The Power of Visual Appeal

Picture this: a vivid world inhabited by characters that captivate your gaze, characters whose designs are a harmonious blend of aesthetics and relatability. In animation’s tapestry of character design, visual appeal acts as a magnetic force, drawing audiences into the narrative’s embrace. These carefully sculpted personas are more than just eye candy; they are the storytellers’ brushstrokes that whisper stories before a single word is spoken.

Personality Through Design

Characters are more than ink and pixels; they are conduits of emotion and conduits of narrative intent. Through character design, creators harness the art of visual storytelling to encapsulate personality traits and emotions within every contour and curve. A hero’s courage, a villain’s malice – all laid bare through meticulously crafted visuals. Take, for instance, the twisted elegance of Maleficent’s design, mirroring her cunning and malice. It’s not just a character; it’s a symphony of design that resonates with viewers.

Bringing Characters to Life Through Animation

Designing a character-specific style of animation and movement is akin to crafting a signature dance for each character within the symphony of a story. It involves delving deep into the essence of the character’s personality, traits, and backstory and translating these elements into a visual language that dictates how they move, gesture, and interact with their surroundings. Even if you are developing a stop-motion animation, you can still give your characters a lot of personality by exaggerating or minimizing their movements.

This bespoke animation style becomes a visual fingerprint, allowing audiences to instantly recognize and connect with the character. Every nuance, from the fluidity of a hero’s confident stride to the quirky gait of a sidekick, is meticulously tailored to resonate with the character’s essence. This fusion of artistry and psychology adds an extra layer of depth to the storytelling, making the character’s journey not only an emotional experience but also a visual delight.

Enhancing Storytelling

Animation is a tapestry woven from threads of imagination, and character design is the vibrant dye that infuses the narrative with depth and vibrancy. Characters’ appearances mirror their arcs, their roles, and their destinies. A design choice can foreshadow a twist, enriching the unfolding plot. Think of the iconic transformation of the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” visually representing his inner evolution from a cursed creature to a noble soul.

Cultural and Timeless Appeal

In the grand mosaic of character design in animation, culture, and timelessness entwine, birthing characters that are both their moment and eternal. The design dances between cultural references and universal elements, ensuring characters resonate across borders and eras. Mickey Mouse, a creation of 1928, remains universally beloved – a testament to a design that defies the march of time.

Audience Connection and Engagement

Ah, the heartstrings of the audience – character design plucks them with deft precision. Relatability becomes the invisible bridge that connects the fantastical to the familiar. Experts in the digital marketing field from Convert More advise using your animated characters to enhance your CTA and get customers to perform your desired action. People are generally much more receptive to marketing if they bond emotionally with the product or brand. You can use your animated characters to create a connection with your audience; when audiences see themselves reflected in the character’s struggles and triumphs, an unbreakable bond forms. This connection is the cornerstone of engagement, igniting discussions, fan art, and community revolving around the characters.

The Technical Aspects of Character Design in Animation

Behind the enchanting facade of character design lies a labyrinth of technical intricacies that breathe life into the illustrated personas. It’s a realm where lines and pixels fuse to create dynamic forms, where color palettes are meticulously chosen to evoke emotions, and where anatomy and proportions are finely tuned to ensure fluid movement. The technical aspects encompass everything from sketching initial concepts to sculpting detailed 3D models.

Each frame demands a harmonious synergy between design and functionality, with considerations for rigging and articulation ensuring that characters can seamlessly emote and interact within their animated world. Furthermore, integrating cutting-edge software used in professional animation orchestrates the magic, shaping characters with precision and finesse. It’s a ballet of technical expertise that underpins the enchanting dance of characters across screens, capturing hearts while remaining invisible, a true testament to the artistry that conceals the craft.

Distinctiveness in a Saturated Market

Standing out in an animation landscape teeming with colors and characters demands audacity and innovation. In video content marketing, unique character design becomes the trump card, a joker in a deck of familiarity. It’s about pushing the boundaries while honoring the story’s essence. The Grinch’s sneaky grin, born from a whimsical pen, became a distinct emblem of his endearing yet mischievous persona.

Collaboration Across Disciplines

Character design in animation is not a solo act; it’s a symphony of collaboration. Designers, animators, writers, and directors harmonize their talents to create resonating characters. A character’s visual identity aligns with their narrative purpose, brought to life through the interplay of various artistic visions.

