Top examples of 3D Animated Explainer Videos.
When it comes to explainer videos, there are quite a few options to choose from. Many 2D videos are pretty, for the eyes and for your budget. Live action explainers stir the imagination. And the 3D video…well, it’s often the urchin standing in the corner with whom you try to avoid eye contact.
The prohibitive factor is of course the cost and time to do them. Much more than 2D and sometimes more than live action. And it’s often difficult for marketing or product teams to visualize what’s possible (beyond what they’ve seen from Pixar).
But if done right, a 3D video can make your brand look slick and modern. Underneath the grime and raggedy clothes, the 3D video can be a shiny happy creature. Still, justifying the resources needed to make one takes imagination and perhaps a few references, especially for those who are not familiar with 3D.
To help with the process, we’ve compiled several of our favorite 3D explainer videos below.
Planet
Planet has a small fleet of satellites (yes, those in space!) and so the video had to look futuristic to best convey the coolness of what they do. 2D wouldn’t have cut it and of course live action wasn’t an option.
Google Mapmaker
The first line of the video is, “A map is a mirror of the world we live in”. Okay, 3D is still animation and not a mirror of our world, but we wanted to make sure there was depth in this walkthrough of the Google Mapmaker product. So 3D was the call.
Synology
Something fun and at the same time, slick and modern to reflect Synology’s innovative technology. That was the request and we delivered a unique 3D piece featuring a little bit of character animation as well as other 3D models.
Buy.com
The client wanted a video that made their platform look fun, easy and different than all the competitors out there. It needed to be innovative and the spinning island concept wouldn’t have worked as well with 2D. It had to be 3D.
Nextdoor
It’s all about the neighborhood and we wanted it to come alive. Though the 3D models are relatively simple, the movement and depth gave the video a unique and modern feel. This is an example of how even a basic 3D design can improve the viewer experience.
Hover
Hover uses 3D models when measuring homes for remodeling. So of course, the video wouldn’t have reflected the Hover brand without 3D. As with Nextdoor, the design is relatively simple, and yet serves the brand much better than 2D.
If done right, 3D can add to the power of your video, especially if it makes sense for your brand. These days, there are so many explainer videos out there that many of them are just clones of each other. To stand out, you need to do something different, some wow factor. 3D may not be the blanket solution to everything, but it shouldn’t be immediately left out in the cold.
To learn how Picturelab can help with your explainer video, 3D or otherwise, contact us at info@picturelab.com.