by Ydraw | Jul 18, 2018 | animated doodle videos, animated doodle videos, animated explainer video, Animated Whiteboard Videos, animation, Animation Production, Animation Video, Authenticity, Creative Marketing, Emotional Connection, how to make a whiteboard animation, Humor, Marketing, Story Telling, Video Content, Video Marketing, video online marketing, Whiteboard animation, Whiteboard Video, Ydraw
What makes things funny? Our own sense of humor isn’t always funny to the guy sitting next to us. So, let’s look at a few simple principles used in Improv to make your video funny to all of your audience!
First and foremost, there is TRUTH in COMEDY! The funny comes from the experiences we have all had in our lives. Think about sitcoms, why do they work? They take something so simple, like everyday life and exploit it. The ups and downs of dating and heartbreak or fighting for that perfect job, only to find out that it isn’t so perfect. But where does the comedy come from?
The funny comes from the unexpected. The moments of truth. It comes from showing not telling. We have all been there…the time in the grocery store when two people are having a conversation in public and you can’t help but listen, even though you know the topic should have probably been left at home…yeah that stuff.
So let’s take a look at this funny scenario….
We see two shadowy figures digging holes in a graveyard. It’s dark, but we can see that there’s a body behind them. It appears that they are covering up a murder! The scene is quite grim and creepy… so how is this funny? The car lights flicker on and we get a better look of the situation… only to reveal…two clowns? Okay, now this is way more terrifying, but their must be more to the story… so as we get closer, we overhear…
Clown 1:“Look Stan, all I’m saying is I’m sorry she left you. You deserve better!”
Clown 2:“You know Joe I just don’t understand, I did everything I could to make her happy.”
Clown 1:“Hey, you know, it’s okay if you want to cry. It’s just us brother.”
Clown 2: (in tears) “Life is just so unfair! But hey how’s the wife and kids?”
Clown 1: “They’re real good. Sally just started walking…”
The conversation continues as they are digging a shallow grave wearing their clown costumes. So, we know they are clowns, we know they are friends, and we know what happened…but they don’t have to tell us that they murdered this guy. We just know! If we focused on the body, or what happened the scene would drag on, the audience would get board with details and information that they don’t need.
This scenario leads us to the truth of comedy…Relatability!
Think about how you feel when you pop bubble wrap. Did that put a smile on your face just thinking about it? How about when you scoop peanut butter from a freshly open jar, yeah there’s that satisfaction face. See how easy it is to relate? All you have to do is capture a moment when someone has used your product in such a way that it brings a clear feeling to your audience.
Just remember that comedy is subjective, but so is being bored out of your seat. By using these tried and true principles of Improv Comedy, you can help your audience laugh at the unexpected, learn about your great product/service and keep them interested and wanting more.
So, let’s get out there and take a fresh approach to comedy, and whatever you do, if you see two clowns walking your way…RUN!
by Jace Vernon | Jun 13, 2018 | animated doodle videos, animated explainer video, Animated Whiteboard Videos, Animation Video, Art Style, Customer Service, How to pick a video style, How to pick an art style, quick draw video, scribble video, Training Videos, Whiteboard animation, Whiteboard Video
Everyone wants a viral video. In fact, that’s what most of our clients ask for when they come to us. But, when it’s time to look at our Art Styles page – many clients panic and think,
“What if I choose the wrong one?”
That’s why we are going to talk about the difference that art choice can make to your video and a few things to think about when choosing yours. Because although we pride ourselves on working with the most talented artists in the industry – that doesn’t mean that every one of them is the best choice for your project.
Let me tell you a short story.
Once upon a time, a client named Booz Allen came to us for their first whiteboard animation video. They are a serious, respected firm with very serious, important clients. Even though this video was internal, they wanted it to be serious, professional, and aspirational.
But, there was just one thing.
Their Scriptwriter had a gut instinct – what if we juxtaposed the informational tone of the script with a fun, unexpected art style like Calvin & Hobbes to create a surprise effect?
Well, Booz Allen decided to go with Semi-Realistic instead. Here’s the first scene from the first set of images delivered by their choice of artist:
This works. It gets the job done. However, Booz Allen isn’t in the business of just getting the job done. So, they made the command decision to switch artists (for a small fee).