The Evolution of Character Design

The evolution of character design dances through the annals of time, an ever-shifting tapestry of creativity and innovation. The journey has been captivating from the early days of animation, characterized by simple, hand-drawn figures, to the digital age, where intricate 3D models redefine realism. Technological advancements have served as the conductor, orchestrating a symphony of possibilities. The introduction of computer-generated imagery (CGI) has breathed life into characters with unprecedented realism and depth, while motion capture technology has bestowed upon them the nuances of human movement.

In Conclusion

In the captivating world of online, social media, and promotional videos, character design in animation is the beating heart that infuses life into stories. Its impact echoes through every frame, every emotion, and every fan’s heart. The design lingers in memory long after the final credits roll. So, as we revel in the magic of animation, let’s tip our hats to the unsung heroes – the character designers – who breathe life into our beloved tales, etching them into the tapestry of time.

The post The Role of Character Design in Animation appeared first on COLDEA Productions, LLC.

Although building brand awareness takes time, your efforts will reap your business’s many benefits if done right. Each company is different, so building brand awareness should be too.

A business can use many methods to build brand awareness and trust among its customers and audiences. 

Media is an essential tool for building brand awareness, and the use of it should be implemented into every business’s marketing plan.

When building brand awareness for a business in the water pump industry, there are specific strategies and steps to follow to succeed in your marketing plan to build brand awareness.

Two important uses of media you can use to build brand awareness with current and potential customers are photography and animation.

Photography

Photography can be used in many different ways to build brand awareness. Some of the ways photography can be used to build brand awareness is:

Show your audience your brand

You can show your audience your brand and build brand awareness through photos. 

Take pictures of your business and show your audience exactly what your business is about, what your business does, and what your business represents. Be consistent. This is key to building brand awareness and trust.

Product photography

To fully utilize this form of media, show or promote your products through photography. Your audience wants to see what you have to offer.

The key to product photography is to take multiple photos using different angles to capture your water pumps. Think about your product photography from the perspective of the customer. Providing detailed images of your products is crucial.

Your products are critical to your brand. Photos of your products will show your customers what you offer and help your business build brand awareness. Also, providing images of your water pumps and other products will allow your customers to see what they’ll be buying before they buy them. 

Visuals make a significant impact on customers’ purchasing decisions. Statistics show that 75% of customers rely on product photography to make a buying decision.

Tell your audience about your brand.

You can tell your audience about your brand through photos by creating a story. One platform businesses utilize to tell a story through photography is Instagram.

Simplify information

Photography is a great way to simplify something complex. Take water pumps, for instance. The mechanics of a water pump can be complex to some; however, through a diagram, a viewer can better understand how a water pump works by looking at how it operates.

Another way photography can provide information is by showing an audience something through a photo rather than explaining it through words.

Animation

Animation is an effective tool to build brand awareness for businesses in the water pump industry. Animation is a technique of photography that combines multiple images to create the illusion of movement in a strategic sequence.

This method of brand awareness can be more effective in building brand awareness as it allows for more images to be shown. 

Animation is frequently used on social media platforms, especially on Instagram, Tik Tok, and occasionally Facebook.

Various forms of animation you can use to inform the public of your brand are:

• Reels
• Shorts 
• How-to’s videos
• Step-by-step videos
• Commercials
• Slides

Reels

Reels are short video clips, about 15 seconds to 30 seconds, and are perfect for reaching your goal of building brand awareness by showing your audience something. You can enhance your reels using audio effects, visual effects, and other creative tools to engage your audience. Reels are mostly used to entertain or inform audiences.

Shorts 

Shorts are the same as reels, except the platform and recording times differ. Shorts are short video clips, approximately 30 seconds to 2 minutes long, that businesses use to inform or entertain their audiences.

How-to’s and Step-by-step Videos

How-to videos are perfect for showing your audience how to install a new water pump or clean their current water pump.

Step-by-step videos can be used to show an audience how something works or show your audience how they can accomplish something.

Slides

Slides are an effective tool if photography or videos are not viable. Think of slides as an enhanced PowerPoint presentation but used as a marketing strategy.

