You’ve probably just made the best decision you’re going to make all year – you’ve decided to use video in your marketing mix to attract customers, inspire them to take action, explain what you do clearly, and add value.
(Perhaps you decided to bring Rip Media Group on board to create your corporate video…#cisco #ben&Jerry’s #NetApp #Hypernet and #Globanet: Thank you so much!)
So, it’s time to share how you should start, and walk through the steps of a solid story and marketing video, because we are asked every day: ‘What style is best for our brand?’
As we describe in our Creative Brief – its your audience, and what problem you solve for them that will determine the story, and then, the style.
The most important part of your video is the story, which will guide how we convey your idea visually. Then, we can concept, design, and create the best story for your audience, then look for, or create, a unique and best style to fit your story.
It may be whiteboard animation, motion graphics, 3D animation, live action, or a combination of any of these styles . . . Your possibilities are virtually endless. But don’t feel overwhelmed; I created this short video for you to highlight some of the many styles we use to tell a powerful story. Below the video I describe more detail around each of the looks…
Rip Media Group: What Style of Video is Right for You? from Rip Media Group on Vimeo.
Whiteboard Animation
Most people have seen a whiteboard animation video online or in an ad. It’s a style of animation where an artist draws pictures on a whiteboard to demonstrate ideas, usually in an approachable, hand-drawn art technique. Skilled artists that are familiar with your brand palette is an essential step.
The video is filmed and animated to match the narration. and is usually sped up considerably so viewers can watch the artist’s hand as they work. As the video continues, the artist may erase all or part of the board, may hop to a different section of the board to create a large, comprehensive mural, which is often showcased at the very end of the video.
Parts of the video may spring to life with animation, to further accentuate a point, add more interest to a certain story arc, or to make a moment more memorable.
Whiteboard animation is particularly useful for explainer videos. They are able to captivate an audience’s attention while using moving hand-drawn graphics to thoroughly explain or process or product.
Biotech companies benefit from using whiteboard animation videos because complicated language can be broken down to simply example a medical procedure to their patients.
It’s important to finalize your script before you go into production (the artwork phase), because each change will only add time and money to your bottom line. Trust me on this one– I want you to have a high-quality production and save you money at the same time.
Character Animation
A great way to illustrate the “face of a company,” character-style animation can show a characterized version of key figures in your company, or better, at your customers’ company.
We want the It’s a heart-warming approach to draw in an audience if you prefer combining a live-action and whiteboard animation feel. If you prefer seeing a cartoon narrative, this is the style for you.
Please have a look at some of our character animation samples
2D Motion Graphic Animation and Design
Pie charts, graphs, and other types of visual statistics can benefit from 2D Modern Graphic Animation and Design. While the moving pictures captivate people’s attention, some clients prefer the hand-drawn look of whiteboard animation.
Either might work for the project you’re looking to make, but I’m happy to talk with you and discover what will work best. At Rip Media Group, we also have the option to use Kinetic Typography in our 2D Modern Graphic productions.
What is kinetic typography? Its visually-stimulating fonts are animated to move across the screen in various ways.
Please have a look at some of our 2D Motion Graphic Samples
3D Animation
3D animation and motion design adds a dimension of effectiveness by creating an immersive and interactive experience that other forms of visual content just can not match. 3D motion animation is attention grabbing, story based video. As a design-driven production company, our designers, artists, and storytellers, believe that true collaboration happens when working together with a common purpose.
Please have a look at some samples, below, and let us know what you think. We are thankful that these videos help raise traffic, conversions, and millions of dollars in new revenue for our customers.
Please have a look at some of our 3D Motion Graphic Samples
Live-Action Narrative
A majority of commercials, films and television are considered “live-action narrative.” That means a director collaborates with a production team (instead of animation artists) and film live actors in real time. After production, the footage (now, usually digital instead of film) is taking to the editing room. An editor and director will work together to discover the best takes of the footage and chop the best pieces of filming together. Then, it will go through sound-mixing, color correction and much more.
Please have a look at some of our Live Action Narrative or Commercial Video
Here some additional factors that go into determining whether your video production should be animated or live-action:
Branding
As I previously mentioned, color correction is part of the post-production process (completed during editing), but it’s also important to choose the color palette that goes into animation.
Consider your brand; what are the colors that people identify with your company? The University of Southern California is infamous for Red and Yellow. Walmart is known for using a combination of blue and white. If there’s a certain look and/or feel that you want in your video production, signing off on a palette before you start the animation process will help immensely.
Easy Explanations
Animation lends itself to explain more detailed services in a clearer and more simple manner. Instead of just seeing the product in a live-action video production, you can literally animate the explanation to be anything you want; helicopters, space ships, climb Mount Everest…everything is on the table. That’s why animation videos are great for metaphor based explainer videos.
Testimonials
Testimonials are best used in live-action corporate videos. Your audience likely want to watch real people will real experiences. When using real people in your testimonials, help them be expressive and conversational. The director must be great with people to help them open up and be authentic on camera. Some corporations will actually hold casting sessions to help decide which people will give the most authentic-seeming reactions to their products. For example, when Chevy creates a car advertisement, the production company they work with hires a casting director to find “Real People, Not Actors.” But, don’t be fooled, it takes a long time to find the right mix of ‘real people’ that are great on camera!
Trying to figure out what style is the best for your corporate video? Rip Media Group will help you determine what approach is best for you.
Just comment below or contact me to ask any question you may have. We are here to help grow your brand through story.
Remember – your story starts here!