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Upcoming Anime Sequels Confirmed for 2021

Upcoming Anime Sequels Confirmed for 2021 2d animation company in india

The Anime Series industry was altered due to the Pandemic of COVID-19, maybe even more than any other stream in the entertainment sector. Yes, we saw lots of Hollywood and Animated movie premiers delayed due to cinemas’ unstable work and fears of poor showings at the box offices. Still, the Anime industry has suffered on so many other levels.

The Pandemic endangered both the creation and production of Anime series. Therefore the release of Anime Sequels in 2021 might be even more anticipated today than those from famous Western studios. However, there is some good news for Anime fans worldwide – new seasons will come this year. But let’s not press the luck and talk about Anime sequels that have been solidly confirmed for 2021. The 25 Best Anime List of 2019

The 25 Best Anime List 2d animation services

Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World

Taking about sadly canceled premiers, the Re: Zero sequels’ delay might have been the most devastating news for Anime fans worldwide. While fans saw only the first part of the second season of Re: Zero in the Summer of 2020, the number of new characters and a slight sneak peek at Satella gives us hope that the sequel will be full of stunning plot twists. While the show seems to have finished the Sanctuary arc, we see that the plot is only gaining momentum, and creators have lots of cards in their sleeves.

Fruits Basket: The Final

Those who remember how crazy popular Fruit Basket was at the beginning of the 2000s will definitely appreciate the efforts creators took to adapt the series several years ago. However, the delay of the final third season was pretty devastating. All the previous episodes were pretty predictable and contained the missing Zodiac members. However, the creators promise that in 2021, the series will go deeper into the manga’s darker story twists. Most of them have never been screened before. Therefore the anticipation of Anime fans towards this particular series sequel is pretty understandable.

Attack on Titan: The Final Season

This series might have been the most popular in the overall history of Anime. This success is pretty understandable as what originally started as a pretty standard horror stream eventually turned into a complicated, multilayered narrative that combined policies, and conspiracies and kept viewers in constant tension. No wonder the sequel of Attack on Titan might have become the most anticipated anime release today. Of course, the creators don’t reveal any reliable information on the plot and development of the series. However, we know for sure that the season that will come out in winter 2021 will be the final one. Rumors have it that those who follow the series from the very beginning might be shocked and maybe even devastated by the development of the plot, its twists, and conclusions.

The Promised Neverland 2nd Season

The original manga was suddenly wrapped last summer, leaving us with a bittersweet feeling from the conclusion. However, the anime series sequel promises to bring some unexpected plot twists and solutions the readers never saw in the manga version. We just want to remind you that the first season left us with a tingling anticipation feeling when children left the farm, escaping the monsters that were trying to harvest them. But will the forest bring salvation, or are we about to witness an even more cruel twist? Creators promise that in 2021 Neverland will not leave us indifferent and even force us to glance beyond the original plot.

Reincarnated as a Slime 2nd Season

This Anime is an example that the plot of an animated series may be even more thrilling, multilayered, and sophisticated than the most successful telenovela franchise of our time. Technically, it is following a pretty common isekai formula. However, unlike traditional patterns dictate, the main character comes back as a slime, which is pretty unconventional for the stream. Absorbing and gaining powers of various forms, Rimuru finally finds a world where monsters can live in peace. But the creators of the Anime claim that it is not as easy as it seems, and 2021 will bring us a lot of food for thought through the anime series sequel.

My Hero Academia 5th Season

In many ways, it is not a habitual anime series we all know and love. But mostly because it hardly runs non-stop and tends to roll out slowly, releasing new seasons unevenly, there is so much hype and anticipation behind every new season of Academia. So, the sequel dated 2021 might not be that high spot for the Anime. But anticipation around it has already reached its boiling point. The creators warn us not to expect that the fifth season will be anything like we are used to seeing in the Anime. However, they give us hope for a fascinating experience, claiming that in 2021 we shall witness some extraordinary super-heroic action.

Beastars 2nd Season

The original Netflix anime gives us a lot of food for thought about topics beyond the seemingly plain plot of Beastars. Various animals going to school together in a somewhat utopic universe are apparently not that far from their original prehistoric stigmas. The inevitable conflict eventually leads to a tragedy – a murder. The series explores the darkest corners of our souls, revealing fears and passions most of us would prefer to hide away. So, no, this series is not about bunnies and wolves, like most of us might have thought from the very beginning. The development of the story seems to take us even further from the metaphors and turn the sequel of this anime series into a complicated psychological thriller, spiced up with each other’s personal perceptions.

Log Horizon 3rd Season

Hard to imagine today that Log Horizon started more than seven years ago. Mostly because it is one of those “unsteady” animes that presented only two seasons throughout such a significant time period, that is why the release of the third season announced for 2021 brought some mixed feelings of anticipation and uncertainty. The creators promise that the series will pick up at the third season exactly where the previous season left off. However, there is a solid chance that the overall atmosphere of the series will change tremendously, bringing us a sense of more sophisticated and “mature” storytelling while preserving the traditional “trapped in the game” genre.

The Rising of the Shield Hero 2nd Season

It is another anime series that takes the famous isekai concept but interprets it in an original manner, granting fans unusual plot twists and unexpected developments. It may seem pretty grotesque from the very beginning that the main hero has such a seemingly vulgar and useless piece of equipment as an ordinary shield. However, thanks to talented writing and animation art, this series forces us to think about the real nature, origin, and purpose of things that may seem ordinary at first glance. Along with its original plotting, The Rising of the Shield Hero is a series that holds viewers’ attention through original fun characters, unexpected plot twists that seem to come out of the blue, and, of course, original breathtaking visuals, which look like ultimate art pieces as they are. The Rising of the Shield Hero is an anime series that goes beyond visual satisfaction, making us think, explore, and find satisfaction in unconventional concepts.

Zombie Land Saga Revenge

Another pretty unconventional anime series, Zombie Land Saga, is technically a comedy series that has instantly won the hearts of numerous fans through its dynamic plot and fresh humor. Of course, the story about young pop singers and their adventures also would never leave anyone indifferent. No wonder viewers were waiting for the sequel of Zombie Land Saga sequel just as much as any epic anime series. According to the plot, six girls come back to life as zombies with a greater mission to protect and secure the Saga region of Japan. Their adventures, conflicts, and confusions they have to overcome, learning to cooperate and survive in their unconventional embodiment, are spiced up with the charismatic character of their manager, booking them for the ridiculous singing jobs you could imagine.

Dr. Stone: Stone Wars

As long as the popularity of the Apocalyptic genre is only growing today, the story of Dr. Stone simply had to continue in 2021. And here it comes. Several millennia after the whole world has been turned into stone, this year, we shall witness the development of the story while the power of science will abound Dr. Stone. The creators promise some unexpected plot twists and innovative storytelling solutions that are supposed to take the whole idea of the post-apocalyptic genre to a whole new level.

The Quintessential Quintuplets

The plot of this comedy anime series is as entertaining as it is smart and unconventional for a classic harem anime genre. While a young boy takes a side hustle job tutoring four quintuplets from a wealthy family, the viewer immerses into the world of social conversion and deep psychoanalysis through the seemingly weightless humor and lightheaded plot. However, in 2021 we have a solid chance to continue our journey in the joyful and colorful world of The Quintessential Quintuplets.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement

This critically acclaimed anime is on its fourth season, and Netflix has the exclusive streaming rights to The Seven Deadly Sins (2014-) series. This shounen anime takes place in a world reminiscent of the European Middle Ages. The Holy Knights of Britannia used to be heroes but now serve as the tyrants of this world. The story focuses on Elizabeth, the third princess of the Kingdom of Liones, who is searching for the “Seven Deadly Sins,” a band of legendary heroes that betrayed the Holy Knights years ago, to take back her kingdom and bring justice to the world

World Trigger 2nd Season

World Trigger is a Japanese anime series based on the manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Daisuke Ashihara. During Jump Festa ’20, it was announced that the series would receive a second season, with the cast reprising their roles. Toei Animation is returning to produce the anime. Morio Hatano is the new series director, while the rest of the staff are reprising their roles

Majutsushi Orphen Haguretabi

Majutsushi Orphen Haguretabi season 2 will be titled Majutsushi Orphen Haguretabi Kimluck-hen and premiere on 20 January 2021.   As you see, 2021 looks like a pretty promising year for the Anime industry. Except for the long-lasting and more traditional anime genres, we can expect the development of new series that had just launched before the Pandemic and managed to win over the fans` hearts, turning into unbelievably anticipated sequels for 2021.

