Strategy, Video, Marketing

Video animation: How to know which style will draw more prospects

By Johnathon Busto
July 28, 2023

Video animation: How to know which style will draw more prospects

It’s a question many clients ask. Of the many different video animation styles that are available, which one will work best for you and your project?

Even if we limit ourselves to motion graphics, there are many different styles, looks, and feels that can work well for a given project. But all of them can basically be boiled down to these three categories:

2D stands for two-dimensional. Imagine staring at a flat piece of paper on a table and different shapes of other paper moving across that main piece. 2D videos are flat. Images have only height and width.

3D stands for three-dimensional. We live in a three-dimensional world, so it should be a little easier to comprehend. Everything we interact with has height, width, and the third dimension, depth. A 3D video gives the same impression, that you could reach out and touch the object.

2.5D is somewhere in between. This style is built out in 2D but visually gives the illusion of 3D by showing multiple sides of an object. It includes such styles as isometric.

Pros and cons of each style of animation

Now that you know these three styles, let’s go a bit more in-depth into each and go over some of their strengths and weaknesses.

2D animation

2 D animation showing a square with 2D on it dodging purple, blue, and green circles

Pros	Cons
Many different creative approaches (such as illustrative, kinetic typography, b-roll) Relatively quick to create Can convey abstract ideas easier Cheapest of the three options	Can be limited in realism Depending on the creative style, can require talented artists to create

3D animation

3 D animation showing a cube with 3D on it dodging purple, blue, and green spheres

Pros	Cons
Can create realistic-looking images that would be hard to film Easy to manipulate lighting and shading Can create almost anything you can think of	Very long timelines Requires an extremely high budget Can cause delays when creating models of specific products

2.5D animation

2 point 5 D animation showing a flat cube with 2D on it dodging purple, blue, and green shaded circles

Pros	Cons
Happy middle ground between 2D and 3D Built out in 2D but gives the illusion of being 3D Can convey scale and abstract concepts as well as, if not better than, 2D	Look and feel “not everyone’s cup of tea” More time-consuming and expensive than 2D

What video types work best with each style?

You could technically use any of these styles for any type of video you’d like to create. But some styles lend themselves better than others.

Explainer videos, whiteboards, and character-driven stories often work best in 2D or 2.5D. Most of those are longer-form videos that convey a lot of different concepts and ideas. The freedom and cost that 2D and 2.5D afford you lend themselves extremely well to those types of projects.

Product videos, teasers, and launch videos often work best in 3D. You can really showcase an eye-catching piece with your product in whatever environment your imagination can come up with. These tend to be shorter-form videos meant to pique interest and drive a call to action, and 3D works well for these types of projects.

Choose what works best for you

No matter what style you choose, it’s worth your time to follow these steps:

Consider what you are trying to say.
Decide what style says it in the most effective way.
Plan what you can do on time and on budget.
Produce content that aligns with your brand.

Certain variables may cause you to move back a step to land on each project's ideal choice. Consulting with your creative partner at each stage will aid in making solid selections and simplify the completion of deliverables.

All that’s left is to use your new video to reel in all those new leads!

Video animation: How to know which style will draw more prospects