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In a hurry? Check out our video on 5 explainer video animation styles:
Do you want to make a great animated explainer video? One that you would place at par with your favorites.
Amongst many factors that come together to make such a video, there is one factor that ensures that your video is a great one. Storytelling!
You might be thinking that we over-glorify storytelling but truth be told, the videos that actually motivate the viewers to perform some action tell a story. It is this story that empowers your video to engage and connect with the target audience.
Now, you might be thinking that I’m referring to writing the perfect explainer video script. However, storytelling doesn’t end at the script.
Visual storytelling is just as important. And that is where animated explainer video styles come into play.
Each style offers unique advantages and opens up various avenues for visual storytelling in your videos.
In this blog, we’ll dive into all aspects of these video styles and explore how they can enhance your storytelling journey.
Just like wearing a suit to a pool party, and swimming trunks to the office isn’t a good idea, using just any random animated video style
is a bad idea.
I’m all for experimenting, but every video has a style that is perfect for telling its story. It is upon you to listen to your video’s calling and pick the right one.
This takes us to a very important question: what are the options available?
Well, there are a lot of options, but we’ve narrowed them down to give you the explainer video types that work best for businesses. So let’s get started with them:
Ever seen explainer videos with cartoon characters and their experiences explaining the functions and features of the product/service?
These videos are called cartoon videos and are the prime choice when you want to tell an emotional story.
Since the audience can see themselves in the explainer video characters, they connect with it immediately, which helps build trust.
B2C companies, especially those with brand mascots, prefer going for this explainer video style since it is easy to connect with and can make even serious subjects easily palatable. However, the use of this style is not limited to B2C brands.
B2B companies have seen great results with this style as well since it helps in humanizing your brand. Moreover, you can exploit the power of humor better with this style than any other style.
Some of the industries in which we’ve seen this style work best are BFSI, Healthcare, Retail, and Non-profit.
There are times when you need to present valuable information about your product/service to explain your product to the audience. In such cases, the focus is on the information and not on the emotions it generates in the audience.
For such videos, you need abstract shapes and objects that go with the company’s branding style to tell the story instead of animated characters.
This is where infographic videos comes in. This animation style is emotionally-neutral and is used where a minimalist approach is needed for storytelling.
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Most B2B companies prefer going for this style as it is exceptionally good at explaining products and services by disseminating information to the target audience. While it can be used by B2C companies as well, most of them avoid using it.
Some of the industries in which we’ve seen this style work best are IT, BFSI, and Professional Services.
Check out our blog on the best infographic videos to gain deeper insights into this explainer video type.
Sometimes it is imperative for you to use live-action images or footage in your video but you want to exploit the power of animation in it as well. In such cases, you would need an animated overlay to be placed on your video.
This where live-action explainer videos with animated overlay come in. We call this animation style mixed-media animation.
Mixed-media animation gives you the opportunity to work with different media and try out multiple combinations to come up with the perfect one for your video. It all comes down to what your story demands.
Being an experimental style, both B2B and B2C companies can use it for unique visual storytelling.
Since it is neither traditional animation nor traditional live-action, it stands out from the videos that are present online. This gives them an edge in terms of engagement.
Some of the industries in which we’ve seen this style work best are Non-Profit, IT, and Healthcare.
Check out our blog about the best mixed media animation videos to learn more about this type of video style.
Sometimes you have to explain complex concepts to the audience in a simple way.
You need to educate them in such a way that they retain the information you passed on through the video.
In such cases, you need to go for whiteboard videos.
Physical whiteboards have historically proven great for education and the digitally produced videos carry the legacy quite well.
Since we narrate the illustrations on the screen, it is easy to follow through.
This makes it easier to educate the audience about complex concepts without losing their interest anywhere in the video.
If your video is educational in nature, don’t think twice before going for whiteboard animation for visual storytelling.
Some of the industries in which we’ve seen this style work best are Non-profit, IT, Healthcare, and Professional Services.
When you need videos for explaining how your physical products work, you have to go for 3D animation videos.
Due to the extra dimension, you can play around with visual storytelling and come up with something that tells your story best. You can show how your product works externally as well as internally. You can even use this animated video style for services such as plumbing or carpentry.
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This style is predominantly used by companies with physical products. However, a lot of IT and healthcare companies have also started using this style lately.
Some of the industries in which we’ve seen this style work best are Healthcare, Entertainment and Professional Services.
Here are some great examples of 3D explainer videos:
If you manage a supply chain, you know exactly how difficult it gets. Sometimes even a simple delay dominos into a full-blown catastrophe. When the narrator talks about how IBM helps make leaders and professionals more successful with the use of AI, you’re hooked.
Later, when the video shows a 3D spare part levitating in the air while explaining an issue, you relate further. You relate because it hits home. You relate because this product could be seen as one of the many products that you might have faced issues with.
The video demanded this very explainer video style to be used and so it was used.
Now that you've explored the various types of video styles for your explainers, keep these key points in mind during your selection process to ensure you choose the right style for your project:
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