Broad 2026 market planning ranges in USD per shot, not quotes or Garbanzo prices. Freelancer includes newer entrants through senior independents. Taxes and pass-through costs, including media, talent, licensing, travel, venues, permits, and projection hardware, are excluded unless stated otherwise. Budgets overlap; the columns describe delivery models, not quality grades. Compare scope, relevant experience, deliverables, and production responsibility when reviewing quotes.
Cost by shot type
Example | Freelancer | Specialist studio | Large studio / Agency |
Five-second locked-off product-logo paint-out | $50–$750 | $450–$900 | $1,000–$3,000 |
Five-second phone-screen replacement with tracking and reflections | $100–$1,500 | $450–$2,200 | $1,500–$6,000 |
Eight-second green-screen [composite → /products/vfx-shots-sequences#compositing] with a moving camera | $500–$3,000 | $900–$5,000 | $3,000–$12,000 |
4K [set extension → /products/vfx-shots-sequences#matte-painting] with a moving camera and matte-painted environment | $1,500–$10,000 | $2,500–$20,000 | $10,000–$50,000+ |
Ten-second full-CG hero shot with particle simulation | $5,000–$25,000 | $15,000–$60,000 | $50,000–$200,000+ |
What affects the price
Shot complexity. A locked-off paint-out and a moving-camera composite are different jobs.
Plate quality. Clean plates, tracking markers, and a locked cut reduce the hours needed.
Element count. The budget depends on how much needs to be built and how much can be fixed in the footage.
Simulation and CG. Particles, fluids, and full-CG assets add some of the largest costs.
Shot count. A fixed shot list helps keep costs down.
VFX cost per shot
VFX is priced per shot because each shot is a separate problem, with its own plate, its own fix, and its own artist hours. Garbanzo works from plates and a locked cut to build a shot list, price each shot, and fix the count. You can then see how each shot contributes to the total.
Keeping the shot count fixed keeps the bid stable. Leaving it open lets the scope and cost change.
VFX bids and shot lists
A VFX bid starts with the cut. Plates and an edit come in, the edit is broken into a shot list, and each shot gets its own line: what it needs, how complex it is, and what it costs. The count is then locked, so the total stays tied to shots you can name.
A locked cut, clean plates, and tracking markers all lower the bid before VFX work starts. So does bringing the VFX team into the conversation before the shoot.
Questions we'd ask you first
Start with the shots, available plates, and what must feel invisible or transformed. Budget and delivery details can remain open.
Is the cut locked?
How many shots, and is the list final?
Do clean plates and tracking markers exist?
Were we in the conversation before the shoot, or after?
An agency post-producer usually has the first three answered. Brand teams often need help turning a rough cut into a shot list.
FAQ
Why is VFX so expensive?
Most VFX work is specific to one shot and one plate, so little of it carries over to the next shot. Simulation and full-CG work add more, with particles, fluids, and built assets among the largest items in a bid.
Should we talk to you before the shoot?
Yes, if the shots are known. Ten minutes on set often saves days in post: a tracking marker, a clean plate, or a locked-off camera can turn an expensive shot into a routine one.
What happens if the cut changes after the bid?
Changed or added shots are bid before the work happens. A locked cut protects the budget because the shot list stops moving. Late changes to shots already in progress cost the most.
Is fixing it in post cheaper than reshooting?
For small fixes, usually. Removing a sign or cleaning up a frame costs less than a return to set. When a change touches every shot or needs a new performance, a pickup shoot can cost less than rebuilding the footage in VFX.
Do stock elements lower VFX cost?
Often. Licensed smoke, fire, water, and sky elements can replace simulations that would otherwise be built from scratch. They work best when the plate was shot with them in mind.