NEW
MEDIA
by
Richard Rownak
Photography & Art for a visual hungry world
Conceptualizing New Media
Theories can help define and characterize new media. In the book New Media,
1740–1915, media is examined as “a cultural process that involves
not only the actual transmission of information but also the ritualized
collocation of senders and recipients,” according to editors Lisa
Gitelman and Geoffrey Pingree. Thus, new media reflects societal values
and societal transformation.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that animation is one of the
most dynamic and fastest-growing industries in the world. Having been
firmly associated with entertainment for years, recently it has been making
inroads into other areas, including advertising, marketing, and interactive
experiences, to name a few. In today’s digital world, it would be
a mistake for marketers to neglect such a development. In this article,
we’ll look at some of the most important animation trends for 2018-2019
that you should look for.
1.
3D CGI is gradually losing its popularity
There isn’t much to back this up yet, so you may well be skeptical,
but we believe that 3D CGI finally started to lose its appeal after twenty
years of being mainstream. 3D CGI in its modern form was almost single-handedly
created by Pixar in the 90’s, and most studios have been trying
it since then (perhaps with the exception of Japanese ones that have always
constituted a category of their own), doing their best to work in the
same vein. Considering the popularity of this style, results have been
surprisingly bland, and the dominance of Pixar look over the industry
made it look clichéd and repetitive.
Currently, 2D CGI animation tools have caught up and overtaken 3D in terms of quality. Taking into account that 2D animation is much more diverse and allows more space for experimentation and personal style, we are likely to see the use of 3D animation dropping. For marketers, this means it may be a good idea to concentrate your efforts and attention on 2D animation when developing your marketing materials.
2.
Whiteboard animation
Whiteboard animation is nothing new – in fact, it is the oldest
type of animation. However, in the past year, it has become widespread
in the marketing segment due to the development of easy-to-use, powerful
tools that make it accessible even for those with no background in animation.
This trend is likely to continue to grow over at least the next couple
of years.
Whiteboard animation is especially useful for marketers because it makes for excellent explainer videos and is very easy to get into – just install the necessary software, find a comprehensive guide, spend a couple of hours studying it, and you can produce simple, effective whiteboard animations.
3.
YouTube is getting less friendly to animated content
YouTube is becoming less friendly to animation, and placing it there—and
only there—risks putting yourself at the mercy of constantly changing
YouTube algorithms. At any given moment, you may be one change away from
losing all your traffic, which is could be disastrous for marketers. Fortunately,
YouTube no longer singlehandedly dominates the market, and there are alternatives
such as Vimeo available.
4.
Motion graphics
Motion graphics is also gaining popularity. The software automatically
creates intermediary positions to form an illusion of movement, so the
objects you create appear to be moving instead of just changing several
positions on the screen. The advantage of this type of animation is that
it isn’t purely cartoon-like and can use many different types of
imagery, from human-like characters to letters to infographics. It makes
for attractive, vibrant, and informative videos.
5.
AR/VR
Although AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) technologies
have been around for some time, but only in the past few years have they
started to become available for mainstream use. Only the most innovative
companies use these technologies to date because they require considerable
investment and expertise. Nevertheless, they can create immersive and
fascinating stories. AR and VR have the power to draw clients to your
campaign and make you a trendsetter in your industry – they may
present an opportunity you cannot afford to neglect.
6.
Animated Web series
Web series have been on the rise for the last five years or so, and as
production technologies get more and more available to average notebooks
users, they are shifting from entertainment to the advertising industry.
Many brands today are creating animated web series that relate to the
business they run. If series are amusing and compelling, current and potential
customers will come back to watch new episodes, establishing closer, more
human relationships with brands.
Animation technology is undergoing rapid change right now, with innovative technologies such as 360-degree videos finding their way into production and altering the industry landscape. How you will use these technologies may vary, but the key is to look for opportunities and adopt new trends before they become mainstream.
For
more on marketing strategies, see How Technology Enhances The Customer
Experience.
https://www.digitalistmag.com/customer-experience/2018/08/03/new-trends-in-animation-what-they-mean-for-marketers-06181420