2D animation is a great way of explaining very complicated things in a very simple and easy-to-understand way. Although it may seem like the more technologically advanced and realistic 3D animation is obviously better, this is a fallacy: 2D animation can be as good–or better–than 3D animation at conveying your message.
In fact, if you can tell your story in 2D animation, it’s not only (generally) more affordable, faster to produce, but it can also be easier for your audience to understand.
We’re not saying that every animation project is best suited for 2D animation: some highly technical simulations and realistic renderings can be the most appropriate for your project. But just like you don’t use a screwdriver when a hammer will do, there are proper tools for specific jobs, and figuring out which tool–2D animation vs 3D animation vs live-action video, is essential to getting your story told.
In this article we’re going to explain the 7 reasons why you would want to choose 2D animation for your product, commercial, or video.
#1. 2D Animation is Best for Explaining a High-Level Process or Service
If the story that you want to tell is about the big picture, rather than the inner workings of a product, then 2D animation will tell that story in a much easier way than 3D animation, which tends to tell stories that are more detailed and complex.
One example of 2D animation video explaining a high level process in Motion Giraffx’s portfolio is ComposedPro. This is a video that we made to explain the concept of saving with 401(k)s and Roth IRAs (and a half dozen other savings options) while maintaining the integrity of the core information. All the important points were hit in the video, in an easy-to-understand way.
#2. 2D Animation is Often Best for Explaining Abstract Concepts
Not every product needs to be broken down into a 3D rendering of how Part A fits into Slot B, or show the 3D walkthrough of a house. Sometimes the concept that you’re trying to explain is much more abstract than that. One thing that 2D animation techniques excel at is turning abstract ideas like metaphors into understandable and relatable ideas.
When we set out to explain how a product tackles big issues like “change”, “flexibility”, and “transformation” in our SMA Technologies video, we didn’t do a boring deep dive into the software’s screenshots. In order to keep the audience’s attention in an increasingly competitive world, we told the story more abstractly to show how one system can connect with another, and another, and another. We showed how the software can organize your workflows, optimize your outputs, and we did it without ever needing to move away from simple shapes and motions. This solution also works well for clients who want to explain their services at a high-level without revealing their top-secret IP, like software walkthroughs.
#3. 2D Animation Simplifies Products and Services Down to Easy Levels of Comprehension
Remember the scene in Jurassic Park when the main characters are being introduced to the park? They’re seated in front of a screen and shown a cartoon DNA character that explains how the science in the show worked. Clearly, Steven Spielberg could have chosen to explain this to us, his audience, by using his arsenal of highly advanced 3D computer graphics tools at ILM. He knew that the most efficient way to explain the concept to us was through a 2D animated character. And it worked.
Take a look at our project for Exum as an example. We sliced their product and simplified it so much that only the basic components remained.
Sometimes all of the extra details raise more questions than they can answer easily, but by simplifying to 2D animation, you can understand high-level concepts more quickly.
#4. 2D Animation is Ideal if Your Budget is Under $20k
While the cost of 2D animation can vary from project to project depending on the complexity, length, and visual style of the 2D animated video, $20k for a 2 minute video is at the high end, not the low end. On the contrary, if you’re looking for 3D animation of similar scope, $20k could easily be on the low end for many studios..
#5. 2D Animation is Best if Your Brand Already Has A Strong 2D Language
Many company brands have assets and visual cues that would easily translate into 2D animation. Perhaps you rely heavily on icons and vector illustrations on your website. We can use that collateral you already have to help tell your story. If you have an internal database of proprietary assets that are brand-approved, let’s use it!
#6. 2D Animation Is Great If You Have Fewer Than Two Months
One of the main reasons that 2D animation is so much less expensive than 3D animation is because 2D animation usually takes considerably less time. Not only does 2D animation save you money, but it saves you valuable time–time that could be crucial to the launch of a product, to the release of a commercial, to the big announcement at a conference. At Motion Giraffx, we work generally between 3 weeks and 2 months on a 2D animation project.
#7. 2D Animation Makes Sense if Your Brand Is Well-Suited For It
2D animation comes in many varieties of styles. At Motion Giraffx, we have experience working the whole spectrum of super-cute to super-serious, but some brands avoid working within the spectrum of 2D animation styles because their brand specifies using only hyper realistic visuals. Some brand guidelines are very strict on what type of 2D animation is allowable so that it doesn’t risk looking too “cute” or risk them losing credibility compared to their competitors. If you oversimplify too much in the wrong context, it can make your product appear too simple or cheap or child-like. We are here to help you navigate your options so that the visual style you choose fits your brand and resonates with your audience professionally and effectively.
Conclusion
2D Animation processes can be faster and less expensive than 3D animation. In some cases 2D animation is not only as good as 3D animation, but is a much better option.
At Motion Giraffx, we’re here to help you navigate the way through the animation process, to facilitate the best graphic presentation that you could want for your project.
Are you ready to try 2D animation?
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