We know that Dalgona coffee is trending on Youtube. But let’s revisit the hassle-free coffee experience that we miss. check this animated explainer video by Nespresso, In this blog, we’ll discuss the live-action vs animation pros and cons in detail.
In 2017, Nespresso invited Finnish artist Pietari Posti to advertise its limited edition coffee blends. The initiative was called “Nespresso on Ice” and became a trendy CGI commercial later. The footage takes the audience on a relaxing journey around the Mediterranean with the coffee in hand.
This is the power of video advertising. Within 30 seconds you have been on vacation without leaving the comfort and confinement of your home.
Choosing an appropriate video style is an important decision in video advertising. Your choice of design will make or break the whole video marketing strategy, including your target audience and central message.
There are two primary styles for video advertising: Live action and animation. Each one has its benefits and drawbacks, depending on your objective. One must study live action vs animation pros and cons carefully, before deciding their video style. For better understanding, check out our video where we cover the topic in depth.
Here are the stats showing how video marketing can help to get better conversions, more leads etc.
Live-Action vs Animation Cost:
| Animation Video Cost:
The first step in an animated video is scriptwriting. Scriptwriting is then followed by storyboarding, designing, voiceover, visual effects, and music.
Let’s assume that you want to proceed using animated videos. The next choice you have to make is to hire a video production company or freelancer.
If you decide to hire freelancers you can get a huge variety of skills and budget. This means if you have a lower budget you can choose freelancers who charge a lesser fee. But you have to take into consideration the time investment required from your end, to manage the team of freelancers.
If you choose a video production company you should hand them the reins and review the project at every stage, without having to take up additional work of team management.
However, make sure you discuss the fees and project deadline in advance, depending upon your requirements.
| Live-Action Video Cost:
The process for Live Action videos is complex.
First, you have to think of the normal script and storyboard, which you can either create yourself or employ a specialist to take care of. The actual filming is quite difficult without professional help.
You have to worry about safety, team, location, costumes, props, etc., for live-action shooting. When you are prepared to do it on your own, brace yourself for a lot of planning which can get tedious.
Furthermore, there’s a post-production stage which, like in animated films, involves voice performances, scripting, audio, sound, and some graphic design.
If your finances are limited, it is worth remembering that in a few days you can film a live-action video, but it would not look professional.
You can utilize the resources that you already have. For example, use your house or workplace for location and your buddies or coworkers for performers.
Overall, the ultimate expense would rely on the services you use and the quality of the video you want. You should spend accordingly after weighing all your options.
But the cost is not the only factor that is critical for choosing your preference in video marketing. There are many other differences between live-action and animation videos. Some of which we have listed below.
Live-Action vs Animation Pros and Cons
| Animated Video Pros:
The most enticing feature of video animation is that they save you money, time, and energy because they require no actors or setups in real-time.
Animated videos often look good for more complex goods and services. Animated videos allow a simple and clear interpretation of more abstract topics while keeping the audience engaged.
Let us consider the above one-minute video describing what it means to invest in stocks. Most people know that there is some investment instrument called shares and anyone can invest in it, but many people do not know what exactly a share is and how it operates. Hence, the animation explainer video explains the working of stocks in a simple way.
Imagine a live-action movie on the same topic. It would not only cost more but would be very confusing to a layman.
Complex concepts are more challenging to express in live actions, which sometimes ends up being a mixture of live-action and animation. It is probably why the number of animated videos on explainer videos has grown significantly in recent years.
Furthermore, an animated video can be modified and restored, as we keep the original and can make the edits on the same, which will not be possible with live actions.
| Animated Video Cons:
The biggest drawback of an animated video is that it is a lot less personal than a live-action video and it can be difficult to establish an emotional connection with the audience.
Most of us have lovely memories of home-made food made by our family and we have many emotions attached to it. The above commercial features an elderly lady holding a tiffin for her grandchild who is hospitalized and she has come to visit him.
The nurse is feeding the guy with bland hospital food which he doesn’t like. His grandmother comes every day with the home-made lentils to feed him, but the nurse does not allow this as it is prohibited to bring outside food for patients. This keeps happening for a couple of days but the grandmother does not stop.
One day, the grandmother brings two boxes of tiffin and gives one to the nurse. What happens next is easy to guess. The nurse tastes the food and feels that it is homemade food which will not harm the patient so she finally allows her to feed the grandchild.
The same video would not be able to leave a lasting impact on the viewers if it were animated.
|Live-Action Video Pros:
A huge benefit of live-action videos is that they have a more genuine, enlightening, and relevant feel associated with them. Partly because of the human body language, which is more relatable. You will need skilled actors on board, including professional stuntmen if the script requires stunts.
|Live-Action Video Cons:
Live-action videos can be created quickly provided you create simple videos. But if you want picturesque locales for many subplots and realistic action stunts, the production process will take time and cost money.
The expense is a huge obstacle in live-action video marketing, which increases if you require more staff.
You cannot alter filmed scenes in case of a live-action film. It may be difficult to set the scene up again whether you skipped a shot or decide to type in additional terms. Animated videos on the other hand can quickly and almost immediately be revised and improved with little to no extra expense.
Taking into account all these factors, you must find out what works out the best for you, which depends on the message you want to communicate.
Final Thoughts:
Make sure your video advertisement has a thought-out communication strategy which includes: The brand name, reputation and company culture, aim of your film, the desires of your target audience, and key message.
Through the above live-action vs animation pros and cons, we can understand that both these styles offer great experiences. You can even combine various formats of live-action and animated videos – a method that would provide you with the best of both worlds. Regardless of whether you choose live-action or animation, using video marketing trends is always a good choice for your business.
Is animation better than live-action?
Both videos have different pros and cons. If you have a lower budget or you want to explain abstract concepts, animated videos can work best in that case. But if you can splurge or you want to make a more emotional impact, it is recommended to use a live-action video.
What is a live-action explainer video?
Live-action video means the video with is actually a shot video footage, i.e: not animation or motion graphics, but videos that were captured with an actual video camera.
Is animation cheaper than live-action?
Animation explainer videos are more time consuming and may require a higher budget but simplify the process if you want to explain something., live-action film can be very expensive if it has some CGI (Computer Generated Image).