Why Accessibility Matters

With training, content should be accessible, as you may need to tick compliance boxes such as the Equality Act 2010 or WCAG guidelines. Even if you’re part of a smaller organisation and these aren’t a legal requirement yet, it’s worth more than that. When training is inclusive, comprehensive and done well, it can:

• Reach your full intended audience.
• Improves learning outcomes by removing barriers.
• Reduces legal risk.
• Builds your reputation for inclusivity.
• Saves money by getting it right the first time, rather than retrofitting or costly amendments upon review.
• Helps retain staff by creating a sense of belonging.

Thinking that making inclusivity a part of your training video production is less important, as it’s just a small minority, would be an error. Inclusivity is a broad word and applies to so many instances; it’s not just about disabilities, it’s catering to different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, etc. For example, 1 in 4 people have a disability in the UK, while 300 languages are spoken in Britain, with 30% of people speaking 2.

A Business Disability Forum study found 80% of UK businesses miss opportunities by not making digital content fully accessible, mostly in missed sales, but how you train staff to be aware of this level of inclusivity has a direct effect on the whole organisation. By offering inclusive training, and additional training such as diversity and inclusion training, you show your values and the commitment behind them. Here are a few businesses taking inclusivity training seriously.

Why Use Animation Instead of Filmed Video?

When it comes to creating training video content for your charity organisation or business, people can often imagine a dry PowerPoint or a filmed presenter speaking to camera. Don’t worry, there are a lot more options these days, and you can make it inclusive and engaging with animation.

Animated training avoids some of the limitations of filmed content. Another key point is that animation in training offers huge potential for inclusive design.

It’s easier to create scenes that would be unsafe, costly, or impractical to film, for example, working at height. Or scenes where there is not much to see visually (someone at a desk etc) can be illustrated in different ways – you can be creative as long as the message is clear. Additionally, with an animation training series, it’s easy to update or add episodes later. The designer and animator will ensure they blend in seamlessly with the rest.

There’s no need to worry about staff leaving and wanting footage from a video removed, which we’ve seen happen time and time again. There’s also much more flexibility in terms of people altogether; character design can also be deliberately inclusive, representing a range of people from the start, from different ethnicities, abilities and ages, for example. Whereas, due to locations, etc, it may be difficult to capture the full breadth and variety of your workforce on camera, and it may not be representative.

Training Animation Production Tips

To ensure inclusivity in design and so that everyone can see and understand the materials, here’s a quick checklist of inclusive features you should be aware of, covering design, text, audio, captions, animation and your own project team, as well as how to check it has met the training goals.

Colour & Contrast

Aim for at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for text and key visuals (check on WebAIM’s contrast checker). This basically means that there is a big enough difference between the value (light and dark) between the background and foreground. Light coloured text needs a dark background and vice versa, or they will not be read clearly. You can also do a squint test, as a very rough guide. If the text dissapears, it’s not contrasting enough.

Don’t rely on colour alone – use shapes, text, or patterns to reinforce meaning. Clear icons can be very helpful.

Avoid tricky colour combinations like red/green or blue/yellow for colour-blind viewers.

For example, combine ✓/✗ symbols with colour to show “correct” and “incorrect.”

Typography & Text

Use clear sans-serif fonts at least 16px in size.

Keep text left-aligned as it is much easier to scan. Right-aligned or centrally aligned text can slightly slow down the reading process.

Keep the background behind the text solid. Avoid patterns, gradients, or images as they reduce contrast and readability for users with dyslexia or visual processing difficulties.

Limit all-caps – it slows reading.

Allow enough time for on-screen reading before the text disappears. You often need a full 1 second to read and absorb before the screen animates off.

Here are a few examples of text in animated videos – it needn’t be boring to be seen.

Motion & Animation

Avoid rapid flashing, which can trigger health issues.

Let users pause or stop animations, so make sure there’s video player functionality.

Keep the pace slower than that of marketing videos to allow the information to sink in.

Audio & Captions

Voiceovers

Where possible, use a professional voiceover artist who will record in a studio space with high-quality equipment.

Use clear, moderate pacing (around 120 words per minute works well for training).

Keep sentences short and plain, and avoid culture-specific jargon. Simple language is really important.

Keep the video short, especially for those who may be neurodiverse, such as those with ADHD, who will have shorter attention spans. Keep it 3-5 mins maximum.

Consider multiple language, accent or dialect options for global audiences.

Captions & Transcripts

Caption everything, including relevant sounds.

Use a consistent style and identify speakers.

Keep to one or two lines per caption.

Offer full transcripts for reference and searchability.

Cultural Inclusivity

Representation matters. Show diversity across race, religion, age, gender, and ability – and avoid stereotypes.

Include a variety of voices in your production team to reduce unconscious bias. And work with a diverse working group if you can.

Use universal symbols or adapt visuals for specific audiences.

Ask people how they like to learn.

Offer multiple language options – ideally complete localisation for large non-English-speaking groups. Don’t presume English is easiest.

Test scripts and storyboards with diverse focus groups. And test different approaches, such as video mixed with chat, or all video, etc.

Technical & Interactive Considerations

Where possible, inform people about what they will learn and provide them with the opportunity to prepare by offering access to the necessary resources in advance of any sessions.

Ensure video players are keyboard-accessible and compatible across various devices. And that tab works.

Provide alternative formats; not everyone responds to the same format. Other materials should be alongside the training animations.

When using quizzes or interactive tasks, ensure they are accessible and provide clear instructions.

Test with real assistive technology users.

Measuring Effectiveness

Track how well your training works through:

Scenario-based assessments.

Incorporate feedback during and after the session, don’t make them shout out. Use an easy form or allow messages.

Diversity audits of representation.

Quizzes with saved results

Behaviour observation.

Building Accessibility Into the Process

When planning a project, it may not be your main priority, but with good foresight, right from the start, you can embed accessibility into every stage:

Planning – Set requirements early and involve diverse voices from your team and any wider stakeholders.

Script – Keep it clear and plain, possibly check with a working group to ensure the target audience understands it.

Design – Check colours, typography, and representation.

Production – Monitor pacing and motion.

Testing – Include people with different needs.

Delivery – Provide documentation and alternative formats as well as captions and any relevant language versions.

Common Accessibility Mistakes

Here are a few mistakes we often see when it comes to making training animation accessible.

A big one is colour – not enough contrast in the colour and value difference between the text and the background,

Using red/green only for success/error states

Voiceover that is too fast or poorly enunciated ( usually read by a nonprofessional)

Further to this, creating the video content solely in-house, and not with a video production studio, can lead to many more errors, wasting time, money and potential lawsuits. So it’s advised to use a professional video company.

To avoid people losing interest, you need to change the imagery every 10 seconds at least, keeping the visuals exciting, while also considering inclusivity, which will ensure that it’s actually watched to the end.

Lastly, something we see a lot is a script that is too long and repetitious. You need to ensure the learning is there, but the video should sit alongside other training materials and be as concise as possible.

Quick Checklist

□ Good colour contrast
□ Multiple ways to convey information
□ Clear sans-serif fonts
□ Consider co-producing with a working group
□ Enough reading time for text
□ Captions for all speech
□ No flashing content
□ Playback controls
□ Clear audio
□ Keyboard-accessible interactivity
□ Diverse representation
□ Tested with assistive technology
□ Alternative formats and languages

In Summary

Accessible animated training is about giving every employee the same opportunity to learn and grow within your organisation; it’s much more than just simple compliance. By planning for accessibility from the outset, you create stronger, more effective training that works for everyone.

This guide is provided for educational purposes and based on up to date practices as well as a wealth of studio experience, Victoria Finch has been directing and designing training video content for businesses and organisations for over 15 years.
At Digital Finch, we design animations that are engaging, inclusive, and accessible. If you’d like to make your training work for your whole workforce, get in touch.

The post Creating Accessible Animated Training Content: Best Practices for Inclusivity appeared first on Digital Finch.

While filmed testimonials remain the gold standard for emotional connection, they represent only half the storytelling toolkit available to nonprofits. This guide explores when animation becomes not just useful, but essential for charity communications.

There are several reasons why you may want additional videos, and filming is not always the most suitable approach; this is where charity animation or explainer video comes in. We’ve just launched a new page, Charity Animation Services. Generally, for video production companies, animation tends to fall under their general Charity video page. We’ve produced hundreds of charity videos, and we can see a clear difference between the two, knowing when it will work well, as opposed to a filmed video. 

Explaining complex issues simply

Animation created specifically to your charity’s needs is a great way to visualise abstract concepts and statistics, for example, simplifying reports or turning numbers into tangible visuals. 

Charity animation can also be used to make complicated social issues more digestible through simple drawings and explanations. Studios with a specialist animation department, who are used to solving these kinds of challenges, can use many visual devices and styles of illustration and animation to explain complex issues in an accessible way. 

Charities often want to demonstrate their impact, and hearing from people does this to an extent, which also brings the emotional impact. But using a charity animation alongside this really transforms data into engaging visual stories, for example, turning your annual report into an animation. 

Protecting vulnerable identities

Many charity communications involve sensitive topics that can’t be filmed directly – from protecting vulnerable clients to explaining abstract concepts like poverty cycles. Yet most nonprofits default to live-action video for every project.

