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How much do animes cost?

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dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#1: Apr 10th 2011 at 2:11:07 AM

I always wondered. I heard that an average anime costs around $100,000 per episode, and wondered how much would something like Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Haruhi Suzumiya, and Naruto cost per episode? It's mostly the paycheck for the animation staff or is it for the seiyuus? Also, how much do they get paid? I heard that if you are not a big time, you'd have to take a part-time job to make ends meet.

Anyone knows?

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
ShayGuy Since: Jan, 2001
#2: Apr 10th 2011 at 4:03:28 AM

I think $100K is toward the lower end of the scale. I don't know much about how that divides up, except that tweeners are underpaid and sound editors are overpaid.

KillerRabbit Just wondering from In the Ning Nang Nong Since: Jan, 2001
Just wondering
#3: Apr 10th 2011 at 6:36:04 AM

http://theanimelounge.com/thread/9589-high-budgetlow-budget-animes-question/

Third post contains a list of per-episode budgets for tv shows and movie budgets. Note I've only been able to verify a couple of the anime-related figures through other sources, so I can't vouch for its reliability.

http://theanimelounge.com/thread/9589-high-budgetlow-budget-animes-question/

A while back, the company that did Bamboo Blade gave a presentation on where the budget went for a given episode. Obviously its not much of a sample, but given the scarcity of information in English its worth looking at.

They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams for an instant, then it's night once more
EternalSeptember Since: Sep, 2010
#4: Apr 10th 2011 at 7:46:12 AM

[up] The entirety of the Evangelion series costed about as much as 1,5 episodes of Futurama. tongue

edited 10th Apr '11 7:46:20 AM by EternalSeptember

kalandra Since: Dec, 2012
#5: Apr 10th 2011 at 8:23:31 AM

I don't have the exact numbers, but I read somewhere the author usually get the biggest cut of the profits. What the animation staff and seiyuu usually earns are stipends compared to what authors get.

dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#6: Apr 10th 2011 at 9:09:39 AM

[up][up] I..wha..this is....are you serious?

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
Spirit Pretty flower from America Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Hooked on a feeling
Pretty flower
#7: Apr 10th 2011 at 11:16:15 AM

Considering Evangelion's infamous budget problems, I have no problem believing that.

edited 10th Apr '11 11:16:28 AM by Spirit

#IceBearForPresident
Arha Since: Jan, 2010
#8: Apr 10th 2011 at 11:35:03 AM

The Evangelion staff was paid with fish instead of money.

blueharp Since: Dec, 1969
#9: Apr 10th 2011 at 12:05:03 PM

Well, when you put your entire staff on psychedelics then it doesn't matter what you pay them, the work is the same.

Fancolors I draw stuff. from Land of the Mamelucos Since: Nov, 2010
I draw stuff.
#10: Apr 10th 2011 at 12:25:03 PM

Oh my...(NFSW)

Maybe it means that the anime industry is over-saturated, but still...

edited 10th Apr '11 12:25:18 PM by Fancolors

INUH Since: Jul, 2009
#11: Apr 10th 2011 at 2:25:54 PM

1)That's from Sankaku.

2)They didn't even convert right. That quantity of Yen is closer to $13,000 (admittedly, not much, but see point 1).

edited 10th Apr '11 2:26:08 PM by INUH

Infinite Tree: an experimental story
kalandra Since: Dec, 2012
#12: Apr 10th 2011 at 10:59:32 PM

Non Sankaku Complex material

This article shows how much an anime episode cost, and how little are animators and seiyuus paid.

INUH Since: Jul, 2009
#13: Apr 11th 2011 at 5:50:19 AM

That's pretty outdated; compare just the conversion rate to the modern one.

I'm not saying you're wrong, just that your sources aren't very good.

Infinite Tree: an experimental story
Shota Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: Dancing with myself
#14: Apr 11th 2011 at 5:53:36 AM

Anime these days are the most expensive things in the market today, not counting pillows. The retail price for one DVD costs over $50!

Edmania o hai from under a pile of erasers Since: Apr, 2010
o hai
#15: Apr 11th 2011 at 6:10:27 AM

[up] Cheaper than a pair of pants from the more expensive brands.

edited 11th Apr '11 6:11:10 AM by Edmania

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
AirofMystery Since: Jan, 2001
#16: Apr 11th 2011 at 6:23:34 AM

[up]And you can't watch a pair of pants.

kalandra Since: Dec, 2012
#17: Apr 11th 2011 at 6:36:41 AM

[up][up][up][up] - The article was in 2006 and some of the interviews might be older. The conversion rates might be different, but the anime industry didn't change overnight. Especially considering since things are now much worse off with the economic downturn, I doubt animators are suddenly getting big pay rises.

edited 11th Apr '11 6:37:00 AM by kalandra

INUH Since: Jul, 2009
#18: Apr 11th 2011 at 8:19:17 AM

True. But given the current conversion rate, that's more money than around 10% of U.S. households make a year. Which isn't good, but it's something.

So I guess where I'm really going with this (if anywhere) is that it's not exactly a job I'd like to have, but calling it "slave wages" as the article did is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration.

edited 11th Apr '11 8:19:29 AM by INUH

Infinite Tree: an experimental story
Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#19: Apr 11th 2011 at 8:26:43 AM

Cheaper than a pair of pants from the more expensive brands.

A pair of pants is good for a lot longer than 13 hours, though.

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
ThatHuman someone from someplace Since: Jun, 2010
someone
#20: Apr 11th 2011 at 8:32:02 AM

A pair of pants isn't something you can heavily analyze and find lots of tropes from, though.

something
Edmania o hai from under a pile of erasers Since: Apr, 2010
o hai
#21: Apr 11th 2011 at 8:41:56 AM

A pair of pants is good for a lot longer than 13 hours, though.

It can also be found for a lot cheaper without too much of a noticeable quality difference (unless you're some clothing otaku or something) legally from stores.

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
kyun Since: Dec, 2010
#22: Apr 11th 2011 at 10:44:56 AM

This talk about pants is funny ("pants" is a funny word) but let's go back to anime.

Edmania o hai from under a pile of erasers Since: Apr, 2010
o hai
#23: Apr 11th 2011 at 10:52:33 AM

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ANIME

edited 11th Apr '11 10:52:41 AM by Edmania

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.
kalandra Since: Dec, 2012
#24: Apr 13th 2011 at 9:56:31 PM

Cost of living is higher in Japan, it doesn't make sense to compare to American wages.

edited 13th Apr '11 9:57:23 PM by kalandra

YamiiDenryuu Since: Jan, 2010
#25: Apr 14th 2011 at 8:53:19 AM

Hey, thanks guys. Now there's an advert for underwear at the bottom of this page. :/


Total posts: 27
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