Footage or Animation Style Videos: Which is Better?

Video marketing has become an essential component for many businesses as audiences now consume the majority of their information and impressions about brands through visuals. Two of the most popular styles of videos are live footage and animation, otherwise known as motion graphics.

What are Footage Videos?

Footage videos, similar to professional scripted videos, generally involve creating a script and traveling to a set location to capture the action or energy of the subject and possibly conducting on site interviews. By contrast, animation videos are built from scratch and tend to be lighter and more playful but can still be an elegant and impactful form of video content, according to Todd Phillips, Vice-President and Editorial Director of Universus.

He says that some businesses, “prefer animated videos because it’s possible to create relationships between objects that may not normally exist and there is more ability to play around with abstractions.” He also notes that some concepts can be otherwise difficult or expensive to explain with footage videos. For others, he acknowledges footage and professional scripted videos are a better option. “It really depends on the audience and where you want them to see your video. You have to make sure the videos are self-aware and in context. It all depends on the brand message and customer.”

Is Professional Scripted Video or Animated Video Better for My Business?

For businesses trying to decide which type of video is best, Chris Morris, Supervisor of Video Editing and Motion Graphics at Universus, advises, “I would consider what the brand is first. There’s a fancifulness to animation that might not work for some clients, but there’s also a lot that can be done with animated text, Kinetic text, interesting things just showing text. Sometimes you can’t get access to certain assets to shoot them so the animation is helpful.” He also adds that motion graphics are not necessarily more expensive when considering experiences such as a city shoot with footage video where blocking off traffic and additional costly elements start to add up.

Deciding whether to use a footage video vs. an animated video truly all depends on specific needs and budget. The team at Universus would be happy to chat with you further about your story to see which style works best for your vision. Contact our team to learn more about our footage and animated videos and see what our team can do for you!


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