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It’s 2016 (almost 2017!) and I still read books and magazines. I take down notes on a pad of paper. I draw and paint with real physical tools rather than a tablet. I play vinyl records. I cook and make bread and pasta from scratch and by hand… I could go on (I’ll spare you). Why would I do any of those things when machines could make it so much quicker and easier? I’m not afraid of advancements in technology (the reason many stick to out of date practices). The reason is that I spend most of my working days in front of monitors using animation software and looking at a phone or tablet screen. Now, I adore my job and wouldn’t ever want to do anything else professionally but when I’m not working I want to do something completely different. And whatever I end up doing to pass the time, I don’t want it to resemble work. I want a contrast.

When we’re creating animated video content for, let’s say a finance company or a government agency we will usually be told something similar to this:

The people who will be watching this video are very serious professionals who work in finance so we can’t attempt to be funny or entertaining. The animation can’t be too fancy or artsy. The voice-over needs to be delivered with the utmost authority (and so on).

This is rarely the case. If a CEO at the head of a huge financial company spends all day talking numbers and staring at spreadsheets, I’m willing to bet they’d welcome a change of pace. If something comes along that doesn’t look and feel like work, it will be welcomed.

 

There’s a reason people who work in offices want nice views to look at out of their windows. They want something to make them feel less confined and they want a contrasting view to what is around them in their office environment. Workers put plants in their work space for similar reasons – the contrast of something natural. What I’m saying is, if you ask us to make sure the video camouflages perfectly with what the client is used to seeing day in and day out, they will likely find it mundane. It’d be like putting a mirror over the window or replacing the potted plant with a filing cabinet. More than that, whatever it is that you’re using the video to pitch won’t be remembered. I’m not advising that you need to have an animated mouse singing about stocks and shares but pushing the envelope a little bit can be hugely advantageous. People want and take notice of contrast.

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