Animation vs. Live Action: The primary colors of video production

Choose With Caution

One of the choices you will make when creating your video is the format that will best fit your concept: animation vs. live action. Each has its advantages and flaws, and neither is inherently better than the other. The choice must come from what type of message you want to get across and how you want your viewer to react to that message. You must look at all of the factors that go into making your video.

The Human Element

In live action, having a face can help your viewer relate better to the topic— which is good for your call to action. That relatability factor is not always present in animation. However, a good voiceover can make up for the lack of personability. With animation, possibilities can go beyond the human range since there are endless opportunities for story ideas. There are no limits in animation! A dog, or even an alien, could get the message across just as effectively as a human if the situation calls for it.

The Efficiency Component

Since animating starts from scratch, creating a video takes much longer than a live action video of the same length. On the other hand, live action is shot quickly, making the video more readily available. You can also easily diverge from the planned storyboard, but keep in mind that making changes post-production can be difficult and costly. 

Animation can be changed at any time. For an ever-changing and growing company, this is particularly advantageous. Thinking about the future can prove to be more efficient in the long run as compared to rebooking actors, equipment, and much more.

The Abilities of Tangibility

When the product is tangible, having live action can better work for corporate videos. Using the actual product as a visual gets the message across more clearly. If your idea requires more complexity, animation can help simplify your message while focusing on the most vital points, and can better explain abstract products and ideas.

So, the choice is yours: animation vs. live action. As long as you have a solid grasp on your vision, it’s hard to lose with either.