We love animated characters. As kids, we had our favorite Pixar and Disney heroes, and fell in love with all the Saturday morning friends when Saturday mornings were still the thing. Then, as bigger kids running companies or marketing campaigns, we sometimes wonder if a character or two will help audiences fall in love with our brands. Though it may seem possible to achieve at least some form of character animation in our marketing videos, it’s a different ballgame than other types of animation.
Most marketing videos don’t need them, but if it’s integral to your brand identity or just fits the story to have characters in your video, here are a few things to consider.
It takes time and budget to create characters
Custom characters take more time to design and animate than other types of animation. If we’re aiming for a specific look or feel to a character, it will take several iterations to get it right. On one project, we spent several weeks designing one character. We had to make sure he had the right clothes, hairs, colors, size, eyebrows, etc, etc.
Animation also takes longer. Simple, stiff movements are doable under most budgets, but more fluid, life-like actions take much more time to get it right. Lip synching is usually set aside for larger-budget projects.
It takes special skill to get characters right
Not all artists can create characters, and not all character animators can design every custom character. When a client reaches out to create a character, our in-house team may not always have the experience to create the type of character they’re looking for. In those situations, we conduct a search to find the right artist. Though this is an enjoyable process, it does take time to find the right talent that is available in the client’s timeframe and budget.
Options for character animation
When a client wants a character but is not particular about how it looks, we often turn to existing models and designs. There are a quite a few options online at affordable rates. These are much more efficient than creating something from scratch. There are definitely limitations, but it’s a go-to in certain situations.
And more and more, generative AI is leveraged to create characters. A lot of characters are already generated this way, and will only become more common.
Characters add an interesting element to your marketing videos. It gives your videos a personal touch when audiences can connect with your brand through a lovable character. So if it serves your brand and works for your timeline and budget, definitely go for it.
To learn more about how Picturelab can help with your character animated videos, contact us at info@picturelab.com.
Picturelab is a creative full-service video production company with offices in Mountain View, CA (San Francisco Bay Area) and Irvine, CA (Orange County and Los Angeles). We specialize in explainers, product demos, commercials and all types of corporate marketing videos.