Budget in Animation

I'm thinking about it right now, and the budget to make an animated film doesn't need to be all that high to REALLY make something. Sure, if you want to make a living off of it, or pay other animators, voice actors, and get distribution, you're looking a ta pretty legitimate number, but on the other hand, if you are just trying to break into the industry on your own or making art, all you need is some software and a good idea. For general filmmaking you need equipment and money to rent it, crew and money to pay them, actors and money to pay them, and distribution and money to pay for that. Animation is a far more accessible field for creators to get into because it is a translation of your mind to the screen. That said, it takes a certain level of talent to actually pull off your vision, but through hard work, you can learn that talent. I don't mean to discredit the hard work and money that goes into making the big budget animated films, but at the same time, a great work of animation doesn't mean the same astronomical budget as even a small budget feature does.