More businesses than ever are investing in video and multimedia content. One of the biggest areas of video content investment is an animated video. While this is a skill that is often taught in school, most people are unfamiliar with basic animation and design.
Animated video is an excellent way to explain business concepts and build brand awareness. Animation gives life to characters allowing you to connect with existing or potential customers in a meaningful way. Is your organization thinking about getting into the exciting field of animation? If the answer is yes, you need to start utilizing these top animation programs for beginners.
The Best Animation Programs for Novices
With so many video animation programs on the market today, it’s hard to know which one is the best. The type of program you choose will largely depend on the type of video you are looking to create. 2D animation, for example, requires different software than 3D animation. And if you’re trying to become an explainer video company, then you’ll want software geared specifically towards that.
Before you begin, know that you do not need to invest a large sum of money into your software. In fact, there are several pieces of affordable animation software that are well-respected within the industry. Obviously, you will want to work within your specific budget constraints to find the right animation software to address your needs.
Here are a few recommendations.
- Animate CC– Easy to learn, this program is preferred by animation enthusiasts everywhere. You can use it to create frame-by-frame animations for commercial use, or just some cool graphics for YouTube. Pros of this software: you can add bone rigging to your animations. Easily import a variety of files, higher programming skills are not necessary to use. Cons: Users cannot record audio, mainly 2D animation with limited 3D capabilities, slow load times.
- After Effects— This program is a member of the Adobe Creative Suite, also home to photoshop and others. A more advanced program than Animate CC, it can be used for such special effects as lip sync, and rigging, or create a sense of depth using various filters. Software pros: excellent for tracking pixels and set extension. Integrates well with other programs. Now, the cons: editing and color correction are cumbersome tasks, video editing capability is limited. Steep learning curve and random errors.
- TVPaint— This high-end professional-grade software is focused on creating animations that look hand-drawn, similar to old Disney films. Pros: easily edit animations, work with several layers at once, customize brushes, best for creating hand-drawn animations. The cons: expensive, overly complicated processes, lacking in basic functionality, few online tutorials available.
- Toon Boom Harmony— Users find this professional-level animation software to be particularly robust in features. Use it to create pretty much any type of 2D animation, from stick figures on up. Pros: incredibly easy to navigate and export files. Cons: not many except for few available tutorials.
- Lightwave– This 3D design software has been used all across the entertainment industry, from films to television, video game development, music videos and advertising. Pros include: low memory consumption, affordability, keep all files in the central location. Overall, a flexible, all-in-one tool. Cons: limited functionality, not beginner-friendly, mediocre tutorials.
- Blender— A professional-grade open source program, Blender is free. Use it to create a variety of 3D animation, including animated films, visual effects, 3D printed models and video games. Users love it for its versatilit, and the fact that it is free. Pros: open source development, great tutorials available. Cons: difficult and complicated to learn, forgettable features.
You’ll find tutorials available online for any one of these programs. Start by familiarizing yourself with the particulars of animation to ensure you’ve got a good handle on the basics. Once you have the right software, it’s easy to bring in animators who can create the exact sort of content that your company needs to reach as many customers as possible.
The Right Software for the Job Depends on What You’re Doing
For those who only need to create 2D animations, you may need more basic animation software. Those who want to create 3D content will need to look for a program that can specifically create more elaborate animations. Experienced animators will be more familiar with software, not having to worry about a learning curve.
It’s important to note that tools are merely tools–it’s skills that get you far. Skilled animators are artists in total command of their craft, producing
When to Use Explainer Video
According to a recent article published in Time Magazine titled “You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span than a Goldfish”, the average attention span of users is constantly falling. Most users will click away from an article very quickly. However, when a company incorporates video into their marketing strategy, they can expect a 49% faster growth in revenue.
Explainer video works in nearly every situation and application, drawing users in and appealing to their emotions. Video will deliver more quality leads, increase conversion rates, boost engagement, and build trust, all without breaking the bank.
After you’ve found the right video animation software for your business, you’ll be well on your way to developing high quality explainer videos for your clients. Those videos are the types of content that stick with users, the ones that people remember for years to come. Whether explaining basic concepts, or more complex ones, animated explainer videos are an excellent way to reach your audience.
In no time at all, you’ll be a pro at creating memorable video content. What are you waiting for? Find your software now.
