A good animation video is capable of grabbing our attention in a blink. However, not all animated videos have the same purpose. Creating one for educational reasons, such as eLearning or online classrooms, is not the same as any other animation. The success of an animated educational video lies in making tedious or difficult course content more enjoyable to the audience.
Where you have to educate your audience without overwhelming or boring them to death, it takes more creativity to convey concepts in a way that’s equal parts crystal-clear and captivating. That’s why it can be challenging to produce an animation video for education where the subject matter can go “in-depth” and “technical”.
If you’re interested in learning what goes into making an animated educational video, then read on!
The Power of Animated Videos for Education
Today’s students are digital natives, meaning the internet and the digital world are a staple in their lives. It also changes how they see the world, how information is accessed, and what learning means. They access more information than previous generations but without having to memorize it. The search engine is available 24×7 for their queries. Their attention spans are lower, and they take in information in short bursts. The concept of learning is evolving from the traditional ways to fit into the needs of Gen Z.
What Research Says?
There has been tons of research on how animation is better at engaging the senses and beneficial for educational purposes. A study by educational psychologist Richard Lowe through his extensive research on animations, suggested that it has the potential to serve both our cognitive function and affective function. Here affective functions refer to our motivation to learn, which is increased by the attention animation video elicits from us when it is presented in a humorous or quirky way. Cognitive function refers to clearly presenting matters or breaking down complex topics into simple ones.
How Animated Educational Videos Benefit Students?
Animate educational videos are a great learning tool for students. That’s because animation has the power to hold out attention with its moving imagery, combined with audio-visual cues to engage memory and help focus on pieces of information quickly. Hence students can benefit from animation because then they can:
- Grasp concepts better from animated videos as they direct the learner’s attention to the specific information that is highlighted
- Learn better with small bits of information provided by the videos
- It engages multiple information reception channels rather than overloading a single one.
How Animated Educational Videos Benefit Teachers?
Animated videos benefit educators, too, in the process. It is great at teaching new concepts, even reinforcing ones they have learned earlier. As they adapt to a newer generation of students, they can:
- Use animated videos for a more engaged classroom
- Save time on creating learning resources as animations support all types of learners in a single teaching aid
- It can also be used as often as needed as it is not diminished with use.
The Process of Making Animated Educational Videos
If you consider using animated videos in your teaching process, here is how you can do it.
Identify the goal and purpose
The first step would be to identify what you are trying to convey through the video. Are you trying to simplify a concept? Are you trying to make engaging content out of a long history lesson? Are you making a learning guide for complex problem-solving? Once you lay down your goal and purpose, the rest of the processes become more evident.
Create the video script
The script is the most integral part of any video. It is the written form of what is to be on the video. It contains the visual and audio aspects of the final video. This will give all those involved in the process a clearer vision of what is being made. In the case of an animated educational video, the language used is simple and student-friendly. This is the basic outline of your video in its simplest form.
Develop your storyboard
The storyboard is where you flesh out your outline. This is where you add the creative elements to your video. This is a necessary part of the process as you cannot work with a script alone and think of the finer details as you go along. Your storyboard includes the details of every shot, the elements of every scene, the transitions, and the aspects of the audio, like the music, tone of the audio, etc. Being ready with it ahead of time gives you a greater advantage in fine-tuning the details and improving your video.
Decide the right animation style
Decide on the type of animation video that you want to create. Choosing one depends on what is most suited to your subject and audience. You can choose an animated typography video which is ideal for instances where the words are the focus of the video, like a speech or quote. Cartoon/2D videos are great are breaking down complex information into simpler terms and making it highly engaging for the viewer. If you are showing a lot of data and numbers, an animated infographic is the best way to not bore the audience.
Produce your animated video
This is the part where you are creating the video. You need powerful software to animate it. This is an artistic process that takes a lot of time. It is also expensive depending on the quality of the animation. You also need a good editor to edit the video once it is done.
Add voice-over, music & sound effects
Once the video is completed, it is time to add the audio. Animated videos are engaging partially due to their engaging music. Giving great music, clear and concise voice-over that syncs with the video, and sound effects to complement the video is important. Once this is done, your animated video is almost over.
Review and finalize
Now that you have your video and audio, it is time to have a rigorous review. This process trims down the extra fat, making it concise. Showing it to a couple of people can get you some feedback to help make it better. Once you are satisfied with the final work, you can publish it or use it.
Final Thoughts
An animated educational video is an excellent tool in the hands of a teacher. It is highly useful in imparting quality education to the new generation of students. This article covered some of the significant aspects of what goes into creating one. Now that you know how you can start your venture of making one.
However, it is not as easy as it seems. It requires expertise, a lot of equipment, and time to create one from scratch. If you require professional assistance, you can choose from professional animated video production companies like Cinimage to help you. At Cinimage, we have the best animators with the best equipment to create unique animated videos. You can rely on our expertise as we handle the hassles, and you sit back and relax. Reach out to us to get started on your first animation video.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best software for making educational videos?
You can use video creation software to make your videos, but no matter how good they are, nothing beats the creativity, expertise, and experience of a team of production and post-production specialists.
- What is the best way to make educational videos?
You can create one on your own, but the best way is to rely on a professional animation service like Cinimage.
- How do you make an animated educational video for kids?
You can create one with proper planning, scripting, storyboarding, and editing to complement your production process.
- How do you record educational videos on YouTube?
You can use a professional camera or your phone camera to record a video. To make professional videos, you can rely on professionals like Cinimage.