Businesses in the water pump industry can utilize this media source to display the various water pumps they offer and other products they provide.

Tips for Creating An Animation To Build Your Brand

Some tips for creating animation to build your brand and increase brand awareness are:

Keep your animations authentic

The key to creating animations is to keep them authentic and in relation to your brand. Simply putting a bunch of clips together for the sake of advertising just won’t cut it. It’ll take time and effort to create authentic animations.

Keep your animations captivating.

Your animations should be captivating. They should also reflect your business, products, and industry.

Keep your audience engaged.

Keeping your audience engaged is key to creating effective animations. When providing information about your business, keep your information clear, concise, and consistent. 

Several ways you can keep your viewers engaged are to provide new information and be consistent and relevant to one specific topic per animation. The goal of keeping your audience engaged is to either entertain or inform them.

Keep your audience informed.

Give them information that could help them. For instance, give your audience information about how to take care of their water pump so they don’t have to replace it. 

Inform your audience on how to clean their water pump with a how-to video or an animation that provides step-by-step slides on how to clean their water pump like a professional properly. 

Another way to keep your audience engaged is by teaching your audience something new about water pumps. Teach your audience about new topics, such as electric water pumps or how to add value to their home with their water pump.

Keep your audience entertained.

Animations are an excellent tool for engaging your audience. Get creative with your animations and find new ways to entertain your viewers.

The post Building Brand Awareness & Trust in the Water Pump Industry Through Photography & Animation appeared first on COLDEA Productions, LLC.

Stop-motion animation is a frame-by-frame method that captures pictures of inanimate objects in various positions. When you combine all the images, it creates an illusion of movement. This method is ideal for marketing because it effectively grabs viewers’ attention because of its uniqueness. There are many reasons why stop-motion animation skyrocketed as a trend in marketing and advertisements. Let’s discuss them all.

How stop-motion animation emerged.

Video content became increasingly popular, and viewers discovered that consuming information through audiovisuals was much more convenient. Most target demographic considers video content the best way to tell a compelling story. 91% of Instagram users report watching videos on the platform weekly. (https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stats/#ig-content). Videos are now the go-to format for influencer marketing across the globe. However, influencers decided to take it up a notch to stand out from the competition. Hence, they reinvigorated the trend of stop-motion animation ads that successfully attract the target demographic and make for more views.

In a traditional sense, stop motion may be tedious and labor-intensive to make, but it’s effective in creating engagement, making all the effort worthwhile. Digesting short videos with brevity is relatively easy and fun to watch.

 Educational

Stop-motion animation has proven to be educational because of the easy-to-absorb nature of these videos. They can be made in a fun way with catchy visuals that make learning tedious concepts all the more exciting. They are a great way to learn for students, clients, employees, and anyone willing to enhance their knowledge. Stop motion is not restricted to any topic, and animated films can be made about anything as long as you’re creative enough. Stop motion animation is an engaging teaching technique and will help students learn faster, making it an excellent alternative for educational advertisements, especially targeted toward a younger audience.

Stop motion can make topics more clear. For instance, a slow-occurring reaction can be shown using stop-motion videos. This shows them the whole process and different features in a short span. A company can even use animations to show its manufacturing process when advertising its products.

Innovative

The modern revival of stop-motion animation has started a trend of using different props and unique methods for creating films. The “classic” style of animation is either made up of lots of hand-drawn images or plasticine models that have to be moved millimeters at a time. Stop-motion animators have also made films with obscure props like food, household items, and animals, helping to bring inanimate objects to life and move items that cannot move otherwise. In short, you can use just about anything to create a compelling story. This can be fantastic for businesses making ads for their brand stories. The possibilities are endless.

Boosts conversions and brand image

Animations are easily retained in a viewer’s memory. This is especially true when those animations are alluring with a catchy line or story delivery. Stop-motion animation is the best way to ensure that a message stays in a viewer’s mind along with its visuals, thanks to its unique storytelling possibilities. Animations can possess the quality of being thought-provoking, motivating your audience to spread their messages further by sharing the films with their family, friends, or colleagues.

Businesses recognize the potential of stop-motion animation and its tendency to inspire people with its creativity. As a result, brands have incorporated this marketing method into advertisements and strategies to help keep a good impression of their brand and boost conversions. Animations are prevalent on social media websites where users would enjoy watching and sharing videos to make them more accessible.