Animation is a brilliant tool for sharing information about your charity and your activities while safeguarding clients or service users. Since the script is written by experts and every frame is drawn, it provides anonymity for sensitive populations.

If you can’t film your service users, animation allows you to share personal stories without privacy concerns, anonymising the person while sharing their experience. Or even creating a a similar story, that is only loosely based on their experience. 

Sometimes, sharing a story in person to camera, with a director and camera operator present, and the pressure (even from the friendliest of crew members) can be just too much for people. It can be triggering or too harrowing for them to share. 

Having a discreet discussion, or taped interview, not in front of a camera, and then sharing part of it anonymously through animation can help to prevent re-traumatisation of vulnerable individuals. We’ve found that often people do want to share their story, especially if they’re through the worst, but the camera can still be too nerve-wracking. 

Charity animation for young people’s charity – promoting their work working with vulnerable youths. 

This animation demonstrates how we shared compelling stories from vulnerable youth while maintaining complete anonymity. 

Depicting inaccessible scenarios

The third sector is vast and encompasses many other industries, including care, medical and mental health, environment, and more. Filming for a charity that operates over multiple sites or has multiple sectors it reaches may be far too costly and a difficult to film all for a holistic picture of the work.

Additionally, we often find that non-profit organisations often provide services, which can make it challenging to fully convey what the service entails or its impact. This is especially when using filming alone. Apart from people, there is sometimes not much to see. 

Using visual metaphors and well-thought-out design and illustration, you can convey just about anything with animation, from historical events, items and locations around the globe, a variety of people to future projections of impact. 

You can use animation to visualise the global reach of programs or demonstrate before/after transformations. You can also use illustrated scenes to portray dangerous situations safely, without actually creating further risk by filming. 

Charity Animation for Collaboration Circle to explain a new way of funding. Using a mixture of animation and photos to create excitement and explain a complex topic. 

Public information charity animation for SEL Mind to encourage people to take up physical checks. We used animated characters and accessible design to show why it’s important and how to book. 

Creating an emotional connection

Some may be unsure whether animation can still create that emotional connection that is so palpable when with a filmed video, and it’s partly true – a lower-end animation won’t have this. For a example, low budget, not much character movement, fewer scenes, stock assets – this all brings very little emotion to the final product. 

High-level video will bring it, though. In our studio, we measure animation in 3-4 quality levels.  the levels broadly indicate how much time is spent on the design and animation stages, so more time equals more scenes, more detailed drawings, more movement, more dynamism, better transitions, and more realism. This immersive flow from scene to scene draws the audience in far better than a low-quality animation.

Animation creates approachable entry points for sensitive topics. With a professional emotive script to tell the story, you can set the tone exactly and explain in an audience-appropriate manner, whether for children, adults, or any other demographic.  A skilled illustrator will design characters and scenes that are specifically designed to evoke emotions and help viewers connect with challenging subjects. 

Brand consistency

When you procure a charity animation from a video production studio, normally it will be created with bespoke illustrations for your animation. Considerations such as colours, fonts, shapes, layouts, and any characters will be in place to ensure the branding is fully aligned and establishes a recognisable visual style. A studio would also typically give the charity the opportunity to review the illustrated storyboard before animation to ensure quality control. 

Having a well-thought-out brand that is of high quality and instantly recognisable in images and videos means consistent branding across campaigns and platforms, and the ability to stop people in their scroll. 

Explainer animation for Homeless Link – explaining their new findings around nutrition for people experiencing homelessness and actionable steps that staff and front-line services can take. We utilised their existing branding and built upon their characters to ensure consistency with their brand. 

Explainer video for Urgent Action fund – using animation as an About Us style video.

Accessibility across languages and cultures

Animation is easily adaptable for international audiences, and there are several approaches to localisation, depending on how many of your audience members speak the language and your budget constraints. 

First of all, the lowest cost option is foreign language subtitles. We recommend human translation for correctness; this makes it easy for the user to select their language and read along. Creating SRTs is relatively quick and cheap way to make content more accessible. 

If your work is more global, or you’re reaching audiences in the UK or the USA regularly, who don’t have English as their first language, which is common, then it’s better to localise the video entirely. Full localisation would include translating and re-recording any voiceover in the native language, and all on-screen captions changed over to the new language. 

This complete localisation makes the video much more immersive and less of an afterthought. We created a video with a mixture of 5 subtitle languages and six variations of localisation, including Pashto, Bengali, Hindi, etc, to ensure the audience thoroughly understands the message.

A studio can dub a filmed video or add subtitles, but it can be more costly and time-consuming, and dubbing isn’t usually considered as immersive as the original. 

Longevity of content

Animation can age better than live action, as it features less specific people or trends that can be quick to change. For example, if you’ve spent days planning, filming, and editing a member of your team to feature in a series of videos, and then they leave the organisation. They may have gone on great terms, but it still ages the content quickly. 

Therefore, animated content often has a longer shelf life due to this staff and volunteer turnover. We also see that signage and premises changes can age a video. When working with an animated video, there is no visual specificity. Additionally, returning to the studio to add short scenes or swap small bits of voiceover is also usually inexpensive, for example, when a number or location changes. 

When to use Animation

As a quick summary, use animation when protecting identities, explaining complex data, reaching international audiences, or requiring long-term content. 

Use live-action when: building donor trust, sharing personal testimonials, demonstrating real impact, and working with limited budgets.

Summary

Throughout our years of charity video production, we’ve encountered numerous situations where filming isn’t possible or appropriate, ranging from safeguarding vulnerable clients to explaining complex social issues that lack a visual component.

This content is produced by Digital Finch, a charity video production company. While we aim to provide objective guidance, readers should consider multiple providers. 

If you’re a charity organisation considering whether to choose filmed video or animation for your next project, get in touch with Digital Finch for a quick, no-obligation consultation to discuss your specific needs.

Victoria Finch is Creative Director at Digital Finch, with over 15 years of experience in charity video production. She has produced hundreds of videos for nonprofits across the UK, specialising in animation for sensitive topics and complex social issues. She also runs a non-profit promoting gardening for wildlife and hosting nature-based / art workshops. 

The post When Charities Should Use Animation Instead of Filmed Video Production appeared first on Digital Finch.

We believe audio deserves just as much attention as visuals – Harry, our Animation Director, is also a bit of an audio nerd and loves to bring animation to life with sound. This post explains why professional audio is important for effective video content and includes three important components: sound design, professional voiceovers, and music licensing.

The Impact of Good (and Bad) Audio

How does sound affect the viewer’s experience?

Setting the Mood & Emotional Connection

Music, tone of voice, and even quietly added background sounds can shape how a viewer feels. The right audio can build excitement, convey empathy, create urgency, or build trust. The wrong audio can break that connection.  In fact, a TechSmith study found that poor audio quality was one of the leading reasons people stopped watching a video.

Sometimes, we find that clients will choose a music style because it’s their favourite genre, but it’s important to put your personal music tastes aside (sadly, not everyone likes The Doors) and let the professionals choose something that will strike the right tone with the audience.

Building Trust & Credibility

Clean, well-balanced audio signals professionalism and attention to detail. Negative issues like background noise, echo, inconsistent volume, or distortion make the content feel amateurish and can damage your brand’s credibility.

Ensuring Message Clarity

What good are amazing visuals or a brilliant script if the audience can’t clearly understand what’s being said? Muffled dialogue, that’s full of odd reverb, audio that peaks, or overpowering music, can obscure your core message entirely.

Keeping Viewers Engaged

Poor audio is a primary reason viewers click away. High-quality, immersive sound keeps your audience focused and watching for longer, increasing the chances your message will stick.

Element 1: Sound Design – the Audio World

Sound design is the process of adding and manipulating audio elements, going past dialogue and music, to enhance the story and visuals. Think of it as all the background things we hear around us, or could hear.

Sound design is particularly important in animation, such as explainer video productions, where there would be no sound ordinarily. Typical video design for these kinds of videos includes:

Sound Effects (SFX). Think of UI clicks, swishes, or subtle impact sounds, or the specific click of a button in an animated UI.

Foley. Re-creating everyday sounds (footsteps, doors closing, something breaking, body movements), and the sound close-up actions for added realism, especially in animation.

Ambience. Background sounds that create a sense of place (office chatter, city traffic, gentle nature sounds).

Why does it matter?

Good sound design makes the video world more immersive, especially with animated videos, such as 2D animation that can be otherwise flat. 

It adds texture, emphasises actions, guides the viewer’s attention, and works hand-in-hand with music and visuals to create a richer emotional impact. It transforms what can be a flat viewing experience into something far more engaging. 

A corporate video created with stock footage will often have music and voiceover, but professional sound design can lift these everyday clips and make what can be otherwise cheesy stock footage feel more believable. 

Element 2: Professional Voiceovers – The Voice

A voiceover (VO) delivers your narration or key dialogue. While it might seem simple to record 

this yourself, we often get asked about this. We find that the cost of VO in an animated video production is not a huge proportion of the overall budget, and it’s well worth the money. Using a professional voiceover artist offers significant advantages:

Clarity & Professionalism

Trained artists possess excellent diction and pacing. They know how to deliver lines clearly and naturally, eliminating distracting habits.

