19/09/2020
MOTION GRAPHICS ANIMATION OR LIVE ACTION VIDEOS - WHICH ONE WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
There has always been a never-ending debate concerning what style of video is better - motion graphics or live action?
Well, for starters, it is important to consider who your audience is, what message you want to communicate to them, where the video will be published and of course, the overall goal of the video. The style of video that you select will set the tone for your video marketing strategy.
But it is now also important to consider the new pandemic-stricken world we live in. With social distancing-norms, it is harder to be around people, let alone film with them, making live action videos the less popular option today.
Because of this, businesses and creative agencies are looking to motion graphics to cater to their video needs.
Luckily, the world of motion graphics is a world of endless possibilities. It is a blank canvas, one that is only limited by your imagination. Motion graphics explain complicated and abstract concepts quickly and easily. Whether you are showcasing intangible processes like e-commerce, other complicated e-services, explaining how a product works in explainer videos, or even communicating internal business data like statistics and graphs to your team, motion graphics portray these in simple, concise, easy-to understand ways that would not be possible in a live action video.
Moreover, while motion graphics are constructed from scratch and can often be time-consuming, they provide a stylized approach which may cater to your brand visuals and tone. For example, if you’re a school with an online presence, your marketing content can use a bright, colorful, cartoon-like animated style. If you’re a bank, your motion graphics video can look clean, crisp, monotone and professional.
While live action is bound by what is physically possible, there's no such word as 'impossible' in motion graphics. It can look and sound any way you want it to, plus re-created and altered multiple times without costing too much time, money or energy.
However it is important to consider the nature of your business as well as the company culture. In order to make a business appear more human, showcasing real people portraying real human emotion is tough to beat. When we listen to people and their stories (like in testimonial videos), the message immediately becomes more genuine and convincing.
So if your business revolves around interpersonal interactions, or specific real-world locations, like hotels or properties, the humanised and personal approach of live action videos is a better way to communicate customer service, beauty, comfort and other quality-based features of your brand. Motion graphics cannot replicate human emotion and the power of personalisation.
Moreover, if you sell tangible products, like say food or fashion, motion graphics would not serve you well in helping these products sell because it would be difficult to communicate exactly how a product looks or feels. What would seem more inviting, an animated McDonald’s ad showcasing a new burger or the live action version of it where you can almost smell the warm bread and taste the gooey cheese? What do you think would work for McDonald’s better and invite more customers to buy the burger?
There is no right answer as to whether you should choose motion graphics or live action. No one style is better than the other. With a plethora of business needs - personal and impersonal, one cannot exist without the other. They each have their own purpose and style, and the choice depends on you. But one fact remains - live action cannot encompass infinite possibilities while motion graphics cannot replicate the power of personal touch and human storytelling.
Written by Pratyusna Sahoo
Image Credit: www.wyzowl.com