Explainer videos

Stop-motion animation encourages filmmakers to get creative and become more imaginative. There is room for so much artistry, and people are utilizing this potential for innovation. Animation techniques are applied to create all kinds of content, including quirky advertisements. Stop motion is in high demand because it is a great way to market and create explainer videos. It has a lot of versatility, and you can go above and beyond to make your video as unique as possible.

A perfect example is how Japanese animator Mabona Origami presented informative and captivating origami chronicles using stop motion to advertise ASICS, titled “In Pursuit of Perfection.” The video is five minutes long, but its artistry and expressiveness keep viewers engaged until the end. Another famous stop-motion advert is the one made for the Xbox 360.

Inexpensive

Creating a stop motion may require a lot of time and effort, but one thing you can take out of the equation is cost. You can still create an impressive, captivating, stop-motion animation video ad with a low budget. This type of animation requires many shots and frames, but that does not translate to a hefty price. Budgets are usually flexible, and many animators have successfully created masterpieces with the minimum funding needed. It all comes down to how you wish to make your stop-motion animation.

To conclude, once influencers and brands discovered that video ads were the best way to draw attention, stop-motion animation emerged in digital advertising to stay ahead of competitors. Animations have allowed businesses to find creative and innovative ways to tell stories and grasp the target audience’s attention. It encourages artistry and expressiveness in animators, which will translate to a successful final film. It is also an excellent technique for creating educational video ads because of its engaging teaching methods. All of this has led to brand conversions and a boost in the brand image because stop-motion animation has the potential to stay in the mind of the viewers. There are so many benefits to using stop motion for your video ads, and it can all be done within a budget without compromising quality.

 We hope this article has been insightful and helps you understand the potential for stop-motion animation for video ads. Thank you for reading!

The post Why Stop Motion Animation Is An Emerging Trend For Video Ads appeared first on COLDEA Productions, LLC.

In short, video is an excellent modality for effective branding.

But it isn’t just about providing a video — it’s about providing video content that is clearly and identifiably branded. And the best way to brand something? By using your logo.

Let’s get into the specifics of the most effective ways to include your logo in a branded video.

Add Your Logo In Your Intro

Video credit: Dribble

There are plenty of suggestions, tutorials, and opinions on the most important content to include in your video intro. But for branding purposes, your logo should definitely be involved. If you haven’t gotten one yet, try and get one from a logo creator software like DesignMantic. 

However, it’s not really enough just to highlight your logo on the screen at the beginning of the video content. You want your logo to have an impact, and you can help it along by including a music sting, sound effect, animation, or brief clip to add weight to your great logo design.

Research suggests that the first ten seconds of a video is all-important when it comes to capturing interest and inducing engagement. After that, the likelihood of sustained engagement falls off sharply.

So make sure that your intro, with your logo, is included within that first ten seconds. 

Branding your video with your logo isn’t just about reminding them of the name of your company — it’s about giving them a taste of your brand personality. If you can include your logo in an intro that involves a thought-provoking question or something funny, it will connect the two in the mind of the viewer, giving them a reaction of, “Oh, I recognize that logo — I like this brand, because it’s interesting.”

And Don’t Forget About The Outro

Intros and outros are often used as a group for video marketing purposes, because they are both integral to video branding. But your bumpers don’t have to match up completely.

It’s a good idea to avoid simply repeating your intro as an outro. That’s a good way to make sure your audience clicks out of the video before they get to the end.

You do, however, want your outro to match your branding stylistically. So you can certainly use your logo once more in your outro content. Just mix up the accompanying content around it.

Product (And Brand) Placement

Paid product placement is a big deal in movies and TV, with companies spending millions of dollars to have their products represented in the media. 

Since you’re creating your own content, it’s the perfect spot to include your own products — and you don’t even have to create an extra placement budget. Along with the products themselves, you can insert the brand logo.

How you do this will vary depending on the type of content you’re creating, but here are a few examples:

• In creating a tutorial, make sure to use products that your brand makes, and show the products themselves, complete with logo. Take a look at the example of the tutorial below. This makeup tutorial by L’Oréal  prominently features their products such as the micellar water and mascara. Viewers can get a clear view of the company’s brand identity design on their screens. 