Tone Matching

Need a voice that’s authoritative yet warm? Friendly and engaging? Empathetic and reassuring? A professional VO artist can precisely match the tone required for your brand and message; they can even try a sentence in a few different styles to see what works for you.

Emotional Resonance

It’s not just about reading words; it’s about performance. Skilled artists bring scripts to life, injecting personality and emotion that connect with your audience on a deeper level and telling a story. In the studio, we often do what’s called a ‘dummy read’ where we voice it here quickly to start the project going; even when we try our best, it can sound flat and uninspiring. Swapping the audio for the professional read always gives the video such a powerful boost and warmth, even when reading tricky line or long lists – they are the professionals!  

Technical Quality

Voiceover artists record in professional recording spaces using high-quality microphones. This high-end equipment eliminates echo, background noise, harsh ‘p’ and ‘b’ sounds, and other technical issues common in DIY recordings (like using your laptop mic or phone). They can usually match the original recording well if you need a pick-up later or an amendment, which is a huge plus. 

The only time we would accept UGC audio is for a very particular feel in the video, for example, children recording something heartfelt, perhaps for a charity animation. Even then, the recorders must aim for best recording practices and avoid large rooms, etc. It needs to be as ‘dead’ as possible, for example in a small room with lots of fabrics / furnishings. If it sounds poor, it can still bring it down. 

A thought on AI voices. We recognise that being a great voiceover artist is a skill, so we use real people for all our video productions. From what we’ve heard, AI still sounds robotic and not up to the mark, and we are unsure how ethical it is. People are used to it for voice commands, but a video production is a different and immersive experience.

Element 3: Music Licensing

Music is powerful for setting the tone and energy of a video. But you can’t just use any track you find online. This is where music licensing comes in – and it’s a potential legal minefield if ignored, especially for promotional purposes.

Most music is protected by copyright. Using a song (whether it’s famous or a more obscure indie track) without the correct permission is illegal. For a well-known song, you can get a master license or a sync license, depending on your needs. However, it can be expensive and time-consuming.

What is Music Licensing? It’s obtaining the legal right (a license) to use a specific piece of music for a defined purpose (e.g., web video, social media ad, internal training) and duration. Licenses often come with fees and specific terms of use. For royalty-free music, it’s not prohibitively expensive for a well-known tune, it can be thousands. 

Common Music Sources

• Royalty-Free Libraries. Services like Music Bed or Artlist offer vast catalogues. “Royalty-free” typically means paying a subscription or one-time fee for a broad license. There are usage rules, but it’s much easier to navigate than other licences. In the studio at Digital Finch, we use premium, royalty-free music for all of our projects.
• Stock Music Sites. Platforms where you pay per track for specific licenses.
• Custom Composition. Hiring a composer to create unique, exclusive music perfectly tailored to your brand is often the best choice for strong sonic branding. However, it typically involves a higher investment.

Why Using Licensed Music Matters. Using unlicensed music can lead to copyright issues, your video being muted or removed from platforms like YouTube and Facebook, and even potential legal action and fines. It reflects poorly on your brand and isn’t worth the risk.

You can find websites with free, royalty-free music, such as the music you use on Instagram and TikTok, but it’s usually limited (only 1 minute) and overused. You also can’t use music from those platforms on your website video, for example. It’s always worth paying for royalty-free music for more choice and uniqueness.

How Digital Finch Ensures High-quality Audio 

We understand that creating truly impactful video requires mastering the visual and the audio. That’s why we integrate professional audio practices into every project:

• We use high-quality recording equipment and techniques when we film on location.
• Our editing process includes careful sound mixing and balancing of any recorded audio and music.
• We partner with a variety of talented voiceover artists to find the perfect voice for your message.
• We include a sound design session for our high-level animated video productions to bring it all together for great impact.
• We carefully source and legally license all music and sound effects, protecting you from copyright issues.

Ready to Make Your Video Sound as Good as It Looks?

The power of sound is integral for high-quality video content. Professional voiceover, thoughtful sound design, and correctly licensed music aren’t just nice-to-haves; they are essential for creating engaging, credible, clear, and effective videos.

Ready to create videos that sound as great as they look? Contact Digital Finch today to discuss how professional audio can elevate your next project.

Quick Guide: Audio Checklist for Clients

• ✅ Write a clear script with pauses for natural delivery
  
• ✅ Choose your tone (e.g., warm, formal, fun)
  
• ✅ Approve voiceover samples before final recording
  
• ✅ Avoid recording in echoey rooms (no kitchens or bathrooms!)
  
• ✅ Don’t forget to license any music used—YouTube will find it if you don’t

The post Why Professional Audio Matters in Video Production appeared first on Digital Finch.

What does 3D look like in a company video? When would you opt for 3D in your explainer video? And what are the benefits? In this post, we’ll also examine what 2.5D is and its features
and benefits.

First, the kind of 3D animation you often see in explainers and animated videos is stylistic 3D (as opposed to hyperrealistic environments, though that is used for high-impact promotional videos). This is used in animated video production to create wonder and an immersive environment with more depth and full range movement, which can be done with 3D models and 3D cameras.

3D animation can vary in look and feel, but generally, it creates a sense of wonder and gives the brand or organisation a high-level feeling with a bigger impact. We’ve included some 3D explainer video examples throughout the post to show the scope of what can be achieved and the variety in style and feel.

Benefits of 3D Animation in Explainer Videos

Engaging and Immersive Visuals

3D animation can create immersive and engaging visuals, making the content more memorable – it stands out because you don’t see it every day. With so many explainer videos on the market, including 3D in your explainer is often more eye-catching and spectacular.  The dimensional quality creates a higher quality visual experience that’s difficult to achieve with 2D animation, which can result in higher engagement rates and better retention of your message.

Visual Clarity for Complex Concepts

3D animation can show complex concepts, processes, or products that would be more difficult to explain with live-action filming or 2D animation alone. In the studio, we often find for ‘invisible’ industries like finance and tech video where there isn’t much to physically see, addding a 3D element can make it more tangible and exciting to watch.

3D Models can move apart, spin around, and change to ensure the audience can see exactly what is important—for example, the inner workings of a machine. Including voiceover and text labels creates a very clear holistic message, whether for marketing or training purposes.  

Versatility Across Industries

3D animation can be used in video production for various topics, from scientific explanations for healthcare products or complex machinery,  to high-end retail product demonstrations. 

3D Models and the look and design can vary so much; no set style exists. 3D can be used in a fun way to bend reality, create alternate universes, or in a very technical way to enhance communication. 

Full Customisation

A video production company with specialised 3D skills can tailor and create 3D models and environments to match the specific brand or style of the explainer video. The whole scene is designed, modelled and styled bespoke to their exact vision.  

Existing royalty-free 3D Models can be licensed and/or altered to suit, or created bespoke to match your needs exactly.

If your organisation also has CAD models of products (or similar), then a video production company can often use these to make the animation exactly and fit the product offering for a precise and accurate product demo.

Applications of 3D Animation in Explainer Videos

Product Demonstrations

3D allows products to be showcased from every angle.  To showcase product features, functionality, and benefits in a visually appealing and informative way. It can be used creatively, imagining that the product can spin, animate apart, etc., to show all the intricacies and provide a comprehensive visualisation for the audience.

Educational Content

3D is excellent for helping to explain complex scientific concepts or educational topics. Abstract concepts can be visualised in three dimensions, making learning more intuitive and exciting, and more learners are likely to pay attention. 

Marketing and Branding

3D can be designed and modelled from scratch with your brand and campaign in mind; any scenes, models, textures etc, will look inherently you. It can make your brand look dynamic and powerful and create memorable and impactful messages. So the video has that wow factor but is still instantly recognisable on a scroll. 

3D in marketing videos doesn’t just have to be a physical product. For example, software screens inset into a 3D monitor or laptop moving in 3D space can suddenly become much more dynamic than static screens, adding another level of dynamism. 

Technical Explanations

3D animation excels at visualising technical processes, systems, or equipment, whether explaining a complex machine’s inner workings or demonstrating molecular structures, 3D animation makes the invisible visible and the complex understandable.

CGI

CGI 3D animation can used in an entertaining way to create larger-than-life videos, for example, hyperrealistic elements combined with real footage. This is very high-end, as making the 3D elements belong to the real life filmed scene with accurate movement, lighting, texture, and shadows is labour-intensive. It costs more, but it can be very effective at catching attention.

Ai in 3D

There are advances with AI in 3D animation; however, I still notice a lot of poor continuity. So, a character or environment might look quite different from scene to scene and getting it close is tricky. The ability to tailor it to exactly what you need is also quite limited, and the morphing animation you see so much on social media has limited use and varies in quality.

We often find many companies are looking to AI for cost-saving purposes. However, we still see that most AI outputs need fairly substantial human editing to refine anyway. 

You also need to be an excellent, prompt engineer to create valuable outputs on a business level, so hiring this person or building up your skills can also add to costs where you may have thought that AI is a cheap alternative way of doing things. 

Where Ai in 3D can be helpful is Concept Visualisation, using a program to quickly generate rough concepts for client approval or help to brainstorm ideas. 

There are also programs emerging where AI can be used in the asset generation stage to create basic models and textures, which may be helpful, though we haven’t tried it yet, so I can’t confirm. 