Creating great animation videos demands practice, patience, and creativity. Looking for some more guidance? Contact us today at Prayan Animations!

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Animation Foundation: Drawing Cartoon Characters

Animation Foundation

While some might still see animation as an industry, particularly for a younger auditorium, animated video content becomes a powerful tool for storytelling, branding, and marketing. Animation studios are even more popular and recognizable than most modern Hollywood celebrities and their products often go into the history of art and culture.

No matter, whether the animation is used to create a full-length feature movie or a short commercial clip, there are certain ground rules and principles. Creating and drawing a character is the key to success – the process that will determine the whole mood and atmosphere of the upcoming animated videos.

While cartoon artists need all the basic knowledge of anatomy and proportions, this knowledge will appear to be incomplete and even useless once they get down to the creation of a cartoon character. Mainly because cartoon characters exist in a separate Universe, which is also a product of the imagination and the creation of an artist.

Eventually, an artist has to create a character, that will be plausible and realistic in the eye of a viewer who sees the general picture – the character and the world where the character lives with its laws of physics, landscape, and atmosphere.

Where do you start?

In this article, we shall describe the fundamental principles of drawing different parts of a character and combining them into one image. However, it does not matter, whether you are drawing the body of your character, his eyes, mouth, or ears, the process always starts at the same point – rough sketches.

From this perspective drawing, cartoon characters may look a bit like sculpting. Rumors have it that Michelangelo once said that by creating his world-famous statue he just took a big chunk of marble and chipped away everything that didn`t look like David. Drawing a character or any part through a rough sketch is a similar process. You start with a simple geometric figure and then start to add certain features that will help this rough geometric figure look like the final character.

It is important to understand that this stage is essential, whether you are creating a human, animal, object, or any particular body part or landscape element.

You may have to make several sketches until you come up with a final concept. Through drawing several sketches you start to see how the character or object can move, express him, and what are the proportions and mimics of the final concept.

Basic principles of cartoon proportions

While every cartoon character is unique and the whole beauty of animation is that it does not have to follow the limitations of real life, certain principles determine the proportions of cartoon characters and even the scenery.

Those principles are usually determined by the local culture, perception of the human body, and beauty standards. We all know the distinctive feature of Asian animation – the exaggerated eyes and various hair colors. At the same time, western animation also exploits certain stereotypes that determine the proportions of heroes, no matter which studio or artist is working on the projects.

The basic principles of cartoon proportions are:

  1. Children often have heads larger than the rest of the body measurements and adult-size eyes.
  2. A hero usually has rounder facial and body features, while villains are often edgy and pointy.
  3. Eyes and mouth express the character, his mood, intelligence, and vibe.
  4. Male and female characters who are put in the middle of storytelling often have exaggerated male and female features. For example, Disney princesses always have feminine bodies and beautiful hair. At the same time, male heroes traditionally have developed masculine bodies and facial features.

While drawing a character, it is important to make several sketches representing him in different positions and moods. This way you will eventually see the perfect that will let your character move and react and communicate most expressively.

Body of a cartoon character – a peer with a skeleton.

Drawing the body rough sketch a peer is an international approach popular among animators. Peer–shaped perception of a body is common in almost all cultures and it automatically makes animated characters more plausible and attractive for viewers.

This principle is acceptable not only for human heroes but also for animals and sometimes objects if they are supposed to be active characters. Due to peer-like bodies, we are subconsciously ready to admit the fact that a dog, a dinosaur, or a teapot may move and talk in the given reality.

Peer is an ultimately magical shape for animation as it helps to express various characters and moods. If a classic peer shape helps create a soft, approachable live-looking character, a reverse peer automatically leads us to a wide-shoulder, masculine, and more aggressive image. You can create two characters of the same species, whether those are humans, birds, or animals, but instantly give them dominant or submissive traits going through reverse or standard peer shape.

Once you have determined the body proportions, it is time to add the skeleton – legs, arms, neck, and head. Their proportion also determines the character’s image and perception. For example, the bigger the head is, the more intellectual the character seems to be. Bullies, civilian side-kicks, and other traditionally intellectually challenged characters often have heads significantly smaller than the rest of body proportions.

The same principle is relevant to legs and arms. Their length and proportions determine whether a character is attractive, goofy, approachable, or repulsive.

Eyes, nose, mouth, and hair – features that determine a character

While we`ve been taught all our lives not to judge a candy by its wrapping, those are looks that create the first impression about every person we meet. The same idea works with cartoon characters. While labeling and stereotypes are condemned by modern society, they work well in animation, helping create a certain mood and characters almost effortlessly.

Here are certain body parts that act as tools to determine a viewer`s impression of a character:

Face Construction Drawing Cartoon

Head

As we mentioned above, the size and shape of a head often determine the intellectual ability of a character. However, not only the size but the shape of the head is important. The principle is simple – the head is a container for the brain. The smaller the container is the less content it has. Therefore goofy or stupid characters, cowards, or narrow-minded antagonists usually have thinner heads, pointy at the top.

Nose

The most noticeable face part, the nose is always an instrument to make a character recognizable, funny, or translate his mood. For example, Disney princesses always have perfect out-of-the-rinoplasty noses. The more evil or dominant the character is, the edgier becomes his hose. And while female villains often get pointy witchy noses, evil males usually have square crooked noses. The more simple-hearted and funny the character is supposed to be, the bigger and rounder the nose gets.

Teeth

Another crucial expressive facial feature. The principle is similar to nose creation. Heroes and princesses always have Hollywood smiles. Cute and funny children either miss a tooth or have exaggerated teeth as a sign of goofiness and youth. The more revolting a character is supposed to be, the more pointy and frightening his smile.

Mouth

Expressions and movements can also be essential in reading body language. For example, chewing on the bottom lip may indicate that the individual is experiencing feelings of worry, fear, or insecurity. Smiling is perhaps one of the greatest body language signals, but smiles can also be interpreted in many ways.

Drawing Cartoon Mouth Expression

Shoulders

This is the fundamental application of the peer-body principle. The wider the shoulders are the more strong-willed the character. While will sometimes grow into dominant, exaggerated shoulders are often a sign of a bully or an aggressive character.

Chin

Another facial feature, mostly applicable to male characters, helps instantly create an impression. This principle of animation was widely adopted by the comic book industry, creating recognizable hero and villain images for decades. Positive, credible, masculine characters often have massive chins. However, their shape is also important as a good guy will always have softer and rounder features while a villain develops edgy, pointy, or square shapes. A no-chin character is usually a sidekick or a coward – a subordinate protagonist.

Rule of a peer

We shall return to this rule but regarding female characters mostly. Demonstrating the human body, a peer helps to create a soft feminine image. Therefore, the more approachable, cozy, and attractive the character is, the wider will be the bottom of the peer, creating an image of wider hips. This principle is most applicable to sweet old ladies, wise grandmothers, etc. However, the feminizing power of a pear-shaped body is pretty applicable when you want to create a goofy male character. And of course, it is essential for innocent and cuddly children.