• In creating an informational video, cite expert advice backed by your own brand. You can include a link to your website and make it a clickable version of your logo.
• In creating a testimonial, make sure that the product or brand is mentioned by name and include the logo on-screen when the name is spoken. In this video, HP created a testimonial video for their Indigo Digital Presses and it showcases their logo in the bottom corner throughout the duration. So while the product is mentioned by real customers using it for their businesses, the company also incorporates its icon which can be seen until the very end.

• In facilitating customer-created content, ask them to pose next to or display the branded product.

Add In A Watermark

Watermarks are excellent identifiers, and you can add one into your video to make sure that everyone knows where the content originally came from. 

If you think about it, there’s really not that much of a difference between a logo and a watermark and the two can work interchangeably as well. With a watermark, you are basically using a simpler or monochrome version of your brand symbol to mark ownership of digital content such as videos or images. Most of the time these are included with opacity to the max so that they don’t interfere with the video content or cover part of the screen. A logo on the other hand, like the above examples you’ve seen, are pretty much visible and have a dominant role in video branding, like this tutorial. 

Sometimes, you could use a watermark or a logo to help people become familiar with it and increase brand awareness. Consider the example given above to get a better idea. 

The image above is actually from a tutorial by Tronix which I captured to show the difference. You can see it being used as a watermark in the side of the video below which tells the viewer that it is unique content created by the brand. As it shouldn’t be distracting or overpowering, the symbol is lighter in color. 

There are plenty of free (and paid, of course) software programs out there that allow you to insert a watermark into every frame of your video, or just into certain sections. Software programs like InShot and Kapwing are free and easy to use. Just upload your logo and/or other text content.

Logo Bug

A logo bug is similar to a watermark, though it is usually placed in the video in a way that won’t interfere with the actual video content, such as in the lower corner away from the main action. In the example here, Callaway Golf has incorporated their logo bug within the tutorial video about their golf clubs. 

Logo bugs also serve as a continual placement of your logo, providing a constant reminder of the brand behind the video. 

You can choose to use your full logo, if it shows up well against video backgrounds. Alternatively, this might be a good time to create another version of your logo design to adapt it into a simple, stripped-down iteration.

Be Careful About Placement

Many videos that are branded with a logo place it in the lower right hand corner. This is very typical practice, unlike websites, which typically place the logo in the upper left, interestingly enough.

However, there should be caution used here. It’s good practice to provide closed captioning for your content— not only is that more inclusive for the hard of hearing, but viewers are often watching short videos on lunch breaks, at work, at school — places where they don’t really want the video to be loud or even heard at all. Around 50% of consumers say that captions are important because they watch content with the sound off.

Image: Wave.video

But captioning tends to run along the lower third of the screen, and may extend almost to the corners. So extensive captioning could actually obscure your logo if you’ve chosen that placement.

Consider other placements, such as the upper right hand side. Or you could go the website-design route and place it in the upper left.

Using Your Logo In Video Branding

If you’re getting ready to unleash some video content, congratulations! A branded video is one of the most effective ways of advertising your company, garnering shares and likes, and attracting new customers or viewers.

Video content is always a good idea, and the scope of creativity for videos is practically endless. No matter what company you run or brand you represent, video has a place in your branding process.

Remember that it’s more than just where, when, and how you place your logo throughout your video content — it’s also a matter of the quality of the video itself.

After all, a great logo isn’t going to help your brand if the video content surrounding it is irrelevant. 

The best plan is to think about content first and usage of the logo later. Focus your skills and energies on creating a great video that provides value to the viewer, whether for educational, informational, or entertainment purposes.

Once you have the framework of a great video, then you can fit your logo in using one or more of the ideas we’ve listed above.

The post How to Use Your Video for Branding with a Logo appeared first on COLDEA Productions, LLC.

The explosion of digital communication and online shopping has changed the way business is run in the modern age, with a hyper-competitive marketplace vying for page views, conversion rates, and social media likes and shares. However, the basic advertising principles remain the same – grab consumers’ attention and keep it long enough to make the sale.

An animated video is a highly effective way of reaching the broadest numbers of consumers with an entertaining and engaging way to deliver your business message. Viewers are naturally attracted to the color and movement of animation, and they will stay longer and be more likely to make a purchase.