The 3D Animation Production Process

To give you a bit of insight into the cost and work that goes into 3D video, we’ve included the production process. Video studios may vary this methodology, but the creation of a 3D animated explainer video usually follows a structured process similar to this, with the opportunity for client review and feedback at each stage to ensure the video stays aligned to goals.

1. Concept Development and Scripting (1-2 weeks)
   • Defining script content, objectives, target audience, and key messages
   • Creating an exciting story that aligns with your brand and audience
   • Developing a script that balances information with engagement
2. Storyboarding (1 week)
   • Visual planning of each scene – a written description
   • Establishing camera angles, transitions, and timing
   • Client review and approval before production begins
3. 3D Modeling (2-3 weeks)
   • Creating digital 3D assets (characters, environments, products)
   • Rigging to prepare models for animation
4. Animation (2-4 weeks)
   • Bringing models to life through movement
   • Creating camera movements for dynamic scenes
   • Adding secondary animations for realism
   • Usually, they would send a wireframe animation or Pre vis for review – showing the movement but without any texture and lighting. 
5. Lighting and Rendering (1-2 weeks)
   • Once the models and movement are confirmed, add texturing to add surface details and materials.
   • Setting up 3D lights to enhance visual appeal in the scene
   • Rendering final frames (computer intensive)
6. Post-Production (1-2 weeks)
   • Adding sound effects and music
   • Incorporating and professional voiceover narration
   • Colour correction and visual effects
   • Final editing and client revisions

Total timeline: Approximately 8-14 weeks, depending on complexity and revisions

3D Explainer Video Cost Considerations

One potential challenge of utilising 3D is that companies cannot generally do it in-house. 3D animation is a specialised skill that requires specialised equipment, so it needs to be considered. 

It’s also labour intensive, involving more than just the movement, and often includes modelling, rigging, animation, texturing, and lighting – this may be 1 person or each role is done by a specialist in their field. 

3D Character animation, in particular, is quite labour-intensive, as you expect a 3D character to look and move in a much more realistic way than a cartoon-style character. So, this work takes more refinement. 

If the scene is quite complex, the texturing and lighting can also add up to ensure it gives a real feel and is fully immersive. Low-budget 3D, where they have cut corners, often stands out in a bad way – the point of it is to blend in and feel reel, as soon as it goes jenky, in terms of look, movement or vfx, the illusion is lost. 

To save cost on a 3D explainer video production, you may include just some 3D in your animated video. So that the rest is a 2D video, but one section utilises 3D to explain something or create a few small moments of super high impact – for example, a 3D spinning globe, a 3D animated logo or just a short section of a 3D product in a longer 2D video or filmed video production.

A small section of 3D in your explainer video can be a great way to add some extra oomph while lowering costs compared to a full 3D production—a video production company should be able to advise on how to mix this together seamlessly. 

Exploring 2.5D Animation in Explainer Videos

2.5D is also used in explainer videos, but you may have noticed it a bit less. 2.5D has some of the look of 3D, but it won’t move in the same way. 

An example of 2.5 D could be an object or scene drawn with a more 3D perspective or some cool extruded text. It will enhance your visuals and give the appearance of 3D, but maintain a more simplified production process compared to full 3D animation. You won’t be able to spin around it or make it move fully in 3D space.

This is great for the budget while giving extra dimension and visual excitement, helping draw the audience in. 2.d D is ideal for brands with a more illustrative or graphic visual identity. This kind of animation is also quicker to create so timelines can be shortened slightly. 

Parallax scrolling is another quick example of this, where the background moves at a different pace from the foreground. This simple technique gives a cool effect. 

Importantly, 2.5D is less resource-intensive than pure 3D, which requires more specialised programs like Cinema 4D and equipment to create. This is why it’s generally lower cost; it’s less labour-intensive and resource-intensive to create. 

Here’s an example of 2.5D – most of this is drawn in a very 3D style, bringing depth, but only parts are full 3D.

Understanding 3D Animation Costs

While pricing varies based on project specifics, here’s a very general guide:

Key factors affecting cost:

– Video duration

– Model complexity

– Number of unique assets required

– Number of scenes required

– Character animation requirements

– Rendering complexity (lighting, textures, environments)

– Revision rounds included

We’ve written a post that goes into more detail about what elements make up the cost of an explainer video

Summary: when to use 3d in explainer videos

3D animation in explainer videos creates immersive, high-impact visuals that help brands stand out. Unlike the hyperrealistic CGI seen in movies, explainer videos typically use stylistic 3D to create depth and movement.

Key benefits include engaging visuals that capture attention, greater clarity for complex concepts, versatility across industries, and brand-aligned customisation. 3D animation excels in product demonstrations, educational content, marketing, and technical explanations.

The production process typically takes several weeks, from concept development to post-production. Cost considerations include the required specialised skills and labour intensity, especially for character animation, equipment, and software. For budget-conscious projects, incorporating limited 3D elements or using 2.5D animation (which creates the appearance of depth without full 3D movement) can provide visual impact at lower cost.

And,  while AI tools for 3D animation are advancing, they still face challenges with continuity and quality, often requiring substantial human editing to achieve professional results.

Ready to Explore 3D Animation for Your Brand?

If you’re considering how 3D animation could elevate your explainer videos, we’d love to help bring your vision to life at Digital Finch. 

Get in touch if you’d like a free consultation – just a 30-minute discovery call to discuss your project needs or just ask for a custom quote if you have a project brief for a detailed proposal.

The post When to Use 3D Animation in Explainer Videos: Benefits & Examples appeared first on Digital Finch.

In this guide, we’ll address the six most common queries that charities face when starting a video production journey, whether the video is for fundraising, awareness, a project evaluation or recruiting staff and volunteers.

1. What Will A Charity Video Cost, and How Can We Budget for It?

One of the first considerations for any non-profit is understanding the financial investment needed for a professional charity video. Video costs can vary quite a bit and are usually based on several factors:

• Length of the final video
• Filming: Filming locations and travel requirements
• Filming: Number of filming days
• Animation: The design style
• Animation: The quality of the animation 
• Post-production complexity 
• Inclusion of animated characters or 3D elements
• The location of the production company 

Many production companies offer special rates for non-profits, such as a discount. They can also usually provide different quality levels or options based on various budgets. As it’s a bespoke product and fully customisable, it can generally be tailored to suit (such as lowering or increasing the quality / combining filming days / looking at reducing the runtime / exploring other options). There are a few ways to be thrifty.

So it’s good to be honest about your expectations of the video and the budget so that everyone can see how that aligns from the start. 

As a very rough guide, a professional video production company would start at about £1.5k, but this can still vary, and some may be able to offer a lower cost option that is less bespoke to you, using stock assets or UGC. High-quality animation and longer durations will also increase this cost; you can learn more about the various video cost levels here.

When budgeting, consider the immediate cost and the potential return on investment ROI through increased donations and awareness. A much lower-budget video that is less engaging overall may have less impact and bring in fewer donations, or be more lacklustre for fund applications, and so not be worth the money in the long term. 

Video production companies in different countries and cities will have various levels of overhead costs, which will factor into the overall video cost. You may not want to go with the closest company if in-person meetings are less of a priority. Still, it’s essential to consider quality, language, and time zones when choosing a company, as well as their relevant experience in your industry, for example, a charity explainer video specialist or a studio that’s created a lot of content for young people’s services or mental health.

2. How Much Time and Resources Will We Need to Commit?

Understanding the time investment required from your team is essential for proper planning. We’ve provided a few typical schedules here and written a page about the methodology behind film video production on this blog post. A typical filmed video production timeline includes:

Pre-production planning (1-2 weeks)

 – Scripting, location planning, storyboard, shot list, and confirmation of any staff, clients, or other interviewees, or actors appearing on screen. 

Filming (1-4 days)

– Many shoots only need 1 day of filming, and this can capture up to 5 minutes of content, whether it’s B-roll only, interviews or scripted sections to camera. But for a video series, you may need more days. We recently filmed for 4 days to create a comprehensive series of 9 videos. 

Post-production editing (2-4 weeks)

 – All the shots are edited together seamlessly as per the storyboard or as per the questionnaire, with post production including audio enhancement, colour correction, voiceover is required, music and any graphics needed. 

Review and revision cycles (1-2 weeks)

Make sure all the appropriate parties, including those who have appeared on camera, see the video before it’s released and are happy with the content. This may also be when your video company creates 1-2 short highlight reels for social media. And create English language SRT files for subtitling.

And an animated video production:

Pre-production planning (1-2 weeks)

 – This includes concept, script development and written treatment – like a written story of the video, and art direction, which is where we confirmed the style of the animation.

Design (2-4 weeks)

 – Creating a few style frames, these are a few bespoke drawn still images representative of the final look and feel, then after approval, the studio design the fully illustrated storyboard. Here’s a quick example of a final charity animation storyboard. The longer the video is, the more frames there are to design. Often, they will share voiceover samples for you to choose from during this stage too. 

Animation (2-4 weeks)

 – The animation stage is where the studio brings the designs to life, complete with movement, music, voiceover and sfx to create your charity animation. 

