VFX breakdown and budget from your script

Smarter VFX delivery that fits your budget

Send us your script. Our estimating and planning system breaks it down shot by shot and bids every shot on the work it really needs, so you can shape the VFX to the budget you have.

  1. 01
    Your scriptPDF, FDX or DOCX
  2. 02
    Shot-by-shot VFX breakdownEvery VFX shot and what it takes
  3. 03
    Draft budget + scheduleBy department and by stage
  4. 04
    PrevisKey scenes as frames
  5. 05
    Corrected budget + scheduleUpdated after the previs
Get a VFX estimate
  • Feature films and series
  • Flexible bidding, not a flat rate
  • The right method for each shot
  • NDA if your project needs it

How we keep VFX on budget

Our approach: the budget follows the shots, every shot is tracked, and the plan moves with the scope.

Flexible bidding, not a flat rate

Example layout
SHOTIN THE BIDMETHODSH 010INCLUDE2D3DSH 020INCLUDE2D3D2D3DSH 030INCLUDEOMIT2D3DSH 040INCLUDE2D3DEXAMPLE PRICESTUDIOS WITHA FLAT RATEUMP
Flat rate$54,000UMP$54,000Off the bid-$20,000

UMP: omit a shot or move it from 3D to 2D, and its price comes off the bid at once.

Each shot and asset is bid on the work it needs. Include it, omit it or change its method, and the budget shows the change.

In-house tracking

Example layout

Every shot runs through our own tracking system: status, versions, delivery dates. The budget and the schedule stay under control.

Smart planning

Example layout

Our planner builds the schedule and the team around your dates and budget, and re-plans them when the scope changes.

Assets built once

Example layout
SCENESTUDIOS WITHA FLAT RATEUMPSC 12BUILDBUILDSC 27BUILDBUILDREUSESC 41BUILDBUILDREUSESC 58BUILDBUILDREUSEEXAMPLE PRICESTUDIOS WITHA FLAT RATEUMP
Flat rate$54,000UMP$54,000Off the bid-$21,000

UMP: the asset is built once and used again, so repeat scenes cost less.

Environments, creatures and props that return are built once and used again, so repeat scenes cost less.

Flat rate or flexible bidding?

A flat rate puts one price on all the VFX. A flexible bid is built from the shots, so it moves when they do.

Example price
  • SH 0102D
  • SH 0203D2D
  • SH 0303DOmitted
  • SH 0403D
Example budget, four shots$34,000-$20,000

Flat rate: one price for everything. Omit a shot or change its method, and the price stays the same.Flexible bidding: SH 030 is omitted and SH 020 moves from 3D to 2D, so their price comes off the bid.

What you getFlat rateFlexible biddingOur approach
How the VFX is pricedOne price for everythingEach shot and asset by its own work
You see what every shot costsNoYes
Omit or add a shot, and the budget followsNoYes
Change the method of a shot, and see the cost changeNoYes
Every figure explained by the breakdownNoYes

Did you know you don't need a senior for every task?

Here's how we optimize the process.

Price of one shot

Example layout
TASKSTUDIOS WITHA FLAT RATEUMPFinal compSENIORSENIORFX simulationSENIORSENIORSet extensionSENIORSENIOR2D MATTECamera trackingSENIORSENIORMIDCleanupSENIORSENIORJUNIORRotoSENIORSENIORJUNIOREXAMPLE PRICESTUDIOS WITHA FLAT RATEUMP

UMP: each task is priced at the level and the method it really needs.

Price of the team

Example layout
STUDIOS WITH A FLAT RATEUMPARTIST AARTIST BARTIST CARTIST DARTIST EARTIST FIDLE TIMEDELIVERY DATEEXAMPLE PRICESTUDIOS WITHA FLAT RATEUMP

UMP: the planner levels the team, so fewer people carry the work by the same date.

  • The right level for each task

    Each task goes to the level it really needs: junior, mid or senior.

  • The right method for each shot

    2D, 3D, matte painting or comp, chosen separately for each shot.

  • An even load for the team

    Our planner levels the load across the team, so fewer people carry the work with less idle time.

What you get: VFX breakdown, budget, schedule and previs

See early what the film needs on screen and what it costs, before the decisions get expensive.

