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whiteboard animation

Whiteboard animation is an important tool in corporate video production. You’ve probably seen the format that looks like a disembodied hand creating pictures on a white background. It’s a clever way of making images appear as if they’re being drawn as you watch the story unfold.

A Little History

Whiteboard animation is a type of stop-motion illustration at its core. The original format uses a camera positioned overhead while an illustrator draws on a whiteboard. Pictures are taken at regular intervals and then stitched together to show the illustrations flowing smoothly and quickly. Most contemporary whiteboards used in corporate video production call on software to make this process a lot less time-consuming and more affordable.

Whiteboard Animation Software

Don’t let the use of software fool you—the illustrations in whiteboard are first hand-drawn by an artist. There may also be some clip art involved, but there is actually drawing required. At Key West Video, our lead animator draws images digitally in Illustrator and then uses VideoScribe to animate the hand-drawing. As a hand flows across the page, you see her illustrations appear as if she’s drawn them in real time.

There’s also an editing component to whiteboards. The animator uses transitions, zooms, fades and other effects to progress from scene to scene.  We use Adobe After Effects to time out the video and add these effects. Then the voice-over, music and sound effects are added to round out the video.

Whiteboard Advantages

Using any kind of animation for a corporate video has its advantages, and whiteboard animation is a real crowd pleaser! The constantly changing visuals hold a viewer’s attention and there’s a casual, fun vibe that lends warmth to the piece. This type of illustration is generally straightforward and easy to digest, too.

Because a whiteboard animation is shown from a first-person perspective, it makes the viewer feel involved; almost as if they’re doing the drawing themselves. The same technique is used in popular cooking videos such as those made by Tasty.

Whiteboard animation also works because your mind intuitively wants to see what’s being drawn. You crave that completion. Your brain is trying to anticipate the outcome because we have active, predictive brains.

A Great Option

Whiteboard animations are a great introduction to corporate video. If you need a tool to quickly and easily explain your product or service, this is the way to go. Call us today for a free quote.

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