Review and revision cycles (1-2 weeks)

Again with animation, make sure all the appropriate parties see the video before it’s released and are happy with the content. However, with animation such as a charity explainer video, it’s often easier to snag any amendments earlier in the process, for example, at the design stage or written treatment. Catching big changes and amends earlier on makes for a smoother process that is much more likely to stay on budget – and will be overall more headache-free. At the very end, after confirmation of the video, this is also when we’d create English language SRT files for subtitling.

Your staff will primarily focus on pre-production planning and review stages of each of these steps. It should take up minimal time after the script is in place, but you do need to ensure proper review. Most professional production companies can handle the technical aspects independently, minimising disruption to your operations and showing you just the key stages for approval. 

3. How Can We Ensure Our Message Connects?

Creating a great video requires more than just technical expertise and equipment. Look for production teams with rich experience, cool ideas and a good portfolio. 

The video production company would ideally have experience working with non-profits in your sector, and you can see it on their website pretty quickly if they understand your world, or a short email can tell you a lot – don’t be afraid to just enquire and ask questions. There’s never a commitment.

Browsing a portfolio online or asking to review some more samples will demonstrate if they’re good at storytelling – clearly demonstrating the cause and giving the audience a reason to keep watching through scripting, editing, powerful visuals, and a strong arc. 

A video production company should also understand how to balance emotional impact with dignity, carry out any filming in a sensitive manner, and demonstrate good safeguarding when working with young people. 

The best results come from production companies that take time to understand your mission, values, and specific goals before filming or animation begins – so their attention to detail and communication in the preproduction stage is vital.

4. What Technical Expertise Should We Look For?

Professional video production requires specialised skills and equipment. Your production partner should provide:

• High-quality cameras and lighting equipment
• Professional audio recording gear
• Experienced operators and directors
• Smooth edits that flow seamlessly and absorb you
• Graphic design that’s high quality and reflects the brand well
• Talented illustrators, who have a range of styles or perhaps one strong style done very well.
• Video that is inclusive and accessible
• Animation that is dynamic and engaging.

They should also be able to handle most any type of video project while maintaining professional quality standards.

5. What About Rights and Usage?

Understanding the legal aspects of video production is important. Key factors to consider before starting a project include:

• Video ownership rights
• Music or stock asset licensing
• Model releases for any participants
• Rights to edit or modify the content

For some productions, these won’t come up and are not major. However, for larger organisations where a lot of content is created by different staff and other parties, it’s important to outline these points in your production agreement to avoid future complications. 

6. How Will We Share and Distribute the Video?

A great video needs an effective distribution strategy to make sure it’s seen. Your production partner should be able to guide you on:

• Optimise content for different platforms (social media, website, presentations)
• Create multiple versions of varying lengths (sometimes, this may have an additional cost)
• Provide guidance on video SEO and video players
• Advise on distribution strategies
• Provide SRT files for accessibility

Consider requesting additional deliverables, such as short social media clips or event-specific edits. This is usually a simple question for a filmed video.  But for animation, it may be less straightforward as it could include a redesign to fit the new aspect ratio – and would incur extra cost – which may well be worth it. Make sure you have conversations about the aspect ratio and who  / where your target audience is right at the start. We find many clients are choosing to go vertical first, or square ratio, as a middle ground. 

Moving Forward with Your Video Project

Now you have some of the answers to these key questions, you’re better prepared to move forward with your video production project. When procuring a video production, remember to:

• Get multiple quotes and compare services
• Have a quick meeting or phone call, you want to like who you’ll be working with
• See references or testimonials from other non-profit organisations
• Review previous work samples
• Discuss all concerns up front
• Get agreements in writing

When you have multiple quotes and have spoken with a few companies, red flags may also appear, for example, if one is a lot cheaper than the rest – question why? Or one promising to deliver by a much faster deadline. Are they cutting corners? Is the video made from automated software or templates? Is it just a big team? Are you involved in the process? If you are interested in more questions to ask a potential company, we have an extensive list here

Video content remains one of the most powerful tools for sharing your mission and inspiring support for your cause with 93% of marketers considering video a crucial part of their overall strategy. By understanding these key aspects of video production, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions about your next steps.

At Digital Finch, we specialise in helping non-profits create impactful videos that respect your mission and budget. Our team understands charitable organisations’ challenges and would be happy to discuss how we might support your video production needs.

Whether you’re ready to start a project or simply have more questions, we’re here to help. Reach out for a no-obligation conversation about your video ideas, and let’s explore how we can help bring your story to audiences who need to hear it.

The post 6 Questions Answered About Non-Profit Video Production appeared first on Digital Finch.

1.

Client: Collaboration Circle
Agency: Digital Finch 
Industry: Charity / Finance

This charity explainer video promotes a new way of pooling funding for organisations that is equitable and inclusive. Digital Finch created this using a blended design approach, using imagery and boldly illustrated elements to help show the human side and explain any complex parts more easily.

2.

Client: Webflow
Agency: Ordinary Folk
Industry: Tech / Web Development

This explainer video has a real wow factor and never stops moving; the subtle sound effect design really adds to the immersiveness. The contrast with colour and light is beautiful. This is a fantastic example of explaining a website or software without showing it at all.

3.

Client: Edge Net Zero
Agency: PlusOne
Industry: Construction

This is a very fun and varied design style; you’re not really sure what to expect next. It touches on a historical vibe, with realistic images and illustration and mixes with a modern look very elegantly. The topic of Net Zero is also great and the CSR really stands out. 

4.

Client: Windows 11
Agency: Not Real
Industry: Tech / Retail

This beautiful 3D animation series showcases software and devices in a whole new way. The sound and music design is spot on, making it playful and intriguing. The colour, texture and rippling movement really elevate a simple video – showcasing a range of features in an easy and stunning way.

5.

Client: BCAA
Agency: Rethink Canada & Wonderlust
Industry: Community / Non Profit

This charity animation is a fun and friendly style with a wide variety of well-animated characters that show the benefits of joining the community membership in the BC area.  A really nice feel-good animated video.

6.

Client: Calm Health
Agency: Coat of Arms
Industry: Mental Health & Wellbeing / Tech

A beautifully calming, conceptual-style explainer video exactly matches the app’s purpose of providing mental healthcare in an accessible format. The gentle colour scheme, just the right pace and seamless transitions keep your eyes watching and wonderfully calm.

7.

Client: Digital Mailroom
Agency: Digital Finch & Groundbreak Productions
Industry: B2B Service

This explainer video has a quirky illustration and animation style inspired by Catch Me If You Can and the famous 60s movie title screens. Along with a broad UK accent style voiceover, this digitisation service stands out in the crowd and brings some lightheartedness.

8.

Client: Eybna
Agency: Illo
Industry: Science / Healthcare / Tech

This animated video promotes their scientific research around the compounds in CBD for medical purposes. It comes across as easy to access and credible, with a modern design style and good use of a limited colour palette.

9.

Client: ABC
Agency: Animwood
Industry: Education

This is a slightly childlike-style explainer video with an educational aim and a fun script and voiceover – going all the way from the dinosaurs to the modern day. The circle device in the centre keeps your eye focused. It’s a clear style with a slightly cut-out style paper look with broad appeal – even though it’s a serious topic at hand.

10.

Client: Malarkey Roofing
Agency: Coat of Arms
Industry: Consumer / Retail

This product explainer video has a beautiful use of texture and light to give a realistic and filmic effect to the street and house scenes. Then it goes onto the science with a new more 3D-looking style – but that still fits with the overall look. Great skills mixing between the science of how it works and real-life application to show how they connect and the benefits. 

11.

Client: Zcash Media
Agency: Very True Story
Industry: Crypto / Finance / Tech

This is a quick compilation of a number of animations and really shows how a cohesive design style and limited colour palette can work to bring a variety of different concepts all together. I particularly like the use of light, shadow and texture. 

12.

Client: Utility Aid
Agency: Digital Finch
Industry: Utilities

This company specialises in saving money for charities and non-profits and wanted to explain their services in a new way. Digital Finch brought to life the client’s initial idea of a planetary theme to explain the various departments of their organisation and how they work together, along with a gentle Scottish accent voiceover. They created this conceptualised piece with four distinct chapters – relating to the four key departments within their business.

As you can see, Explainer videos are a great tool to inspire and inform audiences no matter the industry. From charities to technology, these videos showcase storytelling through various visual devices, each with a unique style. From bold design to seamless animations or innovative approaches to complex topics, these examples highlight the value and variedness of explainer videos in engaging viewers. We hope these examples spark ideas for your next video project!

The post 12 Outstanding Explainer Videos To Inspire you appeared first on Digital Finch.

We still all remember those emotional TV adverts in the 90s! A well-made video can have a transformative impact, from increasing donations to raising awareness and more.

With limited resources, many may worry that producing a high-quality video feels out of reach. But it doesn’t have to be, we’ve rounded up some tips and ideas to make video work for you, no matter the budget.

At Digital Finch, we understand the challenges charities face. Our creative director runs a community group & CIC, hosting workshops, running regular volunteer sessions (mostly as a volunteer herself), applying for funding and working with many other local groups, charities, and CICs, so we have personal and professional experience in this sector.

Here are a few ways charities and non-profits can create videos that connect with their audience while maximising their budget.

