There are 30.6 million mobile phone users in Canada. With 37.1 million people in the country, that means about 82% of our population has a cell phone. It also means that it’s not unusual for us to get a request to make a video that either includes or is based on cell phone use. Today’s blog looks at five Key West Video projects that feature mobile phone animation.
Tami Edu
In late 2015, client Tami Smart City Tech asked us to make a video to promote Tami Edu. This “mobile first app platform” was designed to appeal to teachers, parents, and principals. This app targets busy professionals and characters are shown throughout the video using their phones in a variety of situations. With scripting that says “quick, painless, on-the-go”, we reinforce the idea that this app is providing convenience through mobile phone animation.
By animating this promo, we could literally show app features and figuratively show the advantages of using Tami Edu. The first time the app is mentioned, we see a cell phone that shows only the logo. Later in the video, we see things like a heart icon and a checklist. None of these things would actually appear on-screen for a user, but we’re able to represent use features this way. The viewer doesn’t take the on-screen references as literal representations but instead understands that app capabilities are being explored.
Crosslinx aCross Town App
If you live in the Toronto area, you know all about the Eglinton Crosstown transit project. Due to open in 2021, construction started in 2011 and anyone traveling in the area knows it can be a hassle. Client Crosslinx wanted to address the related traffic issues by introducing a free app. In late 2016, we worked on a mobile phone animation for an app meant to placate GTA travelers by helping them navigate the construction.
This video is a combination of animation and graphics. Although the hand holding the phone and the phone itself are both animated, the information appearing on the screen is graphics-based. Because the bulk of this video is an explainer on how to use the aCrosstown app, it’s useful to most closely represent the images and icons a user would see. The video walks the audience through using the two mobile phone modes: drive and transit.
Mosino
Our first two examples are about apps, but our next client offers something a little different. As an all-in-one hospitality platform, Mosino can be accessed and used via mobile, tablet, and tv. This video, which includes mobile phone animation, was created in late 2017. The target market is hotels and resorts, but Mosino’s applications are demonstrated by using a guest’s point-of-view. Using her phone and tablet, guest “Karen” navigates her stay through the Mosino app.
Once again, this is a video that uses an animated character and phone combined with in-phone graphics. We see example after example of how Karen can communicate her needs and wants to hotel staff through Mosino. From booking dinner and a massage to ordering more towels, the viewer learns how Karen’s requests trigger alerts that keep hotel staff informed and working efficiently. For most examples, we see the character engaging with her phone to demonstrate app use.
PetFast
This fall, the makers of PetFast asked us to help promote their new app. They wanted Key West Video to create two short animated pieces, aimed at different target markets. To showcase this app, the client wanted us to portray the characters using mobile phones. The world the characters inhabit is animated and what the viewer sees on the phone screen is a mix of animation and graphics. Maps, messages, and menus all helped us communicate on-screen with the audience and show what PetFast is all about. Here’s the user version:
Virtual Brokers
Virtual Brokers is an online brokerage that can certainly be accessed on your phone, but that convenience had nothing to do with using animation for this commercial. We’d worked with the client before, promoting their service with a live-action ad. This time, they wanted to use texting as a way to reach their target market of young, affluent men. They felt it was a good vehicle to speak directly to their audience in a familiar language.
Using animation enabled us to create a thirty-second commercial that would have taken much longer to play out in live action. We could speed up the text conversation, which touted the attributes of Virtual Brokers, by overlapping messages in a way that was still easy to read. The idea was to mimic a typical text exchange between two friends, complete with emojis.
Mobile Phone Animation for Your Business
Mobile phones are a big part of our everyday life, so it makes sense that we’re being asked more often to include them in our videos. If a client wants to show the specifics of an app, website, or text conversation, animation is the perfect vehicle. We can illustrate how an app will look or its functions even before it goes live. Animation also allows us to add, emphasize, or manipulate an image in whatever way works best for the client. If you have a product or service that could benefit from this kind of video, give us a call today for a free quote.
