Last Updated on April 13, 2022
Remember when you were a child and you got to dig around in the cereal boxes for a toy or surprise? Back then, you could always count on something good coming from a box. But when it comes to getting the best bang for the buck regarding software, sometimes it is best to look “outside the box.” This means searching for a solution that is custom-made to fit your business needs and the needs of your customers.Some people turn to custom-made software for this solution while others focus on the process of writing a script that will result in the best explainer video. Then they try to produce it themselves.
Do you have an explainer video that you are using for your brand online? If not, you should seriously consider creating one or having one made. Video has the power to reach people that normal text cannot do and helps you to build hype for your brand with the visual medium.
It is a proven fact that having animated explainer videos for your products can increase your sales by 65-84%. It’s also statistically proven that your open rates for emails increase by as much as 200% when you have a video link in your email.
With all of this evidence of the success of explainer videos, you’ll want to invest in an explainer of your own to help your business grow. But should you use OTB (out-of-box) software to create designs or hire a custom designer for your animated video production?
This is a question that is not just asked by business owners or digital media creators. It’s a question that is pondered by anyone who wants to create some digital asset that requires specialized engineering or certain characteristics to create it.
What is Out-of-box Software?
An out-of-the-box software is readily available from a variety of vendors. You can purchase a CD-rom based software online that allows you to create videos by using their preformatted program. If you choose to do this, you will have a ready-made platform to set up and render your explainer video using a relatively simple system.
Minimal skill is required when it comes to learning the technical aspects of a program such as GoAnimate.com, Rawshorts.com, or similar products. All of these programs allow you to create an animated video that can include characters, props, and even speaking dialogue. You can move the characters around to different places on the “stage,” change and create new environments and write scripts that the actors will “act out” before your eyes.
This kind of software is unique and creative, and it does allow a certain amount of creative thought. Despite that fact, it is relatively easy to use and manipulate and lets you be the director in every way.
Using this type of animation software is a “quick fix,” when it comes to creating original content. There are, however, a few drawbacks to using this type of software.
Disadvantages to Out-of-Box Software Solutions
1. You are limited to the platforms that you are working on. If you decide you want to do something that the platform or software does not allow, you will not be able to do it.
2. You may be limited by license regulations. If you create your animations from scratch, you own the copyright automatically. But if you use the platform or software of an animation company, you are restricted to abiding by the requirements of that platform or business who owns the software license. They may also limit the type of video files that you may produce the file to or require you to pay exorbitant licensing fees to sell or create videos under their copyright. You might also be limited on how much or where you can place the video content once you create it.
3. It may be recognizable to other business owners. When you use a specific software to create your animated video, the technology may be utilized by a wide variety of people. Therefore, the results could be similar to videos that others create. To avoid this, you may want to opt for having a professional designer create your video instead.
What about custom software?
Another solution is to have a custom software created for the purposes that you want to use it for. In this case, you are wanting to create video content or animations. So you would need to ask a custom software designer to create a software that would allow you to create animations in a unique way. However, custom software is very expensive and it is usually reserved for software that has to do with the maintenance or operations of your site or online eCommerce site, rather than as a media creation solution.
However, there are software engineers who can create virtually any type of software, so it doesn’t hurt to ask around if you want to do it this way.
Pre-boxed software vs. Custom Software or Custom Video Design
This is not to say that there is not some value in pre-boxed software. Sometimes some outstanding features are included with both boxed software and online animation creation programs. But you will need to think more creatively when using these programs so that your brand and your video stand out amid the other thousands of users who may have access to the same programs.
Benefits of Using a Custom Designer
Software engineering aside, the video should be the focus of your project. If you choose to use a custom video designer, there are many advantages that you may obtain from going this route. First, they will create a custom-made video that is like no other. It usually will reflect your brand and your ideas much better than using a platform that does not understand the nuances of your brand.
Total Creative Freedom
When you hire a custom designer to create your animated explainer video, you are freeing yourself of any restraints that boxed or online software may pose on you. You can communicate to your design team exactly what you want, and they can create it according to your specifications.
Having a custom designer working on your videos also allows you to ask for revisions or changes as you see fit and make modifications to your job. There is also no limit on how you can use your custom designed video, once it is created.
Check with the policies of your custom designer or video animation specialist when you are shopping around for a custom video design specialist. Some video animation specialists are freelance video producers while others are animators or designers from the film or commercial ads industry. Shop around until you find a design team that can meet the needs of your business, in case you want to use them again in the future.
It’s important to be clear on what you want when you start to create your animated video. Good communication with your design team or freelance designer can save a lot of time down the road.
Choose a design team that listens to your needs and works hard to deliver what you want and need for your business.
To create a purposeful video, know what the purpose is for your video before you start consulting with a designer. If you are not sure what the purpose is, that’s okay. A creative design team can help you fine-tune your strategy to fit the needs of your business.
Animated Video is Better than Any Design Software
If you decided to do it yourself when creating your animated explainer video, that’s fine. Look around and shop for the best software or online platform to do the job. Chances are, you may be able to find the right platform or software system that can get the job done. However, just remember that for truly original, unique, and custom-made animated corporate videos, you need to “do it from scratch.”
This means hiring a professional custom video team that understands the importance of creating a unique, well-thought-out animation video that will appeal to your target audience.
If you need help knowing where to start to create your custom-designed video, contact us for a free quote. We’ll get started right away to figure out which type of animation will work best for your explainer video.
We’ll talk with you about your business, get to know what makes your customers tick, and create a unique explainer that will get the attention of your target audience. And that, you cannot get from a box!