Depending on your needs and budget, there is a wide range of options for animated videos, from 2D to 3D, kinetic typography, and whiteboard animation. Bring your ideas to life with animated logos, characters, and items that will create memorable imagery to promote your brand and generate sustainable web traffic.

With more people than ever watching videos on their phones, computers, and tablets, including a video component in digital marketing plans, is a necessity. Utilizing animation is an effective way to grab and keep people’s attention long enough to distribute your message and increase brand awareness. The following are some common benefits and features of including animation videos in your digital marketing plans.

1. Stand Out From Your Competitors

It has never been more important to stand out above your competition. Today’s consumers have exceptionally short attention spans and seemingly unlimited availability of options at their fingertips at all times. An animated video presents your product or service, and your business overall, as an innovative, creative, and progressive company that is at the cutting age of the business world.

2. Increase Conversion Rates

The ultimate goal of driving users to your website is to persuade them to perform some specific call to action, often is simply to convert their site visit into a sale. Whether your conversion goal is a sale, signing up for a service, or any other action, including an animated video on a landing page and throughout a digital marketing campaign, will increase conversion rates and revenue.

3. Consumer Engagement

Connecting and engaging with your customers is the most important way to sustain a long-term relationship. The longer a user stays on your website, the better the chances of making a sale. One of the best ways to get someone to stay is to present an engaging, entertaining, and informative animation video. Whatever the nature of the product or service you are selling an animated video presentation will draw people in and get them to engage.

4. See Your Ideas Come to Life

Animation allows you to tell your story the way you want it told with total freedom of how it is presented. Display and explain your product in an entertaining, creative, and engaging way. No idea is too elaborate or outrageous for animation, where you can create your own world with its own rules.

5. Improve SEO Efforts

An effective digital marketing campaign is all about rising search rankings to drive users to your website. Search engines like animation as much as people do. Posting animated videos is an effective way to improve search engine optimization (SEO) efforts to rank higher. Greater visibility will generate more interest, site views, and ultimately sales. Perhaps the greatest benefit is that users keep watching animated videos longer than others, an important consideration for both search engine rankings and the chances of converting the user’s experience into a sale.

6. Grab Attention, Impress Clients

Imagine sitting down with employees and clients for another boring sales meeting in the conference room and on the screen pops up a dynamic, entertaining, engaging animated video presentation. Using eye-catching, attention-grabbing animated videos in the business environment will impress current and potential clients. They will leave the meeting with a positive attitude about you and your company. They will also absorb and retain more of the information presented.

7. Better Product/Service Understanding

Viewers tend to accept, absorb, and retain information better when presented in a light, entertaining fashion. An animated video can break down product demonstrations and service explanations with the freedom to control the product and its usage. Show the inner workings of complex machinery or demonstrate the process and benefits of a specific service.

8. Expand Customer Reach

The rising popularity, acceptance, and scope of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram offer an incredible opportunity to broaden customer reach. The advertising opportunities on these outlets allow for the enormous potential to reach large segments of your target audience on a medium that works best with quick, entertaining, and engaging videos. A memorable animated video with an entertaining and humorous hook can draw significant attention on social media. Users liking and sharing videos can expand the reach of just the right video to viral proportions.

9. Brand Recognition, Development

Most everyone can remember the cartoon characters and images associated with their childhood. From cereal to toys, commercials using animation become embedded in our minds and are forever associated with the products they represent. With animated videos, you can create memorable characters, themes, and situations that will be tied to your brand and business. Incorporate logos, brand icons, and other recognizable elements that will help further your brand awareness and development.

Contact us

Consumers are continually connected through online access to unlimited amounts of information with millions of competitive forms. Adding a video component to your overall digital marketing efforts is not an accessory, it is mandatory. While animated videos can be an effective marketing and sales tool, you still need a talented team of animators and marketing support staff to create the kind of animation that will be appealing and engaging.

For complete information on high-quality animation created by exceptionally creative and talented artists, contact Coldea Productions and get started today. Talk to an experienced representative to have all of your questions answered and receive a free estimate for your project.

The post 9 Benefits of Animation Videos for Your Business appeared first on COLDEA Productions, LLC.