Nov 5, 2012

Clarify Ideas Through Whiteboard Animation

By Tameka Ware


Ideas and product pitches are so plentiful that it is very easy for one to be lost in the melee. Even if it is an outstanding idea, it may not be noticed simply because it was not presented in a way that made it stand out against the millions of others, or perhaps it was just too complicated to understand. Many companies have started using the whiteboard animation technique as a way to grab their audience and keep hold of them.

The popularity of the technique has been steadily growing since late 2009 and is being used in more diverse ways than ever before. This is a process where an idea is communicated by allowing the viewer to hear a product pitch while watching it unfold in an illustration as each step is explained. Many complicated ideas are made clearer when presented in this way.

In the beginning, stop-motion cameras were used to record an artist as they illustrated the speaker's words. Animation naturally grabs people's attention. When they see the story actively being drawn, it is human nature to not want to look away until they see where it ends up because it is not a process most get to witness often.

As the idea progressed, producers have mostly moved to using computers to create the images digitally. This process is not only faster but it allows the product to be edited more easily as it evolves. They are able to incorporate input from the client as well as special effects such as the artist's hand, color bursts and even movement to make the show even more attention grabbing.

In business, some ideas come off extremely complicated when one attempts to explain them using just words. Technical language may seem to muddle the explanation, especially if the audience is not completely familiar with the terminology. Using drawings with a cartoon like quality to them unfold along with the pitch makes it clearer and more likely to stay in the listener's mind longer.

Combining the elements of images along with text, enhanced by a voice over engages the viewer in multiple ways and manages to keep their attention longer than any one of these parts alone. The mix keeps their mind moving and thinking on the concept, which allows it to sink in and take hold. This is a much more effective way to pitch a complicated idea.

Most companies that do this work will be able to provide start to finish service. Their well-trained employees will be specialized in each step from creating a script to producing the animation, selecting the music and doing the voice over. When they do it all, it makes for a smoother blending of all the elements for a better finished product.

The concept of using whiteboard animation as an effective way to communicate a business idea is growing rapidly because of its ability to better translate a complicated concept. The process is also being used in advertising as well as video production for film and television. An idea this creative and versatile is bound to be used in many different ways.




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