met PlusDrie

“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."

Dave Valk
Designer & Owner - PlusDrie

3D-doorzichtanimatie van een motor in een machine, uit het project met Blickfanger

“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!"

Wouter Kooken
Owner & Creative Director - Blickfänger

Avocado's aan de boom, uit het project voor Westfalia Fruit

"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."

Jelle Wigboldus
Global Marketeer - Westfalia Fruit

Where our medical animations end up

Six places, in order of how often we see them:

Congresses and product launches. Reaching specialists at the moment they are open to something new. The animations for EVA NEXUS went along to congresses, webinars and sales meetings.

Sales to hospitals. Shortening the procurement process by showing what a demo would otherwise have had to do.

Patient information. Showing patients what happens during a treatment, in plain language and at a calm pace, so they go into a procedure prepared. For example in the waiting room, on the hospital website or to watch again at home. For Actifit, an implant that helps restore lost meniscus tissue, we showed the clinical steps anatomically correctly.

Website, LinkedIn and social. From the same production we can, as an option, create short clips and stills that stay useful all year round.

User training. Surgeons and nurses learning to work with a system, at a pace that can be repeated.

Investors and partners. For early-stage start-ups, the animation is often the only thing that can show the product, because it doesn't exist yet.

our services

Medical 3D animation of a cell between blood vessels in close-up

What a medical animation costs

Our projects start from €10,000 excluding VAT. A 3D animation of a minute and a half takes six to ten weeks, from briefing to delivery.

One animation, one audience: from €10,000, 6 to 10 weeks

One production, several audience variants and languages: €15,000 to €25,000, 10 to 14 weeks

Ongoing, new products based on existing anatomy and scenes: on request

A second audience variant from the same production costs a fraction of a new animation, because the expensive layer is already in place: the research, the concept, the design, the models and the anatomy. That is the strongest argument for deciding up front who you want to reach.

Want to see the prices of all types of animation side by side? Take a look at animation production.

How an enquiry works with us

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.

How a medical animation
comes together at our studio

Briefing

After your enquiry you will hear from us within one working day, usually with a few questions. Then we schedule an introduction. We focus straight away on the content and the context: what needs explaining, to whom, and where will the animation be used? Together we map out where the communication friction lies and which decision you want to speed up, whether that is sales, an investor presentation, onboarding or stakeholder communication. Based on that we make a proposal with a clear scope, timeline and budget, including options for reuse. Once approved, we get started.

Fase concept en storytelling: 3D-illustratie van het team bij een bord met de verhaallijn

Concept & storytelling

We translate the substance into a narrative: what does the viewer need to understand first, what comes next, and how do we build towards the core? This is the phase in which we do the most substantive sparring and lay the foundation for an animation that is logically structured. You receive a fully developed concept with core message, structure and tone of voice.

Kick-off

At the kick-off everyone involved sits at the table. We define the storyline, discuss the inspiration and ask each other questions: we about the content, you about the process. We agree the timeline, fix the feedback moments and agree who has a say and who bundles the feedback. That last agreement is the most important one of the whole project.

Storyboarding

The narrative is worked out visually in a storyboard. You see per scene what will appear on screen, how the structure flows and where the accents lie. An animated storyboard also lets you judge the timing. This is the key moment to steer: changes here are fast and save costs further down the production.

Concept design

We develop the visual style: colour palette, atmosphere, level of detail and what the models look like. This can range from hyper-realistic to abstract, depending on what suits the story and the brand. We present the storyboard, animated storyboard and style frames together in the pre-production presentation, on which you give feedback in one round.

Fase productie: 3D-illustratie van animatoren aan het werk achter meerdere schermen

Production

The scenes are built, animated and rendered. You get an update and a feedback moment every week, from the first camera animation to the final preview. Because the substantive choices have already been made, this phase remains manageable and predictable.

Sound

Music, sound effects and any voice-over are added. This largely determines the sense of professionalism and pacing. Once you approve the final preview, we render the final images and finish the audio mix.

Release

The animation is delivered in the agreed format, ready for use. You choose extras in the proposal: stills, short versions, formats per channel, subtitles and language versions. We also advise on the best use per channel.