Hair

In some cultures hair, length, style, colour, and shape determine a character. The principle of character expression through hair is usually the same as for other body parts – rich and bouncy are for positive and attractive characters. Edgy, and colorful express creative and daring natures. Thin, greasy, unhealthy hair is a true sign of an ill-minded character.

drawing cartoon hair and beards

Generally, those are the principles that will have to create an impression from your cartoon character before it even becomes animated. Though they may look pretty restricted and stereotypic, there is a limitless field for imagination and creativity that helps various studios and artists all over the world create original and memorable characters.

Principles of Drawing Cartoon Scenery

The character you are creating has to exist in his universe. Whether you are drawing a realistic image or an exaggerated imaginative universe, certain principles determine how you will create the scenery or express weather conditions.

The background is not just an aquarium, where you put a character. It is a powerful tool that helps you counter a hero and justify his movements. Background also enhances a storyline. In case you are creating a commercial video or informative video content where an animated character acts as a narrator, background, and scenery will help you make it more credible and realistic.

There are certain principles to observe if you want to naturally integrate your characters into the scenery.

The same concept

Logically, a 2D character will look unnatural in 3D scenery. The same is true about the drawing technique and color palette. Although scenery should not absorb a character, making him unnoticeable, it is still important to create an impression that the hero and the scenery belong to the same universe.

Proportions

The scenery will determine whether your character is a tall guy or a shorty, looks massive or insignificant in the overall atmosphere. To develop proper proportions, start with the eye level of your character. The eye level will demonstrate how a hero sees the world and help a viewer to associate himself with the character while watching the video.

Laws of physics

Following Disney`s 12 principles of animation, even inanimate objects and natural phenomena fall under certain rules in cartoons. They justify a character`s behavior, movement, and plastic. That is why animation allows the schematic image of things that may even remain invisible in real life. The wind movement is expressed with thin lines, raindrops have a clear direction, and wet hair and clothes can be emphasized not only with darker colors, but schematic lining, showing the direction of the sprays.

While drawing cartoon characters and scenery it is important to understand that they will exist in the world with its laws of physics and atmosphere, but still have to seem plausible for a viewer. It means that despite the limitless field for imagination, it is important to follow certain patterns and principles that are common for various viewers from different cultures and locations. And just like an action calls for a reaction, making animated scenery and active participation in the storytelling, the whole image of every hero is a way to create his image and build the viewer`s attitude.

This pattern is most notable in Disney animation and comic-book character creations, which have shaped the basic image concepts for drawing all kinds of cartoons. With the rising significance of animated video content, cartoons have passed the barrier that limited it as a children-only industry. Today animated heroes help to sell, inform, recruit, and engage various internet users, prosperous customers, investors, and employees all over the world. With proper character traits, entourage, and performance, animator characters have the potential to shape the future of many industries.

In order for you to equip yourself with an animation of interest, simply contact us and we will have the best created for you that suits your purpose.

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Upcoming Animation Movie in 2021 – Don’t Miss It

Upcoming Animation Move in 2021 Don't Miss It 2d animation company

The Most Anticipated Animated Movies of 2021. Big screen cartoons, which you don`t want to miss!

What did you miss most during the 2020 Lockdown? Statistically “going to movies” is the most popular answer to this question. Today the quarantine restrictions are partly lifted in some regions and people can even return to cinema halls.

However, the Pandemic has forced the overall movie industry to reboot, find a new approach to continue producing movies, and deliver them to viewers. Those changes might have not been that dramatic for the Animated movie industry, but still caused numerous cancellations and date changes for many premieres in 2020.

So, today we can only peek at which legendary animated movie premieres are awaiting us in 2021. Due to the unstable situation and unpredictable schedule of movie theatre openings, we still have no clear information about the actual dates and release schedule. However, it makes our anticipation even more thrilling!

The Addams Family 2

Released in 2019, MGM`s animated version of The Addams Family franchise has instantly gained numerous fans. No wonder, the studio started to work on the sequel of the movie about a controversial yet fabulous family, its values, and traditions.

Good news for the fans of the first animated Addams Family movie – all the original cast will return in the sequel. We shall hear the iconic voices of Charlize Theron, Oscar Isaac, Chloe Grace Moretz, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler, and Snoop Dogg again. Moreover, Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon will take the directors` chairs once again!

Hotel Transylvania 4

Another iconic monster clan will return to the big screen in 2021. The glorious director Gennady Tartatovsky however claims that this will be his last entry to the popular franchise. However, Adam Sandler, Helena Gomes, and Andy Samberg will come back again as Cont Dracula, his daughter Mavis, and her wacky human-born husband Johny with all their beloved friends and family members.

Although the details of the story remain unclear, we all know that whether the heroes are hitting the road in the search for adventure or staying in their cozy monster-friendly hotel, we shall never get enough from those beloved characters.

Bob`s Burgers: The Movie

After The Simsons and The Family Guy, another beloved TV animated family gets a feature-length animated movie this year! Bob`s Burgers will appear on the big screen in their musical comedy, created in collaboration between 20th Century Fox and Bento Box.

The creators promise that along with the voices of H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, John Roberts, and Kristen Schaal, which we all know and love, viewers are up for a treat and will be surprised with some special guest voices.

Connected

To tell the truth, the release of such a story was only a question of time. A new animated comedy will not just entertain but raise some serious questions and relevant issues of modern society and our dependence on mobile gadgets.

A cheerful suburban family will stand up against a massive takeover by hostile machines. Produced and directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord and Gravity Falls alum Mike Rianda, and voiced by Maya Rudolph, Danny McBride, Olivia Colman, Abbi Jacobson, and Eric Andre, this story promises to become one of the most significant animated movies of 2021.

Encanto

Walt Disney Animated Studio will present us with a touching and thrilling story about a little Columbian girl who comes from a magical family. However, the child lacks any kind of magical powers and eventually faces all the challenges of misunderstanding and rejection. Encanto is A colorful story about self-esteem and faith in the best tradition of Disney.

Minions: The Raise of Gru

One of the most anticipated animated movies of 2020, only drew more attention once it was delayed for an uncertain period due to the quarantine restriction.

The prequel of the most successful animated franchise of the XXI century, the new Minion movie promises to meet our most ambitious expectations directed by Kyle Balda, Brad Abelson, and Jonathan del Val. And of course, we have all been missing the voices of Steve Carell (Gru), Alan Arkin, Julie Andrews, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Taraji P. Henson, Danny Trejo, Lucy Lawless, Michelle Yeoh, and Russell Brand, and the hilarious gibberish of the Minions.

PAW Patrol: The Movie

Another iconic animated franchise is heading to the big screen in 2021. Keith Chapman, the creator of famous brave animated puppies promises a joyful and adventurous movie, directed by Cal Brunker. By the plot, Ryder and his furry friends will have to stop a villain from driving the Adventure City into chaos. Among the puppies, we shall hear the voices of Kim Kardashian West, Jimmy Kimmel, Yara Shahidi, Jimmy Kimmel, Dax Shepard, and Tyler Perry.

Sing 2

Another long-anticipated sequel may finally come out this year instead of the Holiday Season of 2020. Illumination`s famous musical will now tell a story of how the adventurous entrepreneur Moon and his talented protégés leave their beloved theatre for the luring lights of the big city.

Written and directed by Garth Jennings, Sing 2 will bring back the iconic voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Seth MacFarlane, John C. Reilly, Nick Kroll, and Tori Kelly this Summer.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

The legendary tribute to Michael Jordan released in 1996, comes back this year with new iconic faces and characters like LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Sonequa Martin-Green accompanied by world-famous Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Pepe Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, and Lola Bunny.

The creators promise to keep the flow and mood of the original movie but boost up the picture with innovative animation solutions, music, and, of course, beloved modern celebrities.

Tom and Jerry

Another classical world-famous animated franchise from the past comes back with vengeance in their feature-length animated movie in 2021.

The beloved Hannah-Barbers characters will make a mess out of a glamorous New York hotel, featuring Stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Ken Jeong, Rob Delaney, Pallavi Sharda, and Colin Jost. The creators also promise to reveal some rare archive footage of William Hanna, June Foray, and Mel Blanc combined with breathtaking advanced modern animation.

