2D or 3D?

Most marketers will tell you that the majority of their web traffic is generated as a result of video or moving pictures. With 80% of users watching video over written content, there has never been a better time to shape your digital marketing strategy to include 2D and 3D animation and motion graphics for online and social media activity.

But which animation style should you choose for your online video content?

There are several things to consider from a production and creative point of view.

From a production perspective, there is no denying that 2D is cheaper than 3D and this is mainly due to the fact that 2D is generally quicker to produce. Software such as Toon Boom and After Effects means that 2D animation is becoming faster and more accessible for all businesses to access and make use of as part of their marketing activities.

3D is more complex, the production process is lengthier and much more involved, plus it needs a variety of software and platforms.

From a creative perspective - it really does come down to what content you need to deliver, who your audience is and what outcome you want once the audience has viewed your video.

For example - are you wanting to tell a story (an explainer video, a business introduction video, educational videos, or short social media GIFs to attract attention), or are you wanting to create something that is more visually epic (a sales pitch, an exploded view of a new car, a manufacturing process, an architectural fly through).

2D is often more story orientated; you can include a lot of information that delivers to your audience in a direct and stylish way. In terms of the visual experience, 2D animation only deals in a 2-dimensional space; length and width, however you can create a vast array of styles and really tailor the animation to your brand.

In 3D, the visuals are defined in 3-dimensions - length, width, height. You can even supply CAD information to be accurate on your requirements. All this gives a realistic feel and helps create depth perception. You can really take your audience on an immersive journey into a world you have created, pushing the imagination and selling big ideas. You can use sweeping camera moves, and powerful effects - 3D can really deliver the visual wow factor.

To start your journey in deciding which animation process to choose - ask yourself the following:

Who is the audience?
What message do you need to deliver?
What is your ideal outcome once the audience has viewed you video?
What are your schedule requirements?
What is your budget?

Once you have the answers to the above, your basic brief is written. If you have seen animation examples you like, include this in your brief, and then it's ready for discussion.

We always like to hop on a call, to run through and fully understand your business and your video requirements, to then propose and deliver a creative solution to suit your budget and fulfill your brief.