Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to scroll through your feed without running into a video. That’s because 89% of businesses now use videos to promote their products and services, according to data from Wyzol—and for good reason.
Videos are one of the most effective ways to boost brand awareness, engagement, and sales. But before diving into production, you’ll need to decide whether to bring your message to life through animation or live action videos.
Importance of Creating Videos for Your Business
If videos aren’t part of your marketing yet, here’s why it’s time to consider making it a priority:
1. Boosts Engagement and Captures Attention Online
Our brains are wired to respond to sound and motion—everything a video brings. It’s probably why people are often more drawn to videos than static content, such as texts.
2. Improves SEO Performance and Website Traffic
Search engines like Google favour websites with video. Adding one to your page can bump up rankings and bring in more traffic.
3. Builds Stronger Brand Recall and Emotional Connection
Text informs, but video uses sound, visuals, and storytelling to bring your message to life. Tapping into emotions and creating a more immersive experience makes it easier for people to remember your brand and trust what it stands for.
4. Increases Conversion Rates for Products/Services
Videos don’t just explain—they show. That can give potential customers the clarity and confidence they need to take the next step. In fact, studies have shown that adding a video to your landing page can boost conversions by up to 80%.
5. Effectively Simplifies and Communicates Complex Information
Videos break down complex ideas into simple, visual stories—making it easier for audiences to understand.
6. Highly Shareable Content for Wider Reach
What makes video so shareable isn’t just its format—it’s how it sparks emotion, delivers value, or tells a story worth passing on. Research has even revealed that videos are shared 1,200% more than text and images combined.
What is a Live Action Video?
Live action videos are created using real people, real settings, and real objects—basically anything captured through a camera lens without digital animation. It’s the go-to format when brands want to communicate real experiences, emotions, and credibility.
This video style is ideal for heartfelt testimonials, product demos, brand stories, and company culture videos, where human presence helps convey tone, intent, and genuine emotion.
Pros and Cons of Live Action Videos
Pros:
- Connects with Viewers On an Emotional Level: Real people and real settings often feel more familiar and authentic—making it easier for viewers to relate than abstract or stylised animation.
- Perfect for Showcasing Your Product: Seeing the actual product in action helps viewers clearly visualise its purpose and benefits.
- Great When You’re Racing the Clock: Need content fast? Live action footage is often quicker to produce than creating animated visuals from scratch.
- Professional with a Personal Touch: Real people delivering the message on camera convey professionalism and intent more clearly than animated avatars, making the message feel both credible and personal.
- Adds Personality to Your Message: Unlike stylised animation, live action conveys personality through actual human presence—voice, tone, expressions, and environment all work together to create an authentic impression.
Cons:
- Can Be Costlier to Produce: Live action videos often require hiring actors, renting filming equipment, and securing shooting locations—which can quickly increase production costs.
- Less Room to Tweak Later: Once it’s filmed, making big changes can be tricky without reshoots—unlike animation, where edits are more flexible.
- Needs a Controlled Setup: To look professional, everything from lighting to background has to align perfectly, or it can throw off the entire shot.
- Scheduling Can Be a Puzzle: Coordinating shoot dates with your team, cast, and location access can be challenging.
What’s Animation?
Animation brings ideas to life through digitally created visuals—like moving icons, illustrated characters, or stylised text in 2D or 3D. Without the need for cameras or actors, it offers complete creative control, making it a flexible and visually engaging way to communicate your message with style.
Pros and Cons of Animation
Pros:
- Explains with Visual Ease: Got a complicated idea? Animation helps simplify it by turning dense information into clear, easy-to-understand visuals.
- Unlimited Creative Freedom: No need to scout locations or hire actors—if you can imagine it, you can animate it. Flying cats? Talking toast? You got it.
- Easier (and Cheaper) to Change: Need to tweak a scene or update info? No reshoots are required—just swap in new animated visuals or voice overs without starting from scratch.
- Keeps Branding On Point: Animation gives you full control over colours, fonts, tone, and style—so every frame can reflect your brand’s identity. It’s easier to stay consistent and recognisable, no matter the message.
- Skip the On-Set Stress: No permits, no weather delays, no sick actors. Animation skips the usual production challenges and lets you work on your own timeline.
Cons:
- May Lack Connection: Animation can be engaging, but sometimes you need a real face or voice to spark that emotional connection.
- Takes Time to Get Just Right: Basic animations can be quick, but more detailed styles—like character movement or 3D effects—often require extra time and rounds of edits to look polished.
- Requires Design Expertise: Animation takes skill. You’ll need someone familiar with animation tools and techniques, especially for styles that involve characters, motion graphics, or visual effects.
- Not for Every Brand or Message: Some messages need a human touch or real-world demo to land. Animation might feel too abstract if your brand relies on physical products or face-to-face experiences.
- Can Feel Less Personal: Without real people on screen, the content can feel more like a presentation than something directed at the viewer.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Live Action Videos and Animations
Your brand, audience, and message all play a part in steering the creative direction.
1. Brand Image
What vibe are you going for? Your video’s tone should reflect your brand—whether that’s polished and professional or playful and imaginative.
2. Target Audience
Think about who’s watching. Different demographics engage with different styles, and knowing what resonates helps guide your visual storytelling.
3. Budget
What’s your spending range? Consider your willingness to invest in gear, talent, or design—some formats demand more resources than others.
4. Message Complexity
If your topic is technical or abstract, visual support can help. Decide whether live action adds clarity through human interaction—or if animation is better for breaking things down creatively.
5. Production Timeline
How fast do you need it? Consider deadlines, team availability, and revision time—some formats are speedier but trickier to coordinate.
6. Distribution Platform
Different platforms attract different audiences. A LinkedIn viewer may expect a more professional tone, while a TikTok scroller might prefer something quick, visual, and creatively attention-grabbing.
Live Action vs Animation: Which Should You Choose?
So, how do you choose between live action and animation? It all comes down to what you’re trying to achieve.
If your goal is to build trust, showcase real people, or highlight a physical product, live action videos may be the better fit. On the other hand, if you’re explaining complex ideas, working with abstract concepts, or want more creative freedom, animation could serve you better.
Ultimately, think about your message, your audience, and your timeline—then pick the video format that best delivers your story.
Lights, Camera, or Animation? Let’s Roll.
So, are you going with live action videos or animation? No matter your direction, Aww Media can help.
Through our professional advertising and social media video production services, we’ve partnered with numerous brands across industries to create compelling marketing content—from eye-catching 2D animations that simplify complex ideas to dynamic live action promos that bring your brand’s personality to the spotlight.
Reach out to our video production house in Singapore today to kickstart your next marketing video project.
