The plate or edit
Send the highest-quality available source and mark the specific frames that need work.
AI visual effects cost
AI Visual Effects Cost: Budgeting AI CGI for Existing Footage
AI visual effects are priced around the difficulty of making a shot believable and usable: the source plate, camera movement, product or person accuracy, number of shots, continuity across a sequence, review rounds and final versions. A simple atmospheric enhancement is a different job from a moving set extension or a product-critical campaign film. The fastest way to get a useful range is to share the footage and define what must not change.
Definition
What an AI CGI budget pays for
Tool access is not the budget driver. The work is in the reliable process around it: planning what may change, protecting what must stay true, developing believable options, integrating them into the edit and exporting the versions the campaign needs.
Definition
AI visual effects cost is the cost of directing, developing, generating, compositing, reviewing and finishing an altered or newly created shot for its final production context.
Budget drivers
What moves the estimate
- 01
The source plate
Locked-off product footage is usually simpler than fast handheld camera movement, reflections, hair, crowds or complex occlusion.
- 02
What must stay exact
A recognisable product, performer, logo or regulated claim needs more checking and controlled iteration.
- 03
Shot count and continuity
One hero shot and a connected fifteen-shot sequence require very different development and review plans.
- 04
Versions and approval
Aspect ratios, languages, markets, sound, legal review and stakeholder gates add work after the creative direction is set.
Brief better
What to send for a useful range
A short brief beats a request for a per-second rate.
The non-negotiables
List the product details, people, logos, camera move and message that must remain accurate.
A visual reference
Share the intended environment, finish and benchmark — not just a broad adjective.
The delivery list
State masters, runtime, aspect ratios, markets and approval owners before the first test.
Scope
Why the same runtime can have a different cost
| Scope element | Defined AI CGI scope | Assumed from runtime |
|---|---|---|
| Set extension | Lighting, tracking, boundary and camera constraints considered | 'Add a new background' |
| Product accuracy | References and approval gates included | Assumed the model will hold it |
| Final delivery | Master and variants planned | A single preview output |
FAQ
Budget questions
Get an honest range for the shot
Send the plate, the reference and the delivery context. We’ll recommend the sensible production route and scope it around the final use.