First Contact: Usually, when enquiring, it helps to be honest pretty quickly when talking to any video company about the expected budget, expectations, and deadlines. The video company will be honest and able to tell you quickly what’s possible and realistic, and what they can do to make sure your money goes further. They should be resourceful and usually be able to adapt their services to suit your needs. This honesty saves a lot of time on both sides.

Finding and Telling Your Story

Charity video production thrives on authenticity. A meaningful, genuine story will connect more than a polished, impersonal-sounding script delivered directly to the camera with perfection, which is more often seen in corporate videos.

To create this kind of video, define your video’s purpose. Are you raising funds? Recruiting volunteers? Thanking donors? Knowing your objective can help guide the story’s direction. Simply raising awareness can lead to a mixed result. You also need to know your audience. What kind of people donate, help, or share your news and campaigns? How can you appeal directly to them? What are their ages, and other interests? What is their typical family like?

We find that a focus on real people is the most emotive for charities, along with a great story arc. Beneficiaries, volunteers, and colleagues bring humanity and relatability to the story. Sharing their personal experiences and creating an emotional connection motivates viewers to act.

When we create charity testimonials and case studies in the studio here, we go through thorough pre-production planning and sensitive interviewing techniques to ensure your video captures the heart of your mission without overcomplicating the message or putting off speakers.

Planning Video with Your Budget in Mind

A common concern for video production is budget constraints. Many charities are unsure of what goes into the cost of a video and what the work actually entails – and what they can actually get for their money. The key factors when it comes to video cost to consider are:

Video Runtime

The length of your video significantly influences the budget. A shorter video requires less editing or animation time, while longer content needs more production work.

For our charity animations, for example, a one-minute video is almost exactly half as much work as a two-minute video in terms of the drawing and animation required for it. We also generally find a shorter video to be more impactful – up to 90 seconds for an explainer-style video is fine, but you can say a lot in 30 seconds if the budget is tight or you want maximum dynamism.

Production Complexity

Animation tends to be more labour-intensive than filming because of the complex illustrations and bespoke animations.

Generally, if the budget is tight, choosing a more simple design style will cost less than a very dynamic, highly detailed animation style. A company can typically show you the various explainer video quality levels and their associated costs, allowing you to make an informed choice and determine which one is best for you.

Animated characters also tend to cost more, as drawing, rigging and making them move realistically takes time. Therefore, a way to save money is to reduce the need for characters or omit them altogether—there are many ways to create empathy in animation without characters.

Factors such as location, actors or presenters, and the number of shoot days for live-action videos will also impact the price.

Efficiency in Filming

The number of shoot days is the main factor affecting the budget for live-action video productions, especially charity films like an About Us or testimonials. Organising interviewees (such as stakeholders, staff, volunteers or clients) at a single location on the same day can significantly reduce filming days, saving both time and money.

With good planning, you can also ask quite a few interview questions on a few topics, creating content for several videos. For example, a lead can speak about the organisation in general, then specific campaigns and perhaps plans for the future, and you have a few videos here out of a one-day shoot. An experienced crew will also adapt the the visuals on the shoot (selecting a new room or new camera angle) so that the clips don’t obviously look like they came from the same single day either.

For example, we recently filmed the opening of a new recovery centre in the morning and interviewed various staff in the afternoon. The organisation got three videos for a fraction of the cost as if we had filmed each person and the event separately.

A video studio will work with you to create a cost-effective plan for your videos. For example, a one-day shoot might be enough to capture everything needed for a memorable video. Alternatively, they can produce a short, catchy animation highlighting key statistics or stories, helping you balance ambition with affordability.

Working with User-Generated Content (UGC) for Video

Charities often have access to user-generated content (UGC), whether a quick clip from a supporter’s phone, snapshots from an event, or a video the staff and volunteers film content themselves on a phone.

If your budget is very low or zero, this phone-shot UGC alone will help boost your online presence and is worth pursuing. Consistent posting has been shown to increase engagement, and most social platforms favour video – so all it takes is your time and creativity to promote yourself. As we see online so often, some of the most popular videos have been shot on a phone, but they still need some good planning, and it takes time to edit on Capcut or Edits as well as shooting itself.

UGC is a more accessible way of using video for promotion that can usually be done in-house. You can think of ideas for a fun series based on popular questions, speaking to members of staff and volunteers, or doing promos for any events and event highlights. It’s worth investing in a tripod and a mic if you want a higher level of in-house professionalism. For creating very short basic animations, platforms like Canva can offer some animation elements to add a bit of oomph to photos or phone videos, for example adding captions.

You can also follow trending memes and create your own version pretty quickly if they’re relevant and you have a dedicated social person in the organisation. This is a good way to increase awareness and reach new audiences, but you need to be pretty quick. All kinds of organisations, including the National Trust, create memes alongside their more informative and less casual content.

And while these assets might not always look as professional on their own, they can become part of a polished video with the right editing and structure.

If you want to elevate this kind of content and have a small budget, you can work with a video production company. They specialise in transforming your existing content into cohesive narratives. By editing UGC with branded visuals, music, and subtitles, they can help create videos that maintain an authentic feel while elevating their overall quality.

For funding purposes, for example, showing impact, here’s where UGC mixed with a professional company who are experienced with creating a story arc, using music to build emotion, etc, can be more beneficial.

When is it worth spending more on a Charity video production?

We’ve discussed reducing costs by looking at runtime, design style, and filing days. But when is it a good idea to gather funds and spend more?

With animation, the cost primarily depends on the number of days spent on production. The more time dedicated to the illustration and animation, the better. With higher quality, meaning many scenes, a more unique design style and smooth transitions between scenes – keeping the viewer immersed.

High-level animation, for example, is a great way to convey emotion while safeguarding and including personal stories, as you are not showing real people who may be vulnerable. You can do this with or without animated characters, and by spending more (ie higher quality usually), the animation will be more dynamic and moving to watch.

Often, lower-budget animation means fewer scenes and less on-screen movement, but this will hinder you if you need animation to be emotive and highly engaging.

Sometimes, a one-day video shot with a two-person crew can be sufficient and create a great video for your organisation, plus a bank of shorter videos for socials. But if you don’t have any videos and want a bigger impact, a large video series (filmed over four or five days) can boost your channel and website and give viewers tons of info and emotion on a broad range of topics and ideas. A number of videos like this will keep the users browsing videos and really immerse themselves in your world.

For a conference event where you show videos to potential funders during meetings, a professional video will always put you in the best light and give that wow factor.

With any big-budget project, it’s good practice to get several quotes and look through a variety of video portfolios so you can select a company that aligns with your vibe. It’s also worth having a quick chat to see if you actually like the company too.

Including Video in Your Funding Applications

Are you planning a video as part of an evaluation of a larger project? Including video production in your funding application can be a good idea. Funders often value the ability to demonstrate a project’s outcomes visually. A professional video, hearing directly from participants, can play a great role in project evaluations and provide evidence of impact.

You can show the impact of a long-term project by interviewing participants before, during, and after to get the full range. Or you can just speak to people at the end of the project to capture their feelings and the before and after. If you talk to a video production company to get a speedy quote, this will help you allocate an appropriate budget within your funding proposal.

This video is not only good for funders to see but also shows proof of your impact on the wider world, as you can usually share these videos on the website and social media.

Making Your Videos Accessible and Inclusive

Accessibility and inclusivity must be a priority for a charity‘s message to reach a wide audience. Videos should be available to everyone, regardless. This includes providing subtitles and clear visuals and ensuring the tone and structure suit diverse audiences.

For example, we provide professional subtitles as standard and ensure the design is accessible in terms of colours and tones. We also offer localisation if your audience doesn’t have English as their first language, we regularly recreate the whole video faithfully into the chosen languages, or provide human-translated SRT files as subtitles. This attention to inclusivity broadens your audience and reinforces your commitment to equality and accessibility.

On many platforms, automatic captioning now exists – so you can opt for a DIY approach, but you need to go through it thoroughly to make sure it’s all spelt correctly and that it has detected the correct words – as this automatic function is still very hit-and-miss.

Final Thoughts

Creating a high-quality video isn’t just for large charities with expansive budgets. With careful planning, clever resource use, or a trusted video production partner, your charity can produce videos that make a lasting impression. And you can do a lot in-house with a very small or no budget if you have the time.

At Digital Finch, we’re passionate about helping charities tell their stories. We’d love to hear from you if you’re ready to create a video that moves your audience to action.

The post How Charities Can Create Videos on any Budget appeared first on Digital Finch.

What is Custom Video Production?

Unlike off-the-shelf explainer videos, for example, videos made with automated software or AI, or videos created using a DIY approach in-house, custom video production from a professional video studio produces content tailored precisely to your brand, message, and target audience.

A video studio or agency will collaborate with you, using their professional skills and methodology, to create a perfectly tailored video that reflects your organisation’s style, whether it’s an animated video or filmed production. Every frame will be custom-made for you. 

We’ve seen the progress AI is making worldwide, which is astonishing and helpful at times. There’s also the rise of AI in video production, especially scripts and storyboarding. While it can be helpful for content ideation, the words it generates are still quite repetitious, flowery, waffling, and overused (I am personally fed up with the word ‘compelling’ and ‘crafting’ right now).

AI footage can be samey in feel, and illustration is often limited and can change from scene to scene in style, so visually, it may look less relevant and more challenging to follow the story. It can also become very generic and repetitive. You lose your uniqueness when you ask Ai to do it all.

