5 Must-Haves for an Animated Whiteboard Video to be Effective

1. 5 Must-Haves for an Animated Whiteboard Video to be Effective

3. Introduction The complexity of information has increased like never before. Hence, a need for presenting complex information in a simpler manner, has arised. An animated Whiteboard Video gives an opportunity to put across a complex concept in a much comprehensible manner than any other static presentation technique. This is the very reason why Whiteboard Animation has become one of the most valuable communication tools in recent times and is being widely adopted as a means of communication, by several industries including healthcare, education and IT. Although net has bloated with Whiteboard Videos, a lot of them simply lack the convincing capacity and don’t seem to inspire or effectively educate the viewers, thereby defeating the very purpose of using an animated Whiteboard Video as a communication tool. A lot of times, too much information or written content is stuffed into a video, making it look like a boring powerpoint presentation. Thus, it is important for an Animated Whiteboard Video to have a balanced no. of creative and technical elements that are well synchronized with each other. If you want to create an Animated Whiteboard Video that effectively fulfills your communication purpose(s) and isn’t perceived as ‘just another Whiteboard Video’, here is a list of 5 must-haves that would assist you ensuring that your video has a decent quality.

4. 1. A Specific Purpose Sometimes, you have too much information that you want to give to you audience. That is the time when you should remind yourself that the purpose of creating a video is to simplify information and give it in a condensed manner- only as much as is needed. Narrowing down information could be tough though. In order to be able to narrow down your information, you should first set the purpose of your video right. For doing that, you could ask yourself questions like - what is the one (or two) thing that should be communicated through this video or what all points are not all that important and could therefore be avoided. Once you’ve set your purpose right, it is easier for you to conceptualize on it, in a well defined and specific manner.

5. Continued.. In case, you really have a lot of information at hand and all of it is to be communicated, then it is advisable that you arrange the information such that it could be given out in a series of videos, instead of through a single undefined video. Another thing is, that sometimes the information is too scattered. If you try to bring all of it together and put it into a single video, then it seems to lack a concrete message and appears absurd. The underlying purpose of your video should be very clear to you otherwise you are likely to go in too many directions with your video communication, eventually reaching nowhere. Again, setting a specific purpose for your video would help you eliminate unimportant information.

6. 2. A Boomerang Conclusion The concluding message (spanning in last 5 to 7 seconds), should be such that it takes the viewer back to the point where the video had started, thereby reconnecting the viewer to the beginning. This is important because by the time the video reaches its end, a lot many things have been told about. Owing to the length (especially when longer than 3 minutes) of the video, the viewer may feel to have lost the track. A Boomerang Conclusion i.e. a conclusion that brings the viewer back to where the video communication had started, reconnects the viewer with the main message, thus creating for him a mental summary of the entire video. This kind of ‘summarization’ helps solidify your message and make it memorable .

8. 3. An Analogy Analogy and Cognition are closely related. When a Complex Concept is to be explained using a Whiteboard Video, it is a good idea to use a fitting analogy (comparison) as a ‘vehicle’ and ride the Complex Concept, over it. Once the Complex Concept is explained enough to be well understood, the vehicle should be dropped. However, one thing that should always be kept in mind while writing or presenting an analogy is that it should be well-fitting. Otherwise it might just backfire!

9. 4. An Appropriate Video-Scribing Speed One of the most important reasons why a good quality Whiteboard Video succeeds in leaving a memorable impression on the viewers is that it builds curiosity, since the images in the video appear to be drawn, right in front of viewer’s eyes- thus inducing in him/her, anticipation. In order to ensure that the viewer actually pays attention till the end of the video, the sketches drawn sequentially, should be optimized for their speed. If the video scribing is too fast, Whiteboard Video appears like any other animated video and loses its original curiosity-inducing scribing quality. On the other hand, if scribing is too slow, the viewer loses interest and is put off. Therefore, it is important to optimize the speed of video scribing, so that it keeps the viewer interested till the very end.

10. 5. Only Drawing. No Image-Dragging Please!

11. Experimentation is healthy as long as it enhances a solution rather than decreases its quality. When a video is scribed, let it just be scribed. Avoid mixing-in any other animation techniques. Including static images in a Whiteboard Video, only breaks the flow of it, making it appear patchy. When it is a Whiteboard, it should just be that. Mix matching other styles of animation with it, only makes it visually poor and distracting. Whether you want to make your own video or wish to hire someone for doing that, hopefully, these points will assist you in creating a video that is convincing enough and has a quality worth appreciating!

12. About Author Swati K. works as the Content Marketing Manager at Phoeniixx Designs, a New Delhi based Web Development & Marketing Firm that offers services in Website Designing and Development, Animated Video Production and Online Marketing. Article Original Source: https://goo.gl/UoOXaY