The Boss Baby: Family Business

The successful animated franchise that once left the big screen for a TV series format, comes back this year with a new movie.

According to the plot, Tim (James Marsden) and Ted (Alec Baldwin) are now grown-ups. Suddenly a new Boss Baby comes to town. And it`s a Girl! Baby Tina (Amy Sedaris) is a baby super agent who has a task to ruin the evil plot of Dr. Erwin Armstrong (Jeff Goldblum) – a villain who happens to be the principal of the local school.

Luca

Traveling to foreign countries, eating new food, lying on the beach, and making new friends – those are the things we all missed so much last year. This new Pixar animated movie will take us to the Italian Rivera.

Together with the main character, we shall have one unforgettable summer. Eating gelato and pasta, riding scooters through breathtaking views, and, of course, meeting exotic sea creatures from another universe!

Raya and the Last Dragon

Another Disney fantasy that is supposed to come this year will take us to the mysterious world of Asian culture and South Eastern mythology. In this magical world where humans live next to dragons, a brave young girl meets new friends and faces unbelievable mystical challenges.

Written by Adele Lim – the author of Crazy Rich Asians, and voiced by Kelly Marie Tran (Raya) and Awkwafina (Sisu the Water Dragon) this story combines the evergreen traditions of Disney with sophisticated animation and ancient mythology.

Ron`s Gone Wrong

Rone's Gone Wrong Animation Movie

The creators of Pixar`s world-famous animated movies Inside Out and Arthur Christmas, join their forces to release the very first feature of a UK-based studio Locksmith.

The story will describe the adventures of a little boy who has quite an unconventional best friend. The movie was entirely written and produced by the founder of Locksmith Julie Lockhart and promises to appear on the screen by the end of April 2021.

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans

Based on Guillermo del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia, Trollhunters are a part of a trilogy, describing the magical world of wizards, trolls, and dragons.

Directed by Johane Matte, Francisco Ruiz Velasco, and Andrew L. Schmidt, this collaboration of Dream Works and Netflix will hit the screens this feature featuring voices of Emile Hirsch, Lexi Medrano, Charlie Saxton, Kelsey Grammer, Alfred Molina, Steven Yeun, Nick Frost, Diego Luna, Tatiana Maslany, Nick Offerman, Tom Kenny, Laraine Newman, Grey Griffin, and Cheryl Hines.

Wish Dragon

2021 will be full of dragons. Another animated movie expected in 2021 will describe a story of the complicated relationships of a young boy and his friend dragon who can make any wish come true.

The movie is produced by legendary Jackie Chan, who will also grant his voice to one of the characters. Wish Dragon also features Constance Wu, John Cho, Will Yun Lee, Jimmy Wong, and Bobby Lee.

Prayan Animation Studio offers you an opportunity to get yourself a good quality animated explainer video for your business at a cost-friendly price from a well-experienced team. We are for you, Just a phone call away, and get served by Prayan Animation Studio.

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Learning 2D Animation Principles for Beginners

Learning 2D Animation Principles for Beginners 2d animation services

Things you need to know before getting down to your studies.

Whether it has been your childhood dream or you understand the meaning of animation in the prosperous industry of video content and digital marketing, learning 2D animation is a breathtaking journey and a perspective way to get new skills or get a valuable addition to your resume.

The development of various software and digital technologies made learning 2D animation both more available and sought after in the modern world. And while more and more content creators and brands understand the importance of engaging and digestible video content, 2D animation offers almost limitless possibilities to create, engage, draw attention and, of course, sell.

From short videos to full-time movies – 2D animation has its application in so many spheres of business and industries today that its knowledge has become a key demand for various specialists who are willing to work with visual content, design, and development.

In this article, we shall have a general overview of 2D animation – its types, production and post-production stages, and perspectives in our rapidly digitalizing world.

Types of Animation

Before getting down to mastering the art of animation, it is important to have a general understanding of different types of animation and their peculiarities. Knowing and distinguishing those types will help you determine preferable learning programs, software, and your perspectives on animation.

Traditional (Hand-drawn) Animation

This is the 2D animation we all know and love. Our favorite Disney characters and lots of other childhood heroes have been created with the so-called hand-drawn animation.

The name comes from the production process itself – the characters and numerous frames in traditional animation are drawn by hand. Back in the day artists were using paper and pencils, drawing each cartoon frame-by-frame and then transferring the images on acetate sheets for painting.

Since the beginning of the 1990s, traditional animation has become much less analog as frames can now be scanned and colored digitally instead of using acetate sheets. Paper and pens were also replaced by various planchettes and tablets with touchscreens and digital pens. However, the main feature of traditional 2D animation – drawing by hand – remains its distinctive feature and punch line.

CGI (Computer Generated Imagery)

Also known as 3D animation, CGI has granted us beloved characters from world-famous studios. Making objects look almost alive, CGI animation takes creativity to a whole new level, allowing it to bring to life any possible character or action, no matter how alien or wild it may seem. The same principle is used while creating video games and action movies.

While creating CGI animation, you will use a character rig – a digital marionette that will help you position your character and define its movements in the given space. The software produces certain keyframes for every move, and the animator continues to reframe them until the image starts to look natural and life-like.

CGI animation is quite a complex process and it usually involves several experts. Each of them deals with a certain character or scenery features, textures, light and shading, and various other elements.

Flash Animation

Another type of 2D animation, Flash is a combination of traditional hand-drawn techniques with the features of 3D animation.

The characters in Flash animation have those traditional 2D looks and look pretty hand-made. However, unlike in hand-drawn animation, an artist may use a technology similar to rigs from 3D technology.

In other words, Flash animation allows an artist to change the position of the character or develop his move without the need to re-draw the whole scenery.

Flash animation became popular at the beginning of the 2000s and skyrocketed after the technology was purchased by Adobe in 2005. Today it is simply impossible to imagine animated video content or web design without a certain load of Flash animation.

Getting down to work – preproduction of storyboard.

Preproduction is the key stage of any animation project. Before getting down to actual work it is very important to have a clear blueprint of the upcoming work. At this stage, you will determine which resources you will need to bring the concept to life and estimate the production time.

In case you are creating a project for a customer, pre-production is the moment when you can check that your vision of the upcoming project aligns with the customer`s demand.

Pre-production usually consists of the following stages:

  1. Briefing/debriefing
  2. Concept determination
  3. Visual development
  4. Storyboard
  5. Motion storyboard

However, storyboarding might be the most thrilling part of the whole pre-production process. It allows you to imagine and explore the whole universe that you are going to create with your animation.

Storyboarding allows a director to check the idea, see if it looks probable and all the details of the upcoming action check out. In other words, a storyboard is a sketch that represents the whole story and demonstrates its contents and development.

Preparing the Scene Animation – bringing a new universe to life

If storyboarding gives you a schematic understanding of where and how your future characters will live, scene animation is the ultimate embodiment of this imaginary land that will determine all the details and atmosphere within your animated project.

Although the process itself is a subject of the whole course on animation, here we shall describe the main stages of this process.

  • Concepting – Although concepting is quite a schematic image of the upcoming scene, the more detailed you make it, the easier it is later on to create the final image. The sketches created at the concept stage will become a guideline for every animator involved in the process.
  • Arranging the work frame – whether you are working alone or with other animators. It is important to establish a determined work pipeline. From choosing software to arranging the files – the more restricted and clear the work frame is, the more efficient the overall process will become.
  • Pre-visualization – it is a very rough scene presentation that will give a clear understanding of how the overall scenery will look and develop in the final variant. Sometimes animators also put schematic images of characters and other objects in the scene at this stage to demonstrate proportions and make necessary adjustments, if needed.
  • Modeling – depending on the desired result, you may need various details in your scenery. Modeling allows you to create several variants of the same object or various objects of the upcoming scene, that will make the overall impression and create the atmosphere.
  • Populating the scene – at this stage, you define the placement of various objects in your scene and place certain “joining” elements, if needed.
  • Additional characters – once you create an outdoor scene, adding some characters in the background makes the overall picture more livable. Birds, insects, background characters, or cars – all those elements turn a schematic image of a scene into an actual atmosphere.
  • Composing – This is the final stage, where you bring all the designed elements together into one scene and bring it to life. At this moment you see the final scene image and can understand whether some elements need adjustment or maybe eliminated not to overload the scene.

