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Get an estimate in 60 seconds. No email required.
by
Larry Mutenda
Which companies should I consider for video production outsourcing? Start with Creamy Animation, Superside and ContentBeta. Creamy suits outsourced animated video for tech and SaaS. Superside is a good fit for steady outsourced creative on subscription. ContentBeta suits outsourcing a monthly flow of SaaS videos.
Video production outsourcing can mean one project or a steady flow of content. The right partner depends on how much you need and how often. It also depends on how much of the process your team wants to keep in-house.
These providers include animation studios, subscription services and freelance networks. Start with a small project to see how each one works with your team.
Compare the ten outsourcing options below.
| # | Company | Specialty | Best for | Notable clients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creamy Animation | Story-driven animated videos | An animated video production partner | Blockdaemon; CoPilot AI |
| 2 | Superside | Subscription creative and video production | Steady outsourced creative on subscription | Microsoft; Amazon Pharmacy |
| 3 | ContentBeta | Outsourcing a monthly flow of SaaS videos | Not published | |
| 4 | Titmouse | 2D animation production | Outsourcing larger animation projects | Not published |
| 5 | Studio AKA | Character animation | Outsourcing a character-led brand film | Not published |
| 6 | Casual | B2B film and animation | Outsourced B2B storytelling with an AI option | Google; GoDaddy |
| 7 | Vidsy | Creator-made video ads at scale | Outsourcing high volumes of social ads | Not published |
| 8 | Storyhunter | Global network of freelance video producers | Outsourcing shoots in many locations | Not published |
| 9 | Hornet | Animation production | Outsourcing a flagship animated film | Not published |
| 10 | Nerdo | 2D animation and motion design | Outsourcing animation to an international studio | Not published |
We judged output quality, reliability, experience with ongoing work and published results.
Creamy Animation publishes this guide and ranks itself first. Weigh that.
“Best for” notes reflect our judgment. Clients come from provider sites. Unpublished data is marked.
We work as an outsourced animation partner for tech companies, enterprises and nonprofits. Teams hand us a brief, and we manage script, design, animation and delivery. You review at set points. Ask how we’d work as an ongoing partner. Brand guidelines and templates make each new video faster and more consistent. We’ll be clear about turnaround times at your volume. You keep ownership of the finished videos and files. We’ll also suggest a sensible starting project to test the fit.
A client testimonial. Chris Peters, Executive Director of Tourism Burnaby, talks about the explainer we made on their visitor economy. He describes the process as collaborative and says the finished video exceeded their expectations. Tourism Burnaby shared it with Burnaby City Council, posted it on their website and uses it in presentations and PR.
Results: No public data
Superside offers subscription creative services, and video production is part of that. An outsourced subscription suits teams with a steady flow of creative requests. Ask how video requests are prioritized against design work. Check turnaround times for a typical video. Map your expected volume before comparing the subscription with project quotes. Confirm which parts of the monthly fee cover video. Ask about unused capacity. Then check what happens if you need more video one month. Confirm the exit terms and file ownership.
Results: No public data
ContentBeta names Xactly, OpenText and ManyChat among its clients. Outsourcing to a regular partner can be simpler than hiring a new studio each time. Ask how the team learns your product and keeps up with updates. Confirm what’s included each month. A clear scope prevents small requests from turning into extra invoices. Ask for samples from SaaS brands like yours. Then check how they’d onboard a new product. Ask how quickly they respond to urgent requests, such as a feature launch.
Results: No public data
Titmouse shows work like The Venture Bros. on its site. That capacity suits companies outsourcing a big animation project, like a multi-episode series. Ask whether they take on smaller commercial work too. Confirm who your producer is. A studio this size works best when one person on each side owns the relationship. Ask about minimum budgets for commercial work. Then confirm the schedule and review stages. Ask how they’d handle revisions on a tight deadline. Confirm the delivery formats too. Ask for references.
Results: No public data
Studio AKA’s YouTube channel includes “Even a snail knows when inflation hits. 🐌 #animation “, embedded below. If you’re outsourcing a story-driven film, ask which director would lead it. Confirm the number of review stages. Animation is hard to change late, so the script and storyboard stages are where your feedback counts most. Ask for a sample schedule and budget range. Then check their availability for your launch date. Confirm who owns the characters after delivery. Reusable characters can lower the cost of later videos. Ask about the director’s availability.
Results: No public data
Casual handles B2B corporate storytelling and offers an AI production approach called ARIEL. For outsourced work, ask how Casual fits into your team’s process. Find out who gathers feedback from your stakeholders and how often you’ll meet. Check how ARIEL affects turnaround and cost. Request a sample from an ongoing client. Confirm how the relationship can scale up or down with your needs. Ask about contract terms. Then check what happens to your files if you end the arrangement. Confirm ownership in writing.
Results: No public data
Vidsy's site lists work for Unilever, L'Oréal and PepsiCo. That model suits teams that need many variations for testing on social platforms. Ask how they brief creators and check work against your brand rules. Confirm the turnaround for a batch. Ask how usage rights work for creator-made content and how long you can run it. Ask how they’d handle a brand with strict legal review. Then confirm how many revisions each video includes. Ask how pricing works per batch of videos.