Here’s the first scene again – with the exact same script – rendered in the Calvin & Hobbes style:
Now THAT’s memorable!
Just using a different art style brings the script to life in a completely new way.
In fact, this style was such a huge hit –they have made dozens of videos since in this style.
This is a perfect example of how the right art style can truly elevate a project.
So, what should you consider when choosing the art style for your project?
Here are 3 things to consider:
- TONE/MOOD:
What is the tone of your script – what feelings does the voiceover evoke? And, what do you want the mood to be of your video? Some examples might by light-hearted and humorous. Other scripts are heavy, covering more serious subject matter. Or, maybe you just want an approachable, informational tone. For example, this video we made for Volunteers of America was designed to be beautiful, moving and inspiring. Using our YPaint style, the images are digitally revealed and we incorporated an animated fine line connecting them to support this vision:
- ELEMENT OF SURPRISE:
Now, just because your tone and mood are serious – doesn’t mean your art style has to be! By using an unexpected pairing, you create the element of surprise! Examples of this could be the Booz Allen video – which pairs a fun, youthful art style with serious internal subject matter. Or, take a look at this video for the marketing company, Ribyt. They used color to create an element of surprise, by staying all B&W except for their brands green.
Another way to create an element of surprise is to use a mixed-media approach, by combining different types of video footage. In this case, Vital Smarts used a mixture of live video and whiteboard animation:
- AUDIENCE:
Sometimes the right art style is the one that will appeal most to your audience.
Ask yourself, “What would my target consumer want to see?”
After all, you’re making this video for them, right?
That’s exactly what our client, Wilson Electronics, had in mind when we created this short, one-scene video in our Cartoony style to capture the feeling that people have when they realize their cell phone signal hasn’t been working:
BOTTOM LINE:
Be willing to think outside the box when choosing an artist!
The right art style will pair perfectly with your script and grab the attention of your audience.
We love working with our clients to discuss options, send samples, and help guide you to choosing the perfect art style for your project.
by Curtis Pace | Feb 2, 2016 | animated doodle videos, animated explainer video, Animated Whiteboard Videos, Explainer Video, explanation animation
Explainer Videos Your Key to Unlocking Success
Explainer videos are an indispensable ingredient in presenting your brand or organization. Whether you’re a start-up company, a big name corporation, or a non-profit organization, explainer videos are extremely useful in getting your point across.
The intention of an explainer video is to inform viewers of an idea or to explain what your product or service does.
We all know it can be hard to capture attention with dense writing, so these videos are usually fun, simplistic, upbeat and are about 2-3 minutes long.
Explainer videos are simple, easy, affordable and effective.
The entertaining nature of an explainer video makes it easier for viewers to retain the information.
According to the Global Video Index of 2015, research shows that people are likely to only remember 10% of any information they hear. Yet if paired with a relevant image, they retain 65% of that same information 3 days later.
Also, a recent survey by Video Rascal shows that 85% of people are more likely the purchase a product once they view a correlating explainer video.
These are just two statistics of mounting research supporting their relevance.
Explainer videos are eye-catching, especially when found on the landing page of a website. They grab the attention of site visitors as well as Google.
Adding a video to your website increases your ranking with Google, which in turn can bring more traffic to your site. Oftentimes when a consumer seeks out to understand something new, they’ve already made the decision to purchase it.
Don’t end up scaring away potential new customers with too much text!
Reading a few paragraphs can be boring and is often skipped over for the more comfortable choice of watching a video.
More and more companies are choosing explainer videos as their elevator pitch. Some of these videos are even going viral.
While there is no proven formula to get a video to go viral, you definitely can’t achieve viral status without a video.
You’ve probably seen the Dollar Shave Club’s controversial explainer video about how – ahem – great their blades are. Currently, their video has almost 22 million views.
That is a great example of an entertaining and very memorable (to say the least) video that has been shared over all platforms of social media.
These videos are a great way to help your fans and future fans to evangelize you. Help them share your glory! Give them the content worthy of being spread to the masses and to the furthest corners of the earth.
Word of mouth advertising spreads much easier these days, so what better way to inspire your faithful followers than by giving them the exact content you want them to share?
Creating the actual content for your explainer video is up to you. Take time to really think about what you want to say, and put yourself on the other side of the screen as you write your script.