Understanding the traditional principles of animation. Is Disney’s legacy relevant in today`s 2D animation?

Introduced in the 1980s by Disney animators Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas, those principles describe the key guidelines of how any character should be animated to create a life-like impression on viewers.

Although the technology of 2D animation has evolved greatly since those ideas were introduced, they will never lose their significance. Understanding them an animator may easily give believable features of a living creature to any object – from a geometric figure to a plant or rock.

1. Squash and stretch

As long as our brain accepts and interprets gravity unconsciously, the movements of an object that should be determined and restricted by it are crucial for the acceptance of the scene. The main embodiment of this principle is bouncing off walls or jumping. However, it is very important to observe the volume and physical features of the object to make its moves live-like.

2. Anticipation

This effect prepares a viewer for what is going to happen next by observing the common ruler of physics or behavior. Just like you would bend your knees before jumping, anticipation is a feature that helps you see the movement of the object and story development more probable.

3. Staging

It is important to focus a viewer’s attention before showing the development. Staging allows one to point out the character that is about to take an action or demonstrate his intention.

4. Straight and pose-to-pose action

Those are animation techniques that will determine the overall atmosphere and action. Straight-ahead action demonstrates the first and the last action frames with all the frames in between. This is a more realistic life-like presentation of movement. Pose-to-pose is a more schematic and “jumpy” image when a character goes straight from one position to another.

5. Follow-through and overlapping action

This principle demonstrates the concomitant movements of a character while it is moving from one point to another.

6. Slow in and slow out

The way that a character stops is also important. The best way to illustrate this principle is to imagine how a car moves and stops. Gaining speed is a graduate process as well as stopping.

7. Arc

Another movement protocol that coincides with the laws of physics and characteristics of an object. It makes the movement more natural and the overall scenery probable for a viewer.

8. Secondary action

Just like in real life, every action causes contraction, animation often uses secondary objects to support the overall impression and make motion life-like.

9. Timeline

Another principle is based on physics. The movement of the object should be determined by its physical characteristics. If it moves in space faster or slower than it would have in real life, the overall action will look unnatural.

10. Exaggeration

As much as all those principles are aimed at making the action more realistic and life-like, exaggeration is important as it does not let animation become a boring too-realistic image.

11. Solid drawing

Even while dealing with 2D animation, it is important to understand the drawing principles and the possible existence of an object in a 3D reality

12. Appeal

Quite a subjective, this principle dictates that every character needs to be appealing to a viewer. The effect is reached by granting a character distinctive personal features or certain behavior patterns. In other words, even a non-living object, once animated, should be relatable to a viewer.

Animation production – when the magic happens

Now, that you have gone through all the theoretical preparations, passed the pre-production phase, and have a clear vision of the upcoming 2D animation, it is time to go through the production process.

It may be pretty complex and involve the simultaneous work of several people or performed individually. However, the main production stages are:

  1. Storyboard
  2. Audio
  3. Animatic
  4. Layout

Here is a brief explanation of the process. Once the script is written and the storyboard is built, animators start to create a detailed design of the scene and place characters in it. Then there comes the work on the sound. Except for the voices and dialogues of the character or narrator, there may be a need to create background audio. Sounds of street or nature make the overall scene more lively and believable.

Then animators start to join the image of a character with his voice and behavior pattern by carefully drawing out every move and mimics. Then the layout is created – at this step, a director determines the position of the camera, angles, lighting, and shades that tie all the images into one common scene.

Once all the stages are passed, the actual production begins. From now on every animator has a clear vision of every frame and can work on the details carefully, bringing the overall concept to life.

Post Production – the final touches

Post-production is the process that allows us to calibrate all the elements of the overall animation project, give some final touches, and add special effects that will finalize the overall picture.

Post-production includes:

  • Final editing of the visual image
  • Audio editing – adjustment of dialogues, background sounds, or music and adding sound effects
  • Dubbing – once the image is perfect, there is a possibility to add voices or synchronize alternative voice acts in a different language
  • Distribution – from now on the project is ready to be transferred to the customer or be distributed on offline and online platforms.

Animation is a thrilling and perspective industry that will never lose its relevance. Evolving and developing 2D animation managed to adopt modern technology and become an integral part of modern video content and pop culture.

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Master the most powerful marketing tool of the century

Master the most powerful marketing tool of the century 2d animation services in united states

A step-by-step guide to video marketing

In a world where online presence becomes the only possible presence for so many businesses, the importance of the digital market simply can not be overrated. Therefore quality and engaging content become the determining factor in the race for customer attention. The most recent research shows that people find video content the most attractive and engaging nowadays. This explains the growing popularity of such platforms as Facebook or YouTube compared to the recent leader on the market – Instagram, which is still more about photos than video clips.

Videos are much more fun to create, watch, and share with friends and family. It means that video content has more chances to become viral than the most popular tweet or blog post. It provides marketers with basically free and limitless promotion opportunities.

All those factors explain how video marketing has turned from another promotional tool into a separate powerful industry. It has gathered the world’s leading marketers and business analysts with top content creators and is now changing the whole concept of promotion.

Video marketing takes over

“The simplicity of genius” – this ancient expression might be the best explanation for the growing influence and popularity of video marketing. Basically, it is promotion through video content. And this simple definition is fraught with endless possibilities. The thing is, you can promote anything through videos and apply to any kind of auditorium. Whether you are launching a new product or trying to raise awareness on some matter; your potential customers are middle-aged housewives entrepreneurs – you are always able to create efficiently-selling content on any topic and for any viewer.

The forced relocation of most businesses to the digital space during the Pandemic of COVID-19 became one of the boosting factors for Video Marketing. Today, when the dust started to settle, we see that those companies who have recognized the potential of video marketing and devoted a special place for it in their anti-crisis strategies, show the best survival rates and even manage to benefit from the rapidly-changing market. At least 92% of marketers today acknowledge the efficiency of video content marketing.

Combining the best features of fundamental advertising with the newest trends in social media, video marketing takes promotion to a whole new level.

In this article you will find an easy-to-follow guide that will help you make the first steps of inefficient video marketing that will instantly enhance the online performance of your business, leaving competitors far behind.

Stop selling a product and start selling ideas

Let`s face it, the modern consumer is pretty overwhelmed with commercials. Moreover, all the marketing strategies that we know today have exhausted themselves. People start recognizing commercials even when you try to wrap them into any kind of informative or educational content. Video marketing provides brand-new opportunities. From now on, whether you operate in the B2B segment or address a specific auditorium of consumers, you can set the tone of communication, engage, and inspire before starting to promote a product. The creation of a certain atmosphere and settling the mood is the ultimate marketing superpower. And video content allows you to do it almost effortlessly.

Here are some tips that will help you set the right tone from the very beginning and engage your desired auditorium.

