Animation VS Live Action Footage

At Gillespie Productions, we help businesses create videos that share their vision, identity, and passion with the world. We combine our years of experience in corporate communications and broadcast journalism with a deep knowledge of filmmaking and editing. It means we can create videos with purpose and help businesses attract new audiences.

What Is Live Action and What Is Animation?

The difference between animation and live action films is quite simple. Animation refers to the use of images and drawings that are digitally manipulated to move – in other words, a cartoon. Live action film, however, is footage taken in real life using cameras. At Gillespie Productions, we use live action films to help businesses share their vision with the world and reach new customers. However, there are reasons why people choose animation in certain videos over the regular video footage.

Live Action vs Animation: Pros and Cons

Will you choose live action or animation? Let’s take a look at some pros and cons that might help you decide.

Live Action

Pros:

• Live action footage is more authentic and directly related to your business. It is an opportunity to show the world what it’s like working at your company, to give a voice to people who work with you or for you, and to show your product to potential buyers.
• This kind of filming can also be quicker to produce than animation, which often requires extensive programming and editing to get right.
• Live action footage can even be done live, meaning you can create quality videos of live events that can be shared with viewers all over the world.

Cons:

• Filming can be difficult if not handled by professionals. Choosing the right shots, having the right equipment, and ensuring the film appears authentic can be tough without help.
• Live action films also require extensive preparation. Known as “pre-production,” this process involves coming up with an idea, finding the right people to appear in the video, choosing shooting locations, and more. This process is best handled by professionals.

Animation

Pros:

• With animation, you don’t need to find a filming location…or a cameraman. You can come up with an idea, and once you find an animator and an artist, the animation can be created in exactly the way you imagine it.
• Animation can portray simple ideas easily and help keep people focused when listening to audio instructions.
• Animation can be updated over time, if necessary, meaning you don’t need to film something entirely new.  

Cons:

• Animation can feel inauthentic and generic. The animation doesn’t give an authentic view of your company or your brand and may be better suited for instructional videos.
• Animation can also be costly and complicated, requiring the expertise of both an artist and an animator.

Which Should You Choose for Your Project?

So, which one is right for you? Our advice would be that simple explainer videos could be suited to animation, but that live action filming is far superior for most other kinds of videos. At Gillespie Productions, we produce brand videos that reflect your story. We use testimonials to share the experience of your customers, clients, and employees. B-roll footage of your office or workplace keeps people engaged and interested in seeing what you do, and our quality video production means that every video is broadcast quality.

Wisconsin’s Video Production Experts

Gillespie Productions is always happy to discuss your needs and learn about your business. It means we can become an integral part of your team, working with you regularly to create videos that expand your brand.

Want to find out more about how our video production services can improve your company’s online reach, generate sales, and share your vision with the world? Call today on (920) 857-2224 and contact us!