Results: No public data
That helps when you need footage in a city where you have no crew. Ask how they vet freelancers and who manages quality. Confirm how footage is delivered and edited. You may need a separate editor to turn raw material into a finished film. Ask how they handle permits, releases and insurance in each location. Then confirm who manages the edit and how footage is stored and shared.
Results: No public data
On LinkedIn, Hornet lists New York as its headquarters and names animation, stop motion and mixed media among its specialties. If you’re outsourcing a single high-profile animated film, that choice of styles is useful. Ask which director suits your message and budget. Outsourcing at this level means less day-to-day control. Agree on review points and who on your team has final say. Ask for a sample schedule. Then plan your review points around it. Confirm the budget range for the director you prefer. Ask about delivery formats, including social cut-downs. Ask for references.
Results: No public data
Outsourcing abroad can change your costs and schedule. Ask how they manage time-zone gaps and how quickly they respond to feedback. Confirm payment terms and contract law. Ask whether they’ve worked with clients in your country before. Ask for references from clients in North America. Then check how communication worked in practice. Confirm who owns the source files once the project ends. Ask how they’d scope a first, smaller project to test the fit.
Results: No public data
Outsourced video production assigns agreed production work to an external team. In-house production keeps that work within your organization. A hybrid arrangement can give an internal team outside help for specific tasks or busy periods. Choose according to the skills, capacity, and ownership the work requires. The handoff matters as much as the location of the team.
Identify the constraint you are trying to solve. It may be a missing skill, limited capacity, or a one-time launch deadline. Then define the handoff points between your team and the provider. Give each review a clear owner and make sure the final files support the way you intend to maintain the content.
Outsourcing costs depend on volume, format and how you pay: per project or on a retainer. Our explainer video cost guide covers per-video pricing. Creamy’s tiers are:
Retainers can lower the cost per video when you need a steady flow. Ask each provider what’s included each month and how unused capacity is handled.
Teams often outsource video for needs like these.
How to choose the right company
Use these steps to pick an outsourcing partner.
Count how many videos you need in a year and what kinds. That decides whether project pricing or a retainer makes sense. Share the estimate with each provider. Include peak months, such as launches or busy seasons. That shows whether the provider can scale with you.
Decide what your team does and what the provider does. Who writes scripts? Who approves? Who publishes? Write down the split so nothing falls between teams. Share the document with the provider. Ask them to point out any gaps they see.
Ask how the provider learns your brand and products. A good partner sets up guidelines and templates in the first weeks. That makes every later video faster. Ask to see the onboarding plan before you sign. It shows how organized the provider is.
Start with a single video before signing a long contract. It shows how the team communicates and handles feedback. Use it as a trial. Agree on what success looks like for the trial. Then judge the result against that. Write the goal down.
Ask what happens to files and templates if you leave. You should own your videos and source files. Check the contract terms for ending the relationship. Agree on a notice period too. It gives both sides time to wrap up open work.
Outsourced video costs depend on volume and pricing model. Creamy’s per-video tiers run from $2,500 to $25,000. Retainers can bring the per-video cost down if you need a steady flow. Ask exactly what’s included each month. Unused capacity rules vary.
The first outsourced video takes longer because of onboarding. Later videos move faster once templates and guidelines exist. Ask each provider for turnaround times at your volume. Plan onboarding carefully so the first video sets the standard. Ask for a timeline.
Choose a provider that fits your volume and workflow. Run a trial project. Compare onboarding, handoff rules and exit terms across your shortlist. Ask how they’d handle a sudden spike in requests. Run a short trial project before signing a long contract.
Outsourced packages can include strategy, scripting, production, editing, versions and project management. Retainers vary a lot. Ask for a clear list of monthly deliverables. Confirm the monthly scope in writing. Ask how extra requests are priced outside the monthly plan.
Outsource when you lack the people or skills to meet demand. Keep fast-turnaround or sensitive work in-house. Many teams use a mix, with an outside partner for polished work and internal staff for quick edits. Agree on who handles urgent requests.
In-house production uses your organization’s own team, while outsourced production assigns agreed work to an external provider. A hybrid arrangement can combine the two. Decide which responsibilities need to remain internal and where outside support adds capacity or expertise. A clear handoff and review owner are essential to keeping the project moving.
Conclusion
Outsourcing video works best with clear roles and a reliable partner. Compare a few providers here with a trial project. If you need animated video for tech or SaaS, Creamy is happy to help.
Larry is the founder and Chief Storyteller at Creamy Animation, founded in 2009. He leads a team that creates story-driven videos for businesses and nonprofits. 15+ years in video strategy and production, specializing in SaaS, B2B, and nonprofit storytelling. A marketer, designer, and animator, Larry has overseen the production of more than 1,500 videos for Fujitsu, Logitech, Warner Brothers, NFL, Blockdaemon, Astronomer, Canonical, and 370+ others.
For Larry, God is first, and everything else is a blessing that comes from serving Him. When he’s not working, he’s hanging out with his wife and three kids, playing the piano, or pursuing his filmmaking side hustle.