  • – Go Live. Peaking behind the blinds has always been the ultimate fetish. Social media has provided us the opportunity to follow our friends, relatives, and even celebrities 24/7. Today brands may adopt and benefit from this feature by allowing the audience to take a look behind the scenes. Not only does it make businesses more humane and relatable, but this open policy significantly raises the credibility of the brand. Once people see what exactly they are paying for, they are much more open to offerings. Live videos may be scheduled or spontaneous. Anyway, you should first study your auditorium, its habits, and the time when potential customers are most likely to surf social media and keep to this schedule.
  • – Add video to E-mail newsletters. The necessity and efficiency of e-mail marketing have become an object of discussion more and more often today. However, video content may revive your e-mail newsletters and make them more efficient. It is only important not to load your e-mails with big and heavy video files, but insert a short and engaging video that will inspire follow the lead and visit your website or marketplace. However, the time has come to switch to an e-mail marketing platform that offers video email marketing features.
  • – Use 360 videos. Originally introduced by Facebook, the 360 video feature is a perfect example of immersive and interactive video content. Not only does it engage, but gives a viewer a feeling that he controls the situation, not having to watch whatever you show, but being able to look around and manage the experience. This is another feature that takes the imposing out of the equation, creating personal relationships between a customer and a brand.
  • – Tell a story. While live videos allow you to engage a viewer in a conversation, storytelling provides you the scene to send your message directly and exactly the way that you want. Whether you create a mini-series or a short video, make sure that is not only informative but entertaining and makes viewers look forward to the next posts. A clear and friendly tone spiced up with a healthy dose of appropriate humor will certainly do the job.

Now let`s analyze the scene. These are the most prosperous platforms for video content marketing today.

Instagram- IGTV

Being the largest social media platform, Instagram was the very first social media that put visual content over text. Unlike Facebook and Twitter which back in the day were mostly concentrated on words, Instagram put an image in the first place. Today the developers of Instagram work hard on the video marketing feature by providing an opportunity to upload long videos through IGTV and even monetize on them. Maybe not the fastest-growing, but still the most recognizable platform today, Instagram is a powerful promotional tool. It is important to note that this platform is mostly dominated by certain influencers today, therefore the newly-introduced joint-live and collaboration features might be the distinctive feature of Video Marketing on Instagram.

YouTube

When we talk about video content, YouTube might be the first thing that comes to mind. Started as hosting for short funny videos, mostly epic fails and adorable cats, today YouTube has replaced Television for numerous users. Full of useful and engaging content, YouTube attracts millions of users every day. Having a YouTube channel gives you access to the biggest auditorium worldwide.

Facebook

Maybe not the trendiest platform today, Facebook still manages to accumulate the largest amount of data-tracking tools and engagement rates. It is constantly developing its video content features, becoming one of the most significant platforms for video content today.

Tik Tok

Whatever was considered social media for kids a couple of years ago turned into a powerful video content platform today. Its growth rate has left such mastodons as Facebook and Instagram far behind. TikTok might be the perfect choice when you are addressing a younger auditorium or aiming for viral video content.

Cross-Posting

Choosing one platform and settling there won`t result in Facebook still managing to accumulate the largest amount of data-tracking tools and engagement rates. Coverage is everything here. Therefore you should use the whole potential of your video content by applying the cross-posting strategy. Basically, it is posting video content on various platforms, adjusting it to the peculiarities of the audience that you may mostly find there. Cross-posting is a great feature to grow the engagement of your social media profile. However, it might be hard from the very beginning to find your unique type of expression and create equally efficient content for different platforms. Here are several tips that will help you benefit the most from the cross-posting strategy:

  • – Think before turning on the camera. The auditorium of TikTok differs from that of Facebook. Therefore, it is useless to post the same video content everywhere and think carefully, whether the video you are about to create is appropriate and understandable for those users who are most likely to see it on this platform.
  • – Consider restrictions. Every platform has its peculiarities and restrictions. While YouTube allows you to upload an hour-long video, TikTok will give you only several seconds to express yourself entirely.
  • – Attention to detail. Different platforms have different engagement rates and schedules due to the peculiarities of their auditorium. While Instagram is mostly active at late night hours and in the morning, while the afternoon is its official dead hour, Facebook may provide you with a larger auditorium at lunchtime.

Size matters. Collaboration with micro-influencers

When it comes to collaboration, most businesses may think that the larger the follower base of an influencer is, the more efficient will be the whole video marketing campaign. Practice shows that this is not entirely true.

Micro-influencers, those who don`t have a seven-figure auditorium may be much more useful than the recognized insta-celebrities. The fact is, people already understand that most (if not all) content of famous influencers is all-commercial. Therefore they trust the information received from them not more than a TV ad. Micro-bloggers vice versa have a much higher credibility rate. Moreover, they are usually more engaged with their followers and pay more attention to the quality of their content.

Here are the main benefits of collaborating with micro-influencers:

  • – They are more affordable and willingly provide access to their content for smaller businesses
  • – Social media is not their main source of income, therefore their recommendations look more natural and sincere
  • – They have a higher engagement rate as they constantly communicate with their followers through DM and comments
  • – They produce the relatable “next door” impression, making their commercials more trustworthy for people

You don`t have a second chance to make the first impression

Your videos may be high-quality, engaging, and informative, but it is no use if no one clicks on them. The craft of creating a viral and intriguing title is the key to the success of any video content.

Here is what you need to know about efficient titles:

  • – Keywords. To make your audience find and enjoy your video content, you should know what they will be looking for. Keyword research allows you to create a viral title that will draw attention and encourage people to share your content. There is an important trick: while researching the keywords never aim for the most popular requests. It will only place your content in a highly competitive field, decreasing its visibility. The middle layer of request popularity is what you are looking for.
  • – Make it clear. It may seem pretty hard to create content that will be intriguing and clear at the same time. However, your viewers need to understand from the very beginning what they are going to look at. The biggest mistake here is luring misleading titles – this only leads to a wave of hate and dislikes that may lead to blockage of your account.
  • – Value of words. While browsing the internet, people tend to look for specific content. If you indicate that your content may somehow solve their problem or make their lives better, you have more chances for engagement. Words like tutorial/DIY/How To/Explained/Tips&tricks are the most valuable ones and give you more chances to go viral through shares.

Brevity is the soul of wit

All marketers know that an average customer decides in about 2 seconds whether an ad is worth clicking on. Video content also has its engagement limitations. Depending on the character of your content and the specifics of your audience it is usually between 6 to 12 minutes. However, the first two minutes are crucial to engage a viewer, inspire, and deliver the main idea.

Of course, it is up to you to decide how long your video is supposed to be. Sometimes it is impossible to provide all the information in just 12 minutes and sometimes there is simply no point in pulling the action for more than 2 minutes. However, video portals also have their restrictions, which are mainly based on the preferences of the target auditorium.

By the way, the specifics of your auditorium are also important. Research shows that the average attendance rate of a modern internet user is around 12 seconds and decreases dramatically once you address a younger auditorium.

Nobody said it is going to be easy, and video content is the hardest one to create. With its growing popularity, it is now becoming one of the most competitive fields. However, the ongoing trends and statistics demonstrate that from the point of efficiency, video marketing is simply next to nothing. If you are looking for a trendy marketing tool that will boost your online presence and performance, video marketing is what will revolutionize your idea about marketing in general.

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Adjust your Marketing Plan and Benefit from the Crisis!

Adjust your Marketing Plan and Benefit

Steps to take during COVID-19.

Some might say that it has been a rough year! Indeed, hardly you may name any industry or business that has not been affected by the Pandemic of COVID-19. But in contrast to the panic that swept the market several months ago, today we see that some businesses seemed to pass the darkest hours with flying colors. Moreover, not only didn`t slip into oblivion, leaving unemployment and debt behind, they seem to have become even stronger! And we don`t only talk about the “Essential” industries like food, media, healthcare, and pharma. On the one hand, their raise is pretty predictable in the current situation. But at the same time, they have suddenly found themselves in an unprecedentedly competitive atmosphere and also had to adjust their marketing strategies.

So let alone construction, entertainment, manufacturing, travel, transportation, and numerous other business segments that due to their nature have suffered from quarantine restrictions and social distancing! But even among them, today we see not just survivors, but bright examples that due to their timely action and ability to adjust marketing tactics during COVID-19 seem to have grown stronger, enriched with the new experience. We all know that a sage constantly observes others and learns from their mistakes and experiences. Observation has always been named among the most efficient tools in any marketing strategy. So let`s have a detailed bird`s eye view of the most efficient marketing tactics applied during the pandemic and see how they have worked until now and whether they will be relevant in the post-Coronavirus market.

