Animation Vs. Whiteboard Videos: When to Use Which?6 min read

power of video marketing

Animation videos are not quite antithesis of motion pictures; the idea here is that while motion pictures break down motion frame by frame while animation videos are created by putting together a series of pictures to create the illusion of motion, in this vein we can look at the first motion picture as a sort of animation.

Production of the first motion picture was done by Thomas Edison who made use of a handful of stills of a horse taken by Eadweard Muybridge, when viewed in fast sequence the horse appeared to be galloping; this is basically the technique of animation, using still pictures viewed in fast consecutive sequence to create the illusion of continuous motion.

Here are some sample animation videos

Uber 2D Animated Video example

Ahrefs Animated Video example

There are three forms of animation videos

  • The basic animated videos examples of which are cartoons like Family Guy, The Simpsons, South Park and many more. 2D animation video.
  • The stop-motion animation which involves the formation of clay into various shapes which are then photographed between movements.
  • And then there are whiteboard animation videos.

Whiteboard animation videos simply put are a form of animated video in which the author physically draws out an illustration using a whiteboard or any similar surface; these kinds of videos are usually accompanied by some form of narration. Images are drawn on the surface, recorded and then played back to provide the illusion of animations.

Whiteboard videos came to limelight through some videos posted on YouTube in 2009 and have become a veritable tool for storytelling, advertisement, marketing as well as a variety of other functions.

Whiteboard animation video difference

Whiteboard animation videos are quite different from the other forms of animation in that the video is taken in a stream instead of frame by frame, this is mostly to make it easier to edit. Generally, whiteboard videos are easier to modify due to the clean, crisp lines and flexibility of the product. It is also the least expensive form of animation. The other types of Animation videos tend to be more colorful than whiteboard videos.

Here are a few examples of whiteboard animation videos;

 

All forms of animation videos are increasingly popular for various reasons

They are catchy, can be humorous, they are highly engaging so making a choice on which to make use of in any given situation can be very difficult. Animated videos are usually the best tool to get a message across to the online user especially due to how short they are, considering that Microsoft’s study cites 8 seconds as the average online user’s attention span.

You can use animation and whiteboard videos on a variety of platforms including but not limited to; b2b customer acquisition, websites, social media, trade shows, sales presentations. So in choosing what form of animation to use for different occasions, you must consider what you hope to achieve.

Using animation benefits

In general, using any form of animated video whether whiteboard or other types of animation is a great idea, it allows you the freedom to do whatever you want; to create the fantastical, to bend reality and make the impossible possible all with the aim of breathing life into your concept. Another benefit of animated videos is that it makes it possible to capture and flesh out an abstract idea by giving it context and also making the notions of the video very clear.

Also, animated videos allow for easy manipulation and editing of the final product. Animated videos have been proven to be the best type of content because they are more visual, psychologically appealing, cost-effective, easy to update and they are effective in upgrading visual content.

Here are a few tips on how to choose what type of video to use:

When to use animation videos

  • When you want to tell a story.
  • When you are trying to make the viewer relate to the message. (characters with moving faces are more relatable)
  • When you intend to use the video across a variety of platforms.
  • When you want your video under 60 seconds (1 minute)
  • When colors and design are crucial to your brand
  • When you want your video to be fun

When to use whiteboard videos

  • When you are trying to make the viewer feel included in the creative process
  • When you are trying to project a classroom type of setting/instructional environment
  • Sales pitches
  • When you want to explain a complicated idea
  • When you have to include a written message
  • When you need your video over 60 seconds, maybe 90 seconds

Reasons for whiteboard videos

Some research has indicated that whiteboard videos are more useful if you want to ensure that the brand promoted is memorable, but every business is different so one cannot dictate the situations to use either form of animated videos. It always depends on the intent of the video, the type of business, the target demographic, the level of engagement and traffic needed.

There are numerous software applications that you can use for developing animation and whiteboard videos

There are various ways of creating animation and whiteboard videos, you can hire the job out or do it yourself, check tutorial videos on YouTube or take a course. If you are the do it yourself type, here are a few suggestions of software applications to use in creating the videos;

Whiteboard Animation Software

VideoScribe 

According to softwarehow.com, this is the best choice for most people due to the fact that it offers an uncomplicated user interface for beginners. VideoScribe is bug-free and is available for both Windows and macOS. It aids beginners in creating professional-grade videos; all you have to
do is pay a fee of $12 every month of the year.

AdobeAnimate

Although this software makes it tougher to navigate the animation creation process it offers way more fluidity in making the videos. With this application, you have to provide your own materials and do all editing and manipulation by hand. Another advantage of Adobe Animate is that its functionality exceeds whiteboard video creation and it also puts a wide range of tools at the users’ disposal.

Want more? Best Software to Create Your Whiteboard Animation

Animation Video Software

GoAnimate

This software is easy to use for creating animated videos, it promises to help make your first video in under 5 minutes. It provides tools to make video creation even easier for the user, some of the tools are; lip syncing, voice-over narration, industry and occupation specific templates character customization. And offers 3 premiums, $39 per month/$299 per year, $79 per month/ $599 per year and $159 per month and $999 per year they each have their benefits so the user can make a choice.

CrazyTalk

The selling point of this software is how entertaining it is, the focal point of CrazyTalk is facial animation creation for Windows and Mac. Some of its features include; 3D character pipeline, talking avatars, appearance customization, auto motion, and auto lip-sync. There are 3 premiums available, the standard package at $39, the Pro package at $99 and the Pipeline package at $149

Now you know which you might want to use. If you want to learn more on:

How to Create the Best and Most Creative Whiteboard Animation Videos

If you want to have professional experts help you with which one to use, contact Top Explainers,  your explainer video company TODAY!

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