Drysen Carsten Signature Price & Process Guide Start a project
Drysen Carsten

I make complicated things impossible to misunderstand.

Price & Process Guide Drysen Carsten · drysen.work
Drysen Carsten Headshot
Who

I'm Drysen.

I'm a creative director using 2D and 3D animation to help companies explain complicated things.

Water treatment systems. CNC machining. Construction software. Board games with 40-page rulebooks.

Usually it's the kind of thing where somebody on your team ends up explaining it twenty times a week — and you'd rather they didn't have to.

Proof

Sixteen years. Some of the work.

Amazon Logo Tractor Supply Co Logo AstraZeneca Logo Sherwin-Williams Logo Pinterest Logo Instacart Logo Callaway Logo AgroLiquid Logo HeadLight Logo Asmodee Logo Ravensburger Logo OfficeDog Logo Stellar Waterworks Logo KPOP Demon Hunters Logo One Piece Logo

Sometimes directly with the brand, others by
subcontracting with trusted studio partners.

The promise

You will never see the finished video for the first time.

Odds are you've never commissioned an animation before. Most of my clients hadn't either — and honestly, it's a strange thing to buy.

So here's exactly what happens, start to finish. No mystery, no surprises at the end.

I created the Hyperfocus Method, a six checkpoint process where you approve each step before we move forward.

And that's how we build success, together. 

Before we start

So we've decided to work together.
Now what?

We'll sign contracts with each deliverable and price listed. If you need horizontal or vertical videos, or localized in different languages, it's agreed upon up front.

You'll pay a 50% up front deposit, and we get started.

Stage 01

The kickoff call

This is the deep dive. What do we need to create? Why are we building it, and who needs to understand it?

Bring references. Bring that video you loved. Bring that thing your competitor made that you hated. Anything to give direction on what you like, or hate, so we have a sandbox to play in.

On set, monitor and gimbal in a cornfield
Stellar WaterWorks brand film — animated cockpit frame
Stage 02

Script and visual treatment

The first deliverable is a two-column visual treatment. The script on the left, the on-screen visuals written out on the right. You'll also get a collection of inspiration to give an idea of where we're headed.

Then we go back and forth until it's right.

When it's perfect, you approve it and we move to the next step.
Stage 03

Storyboards

Simple, rough sketches to translate our visual story into, well, a visual story. No color, no polish. Just framing, composition, and storytelling in its raw form.

You approve, and we move to the next step.
Storyboard frame
The Shackleton Series — 3D board game teaser frame
Stage 04

Style frames and animatic

Style frames are a single moment from your final video, teasing what the end result could look like.

At the same time, we create an animatic — the storyboard cut to a rough voiceover and music, to make sure the pacing and timing isn't luck, but is tested and actually works.

And if it's right, you approve it before we move into production.
Character illustration in production
Stage 05

Production

This is where we take the roadmap we've built together and execute it. Whether that's 2D illustration, 3D modeling, voiceover, animation, editing, or sound design.

The next time you see your video, it could be good enough to go public.

Stage 06

Two rounds of revisions

Sometimes things just aren't quite perfect. So included in the Hyperfocus Method is two rounds of revisions. You'll receive a link to the review platform to make a list of comments.

Here's the good news: because we already agreed on everything before production, the revisions are usually pretty minor. That's the entire point of the approval process.

And though it's rarely needed, there's a second round to tighten up any remaining errors.

Gunsen: Battle for Toshi Ranbo — miniature detail
Gunsen packaging render
Final step

Delivery

When it's approved, you'll receive a link to download the final video.

Did you have additional aspect ratios, codecs, or languages included in the delivery? We'll knock those out too.

THINGS TO KNOW

You'll never see the finished video for the first time.

By the time it's animated, you've already approved the words, the look, the shots, and the pacing. There's no big reveal at the end, because there's nothing left to reveal. (That's on purpose.)

Changing direction after the animatic costs extra.

Not a penalty — just physics. Rebuilding an animated scene takes real hours. That's why the checkpoints exist, and why we take them seriously. If we get to that point, I'll tell you before the meter starts. Always.

My name is on the (virtual) door.

That means I stand behind the quality of each project and the success of your video. I don't believe in making videos for fluff — they need to have results and ROI. And I want to be a part of your success in that way.

How long it takes
Product explainer ~4 weeks
Brand film 8–12 weeks
Ongoing series Scheduled monthly

Timelines depend on whether it's 2D, 3D, or live action, how much custom work is needed, and how complicated the project is.

We've completed full spots in just a couple of days, or a few months.

Either way, you'll get a real date before we start. Not an optimistic one.

What it costs

Every project gets quoted from its actual scope. Here's the range most work lands in.

Product explainer or technical video $5,000 – $18,000
Brand film $12,000 – $45,000
Ongoing series From $2,500/month

Project minimum: $3,000.

What moves the number

Final runtime · 2D or 3D · how much custom illustration or modeling we need · whether you already have usable assets · voiceover and music licensing · and where it's going to run — your own channels, paid media, or broadcast.

You'll get a range in our first meeting and an exact number before contracts are signed. It's usually best to come with a budget in mind, so we can move the deliverables, designs, and custom work to match your needs.

Ready?

Tell me what you're trying to explain. Twenty minutes on a call and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit — and roughly what it'd cost.

Start a project

drysen.work · drysen.carsten@gmail.com · (605) 680-2624

Drysen Carsten Signature