What is a marketing strategy and why does it need adjustment?

Marketing strategy is a combination of tactics that defines how your business will communicate with the target audience and encourage it to make a purchase generating your revenue. It can be imagined as a navigator app that shows your current location and directions to the destination. And just like during traffic, operating on a live market, you are constantly influenced by outer factors that don`t depend on you but affect your journey greatly. the Pandemic of COVID-19, social unrest, recession, and natural disasters that happened this year are exactly those factors. If you are traveling with a navigator, you may receive warnings and work out alternative routes. Otherwise, you risk getting stuck in a tremendous traffic jam or even a horrific accident.

That is why marketing strategy, no matter how thought-through it might be from the very beginning, has to be constantly adjusted. This was true before when marketing tactics were modified according to consumers` purchasing phases. But today, both businesses and consumers don`t have a clear vision of the future and have to combine a habitual lifestyle with the imposed precautions.

That said, the marketing strategy adjustment today differs from the one we might have been used to until now. Here are the top 11 steps you want to take today to adjust your marketing plan to the ongoing situation. Moreover, if you manage to react timely and adopt the new rulebook, you have a strong chance to benefit from the current situation and become a part of the fundamental forces of the post-Coronavirus economy.

Explore the new demand

The worst mistake you can make now is to start thinking that nobody needs your service in the current situation. Remember, demand does not disappear, it simply reconfigures. And so should your offer. For example, social distancing does not mean that people don`t need clothes. But the demand for lounge clothes and underwear today is as high as it has never been before. While outdoor apparel had to step back. In other words, instead of investing in more aggressive promotion of whatever you have to offer, re-stream your efforts into learning what the consumer needs. People still want to make a purchase and they need your help and direction today more than ever.

Animation Foundation: Drawing Cartoon Characters

Sell relevance, not the product itself

In a time when people are anxious and worried about their health, jobs, and education, they are constantly looking for solutions. The only chance to sell anything today is to persuade a consumer that your product is a solution to the topical problem. Therefore the promotion tactics are changing now focusing on relevance more than the product itself. Determine the pains of your target auditorium: anxiety, insecurity, boredom – and start persuading that your product is the solution.

Offer payment plans and options

Since we`ve been moving towards a cashless economy for quite a while, online payment options are not a novelty today. But considering the ongoing situation and financial insecurity of consumers, it is time to take a new step and offer payment plan variations. Payment plans significantly reduce the financial burden in a short perspective, becoming a strong psychological motivation to make a purchase now, without having to postpone it for better times. So eventually a business gets a chance to boost up the conversion even though consumers are aiming at cutting down their spending.

Communication is the key

Staying in touch with your audience becomes a crucial survival factor. When newsfeed is overflown with blood-thirsty information about bankruptcies and collapsed businesses, it is crucial to let people know that you are not just alive but doing great. Despite the traditional reminding effect, sharing news about your business, demonstrating that you continue working, and making your customers happy are effective credibility factors. People want to associate themselves with winners – those who don`t collapse and keep operating under any circumstances. This will have a positive effect in the future. A company that managed to push through the Corona crisis will be much more valuable in the eyes of a consumer than any newbie.

Use Social Media Future Marketing Tool

Being an ultimate surrogate of human interaction, social media has experienced its rebirth today! For some people, it is a way to stay in touch, for others – an escape from reality and a grim feed of television and radio. Moreover, social media is surely turning into a global marketplace. The new features that appeared after the last update of Instagram only prove it. So, if you`ve been neglecting social media until now, today is the day to create a business account. Targeted commercials, engagement through direct communication, and the ability to reach potential customers worldwide – are the undeniable benefits of social media marketing.

Online presence becomes the only presence

No matter how powerful, social media should not be the only stream of your digital marketing efforts. Since the world is forced to move online, even such traditionally offline industries as restaurants, entertainment, etc started to settle in the virtual space. The principle is simple: online presence becomes your only kind of presence. And while in the real world, you have been restricted by the physical borders, rent prices, or working hours, digital space wipes most of those restrictions up. Arranging a website, creating SEO-friendly content, Product Animation Videos, Customer Interactive Videos, and Advertising the brand with the help of animation videos, webinars, and e-books – those are the marketing tools of the new world.

Make customers a part of your marketing strategy

People love to be involved. They also like to know that their opinion is valued. You may use these traits and kill several birds with a single stone – audience incorporation. By welcoming your consumers to be a part of the adjustment process you benefit in several different ways:

  • – get the relevant insights about the demand
  • – demonstrate your care and appreciation
  • – stay in touch with existing and potential customers
  • – optimize your marketing budget by saving money on research
  • – receive a lot of precious data about your customers and those who are somehow interested in your product and service.

E-mails, social media accounts, or any kind of feedback information received through the survey become the foundation for a further digital marketing strategy.

Become a part of the recovery process

The true nature and policy of any company are revealed during critical periods. And at times of recession and social unrest, businesses, no matter how big they are, attract the most attention. Social responsibility becomes a crucial factor that may build the image of your brand and determine future development. The inner and outer policies of the company and its willingness to support the community and contribute to the recovery process became powerful marketing tools during the Pandemic of COVID-19. Pivot your marketing tactics on serving the community and the greater good. Volunteer work, collaboration with local authorities and other businesses, as well as demonstrative workforce preservation efforts, have turned from an indulgence image-shaping policy into a part of marketing tactics.

Learning 2D Animation Principles for Beginners

Investigate your sales funnels

The importance of sales funnels for a successful marketing strategy cannot be overrated. However this year the rules of the game have changed so much that even such a powerful tool may have stopped working properly. The time has come to take a closer look at your sales funnel, analyze, and re-evaluate the data. Make competitive analysis your priority as whatever step you may be willing to take now, might have already been taken by a similar business. Everybody makes mistakes nowadays and anybody may have unexpectedly hit the jackpot. Taking this step, analyzing and re-evaluating your sales funnels, is exactly what separates you today from gaining or losing at least 20% of revenue.

Capitalize on competitors` decay

Online Ads are the ultimate tool of any modern marketing strategy. And when they are created and targeted correctly, they become extremely efficient. But the thing is that online ad networks base their activity on the Cost-per-click principle. Therefore, the bigger the competition in the segment, the more value the ad gets. This competition is created by small businesses and therefore because of the collapse and decreased activity in this segment, online ads cost much less today. Moreover, this leads to the unprecedented growth of the ROI of paid ads today! This increase gets up to 71% making paid ads as advantageous as they might have been only when just appeared several years ago. The market has already started the slow but sure restoration, therefore this tendency will not last for too long. But if you haven`t considered paid ads before, today may be your last chance to benefit the most from them without too much investment or effort.

Sell Knowledge

Knowledge is power – that is what we have always been told. But today the value of knowledge is as high as it has ever been before. Here are only several benefits of integrating an educational program into your marketing strategy during COVID-19:

  • – You keep on selling. When you can`t sell your physical product, start selling  your experience and knowledge about it and its application
  • – You stay in touch with the existing consumers and gain new ones
  • – You collect information about customers that may be used in various marketing planning later on

Things to avoid in your Marketing Planning during COVID-19

So now, that we have discussed the most efficient steps that you may take today in your Marketing Strategy, the time has come to discuss the most common mistakes made by various businesses during this period. The benefit of overviewing the situation today is that we have enough data to understand what works and what may turn into a disaster. Many quite traditional and habitual actions that have been an essential part of marketing planning only a year ago, have turned into gravestones for numerous businesses this year. Other actions looked like pretty innovative unconventional solutions but in fact, turned out to be impulsive steps that only brought businesses closer to the cliff. Here are the key “Don’ts” of marketing planning during COVID-19.