There are also stock sites, DIY video sites, etc., but then you are sharing those assets with half the world, and it’s not unique to you at all, either; it’s also harder to find content that is fully relevant and not cheesy as hell, if we’re being perfectly honest. A professional studio can often still work with these stock elements when filming isn’t possible to add differentiation.

Benefits of Custom Video Production

There are a few good reasons why you’d opt for a bespoke video. Importantly, a custom video showcases your brand’s unique personality and values. 

Strengthen Your Brand

With bespoke video production, starting with a human-made script that speaks for you ensures the language is concise, appropriate, and emotive where it needs to be. It can be adapted more easily to new ideas/amendments and is also much more unique than auto-generated content. The story will be much more unique to you.

This is true whether you’re thinking about an explainer video, perhaps to explain a process or a service your charity offers, or live-action filming, for example, an about us with colleagues.

Working with an experienced video designer to illustrate any animation or graphic design style sequences ensures that the video stays on brand or in line with the campaign. Using any design elements, colours, fonts, and logos and paying attention to layout and composition from scene to scene will ensure the video has the desired effect. They should be an expert in visual communication.

Any content filmed for your custom video production will be done with professional equipment, an experienced operator, and a director. High-quality audio and visuals will be captured, working to a set shoot list and pre-production plan so that the message is clear and the footage reflects your expertise, whether it’s amazing facilities and venue or your people values and personality – or both. Camera crews are hardworking; they won’t rest until it’s perfect! 

Then, a skilled editor will take all the footage, following the storyboard and pre-production plans, and use their experience and skills to turn it into a story that brings joy, trustworthiness, and empathy to your organisation. 

A high-quality, well-branded video can help you create a deeper connection with your audience and build a strong brand identity. Strong branding is proven to create a more positive impression on audiences, and this should always be reflected in your video content, even if it’s just a case of the choice of caption font or use of colours. 

You may want a unique filming approach that becomes a series, such as a sofa series or an ‘Ask the boss this’ type of series. Whatever you do, you want to be instantly recognisable as you. Even if you follow a trend (which can be very beneficial for reaching new audiences on socials) you can always put your spin on it and keep it looking on brand. Filming a batch of these videos in one go as a series can be a good way to keep the same look and save on filming costs.

Benefit from Expert Collaboration

Working with a professional video production team gives you access to their expertise and creativity. They usually have a robust video production methodology that allows you to see the video production throughout the various stages so that you can view and approve it.

You’d see the script, written treatment and art direction, initial illustrated designs, a complete storyboard, and any voiceover samples, followed by the final edit. This allows you to refine the video as you go along and ensure it’s in keeping with your vision. An off-the-shelf service wouldn’t offer much collaboration or opportunities for feedback, so you’d be much more limited in the result. 

Saving Your Time

A third of marketers say they have yet to use video production due to a lack of time. and a standard software-made production, or attempting to film and edit a video in-house, will be pretty labour-intensive for you, especially if it’s not turning out as expected and you haven’t had sufficient training or software and equipment.

Importantly, custom video production takes little of your time. If you can commit to reviewing a few key stages, you can spend the rest of the time on your actual work. This allows you to deliver more value to your organisation, work on your speciality, and know that the video is in professional hands. 

Working with a studio can help bring your vision to life, create a video that exceeds your expectations, and leave you feeling like you’ve had your say throughout—without you doing all the hard work.

Boost Engagement

Bespoke videos are more likely to capture and hold viewer attention, as they’ve been created by a video production specialist rather than arbitrary software churning out the same repetitious content to a set template. One size does not fit all when it comes to video, representing you in the best way it can.  

The specialist team working on your video will consider your buyer persona, strategy, and the platform at hand throughout the entire production so that the content truly speaks to your audience. This professional content alongside consistent posting of all kinds of media on social media platforms (can be mixed with UGC) This means they’re more likely to engage, share, and remember your brand.

Improve Your Return on Investment

While the initial cost for a custom video might be higher, the long-term rewards can be substantial. If you set clear objectives and measure impressions, views, engagement and more, you can analyse the ROI and get a clear picture of what is working. By creating highly targeted content, you can increase conversions, sales, and customer loyalty.

Usually,  a video production company will also offer different quality levels based on your budget so that you can have flexibility on the cost while still getting a bespoke service – making it more affordable. For example, a simpler drawing style, including or excluding animated characters, 3D animation, filming at several locations or just 1, filming in a studio or a chosen location, using actors. These elements are all completely customisable with each production to balance your budget and vision. 

Gain a Competitive Edge

Standing out in a crowded marketplace is essential. A custom video helps you differentiate your business from competitors and establish yourself as a leader in your industry. The designs that are created and any video footage will be uniquely you rather than the same stock assets you see everywhere. 

Versatility

Businesses and organisations can use custom videos across multiple platforms, including social media, websites, meetings, and email marketing. This maximises their investment and expands their reach. 

Working with a studio means you can also have alternative versions. For example, you can have a longer-form landscape video for your website and in-person meetings. Then, the video production company can create a shorter vertical version to increase engagement on social media. 

You may also need the video localised into other languages for a wider reach. In this case, the video company translates all on-screen captions and the voiceover, records them, and edits them seamlessly so that the video looks native to each language—creating a better viewing experience for non-English-speaking viewers. This attention to detail in localisation shows consideration and care for the audience. 

Conclusion

Investing in custom video production for your business or organisation is a strategic decision that can significantly benefit your business. Working with a video studio to create bespoke and engaging content can build a stronger brand, connect with your audience, and improve results.

Consider partnering with a custom video production service like Digital Finch to create a film that leaves a lasting impression. Contact us today

The post Level Up Your Marketing with Custom Video Production appeared first on Digital Finch.

At Digital Finch, we’ve seen video transform marketing for many small companies. Business marketing videos grab attention better than text or images. They explain your products or services quickly and clearly, helping customers understand what you offer. This often leads to more sales.

Plus, videos are great for your website. They keep visitors around longer and help you show up higher in search results, which means more potential customers can find you online.

With one good video, you can reach people on your website, social media, and in emails. It’s a smart way to get more from your marketing budget.

Key Takeaways

• Video marketing boosts brand awareness and increases organic search visibility.
• Embedding videos on websites improves SEO and keeps visitors engaged longer.
• Videos drive higher conversion rates, turning viewers into customers.
• Short-form videos and live streaming are crucial for staying relevant in future marketing trends.

Key Benefits of Video Marketing for Small Businesses

Boosts Brand Awareness and Visibility

Videos are more effective at catching attention than text or images. They’re also highly shareable, which helps your brand reach a wider audience.

A small bakery could create a short video showing how they make their famous chocolate cake. If this video resonates with viewers, it could be shared widely, giving the local bakery attention from people all over the city or even the country.

Charity video production is another powerful tool. By creating videos that highlight your involvement with local charities, you’re showing the human side of your brand. These videos can resonate with viewers, encouraging shares and fostering a positive image of your business while supporting a good cause.

Improves Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO is about making your business easier to find online. Videos can give your SEO a significant boost in two main ways:

1. Search engines favour websites with videos. When you add a video to your website, it can help your site show up higher in search results. Neil Patel notes that when you get your video SEO right, you’re on the way to improving your search engine ranking with social shares and building links.
2. Videos keep people on your website longer. Search engines see this as a sign that your site is providing valuable information, which can further improve your search ranking.

For example, if you embed that chocolate cake video on your bakery website, it could help your site appear higher in search results for terms like “best chocolate cake in [your city]”.

Increases Conversion Rates and Sales

Video marketing turns viewers into customers. When people watch a video about your product or service, they’re more likely to buy it.

Explainer videos work well here. They show how your product solves a problem, making it easy for viewers to see its value. For example, a short video demonstrating how your gardening tool works can convince more people to buy it than a written description alone.

WordStream data prove that businesses using video grow their revenue 49% faster than those without video. And according to HubSpot, companies that make their products purchasable within their video see a 41% increase in products added to the cart. That’s a significant boost for any small business.

Provides High Return on Investment (ROI)

Video marketing gives you a lot of value for your money. Here’s why:

• You can use one video in many places: your website, social media, emails, and events.
• Videos keep working for you long after they’re made. A good video can attract customers for months or even years.
• You don’t need a big budget to make quality videos. Many smartphones can shoot high-quality footage.

A single well-made video can do the work of multiple marketing campaigns, saving you time and money in the long run.

Builds Trust and Strengthens Customer Relationships

Video helps you build trust faster than almost any other tool. It shows the human side of your business.

When customers see real people in your videos – whether it’s you, your team, or satisfied customers – they feel a connection. It’s like meeting you in person but through a screen.

Customer testimonial videos are especially powerful. When potential buyers see real people talking about how great your product is, it’s more convincing than any advertisement.

Behind-the-scenes videos also build trust. Showing how you make your product or deliver your service builds trust through transparency. People like seeing the care and effort that goes into what they’re buying.

Enhances Engagement Across Marketing Channels

Video content improves how people interact with your brand everywhere they encounter it.

Videos on social media often get more likes and shares than text or pictures. This means your message reaches more people.

Adding a video to emails can make readers more likely to click through and explore what you’re offering. Videos also keep visitors around longer on your website, giving you more time to showcase your business.

