As every business manager knows, you need to be clear and concise in your brand/product/services message. It builds trust, authority, and it tells the audience why they should buy into what you’re selling.
Every message needs a medium
Of course, it’s not always as easy to tell your audience exactly what you want to say, that, I suppose, is where advertisers come in. They break down your message and tell you how to deliver it in the best way. But unless you’ve got tens of thousands of pounds to spend, it’s not that accessible. That’s why more and more businesses are turning to the power of video – they can make it and distribute it relatively cheaply and potentially get it seen by a large audience.
But when it comes to your message are you sure you’re saying it succinctly, cleanly and with clarity? What I’m saying is, are you sure you’re using the right medium?
Why business video may mean animated video
The benefits of animated video are fourfold:
- Animated video looks great – from sleek lines to funny designs, the world is your oyster.
- You have absolutely no filming involved (this is great for companies without a premises, or if your product or service is not physical).
- Animated videos are often hugely entertaining to watch – often because they are not bound by physical laws.
And finally, and most importantly,
4. They explain complex ideas simply.
Whether you’ve got a service that is often difficult to explain, a product that is incredibly technical, or a process that can often get audiences lost, animated video cuts through the noise – it can easily break apart complex products and techniques and present in an understandable way to your audience.
Do you need animated business videos?
Animated videos can cut through, that much is clear. But are you the right business for this type of video? We’ve come up with a few ideas of the sort of businesses who will most likely benefit from animated business videos:
- Tech start-ups
- Software companies
- Web platforms and web-based products
- Tech products and other products that might not be suitable for filming
- 3D visualisations of buildings or other products from CAD files
Examples of the types of animations you can expect
At Tanglewood we produce business animations all the time, and for a variety of reasons. There are three main types of business animations that we provide, all of which allow for complex messages to be crystallised into easy-to-consume video:
This is an example of a fantastically concise 2D animation. The message of the video is a complex one and we received reams of difficult to construe details about the process. Where the video succeeds is to show how each part of the message fits together to form a unified whole. In short, the glove fits.
The above example of 3D animation is built from CAD files allowing the audience to explore the product in fine detail. It’s fitting for the type of video because it distils the difficult to understand, technical minutia of the product into sleek and slick 1:09 video.
This last example shows how typography can be animated together to provide a simple and effective video that explains the benefits of using their customer service software. It’s not going to go viral, it’s not going to light up the world, but it looks good, it communicates with clarity and sells the message.
What costs can you expect?
There are a lot of factors to consider when costing an animated video, but this quick guide breaks down what an average animated video can cost:
2D video:
£2000 per minute, including music licensing, voice-over and scripting.
3D video:
£3000 per minute, including music licensing, voice-over and scripting.
For a more budget video, you can ask your video production company to personalise a template. These short and effective, yet high quality, animations can cost as little as £500.
It is important to note that prices can vary depending on many of the factors, including the quality of the design work, the music choice.
What are the processes involved?
always good to know what you’re getting yourself into. Let us breakdown a few of the processes that we’ll go through in our journey together:
- Discuss the concept (including the budget), as well as thinking about the target market to ensure that tone of voice is correct for that audience.
- We’ll choose a style together (often based on a combination of other animations that you like).
- We’ll write up a voiceover script.
- We’ll then draw up a storyboard and an animatic (an animated storyboard).
- A rough draft will be created (often with a guide voice over).
- You will then have the chance to suggest amendments.
- Then a final version will be completed, replete with glorious music and a professional voiceover.
- You will LOVE it!