A 10-year stint in the animation industry has prepared us to deal with the several myths and misunderstandings around this mode of visual communication. The traditional means of conveying an idea have seen a good amount of reach, understanding and recognition over the years, whereas animation still somewhat remains a matter of mystery. The commonest reaction to the concept of animation is people assuming, and often dismissing it as cartoons, simply meant for kids. There is a lot more to animation than this limited perception, and while it includes creating cartoons too, it is definitely no child’s play!

Let us give you a better insight into the vast world of animation, busting one myth at a time.

Myth 1: Animation Is Intended Only For Children

Simply put, cartoons are a part of animation as a service, but animation doesn’t equal cartoons. Animation has a much wider scope and application, particularly for businesses looking for innovative and creative options to capture the attention of their target audience. Traditional as well as modern animation techniques can help tell the story of your business in a unique and unforgettable way.

Myth 2: Animations Are Quick To Create

Not just with animations, say this to any creator and you would be at the receiving end of a death stare! Nothing that is worth having comes easy, and you would be shocked to know the kind of effort that goes into creating even a 10 second clip. Apart from designing, a lot goes behind the scenes after animators get a brief. The process involves idea generation, writing a script, creating a storyboard, designing characters, objects, backgrounds from scratch, voiceovers, sound and music – and this is the very least that each animated video production requires. An animator’s and their team’s time is truly money!

Myth 3: With Good Hardware & Software, Anyone Can Create Animations

Cliched as it may sound, having a DSLR doesn’t make you a great photographer, and the same logic applies for animation. Without a doubt, good equipment and software are efficient tools in the hands of an animator, but they are nothing without the creative prowess of the animator.

Quality tools are effective in delivering animations of top-notch standards, but it would be

lacking soul and direction without the animator’s imagination and skills.

Myth 4: Animation Is Too Expensive

Firstly, expensive is a subjective concept which varies from organisation to organisation. Secondly, visual communication that makes use of animation is less of an expense which can be written off and forgotten about in that year and more of an investment that pays off in the long term. Investing in animation services as a part of your communication and marketing activities is a strategic decision with a payoff that is totally worth it.

Myth 5: Animation Is The Cheaper Option As Compared To Live Action

Some are of the contrasting opinion that animation is the cheaper alternative to live action shoots, perhaps because it doesn’t involve the hassle of filming with artists at varied locations, using expensive gear. This comparison, too, is extremely subjective. While the costing depends upon several parameters, animation and live motion shoots are independent alternatives, each with their own set of pros and cons. Based on the amount of detailing, technique and duration of the animated video, there is always a fair chance that animations cost more than live action shoots.

Myth 6: Duration Of Animated Videos Can Be Flexible

If you think that a 1 min video can easily be stretched into a 2 min video within the same budget, think again! Animation involves a series of consecutive images, known as frames, that are displayed one after the other to create the visual of movement. Even with the most basic of animations, at least 24 frames per second need to be created to ensure smooth transitions between movements. So, when you double the length of an animated video, it means double the number of frames and double the number of resources. So, if you are cramming more content, it increases the duration and consequently, the costs.

From a broad and layman’s perspective, these are your options with animated videos for your business:

• Traditional Animation: One of the oldest forms of animation, traditional animation used to involve drawing the sketches for every sequence on papers, showcased with the same mechanism as a flipbook on a grander Today, the sketches are done on digital pads. This method can help achieve 2D animation effect.
• Vector-based 2D Animation: Vectors are graphics that can be manipulated without disrupting their high-quality resolution. An advanced form of 2D animation, vector-based animation makes use and re-use of vectors to create motion.
• 3D Animations: Commonly used computer animations, these present a more realistic visual than 2D forms of They rely on computers and software for creation and execution, but still remain to be one hell of a job to perfectly accomplish. 3D animations have to be detailed to a fault since there can be no gimmicks to hide any lapses in transitions.
• Motion Graphics: Widely trending in current times, motion graphics are digitized graphics that create an illusion of These are combined with text and music, and the easiest example would be motion posters of films released as a part of promotional campaigns.
• Stop Motion Graphics: An extremely time consuming branch of animation, stop motion is similar to creating multiple drawings per second like in the case of 2D or 3D animations, except that it involves capturing the actual movement of objects in a frame by frame

We live and breathe animations at Creative Splash! If you want to know more about how our animation services can help your business, get in touch with us.

Write to us at  info@creativesplash.co.in or call us on 8554982761. If you are in Pune, drop in for a chat at our office in Deccan.