By using videos in different parts of your marketing, you’re more likely to grab and keep people’s attention, no matter where they find you.

Adaptable to Various Marketing Strategies

Video is incredibly versatile, fitting into almost any marketing strategy. Here are a few ways you can use it:

• Product launches: Create excitement with videos showcasing your new offerings.
• How-to guides: Explain complex products or services in a simple, visual way.
• Behind-the-scenes: Show the real people and processes behind your business.
• Customer testimonials: Let satisfied customers tell their stories.

Each type of video serves a specific purpose in your marketing plan. By mixing these different video styles, you can address various customer needs and business goals throughout the buyer’s journey.

Future-Proofs Small Business Marketing

More people watch videos on their phones every year, and Meta notes that people are 1.5 times more likely to watch a video on a smartphone than on a computer. By creating videos now, you’re ready to reach this growing audience.

Short-form videos and live streaming are becoming increasingly popular, especially among younger viewers. By getting comfortable with video marketing now, you’re preparing your business for these emerging trends.

As technology advances, videos will become even more powerful. They can be personalised to fit what each viewer likes, making your marketing more effective. By starting with video now, you’re setting your business up for success in the future of marketing.

Improve Your Video Marketing With Digital Finch

At Digital Finch, we’re experts in creating videos that help small businesses like yours stand out and grow.

We create all kinds of videos, from explainers and testimonials to social media clips and product launches. Our team works closely with you to produce videos that fit your business goals and resonate with your audience.

We handle the entire process, from scripting to final editing. Our expertise and professional equipment ensure your videos look great and get results.

Our portfolio shows the range of work we’ve done for various industries. These videos are optimised for different platforms, and we’ll guide you on how to use them effectively.

Ready to take your marketing to the next level? Get in touch with us today. Let’s create videos that will help your small business thrive.

FAQs

Why is video so effective in marketing?

Videos grab attention quickly and stick in people’s minds. They use moving pictures and sound to tell your story, making it easier for viewers to understand and remember your message. Videos show rather than tell, helping people connect with your business more easily.

How can video marketing help your business?

Video marketing boosts your business by increasing brand discovery, bringing more website visitors, and leading to more sales. Videos build stronger connections with customers by showing the human side of your business. They also improve your search engine rankings and keep visitors on your site longer.

What makes a successful marketing video?

A great marketing video speaks directly to your audience and shows how you can help them. It tells a clear story, looks professional, and ends with a strong call to action. Most importantly, it gives viewers valuable information or solves a problem they have.

How does video marketing increase brand awareness?

Videos spread quickly on social media, helping more people learn about your brand. They’re easy to share, so viewers often pass them on to friends. This means your message can reach far more people than traditional ads, making your brand more recognisable to a wider audience.

The post Benefits Of Video Marketing For Small Business appeared first on Digital Finch.

Using video for recruitment purposes has several benefits. These include increased engagement and interest from potential candidates and the ability to quickly showcase your team and work environment. 

This is also true if you are a charity or non-profit trying to attract more volunteers to help your organisation. Showing your workplace’s upbeat and vibrant culture on video is a powerful tool for letting people know what it’s like, enhancing the candidate experience. 

Creating a video for recruitment can be straightforward. You can use a scripted video with a voiceover and B roll (B Roll footage is just filmed shots around the premises), led by a professional presenter – though this is typically more American- or an interview led by a range of colleagues at different levels speaking honestly and positively about their experience.

Either way, filmed video production is the best option because it gives a real-life experience of the work, people, and environment and will feel more authentic than animation, giving a more immersive feeling. For example filming on a campus for your educational video production. However, you can combine graphics and animated bits into the video edit to emphasise points and for visual variety and added branding. Good branding always has a positive impression on viewers.

A video production like this can often, but doesn’t have to, accompany a photoshoot (organised on the same day), so you have a huge bank of content that is consistent in look feel. You only have to organise everyone together once for the big day (making sure any uniform is correct, PPE is accurate, the workplace looks tidy and its best, etc.). We’ve often filmed around photographers!

This bank of photo and video content can benefit your social media platforms and website, giving you up to a few months of content on socials. For a client, we recently created a bank of video content, we filmed for four days, each day with a videographer and photographer, giving them around 200 photos each day and 8 videos in total. The videos were a mixture of short-form ones for social media and longer videos for the recruitment part of their website and YouTube. The client also used transcripts of the spoken content from the video to create carousel posts.

A professionally produced video series that explores different areas of the business or organisation in depth gives a holistic understanding of the organisation’s culture and mission. A video with a professional feel and branding will enhance the perception of your organisation, and it allows potential candidates to get a good feeling for the people and place before applying, so those who apply are keener and more suitable from the start, as they have more understanding of the task at hand and the expectations of them. 

Types of Videos Used in Recruitment

Interview-style Testimonial Videos

Filming for a day at your premises, speaking to staff on camera and capturing genuine emotions and feelings about the work, the support they receive, information about progression, and the importance they feel to the part of the company or the organisation can be infectious. It’s always good to include a wide range of staff, rather than only managers, for example, to feel more authentic and less corporate. For this kind of video, you want positive and genuine emotion, not a set script to follow, so it’s best to use a questionnaire and a director who will be skilled in active listening and getting the best out of the interviewee so they’;’re not nervous.

This kind of video can be filmed a few different ways. It can filmed on-site to help give context to the work environment such as a school or university and show off the premises, or it can be filmed in a professional studio atmosphere to provide a different look, like a more formal interview. The benefit of filming on-site is that it gives much more visual information about what it’s like, so viewers can more easily envisage themselves there.

Day-in-the-life Video(s)

These can be UGC (User Generated Content—i.e., the person films themselves, not professionally), or you can film them more professionally using a video production company. UGC can work as it gives it a more personal vibe. This video is more of a behind-the-scenes look into the workplace and be more fun. If you have many different departments and roles, you can create one for each, showing off the rich environment, range of activities, and diverse staff in a series. In the past, we’ve also edited UGC content filmed by the client here in the video studio to give it appropriate branding and professional editing to lift the original content – so mixing the two together to balance cost, speed and professionalism. 

Q & A Video

This can be a short, quick-fire question round with staff or volunteers and can often be done UGC to give a more casual everyday feel. And again you can make a series of these about all aspects of work and life there. You can also go the opposite way and film this in a professional video studio; you’d do this, perhaps with a company director, to give a personal yet professional-feeling approach—like an insight into their life and their views on the company and where it’s going. If you’re feeling extra, you can also develop a theme around this, for example a monthly / weekly sofa chat or asking a particular person questions.

Culture Video

Creating a video that discusses specifically the culture and real work environment is vital. Show off what sets you apart, whether it’s being innovation-led, customer-centric, or highlighting the importance of employee well-being. This can also be similar to a ‘Values’ video if you already have set company values. If you don’t have official values, that’s also fine; you can still portray the culture easily with good video production and planning in place.

This kind of video is also your chance to show off how inclusive and diverse your workforce is, as we know that the benefits of diversity in the workforce are massive, and representation matters. It’s a way to make everyone feel proud and excited about the unique culture and work environment. Here we also put effort into making sure our video productions are as inclusive as possible.

Roles Video

This video highlights the diverse range of roles available. In engineering, for instance, there is often a wide variety of roles requiring different skills and experience, more than people may initially think. A video that specifically addresses this variety of roles can highlight all the opportunities available that a potential employee may not have considered needed in your organisation at first glance. 

Brand Video

A brand video is a key tool to help potential candidates and volunteers, especially those new to your organisation, quickly understand what you’re about, how you help your clients, where you are based, etc. This kind of video is more geared towards potential clients but is also helpful in recruitment. This short and concise video should show clients and potential employees your best side, whether it’s filmed, animated, or a mix of both. 

Using Video in Different Recruitment Channels

A first touch point where a potential candidate may find you is a job site or your website. So a video series for a specific recruitment section of the site will let the person browse in their own time to get a feel for the work required and your company. Then you have Social media (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram). These want to be quick and dynamic; a potential candidate may follow you for a while or have a deep dive into your socials to learn more. 

If you regularly recruit staff, a specific section on your website with plenty of information and a video library with the above selection allows candidates to browse at their own pace and learn about you. When they apply, they have a much clearer idea of what it’ll be like, and the chances of it being a successful match for everyone are higher.

Best Practices for Creating Effective Recruitment Videos

• Keep it concise and engaging: Aim for videos that are no longer than a few minutes.
  
• Use high-quality audio and video: Invest in a good video production team like Digital Finch to ensure a professional feeling video.
  
• Focus on storytelling: Create a narrative that connects with your target audience.
  
• Optimise for mobile viewing: Many people watch videos on their smartphones, so ensure your video content is mobile-friendly if it’s likely to viewed on phones.
  
• Promote your videos: Share them on your company’s website, social media channels, and job boards.

Summary

Video is a powerful tool for attracting top talent and showcasing your company culture. By creating engaging and informative videos, you can enhance the candidate experience and increase your chances of finding the right people for your team.

Ready to use video to boost your recruitment? Contact us today to discuss your video production needs. Our team of experts can help you create impactful videos that will make a lasting impression on potential candidates.

The post Why Video is a Must for Recruitment appeared first on Digital Finch.