×

Customers

USA: +1 332 2131 466

UK: +44 (0)203 603 3676

sales@voquent.com

Talent

USA: 1 332 2131 466

UK: +44 (0)203 603 3676

talent@voquent.com

Production

4 Reasons to Love Whiteboard Animation

Al Black

Al Black

21 January 2020

4 Reasons to Love Whiteboard Animation - Voquent

So, you want to learn how to change a tyre or review a product before you buy – what do you look for?

A video of course!

Most of us prefer to watch a video over reading the same content in text form. It’s no surprise when we can absorb information much faster in the video, and they’re more engaging.

However, there are lots of different types of video, and they each have various benefits. 

We hear directly from the team at VideoScribe about why whiteboard animations are so effective, when to use them and how to easily create your own. 

 

What is whiteboard animation?

Whiteboard animation is essentially a style of video that creates the illusion of images and words drawing themselves to build a story on a white or whiteboard-style background.

Initially, these kinds of videos were hand-drawn, and individual clips of the process were edited together to make one video – if this sounds like a long process, it’s because it was! 

Thankfully now tools like VideoScribe exist, making whiteboard animations much easier to create. All you have to do is add your images and text to the canvas, add audio or a voiceover, and watch as they draw themselves like magic before your eyes. 

 

 

The benefits of whiteboard video over traditional video content

 

1. They’re captivating and more memorable.

Whiteboard animations help us process information because:

  • The combination of words and images means that we’re storing data in multiple places in our memory.
  • Animations can direct learners’ attention more easily using visual cues.
  • We can process visual information 60,000 times faster than text (Hubspot), making them very effective when you want to share information or explain complex topics in a short time frame.

 

2. They make editing a breeze

If you’ve ever tried to align a voice over with a video of that person talking, you know that getting an exact match can be tricky, time consuming and frustrating. 

The beauty of whiteboard animation is that you can easily edit the timings of your images and text to fit with your voice-over without affecting how the video plays. That means even if you’re translating your video’s voice-over into a language with longer words or sentence structures, you can easily fit the visuals around it. 

Likewise, if you get feedback from your colleagues, clients or friends that your video isn’t quite right, it’s easy to switch sections out without starting from scratch again. 

 

3.They make communicating even the most difficult topics simple

Do you ever start trying to explain a concept or idea and think, this would be so much easier if I could draw it?

When it comes to explaining more complicated topics, it’s often easier for your audience to understand in images. We can absorb information from images much faster than text, and when your subject is intangible, sometimes only visuals will work!

With whiteboard videos, you can use visual metaphors to pack a punch in the language your audience already understands.

Just think of the story of the tortoise and the hare. Most of us will know that the moral of the story is to take a slow and steady approach to success.

But how much faster would you get that message if we just showed an image of a tortoise and a hare…

 

4.They’re accessible and easy to make in minutes!

Whiteboard videos overcome a lot of the barriers associated with traditional video. For one, you don’t need high-tech lights or backgrounds as you do with talking head videos.

There’s also no need to use lots of different complicated editing tools. With whiteboard animation, you only need one tool with all the images, music and text options you need. That means that even if you’re short on time, creating professional-looking videos is a breeze!

 

Create whiteboard animations in minutes with VideoScribe

VideoScribe is your one-stop shop for a whiteboard animation. We pride ourselves on helping you create professional-looking videos in minutes. Here’s how you do it:

 

Step 1: Start with your script.

Every successful video starts with a strong script that gets to the heart of your audience’s problem or desire. Consider how long you want your video to be depending on where it will be shown, and then start piecing your messaging together. Keep in mind:

  • What do you want your audience to leave knowing or feeling?
  • What do they already know, relate to, or understand that you can use to get them nodding in agreement?
  • What action do you want your audience to take after watching your video?

 

Step 2: Build your storyboard.

Once you’re happy with your script, it’s time to think about the visuals. To make sure your video flows with your audio, it helps to plan it all out on a storyboard. By this, we mean chunk up your video into different scenes and indicate what images, diagrams or text you’ll need for each.

Going through this process will also help you spot any missing information or elements in your story before creating your video.

This doesn’t have to be super polished, and to save time, why not use our storyboard template that you can download for free here. 

 

Step 3: Record your voice-over.

Turn your stand out script into a captivating voice-over to start creating your whiteboard video. We recommend doing this before adding images and text, as it’s easier to add these elements in time with your voice-over rather than moving them to fit retrospectively.

We all know that audio quality affects the viewing experience, so make sure you have a good microphone and no background noise. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a specific accent or professional-quality voice-over, of course, agencies like Voquent can help!

 

Step 4: Create magic with animation.

This last step is our favorite – animation time! 

It’s at this point your whole video comes together before your eyes. Use animation to support your message and draw your audience’s eyes towards the information you want them to absorb. 

All the images and text in VideoScribe have automatic animations applied, which means you have to drag and drop them onto your canvas and hit play. However, if you want to mix things up, many other animation options depend on the effect you want to create. 

The most popular choice for whiteboard animation is, of course, a whiteboard pen drawing your video. But you can experiment with images moving in on their own or morphing from one image to another. 

If you have any questions about animated videos, you can contact the VideoScribe team on Twitter! Or to get started making your whiteboard video.

You can sign up for a seven-day free trial of VideoScribe today (no credit card required). 

 

Find Voice Talent for Explainers

Al Black

By Al Black

Al has over twenty years of experience in audiovisual translations. A Voquent co-founder, he has produced tens of thousands of voice-overs and translations for education, advertising and entertainment projects.

More from this author

What Will It Cost to Dub My Content?

Production

What Will It Cost to Dub My Content?

By Al Black

1 February 2024

Sometimes we include links to online retail stores such as Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, if you click on a link and make a
purchase, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Read more from the Voquent Blog

What Impact Are Deepfakes Having on Elections?

Ideas

What Impact Are Deepfakes Having on Elections?

By Megan MacBride

25 September 2024

Telling Stories: How Narration Enhances Media Narratives

Ideas

Telling Stories: How Narration Enhances Media Narratives

By Megan MacBride

19 September 2024

Interview: Sam Witwer from Days Gone and Star Wars

Entertainment

Interview: Sam Witwer from Days Gone and Star Wars

By Dylan de Koning

12 September 2024

The Power of Remote Collaboration in Voiceover Production

Production

The Power of Remote Collaboration in Voiceover Production

By Megan MacBride

4 September 2024

Learn to Sing with Vocal Coach Linor Oren

Guides

Learn to Sing with Vocal Coach Linor Oren

By Dylan de Koning

30 August 2024

The Role of Dubbing in Language Learning

Ideas

The Role of Dubbing in Language Learning

By Megan MacBride

16 August 2024