There has been a rise in the number of people using animation for various purposes, and the number is predicted to rise continually from year to year. One of the biggest reasons the number will surge is that animated videos have many advantages compared to conventional live-action videos. 

Through live-action-videos, there are numerous constraints, such as content portrayals and acting - that producers and creators face. 

On the flip side, animated videos are arguably more preferred as they possess the same functions as conventional live-action videos but are usually more reasonably priced. Moreover, there are a lot more variations in terms of creativity when it comes to using animation.

The many ways that animation can be used in today’s world are vast - ranging from business and marketing, gaming, film and movies, education - or just the lay out of the animator’s mastery of arts. 

Although the previously mentioned functions of animation are the more popular and general usage of it, there are also specific aspects and elements that are more unconventional, which can be implemented if animators aim to create impactful videos.

In this blog post, we share the particular and out-of-the-box ways that animation can be utilized to change the world, one video at a time. 

1. Conveying Messages That Are Beyond Human’s Linguistic Abilities

Symbolism

Indeed, the usage of symbols is not limited to just animation. Still, great symbolism usually goes side by side with animation, as drawings and designs can give more breadth to the creative content. 

Through symbolism, the viewers will be able to give more meaningful associations between one aspect of the animation to another aspect happening in real life. 

Minimizing Language Barriers

More variations to the expressions and symbolisms used in animation also mean that the content will be more universally accessible.

Certain gestures, cues, symbols can transcend animated content across culture and demographics. For instance, despite being made in the United States, the classic cartoon “Tom and Jerry” could be understood by the audience even though most of the main characters have rarely, if ever, said anything on the screen. 

In fact, when they decided to have the main characters talk on screen for a feature-length movie, the decision wasn’t very well received. 

Telling a Story in Its Concrete Form

A famous saying that can succinctly explain this phenomenon is “one picture is worth a thousand words”. Essentially, there are many more than the audiences can pick from when it comes to telling a story in the form of concrete arts - such as drawings, designs, and so-on.

With animation, creators can add nuances to the story and leave a more lasting impression on the audience.

2. Systemizing Great Ideas Seamlessly

Activism

Activism is a broad term - but generally speaking, it is a way of retelling specific circumstances that a group of people are going through to raise awareness.

A brilliant example of using animation as a form of activism would be the animated short film “Chasni” by Abhishek Verma. It told the story of a victim of an acid attack, Ms. Preethi Rathi and what she had to go through in the aftermath of the said attack. The video also touched upon how people going through similar circumstances as Ms. Preethi would feel and its unfairness. 

It is a compelling video, as the audiences are given the raw and heartbreaking feelings and experiences that the victims face and leave a sense of urgency of what needs to be done to prevent and alleviate the suffering. 

Persuasion Tactics

In the context of business or marketing, as previously discussed, animated videos are used as an “explainer” so that the audience will find the content to be easily understandable, personal, and engaging.

When using animation in this manner, animators must make necessary comparisons, such as an advert made by General Electric highlighting why their jet engine is a better investment than any other engine and highlight the differences of a particular product to its competitors.

Educational Purposes

Perhaps educational purposes serve as an umbrella term in this regard - as the usage of it bears a lot of association to the previous points.

This can be categorized into several distinct concepts. For one, animation can help a person learn something better. Through videos, especially those with eye-catching designs and styles, people would be more likely to think that learning something is interesting enough to warrant their time.

Aside from that, people will also remember the subject that they have watched through the videos better because it helps them focus on the things being said.

This is a particularly crucial point that animators would want to consider, as there is evidence regarding the usage of interactive videos on learning or understanding subjects. In the priorly mentioned study, when teachers use animated videos as a tool for learning, students find the content to be more engaging. Their reading comprehension skills in narrative texts saw an improvement by the end of it. 

Another fascinating aspect of using animation in educational settings is related to Public Service Announcement videos (or PSAs). PSAs are notorious for not getting across the video’s intended messages coherently and understandably.

Perhaps the biggest issues with PSAs lie in the aspect of not understanding enough how the audiences might perceive the content and putting too much emphasis on the “fear factor” of a matter.

But through good animation, these issues can potentially be addressed. For instance, animated videos enable students to perceive the video as more useful and helpful. And overall, they respond better when witnessing PSAs in animated form. 

Part of the reason why using animation in education is very effective may be associated with how the messages can be packed. An intriguing and equally controversial topic associated with packing underlying messages through animation is a phenomenon widely-known as subliminal messages.

It is a very subtle way of conveying specific information to the audience without blatantly telling them to do particular actions. This can be seamlessly executed through animation as audiences usually do not expect such occurrences to happen when watching them. 

For instance - a video by Chubbyemu showed why eating laundry pods isn’t such a good idea by explaining the damage it could cause to the body when ingested. He didn’t explicitly say that people shouldn’t do it; instead, he does so by explaining why it would be in everyone’s best interest not to attempt such a feat.

The many vital issues that compete for our attention in the media also mean that creators would want to use the most effective medium to deliver them to the audiences at large.  In this regard, animated videos can help us get as much general information in the shortest amount of time.

The most relevant topic that has been proven to work is videos containing information related to medical advice that might not always be received positively by the audience.

However, animators can repackage the information through animation so that a more light-hearted tone can be achieved - this is especially useful when persuading children to get vaccinated.

3. Incorporating the Best Features of Conventional Videos

Elements that are present in live-action videos can also be enhanced in potency using animation. For instance, animators can enhance a variety of emotional features that are otherwise overlooked in live-action videos. Animators can also create a novel and distinct genre than those found in live-action videos. The existence of awards for animation, such as the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, shows that animation does have its unique place in entertainment or even in art.

Another way of looking at animation is showing something impossible to be done in live-action videos. For example, to explain how a nuclear explosion could happen, it is impossible for someone to explain it without using animation to save costs and lives. The only way it could be done is by using animation. 

4. Animation as a Form of Art

Throughout the post, we have only talked about using animation in ways that are beneficial to people in concrete ways. Animation in itself is a form of art, so its usage is not limited to practicality.

Animators can use captivating designs to make people more interested in the content that you are sharing - no matter the content, the audience can also enjoy it for the sake of its beauty and aesthetics.

When matched with narratives and stories that are personally meaningful to the audiences, animation can also serve as a compelling work of art - or even further, it can capture cultural phenomena in creatively novel ways.

To Sum Up

Using animation as a medium to convey specific information is on the rise - and is predicted to rise in years to come continually.

Many factors contribute to this prediction, but there are also specific reasons why animation might be a better alternative to live-action videos. Through animation, many shortages that producers and creators face when using conventional video can be addressed.

In this blog post, we discussed the many ways that animators can utilize animation to make a significant impact on the world around them.

Animators can use their animation and design skills to systemize complex ideas better, convey messages beyond words, and even add flair to conventional videos.

As an animator, what are your thoughts regarding utilizing animation in these ways? Are you interested in incorporating them into your future videos?

If you would like to know more about animation marketing strategies and all things related to the business of animation, do not forget to sign up for our free masterclass and download a copy of our free marketing handbook.