I NEED A MAYA RIGGER

  • I originally created this guide for my students while teaching at USC, to help them navigate one of the most confusing and underestimated parts of CG production: character rigging.

    Every student, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, was required to complete an entire film before graduating. That meant making real production decisions, budgeting limited resources, and dealing with the consequences of those choices, including rig quality, schedule pressure, and technical debt.

    While this guide was built in an academic setting, the realities it addresses are not academic at all. The same challenges apply to anyone starting a small studio, producing an independent short, or developing original CG content outside a major pipeline.

    Understanding rigging early will save you time, money, and painful compromises later.

  • Rigging costs vary widely based on experience, production background, and character complexity.
    Below is a realistic, high-level breakdown to help you budget.

  • Experienced riggers working in feature film or AAA game production typically earn $2,000–$4,000 per week.

    • Feature-quality rigs can take anywhere from 2 to 12 months to design and build, depending on character complexity and deformation requirements.

    • Game rigs usually take 2 weeks to 1 month and are generally cheaper and faster to produce due to strict console and engine limitations on joint counts, deformation, and runtime performance.

  • Rig complexity is not determined by whether a character is cartoony, mechanical, or creature based. Every rig presents its own technical challenges, and complexity is driven by design intent, performance needs, and control density, not visual style.

    • Cartoon characters can be deceptively complex. While their skinning can be simpler if handled strategically, highly expressive cartoon rigs often require extensive control systems. It is not unusual to see 600–800 controls on a production cartoon rig.

    • Robots and mechanical characters are not inherently simpler or harder. Precision requirements, layered constraints, and animator-friendly control logic can push mechanical rigs into the same level of complexity as organic characters.

    • Creatures with non-human anatomy introduce unique challenges in anatomy, deformation, and motion logic, but the complexity depends on the level of fidelity and articulation required, not the species itself.

  • Every rig is a trade-off.

    The key question is not what kind of character it is, but rather:

    What are you willing to simplify or give up to meet your budget and schedule?

    Control count, deformation quality, facial systems, corrective shapes, and animator convenience all directly affect cost. Reducing any of these can lower the price, but they also shape what the Animation can ultimately achieve.

    A cheaper rig is rarely "simpler." It is a rig with deliberate compromises.

  • These are rough ranges you may encounter when hiring independently:

    • Student / Early-Career / "Nice Guy" Rate - Free – $500

      • Suitable for tests, learning/school projects, or very simple characters. Expect limitations.

    • Intermediate Rigger - $500 – $2,000

      • Can handle basic biped or stylized characters with moderate deformation needs.

    • Advanced / Senior / Production-Experienced Rigger - $2,500 – $10,000+ per rig

      • Feature-ready deformation, clean animator-facing controls, facial systems, and technical stability.

    • A cheap rig often becomes the most expensive mistake later.

    • Always review a rigger's reel and ask to see actual rigs in Maya, not just screenshots.

    • Clarify deliverables: facial systems, corrective shapes, Animation tests, and documentation.

    • Budget for iteration. Even great rigs evolve once Animation begins.

    If you plan carefully, a strong rig will elevate every shot in your film.

  • Rig cost is not about character style. It is about capability.

    Lower budgets mean fewer controls, simpler deformation, and limited facial or secondary systems.

    Higher budgets buy better performance, cleaner controls, and rigs that hold up under real Animation.

    A cheaper rig is not simpler. It is a rig with intentional compromises.