The answer to your communication problem lies in animation

With so many people confined to their homes and their only line to the outside world is the web, it’s the perfect time to leverage this direct access through online content.

Content is king and distribution is being democratised. But with global lockdowns and social distancing in place, we are facing major production problems and all events have been postponed.

In the absence of live events and live-action video shoots, attention is starting to turn more towards animated video content. This is an opportunity to keep communicating through a powerful storytelling medium like animation. With animation, there are no crew or cast to worry about. A character in animation is at no risk of contracting coronavirus, no matter how many other characters are in the video with them!

There have been some incredible research statistics released that highlight the power of video and animation content. Here are a few:

• 83% of businesses say their homepage explainer video is effective (Wyzowl)
  
• 59% of executives say they would rather watch a video than read text (Wordstream)
  
• 75% of all video plays are on mobile devices (eMarketer)
  
• 87% of online marketers use video content
  
• Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text (Insivia)
  
• 92% of users watching video on mobile will share it with others (Wordstream)
  
• By 2020 there will be close to 1 million minutes of video crossing the internet per second (Cisco)
  
• Marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users (Wordstream)

So where do you start? Well the great thing about animation is that you have lots of creative versatility, options and price points. Here are a few examples of different types of animation and styles that Mann Made has produced for various customers.

Two-dimensional or 2D animated videos are a fantastic way to communicate complex ideas or key messaging in a simple and engaging way, with complete control over the visual imagery and styling.

They tell stories in a quick and fun format. It’s an effective way of grabbing attention and engaging an audience - keeping them on your page and benefitting your SEO.

Three-dimensional or 3D animation is also an excellent tool in communication, with great versatility. The 3D capabilities mean physics and dynamics can be utilised just like in the real world, and it's often more cost-effective to have a scenario created in 3D than filmed live-action. It’s also good for telling more complex stories and has a real visual wow-factor. The 3D animation is guaranteed to impress an audience when done correctly.

Of course, 3D animation is also used in compositing with live-action footage. While it may not currently be possible to shoot new footage, it’s possible to take old footage, or cut together a new edit, and revamp it with some composited visual effects and 3D elements.

Motion graphics videos are a well-known option for explainer videos and infographics, and can be slick and cutting-edge, cute and quirky, or staid and steadfast. The sky really is the limit, and any brand will benefit from utilising a custom-designed and animated mo-graph video styled to their unique CI.

They’re an effective way to create videos for social media that stand out from the crowd of other content. A good treatment and look and feel makes a world of difference and encourages your audience to share it - because it connects with them, and quite frankly just looks super cool.

Many people know whiteboard videos as a top-down view of someone’s hand, shot in-studio, as they draw onto a piece of paper, which then gets partly animated. The alternative, requiring no video shoot, is a fully animated video, in the loose hand-drawn style of a whiteboard video. There is more flexibility this way - now more than ever in light on Covid-19 - and less costs involved. These videos are a perfect option for the budget- and time-conscious.

Animation provides a world of possibilities for communicating your products, services and brand values. Animation can be translated into many languages easily and is timeless. Although our world has changed in unprecedented ways, the indomitability of humankind means that, as always, we will find ways to persevere. We’ll keep creating content and we’ll keep communicating and connecting with one another, and animation is a great way to do so.