There are unlimited ways to portray your message, but remember–the simpler the better. The goal of an explainer video is to get your point across and have the viewer remember your message.
So use your imagination, have fun, and boost your online presence!
Unlock success with explainer videos today.
Thank you for reading Explainer Videos Your Key to Unlocking Success
For more information, click here.
by Curtis Pace | Jan 29, 2016 | animated doodle videos, animated doodle videos, Animated Whiteboard Videos, Hand Drawn Videos, how to make a whiteboard animation, video, Whiteboard animation, Whiteboard Video, Ydraw
Whiteboard Videos and How They Work for You!
Whiteboard videos are a dynamic marketing tool with lots of benefits. They incorporate many aspects of a traditional animated video yet they have an imaginative twist–the animation is drawn on camera as the whiteboard video progresses.
The artistic aspect of a whiteboard video has the advantage of engaging an audience in a unique way. Drawing out the message of an ad while viewers are watching helps keep them focussed intently as the point of the ad is presented. It takes more to distract a viewer who’s eyes are glued to the sometimes hypnotizing movements of a pen in hand on paper as the story and point of a video are revealed.
The creation process of whiteboard videos breaks down to the message, script, sound and animation. All of these key factors work hand in hand–no pun intended. Pinpointing the message your organization would like to share with the world is essential and guides the process.
Message: Choosing your message is relatively simple. Decide what you want your viewers to take away from the whiteboard video. The takeaway may be your organization’s values, service, or the quality of the product being marketed.
Script: Once you are confident in your message, begin writing your script. Scripting is where imagination comes in as you write your message in story form. You’ll also want to write out what is going to be drawn during the art phase.
Voice Over: Next, consider what your whiteboard video is telling viewers and then decide what kind of voice over you want to have–if any. Typically there is either one person narrating the whiteboard video or none at all.
For instance, if you are creating a video for a political campaign you may choose to use a narrator and have the Star Spangled Banner playing in the background.
If you prefer to produce a video free of narration it can be drawn and animated to music as words pop on or are being written out on camera. Your audience doesn’t necessarily have to hear spoken words to get your message.
Animation: When your script is finalized and you are ready to step into the wild world of animation, the sky is the limit. Use your imagination and have fun with it!
As most of us are visual learners, the whiteboard video style of drawn out animation helps us grasp the message(s). It is truly an art form and can translate your message into something exciting and fun. Just as children love cartoons, grown-ups are still captivated by animation.
Financially speaking, creating a whiteboard video advertisement is very economical. Compared to a typical television commercial there are overall lower production costs.
Because whiteboard videos are produced for the internet, there is an added aspect of consumer sharing.This means that your whiteboard video can be shared between internet users via social media and is, in a sense, a form of word of mouth advertising.
Choosing a whiteboard video as a way to advertise has many benefits and is an excellent way to promote brand awareness.
There are many platforms where you can launch your whiteboard video including the landing page of your website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email blasts, etc.
Enjoy the creative process and add whiteboard animation to your brand marketing.
Try using a whiteboard video for your business today.
If you want to know more about Whiteboard videos click here post.
by Jace Vernon | Jul 9, 2013 | animated doodle videos, animated doodle videos, animated explainer video, Animated Whiteboard Videos, Animation Video, dry erase board animation, Explainer Video, scribed video, video, Video Scribing, Whiteboard animation, Whiteboard Video
5 Government scandals you didn’t realize involved whiteboard animation
Because whiteboard animation is a relatively new internet sensation, it would make sense to blame video scribing for the trouble our country keeps getting into. You thought it was the Obama administration, didn’t you?
Here are 5 surprising ways in which whiteboard animation has played a hefty part in the latest US scandals:
1. NSA
Americans everywhere were outraged when news of the National Security Administration’s sifting through private emails and phone calls reached their ears. There are many rumors circulating about why the NSA felt the need to invade civilian privacy – but only one is true. And that is that James Clapper’s nephew’s girlfriend had told everyone at a family Christmas party how much more business her mother was able to generate by purchasing a whiteboard advertising video and hosting it online. Unfortunately for Clapper, and ultimately America, he had never heard of whiteboard video before and was simply trying to find a way to learn more. He figured the best way to do that was to listen up on millions of internet-surfing Americans to see if he could piece together bits of information and finally figure out what whiteboard explainer videos are all about.
