In the world of animation, the possibilities are almost endless. The beauty of animation is that it is customised, making it a very strong branding tool. Animation comes in many forms - 2D, 3D, motion graphics, infographics, 3D projection, and etcetera. With the luxury of customisation, coupled with the fact that the risks involved in live action shoots are diminished, it is no wonder animation-style videos have become many businesses’ go-to solution. Here’s our definitive guide to the types of animation videos that best suits your business goals.
The most common form of animation in videos, 2D animation is not only a more economical option, but also one that is easy to master. With the help of Adobe Animate or Adobe After Effects, 2D animation like the examples given below, can be easily achieved.
The above is an example of 2D motion graphics whereby the elements move / rotate for added effect. Due to its clean-cut style, 2D motion graphics is ideal for companies and corporations looking to use video as a medium for explaining a new process, or to educate the public on a new regulation. Such 2D animation can also be termed ‘Infographics’, which is derived from combining the terms information and graphics. Often, infographics is commonly used in informational and educational videos to gain awareness of the public.
Infographics are a popular and widely used style of 2D animation as it enables the animator to input tons of information into the video without it being too cluttered. Businesses are thus able to present their messages in a succinct, digestible manner for increased understanding and retention.
Here’s an example of a 2D infographic video done by our team:
Another unique form of animation is stop-motion. Stop-motion involves photographing a stationary object or subject that is being moved physically frame by frame to give the illusion that it is moving on its own. The individual frames are then combined in post-production editing to give an overall effect of a moving object. Watch some examples of interesting stop-motion videos in this post by Ceros.com!
Another style of 2D animation is the ‘Hand Drawn Animation’. Below is an example of a Hand Drawn Animation video we produced last year.
The main element of these videos involves a physical hand mimicking the drawing of text or objects, much like drawing on a whiteboard. This style of animation is usually adopted for corporate videos with the key objective of bringing awareness to new policies. Some examples of uses for such videos include: educating employees on new HR policies, explaining a new system or process to the public (eg, HDB grant allocation), updating employees on the company’s performance.
In layman’s terms, 2D is described as ‘flat’ while 3D is more life-like. As its name suggests, 3D animation is three-dimensional; meaning it is measured using length, breadth and height, while 2D is two-dimensional consisting of only length and height. 3D animation has a tendency to look like figurines, while 2D animation looks closer to a drawing.
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The added dimension that 3D provides gives the animation a more sophisticated feel. It is generally more expensive to create as it involves modelling and layout which requires the appropriate skill and technique.
Also known as spatial augmented reality or video mapping, 3D Projection Mapping is essentially the projection of a video on a 3D object, instead of the usual projection on flat screens. In this video shared on projection-mapping.org’s website, you can see many examples of projection mapping in real life uses.
Projection mapping is often used in large scale events and brings life to buildings and structures, producing an optical illusion that is eye-catching. Light shows and festivals actually use projection mapping to achieve this ‘psychedelic’ and mesmerising effect.
The 51st National Day Parade on the Floating Platform at Marina Bay also uses 3D Projection Mapping to enhance its live performances.
Now that you have a greater understanding of the different types of animation videos, chat with us to see how we can customise one for your business needs!
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