Animated Chart Tool for Freelance Video Editors

framechart saves freelance video editors 2-4 hours per animated chart segment. Drop the effect on a clip in DaVinci Resolve, point it at the client's CSV data, configure the chart in minutes — it renders live in your timeline with a transparent background, no export step.

At a freelance rate of $50-100/hour, a license pays for itself with a single client chart request. One chart. One month covered.

ROI at a Glance

2-4 hrs

Time saved per chart

$19

Cost per month (licensed)

1 chart

Break-even per month

The ROI Calculation

Building an animated data chart in After Effects — setting up a composition, manually keyframing each bar, scripting data imports — takes an experienced editor 2-4 hours per chart. At a modest freelance rate of $75/hour, that's $150-300 of time per chart.

With framechart, the same chart takes 15-30 minutes. At $75/hour that's $18-37 of time. The plugin itself is free; a license to remove the watermark for client work is $19/month or a one-time $99. If you receive just one client chart animation request per month, a monthly license is paid for and you've added $120+ to your effective earnings.

Example: One chart request, $75/hour rate

Manual keyframing (2 hrs × $75)$150 earned, $150 of time spent

With framechart (0.5 hrs × $75 + $19/mo license)$37.50 + $19 = $56.50 cost, $150 billed

Net gain per chart+$93.50

Client Delivery Workflow

1. Client sends data as Excel or Google Sheets. Ask for CSV export.
2. Drop the framechart effect onto a clip in your Resolve timeline, point it at the CSV, select chart type and template. Timeline resolution and frame rate already match the client project.
3. Use custom colors in the Inspector to match client brand guidelines.
4. Choose a Clean template variant for a transparent background.
5. Place the clip above client footage — it composites live, no import step. For Premiere Pro instead, render as ProRes 4444 with alpha.
6. Deliver. Total time: 15-45 minutes.

Why DaVinci Resolve Editors Need This

DaVinci Resolve has no built-in chart animation from data. The workarounds — Fusion node graphs for manual chart building, screen recording a web tool — are slow and produce low-quality results. Fusion can technically render charts, but setting up data-driven animation from CSV in Fusion is a multi-hour project.

framechart runs natively inside DaVinci Resolve as an OFX plugin — it renders the chart with a transparent background directly in your timeline, with nothing to import or set up. No After Effects, no Fusion setup, no screen recording.

What Clients Ask For

Earnings Charts Revenue, profit, or growth charts for corporate videos, investor pitches, or annual report presentations.

Market Data Stock performance, market share, or competitive comparison charts for finance and business content.

Survey Results Animated bar charts showing survey response percentages for marketing and research videos.

Documentary Statistics Historical data trends for documentary B-roll — population, economic, environmental, or social statistics.

Billing Chart Animation as a Line Item

Chart animation is a specialized deliverable — bill it separately. A reasonable market rate is $50-150 per animated chart segment, depending on complexity and client budget. This is standard for motion graphics work and clients in corporate, documentary, and marketing video production expect it.

With framechart, your actual time per chart is 15-30 minutes, making $50-150/chart an excellent effective hourly rate. The license cost ($19/month or a one-time $99) is a business expense and a rounding error compared to the revenue from a single chart request.

Download the free plugin See pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Can framechart replace After Effects for client chart animation work?

For data-driven chart animation specifically, yes. If a client asks for an animated bar chart from their Excel data, framechart produces the same result as After Effects in 10-15 minutes instead of 2-4 hours, rendered live in DaVinci Resolve. You do not need an Adobe subscription for this type of work.

How do I charge clients for chart animation done with framechart?

Chart animation is a specialized skill regardless of the tool. Freelancers typically charge $50-150 per animated chart segment. With framechart, your time per chart is 15-30 minutes instead of 2-4 hours — increasing your effective hourly rate significantly.

Does framechart work with DaVinci Resolve for client deliverables?

Yes — natively. framechart is a DaVinci Resolve plugin: it composites with transparency directly in your timeline over client footage, no import step needed. No After Effects required.

What data formats do clients typically provide?

Most clients provide Excel (.xlsx) or Google Sheets. Export as CSV (File → Download → .csv in Google Sheets, or Save As → CSV UTF-8 in Excel) and point the framechart effect at that file.

Framechart for DaVinci Resolve →Framechart for Premiere Pro →Framechart for Video Editors →Transparent Background Export →Framechart vs. After Effects →

Last reviewed: April 2026