Using animation in videos has become popular as video animation software and templates have become more accessible and powerful. But complex animation will run you a lot of money in production costs or your own time, and for many organizations and businesses, that’s just not an option. At the same time, video gets a lot of its power by connecting the human viewer to human faces and personalities. So judicious use of animation doesn’t just save money—in many cases, it actually makes video more effective.
Animation in Video Can Enhance the Emotional Connection
Viewers are most likely to take action when videos make an emotional connection. Thus, it’s important to consider how to use animation so that it enhances the natural emotion rather than overpowering it. Take a look, for instance, at the Capital Caring 35th Anniversary Video which we produced:
Right at the beginning, this video has a revolving book, kind of like a photo album, that conjures up the feeling of a scrapbook of the past 35 years. We then returned to that bit of animation to create transitions between the different time segments in the video. There’s nothing Looney Tunes or Roger Rabbitish about it, and the animation added a little distinction and dynamism to a set of images. For an anniversary video (for more on this genre, see this post), a photo album makes a lot of sense, and using an animation allowed us to tailor the “album” to the circumstances and the nonprofit’s need. While this video had a little more than basic animation, animation in video is almost required in one respect: your logo. It’s great to start thinking about logo animation for video early in the process; this post talks about that in detail and shows a number of examples. But as the video above shows, you can branch out just a little without breaking the bank…or your emotional connection to your viewer.
Animation in Video Will Continue to Surprise You
Online video grows every day, and there are some fabulous videos using ever-more sophisticated animation. However, for people on a budget, a little animation in video may be the best tool to advance your mission and goals and compel your audience. We hope we can help.
What kind of animation might best enhance the story you want to tell? Let us know in comments.
If MiniMatters can help you with fundraising video, association video, or other video production needs, we’d love to provide an estimate through our online form, talk with you at 301-339-0339, or communicate via email at [email protected]. We serve associations, foundations, nonprofits, and businesses primarily in Washington, DC, Maryland, and northern Virginia.
