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Types of Explainer Videos

Did you know that the average attention span of an internet user is just 7 seconds?

Seven seconds is all you have to grabs your user’s attention or lose it forever. So what you need is an explainer video. In short, an explainer video is an animated video which explains a product, business or service in a simple, engaging and enthralling way with the help of clear and short language and appealing and attractive visuals that quickly grab the user’s attention. It’s educational, informational, and sometimes entertaining.

Some common types of explainer videos trending are –

• 2D Character Animation
• 2D Motion Graphics Animation
• 2.5D Animation
• 3D Animation
• Live-Action
• Live-Action with Track Element
• Cartoon Animation
• Stop Motion
• Screencast
• Whiteboard Animation

2D Character Animation

2D animation videos are maybe one of the most commonly used explainer videos in the market. As the name proposes, the information is introduced in two dimensions. Mostly these 2-D characters are designed to have human-like characteristics. 2-D animations are a more affordable choice than 3-D animations. Viewers see these videos as very engaging and interesting. This kind of animation videos are highly recommended for business-to-consumer (B2C) organizations and business-to-business (B2B organizations).

2D Motion Graphics Animation

This type of animation uses motion and illustrations to convey messages or information regarding the product or service. They can also be called as infographic videos. In 2D character animation videos, the human-like characters are shown to convey information, but in this 2-D motion graphics, they use moving graphics which actually catches the eye of the viewer and is not even distracting at all.

2.5D Animation

Since the 3D animation technique is quite costly, some professionals choose the best alternative to 3D animation, i.e. 2.5D animation, which can offer you the best of both animations and take less of their time. The 2.5D animation includes 3D objects along with 2D images working together. This type of video animations is best for those companies which have some budget restrictions but yet want to show their best and be on top.

3D Animation

We have seen many 3D movies such as Despicable Me and U. We've all grown up loving those animated characters, and we got to know that 3D animation has the power to entertain and motivate not only children but even adults. This animation plays a very important role in the products which are not yet made or ready to be in the market, but you have to display the physical appearance and characteristics of the product. The only drawback of this video is that they are quite expensive and it will require a skilled professional who can make such kind of videos.

Live-Action

This type of explainer video requires real people for making it and explaining the process. This can be helpful when you want the viewer to connect to an emotional level. And this easy to create as compared to a sophisticated animation video. This is fairly a cost-effective solution as you can shoot the video at your home studio with a basic setup. With the right expressions and perfect capture, you will get an entertaining and quality video.

Live-Action with Track Element

In this type of explainer video, the live-action video is supported with some amount of animations in it. You surely have seen when bubbles are appearing above the mobile phone and stats popping out of a live-action chart. This ensures a better understanding of the products and services as the message conveyed in the video becomes more relatable because of the presence of real people and a few animations which makes the video more attractive and eye-catching.

Cartoon Animation

Cartoon animations are one of the most popular types of videos in the field of self-explanatory videos. These videos produce a positive impact and a light-hearted approach towards your audience. This type of video can be used when you want to inject emotions such as curiosity, or humour and attractiveness to your videos. You can add background music, mimicked voices, and many expressive characters in this video to make it more engaging.

Stop Motion

Stop motion, sometimes called stop-frame, is an animation technique that existed for over 100 years. Filmmakers realized early on that they can create amazing illusions by stopping and starting their cameras. The principles are always the same. Place something in front of a camera and take a picture and then move it slightly then take a picture and do this a bunch more times. When you string these images together, the object appears to move. This is the most basic principle of animation. It can be quite a time consuming and will require an expert professional who is good at editing for making this type of explainer videos. These videos can be really good if you want to make a good and lasting impression on the viewer’s mind.

Screencast

This type of video consists of digital recordings that are taken from a mobile or a computer and compiled together with a voiceover. They are quite easy to produce and are cost-effective than the other explainer videos mentioned above. This type of videos is generally used by the start-ups and education sectors to make tutorials as the viewer is able to relate to the video.

Whiteboard Animation

This is another type of videos which has gained loads of acclaims recently. It includes explaining the entire video in the form of writing on a whiteboard. In this type of video, a hand holding a pen writes all the required information on the board, and this has proved to grab the attention of the viewers more effectively. These types of videos are mostly used to explain the benefits of the product or service. Mainly this Whiteboard Animation is used in promoting products and services of the education industry.

Conclusion

Now, knowing the different types of explainer videos and their uses, you can choose the best video, which is quite good for the product and needs of the company.