Today is Love a Tree Day! Of all the obscure days in May, this may be our favourite. Plus, it’s a great excuse to do a case study on a client we’ve worked with on a couple of occasions. In 2016, Key West Video created an animated piece to tell the public all about Tree Canada.
Animation Grows Understanding
Animation is often used for explainer videos. They’re a great way to visually engage the audience while explaining what a company is all about. It’s easier to convey abstract concepts with animation and no shooting is necessary. And aside from the voice-over, all sorts of things can be implied or stated with imagery and text.
Colour Conveys Mood
The video starts in black-and-white. As the voice-over talks about how trees clean the air we breathe, the video changes to colour. The featured car also stops spewing black exhaust in exchange for a smaller volume of lighter-coloured exhaust. The darkness represents a compromised environment while the colourful world represents a healthy environment.
Background
As the car continues to travel along the road, the background of the video changes. As the video becomes colour, the scenery goes from urban to natural. Foliage and wildlife appear as the voice-over talks about the positive impact of trees. Using animation makes it easy to change the background to align with the script and we see rain, a for sale sign and a school.
Characters
There are three characters in the car at the beginning of the video. As the piece progresses, we learn that each person helps represent a Tree Canada program. When Tree Canada is introduced, the music changes and we soon hear about the first highlighted program: Greening Canada’s School Grounds. The first character, a young student, exits the car at the school. We continue to hear more about sponsored programs as the car pulls up to a hospital and the next character, a nurse, gets out. This time, the graphics Community Greening Initiative appear on-screen. The driver continues on while a third graphic appears: Operation ReLeaf. By the time the driver exits the car, the viewer has a clear idea of what Tree Canada is all about.
Graphics
The video takes a short interlude to speak about further programs and initiatives without the use of characters. We see more graphics, highlighting Tree Canada’s community involvement. The ever-changing visuals keep the viewer interested while supporting the important information provided by the voice-over.
End Page
The last page of a video is commonly referred to as an end page. This is where you most often find a Call to Action INTERNAL LINK and are provided with ways to act or get more information. We have one more look at our characters in a mixed urban-suburban environment before we ask the viewer to get involved and providing Tree Canada’s website.
Recap
In less than ninety seconds, we were able to explain Tree Canada, showcase their vision and talk about some of the non-profit’s initiatives. The viewer is informed and also knows where to get further details. If you think an animated explainer could be good for your business, call Key West Video today for a free quote.