2. IRS Scandal
Let’s not be hasty in blaming poor old Lois Lerner for the recent IRS party-targeting debacle. No, let’s do – because she can’t possibly blame her viewing of a whiteboard video wherein a little girl and her mother were having a tea party for a scandal like that. Mommy issues can be resolved with the help of a good therapist, and she definitely could have afforded one.
3. GSA Conference Fiasco
The lavish GSA conference held in Las Vegas is said to have excessively spent on ultra-fancy suits, gourmet dining and no doubt all the call girls $800,000+ will buy. But what the GSA is unwilling to admit is the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent actually went toward producing and viewing some of the most hilarious whiteboard animation videos known to man. Including the infamous Star Trek parody, which was so funny they laughed themselves sick – or maybe it was just the memory of the $50,187 that was spent on producing the video that upset their fragile stomachs. Either way, Martha Johnson had apparently developed an unhealthy obsession with explainer videos, and used the conference as a way to get her fellow employees hooked – thereby putting an end to any and all teasing and “whiteboard fetish” remarks around the office. I mean, what would you do in a situation like that?
Sadly, those hilarious whiteboard videos will never be seen by anyone else, because they were soon after destroyed by sheer embarrassment and shame. After all, that money could have paid the welfare of almost 900 Californians for a month!
4. Rising National Debt
Because Martha and President Obama have gotten together to play crazy eights every Tuesday night since his inauguration, it was only a matter of time before Barack developed a fascination with whiteboard animation, too. After billions of dollars were spent without reason Americans became suspicious. Some would have started questioning their own political moral codes if it hadn’t been for all the focus they put towards lobbying for Green Energy and Obamacare – which as it turns out are just excuses for him to develop more explainer videos – because producing whiteboard marketing videos is what he wants to do when he grows up.
5. Politicians Exempt from Personal Responsibility
Politicians across the nation say whiteboard videos are so engrossing that they can’t help but do whatever they are told while watching. A whiteboard video’s call to action is simply non-ignorable. Any self-exemption from responsibility by a politician can almost always be traced back to viewing a whiteboard marketing video, and statistics have shown this to likely be 100% true.
Well, now you know. America is on the path that it is because of whiteboard animation videos. Now, you can either be offended and turn to the streets to protest, or you can recognize the kind of great things whiteboard video can do for your business and jump on board the gravy train.
by Jace Vernon | May 30, 2013 | animated doodle videos, animated explainer video, Animated Whiteboard Videos, Animation Video, Creative Marketing, dry erase board animation, Explainer Video, Hand Drawn Videos, les olson, Marketing, video, Video Marketing, Video Scribing, Whiteboard animation, Whiteboard Video, Ydraw
An Insignificantly Significant Testimonial
TRUE STORY: The other day I was at my mom’s house and she was watching TV. During the commercial break, there was an ad for the Les Olson Company that was made using whiteboard animation. My mom (who doesn’t know a whole lot about what I do) was watching with wonder when she exclaimed “I’ve seen those kind of videos, but none of them have ever been like that!” Of course, she was referring to how well done and professionally made the whiteboard video ad was, and after I told her that it was a Ydraw video, she remained amazed. Apparently she didn’t realize she had ties to such a fantastic company with such outstanding products – it was a lot to handle, as you can imagine. So there you have it, even a civilian can see the difference.
There’s a reason that Ydraw is at the top of whiteboard animation companies. With the great writing, fantastic art, and incredible editors that compile it all together, we truly make a video worth watching and yes, being amazed by. Don’t just take one mom’s insignificantly significant testimonial though, check out the Les Olson video for yourself. We bet your mom would love it too.
You can see the difference too – watch it. Les Olson Whiteboard Video
Don’t you think Ydraw ought to be doing your whiteboard ad? Contact us today to find out more information on whiteboard animation videos, video scribing videos, explainer videos, cutout videos, 2D and 3D videos, and the list goes on and on.
We have no shortage of options for you and your company or product, and we would love to help you market it better. We care about you, our customer, and want to make sure you have the best advertising available to use towards your advantage.
+Jessica Anderson
