How can computer animation make your marketing materials more effective?

1 Why use computer animation?

Computer animation can make your marketing materials more effective, as it stands out from the static and cluttered environment of online and offline media. Animation can also simplify and illustrate abstract or technical concepts, as well as create a mood, a tone, or a personality for your brand. Furthermore, animation can help your audience remember your message better through storytelling, repetition, and association techniques. Finally, animation can motivate your audience to take the next step by using clear calls to action, incentives, and social proof.

2 What are the elements of computer animation?

Computer animation is the process of creating moving images with computer software. There are various types of computer animation, such as 2D, 3D, motion graphics, and stop motion, but they all involve frames, timing, spacing, easing, and staging. Frames are individual images that make up the animation. Timing is the speed and duration of each frame and the animation as a whole. Spacing is the distance between each frame and the position of the objects in the animation. Easing is the gradual acceleration or deceleration of the movement in the animation. Staging is the arrangement of elements like backgrounds, foregrounds, camera angles, and lighting. Each element has an impact on how realistic, dynamic, clear, or focused an animation appears.

3 What are the principles of computer animation?

Computer animation is an art form that requires creativity and skill. To create more appealing and effective animations, it's important to understand some universal principles of computer animation, such as squash and stretch, anticipation, follow through and overlapping action, and exaggeration. Squash and stretch deforms the shape of an object in the animation to show its flexibility, weight, and momentum. Anticipation is the preparation of an action in the animation, such as a character winding up before throwing a ball. Follow through and overlapping action is the continuation of the movement of an object or a part of an object after the main action in the animation. Exaggeration amplifies features, expressions, or movements of an object or a character in the animation to emphasize its importance, emotion, or humor. All these principles add life, realism, suspense, fluidity, impact, and personality to the animation.

4 How to plan your computer animation?

Before you start animating, it's important to have a clear idea of what you want to communicate and how. To plan your computer animation, first define your goal: what is the purpose of your animation and its target audience? Then, write a script outlining the content, structure, and dialogue of your animation. This will help you organize your ideas and clarify your message. After that, create a storyboard with sketches, drawings, or images to visualize your animation and plan the frames, timing, spacing, easing, and staging. Lastly, choose the style of computer animation that best suits your brand, product, or service. Consider the colors, fonts, shapes, textures as well as the mood, tone, and personality you want to create.

5 How to create your computer animation?

Once you have your plan ready, you can start creating your computer animation using computer software. There are many options available, depending on your budget, skill level, and preference. For example, Blender is a free and open source software that can create 3D animations, as well as 2D animations, motion graphics, and video editing. Although it has a steep learning curve, it offers a lot of features and flexibility. Additionally, Adobe Animate is a paid software that can create 2D animations, motion graphics, and interactive content; however, it requires a subscription and a compatible device. Lastly, Powtoon is an online platform that can create 2D animations and motion graphics with templates, characters, and assets. It's user-friendly and affordable but has limited customization and quality.

6 How to optimize your computer animation?

Once you've created your computer animation, it's time to optimize it for your marketing materials and platforms. Before you do so, make sure to test your animation on different devices, browsers, and screen sizes. Additionally, adjust the resolution to match the quality and size of your animation in order to avoid pixelation or distortion. Compressing the file will reduce its weight and loading time, thus improving its performance and user experience. Finally, add metadata such as title, description, keywords, and tags to improve its visibility and searchability.