VFX breakdown

Example layout
ShotSceneVFX workComplexityDays
012_004012Set extensionHigh
012_005012Sky replacementLow
027_001027Crowd multiplicationMedium
041_003041Fire and smoke FXHigh
058_002058Wire removalLow

Every VFX shot of the script: what has to appear and how it can be made.

Budget by department

Example layout

A VFX figure with the shots behind it: for the financing plan, a market or the production budget.

Schedule

Example layout

What to prepare for the shoot and what is done in post, agreed at the start.

Previs

Sample frames
Sc 12, wide: set extension
Sc 27, medium: crowd
Sc 41, close: fire FX

Key scenes as pictures before the shoot, so the director, the producers and the financiers see the same scene.

When to send the script

  1. Development

    A VFX figure for the financing plan.

  2. Financing or at a market

    A budget with the breakdown behind it, and previs frames for the pitch.

  3. Pre-production

    What to film, what to prepare, what goes to post.

  4. Shooting

    What to capture on set for the scenes still to shoot.

  5. Post-production

    A breakdown and a budget for the shots you have.

How it works

  1. 1

    Send the script

    A file or a link. If your project requires an NDA, we'll gladly sign it before you share the script.

  2. 2

    We break it down

    Scene by scene and shot by shot.

  3. 3

    You get the results

    Breakdown, budget, schedule and previs options.

  4. 4

    A call to go through it

    We walk you through it, shot by shot.

NDA and confidentiality

If your project requires an NDA, we'll gladly sign it. Either way, your material stays protected: only our core team sees it, and every member is bound by a strict NDA that forbids sharing any information received from third parties. Neither we nor they share anything about your request.

Your project

    This form is for productions with a feature film or a series. Artists who want to work with us, please apply through Careers; studios and vendors, please write to welcome@ump.studio.

    The project
    You
    The script

    A file or a link is required, unless you need an NDA first.

    Your script is read only by the team preparing your estimate.

    What would help you most

    Questions about VFX budgets

    How much does VFX cost for a film?

    It depends on what has to be on screen: how many VFX shots the script has, how complex each one is, which assets return and which method suits each shot. That is why we price from your script, shot by shot.

    How much does a VFX shot cost?

    Each shot is bid on the work it really needs: a sky replacement and a CG creature are very different jobs. You see the cost shot by shot, so you can keep a shot, cut it or change its method.

    How much does VFX supervision cost for a film?

    It depends on the days on set, the preparation before the shoot, the data captured on set (references, HDRI, measurements and scans), the number of VFX setups, the weeks of supervision in post, and whether the supervisor is on set or remote. We price it from your script and your shoot plan.

    How long does VFX take for a film?

    It depends on the number and complexity of the shots, what is planned before the shoot, when the cut and plates are handed over, the rounds of changes and the delivery formats. We plan the schedule and the team around your delivery date.

    How can I cut VFX costs without losing quality?

    Plan every VFX shot from the script, agree the key scenes in previs, choose the right method for each shot, build returning assets once, capture good data on set, and change the shot list rather than the quality.

    What is a VFX breakdown?

    A list of every VFX shot in the script, also called a VFX breakdown sheet: what has to appear, how it can be made, how complex it is and how many days it takes. The VFX budget and the schedule are built on it.

    Do you bid VFX at a flat rate or shot by shot?

    Shot by shot. Our VFX bidding is flexible, not a flat rate: every shot and asset is bid on its own work, so when you include, omit or switch a shot, the budget shows what changed.

    What do I need to send?

    The script as a PDF, Final Draft or Word file, or a link to it, and what you know about the production: stage, financing, shoot dates and location. A pitch deck or lookbook helps but is not required.

    What do I get back?

    A VFX breakdown of the script, a budget and a schedule. Where it helps the decision, previs of the key scenes.

    Will you sign an NDA, and is my script kept confidential?

    If your project requires an NDA, we'll gladly sign it. Either way, your material stays protected: only our core team sees it, and every member is bound by a strict NDA that forbids sharing any information received from third parties. Neither we nor they share anything about your request.

    Which VFX methods do you use?

    2D, 3D, matte painting and compositing, chosen per shot, so the image holds up and the budget stays sensible.

    Can I use the VFX budget for financing or a market?

    Yes. The budget comes with the breakdown behind it, so every figure can be explained to financiers or at a market.

    Is my project at the right stage?

    Any stage from development to post works. The earlier we see the script, the more of the VFX can be planned instead of fixed later.