Continue living as if nothing has happened

Some companies decided that pretending that nothing is happening and sticking to the marketing plans that have been working perfectly until now will advantageously differ from their, competitors. First of all, customers reacted to such politics with great sensitivity, accusing businesses of neglecting. Also, it is quite obvious that recession, unemployment, and financial uncertainty – all those natural outcomes of the Pandemic have influenced the demand and purchasing ability. Those factors are crucial for any kind of marketing strategy and ignoring them has naturally led to a breakdown.

Increasing the commercial intensity

Another marketing extreme that has led many businesses to disaster this year, was an inadequate increase in inactivity. Yes, this might have worked before when sales went down due to such factors as growing competition or the inability to catch up with the trends and demand. But in the situation when customers don`t buy either because they are trying to cut on their spending or don`t feel the need for your product, aggressive marketing strategy with extensive commercials, e-mail newsletters, and constant and impulsive reminding about yourself, have caused nothing except for irritation and range. Remember, customers, are not that stupid. They can tell when someone is simply trying to sell them something and can easily see through even the most sophisticated and multi-leveled PR stunts.

Dying dramatically

The most common mistake made by businesses in their marketing tactics during COVID-19 is emphasizing their mystery. In other words, overwhelms consumers with messages about the devastating state and close bankruptcy. These tactics are faulty for several reasons:

  • – The “Closing” sales are cheap and quite an old trick that has been worn out by retail and does not work that well today
  • – In many societies, independent businessmen are associated with wealth. So no matter how small your business might be and what kind of losses you may experience, a person who might have just been fired because of the overall recession, won`t feel sympathy for you
  • – We are all in the same boat and everybody is coping with the same issues. Marketing strategy is taking action, not imposing your product forcefully.

Unfortunately, Coronavirus may be here to stay. Those measures that we take now to adjust our marketing plans may not be a temporary fix, but a permanent practice that will change the way we look at marketing forever. Quarantine restrictions have changed the whole concept of consumption, making numerous businesses re-adjust their activities or become irrelevant in the way they have been operating until now. But despite the overall devastation, it is important to understand that any kind of change or consternation is a chance to get a freshman to look at a situation or strategy and re-evaluate habitual actions and policies.

As for the overall market, the current situation will appear to be a perfect indicator of which business models and marketing strategies are versatile enough to be efficient in critical situations. After all, when the dust settles, we shall witness an unprecedented renovation of the whole market, offline and digital, which inevitably follows any kind of global consternation. The phase of struggle and invention of temporary fixes is over. The next few months will represent a new period in the marketing industry – global restoration and establishment of new principles and patterns.

Explainer Video Makers

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How to release your animation videos on OTT platforms?

Release animation videos on OTT platforms, 2d and 3d animation

When you want to go beyond your YouTube channel, grow your business, or reach more people, think about opting for an OTT streaming solution or app. Taking into account the popularity that OTT platforms have gained, they have become an ideal tool for launching animated videos and achieving success in the audiovisual industry.

Future of the Animation Industry

Considering the importance of YouTube when it comes to video sharing, you may never have thought of posting your video content anywhere else. But, at some point, you may realize that it’s time to go further when uploading your content. Maybe you want to increase your audience and your fan base, or you only want to spread your content across multiple platforms to boost your business in the future. Whatever the reason is, an OTT streaming service is for you.

Investigate

Although there are many expensive OTT solutions, there are also many OTT companies that have already developed technology for you. In these cases, what you should do is investigate which is the ideal one according to your target audience and find out what options it offers you to broadcast your animation videos. Here are some options that you can consider:

Vimeo

Vimeo: Established from the beginning as the video hosting site for creative artists and independent filmmakers, Vimeo now offers OTT solutions to creators. Available services include monetization options, analytics, and custom applications distributed on distribution devices such as Roku, iOS platforms, and Xbox.

Roku

Roku: You can develop your own channel to distribute through the store of channels and devices connected to this streaming company. It also offers self-hosting services and gives you different options for launching your own Roku channel.

MAZ

MAZ: Maz distributes more than just videos and has a self-titled content logistics system that can help video creators showcase their content to the right viewers. Besides, it gives you the possibility to release your animation videos in mobile applications available for IOS and Android.

These are just three of the platforms that you can consider for your launches. Every year, especially in India, new OTT platforms are born. How to release your animation videos on OTT platforms Find the ideal one for you and get the most out of it!

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How OTT platform play major role in growing of India Animation Industry?

How OTT platform play major role in growing of India animation industry

2018, 2019, and 2020 have been years of OTT explosion in India. One of the factors that drove the popularity of these platforms is high-quality original content, as well as updated marketing strategies, new partnerships, surprising distribution deals, innovation, and increased consumer insight.

Growth Rate of OTT

The numbers indicate that growth will continue for the rest of the years. The OTT sector in India is expected to reach Rs 24 billion in 2121, and the country’s video streaming industry is predicted to be valued at INR 11.97K Cr by 2023.

Consumption of Video Content

Consumption of regional content has played a key role in this growth. Its demand has become bigger and bigger, and, according to KPMG estimates, the consumption of video in regional languages reached 95%.

New OTT Platform

There are also new players entering the market every year. Many of them have also expanded their spaces to regional language productions, which has made many Indians consider them as the first choice when watching videos or movies.

OTT Platform and Animation Industry Relation

Animation has also driven the use of OTTs and vice versa. The animation and visual effects industry in India has been steadily gaining acceptance and has projected Indian talent abroad. In 2016, according to KPM reports, the animation and visual effects industry grew by 16.4 percent, and the number has become increasingly high thanks to the demand for animation content for the Indian market through platforms and OTT applications.

Big global players like Amazon Prime and Netflix have signed exclusive content licensing agreements with several Indian studios and continue to vigorously seek to partner with Indian studios to create more children’s content in Hindi and other regional languages.

Now, more and more children are using OTT platforms to watch videos, and local animation is a favorite not only for children in India but in the world. It is another fact that has led OTT platforms to play a major role in the growth of the years of OTT explosion.

OTT platforms and animations complement each other. The growth of one drives the growth of the other.

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The Evolution of Animation: From Entertainment to Business Videos

Evolution of Animation

Many of the adults of this generation grew up watching cartoons every Sunday morning. There were many stories and alternatives that captured their attention and won their hearts. Besides, the animated images were able to expand their imagination and fill them with curiosity and enthusiasm. However, now, the concept of animation is much broader, and the industry has faced numerous changes in a short time.

A little history

The evolution of Animation has been around for many thousands of years. Murals, ceramic creations, and the popular phenakistoscope are examples of how old this technique is. Then, much closer to the 90s, the first animated films began, but these were made with simple and primitive devices.

Later came hand-drawn animation with Cel Animation. In 1914, at the John Bray production house, producers and artists created the first series using animation techniques.

Winsor McCay also produced Gertie, The Dinosaur. Then a young animator named Walt Disney appeared. He played a pivotal role in the animation revolution.

Steamboat Willie was the first animated feature film to be made entirely with the hand-drawn animation technique. It was made in 1928. Then came the significant debut of Mickey Mouse and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. At this point, animated movies managed to become a popular form of entertainment.

People not only remembered the characters but also their stories, their appearance, and the way they moved. The animations were recognized by everyone around the world. Stop-motion also began to be used as another of the predominant techniques in the traditional era of animation evolution.

The Computer Age

At the end of the 60s, the computer revolution began, and motion graphics made their way. The first computer-animated films were basic, but they changed the way people made animation. In 1967, the first computer-generated animated films were created. It was Hummingbird, which featured 30,000 images and 25 motion sequences.

In short, that was the time when frame-by-frame animations of 2D characters could be done entirely on computers, giving graphic artists more control to produce more varied content. It was key in the growth of animations as a form of entertainment. Some quite popular movies were born, such as Sword in the Stone (the first 2D animated movie in the history of 2D animation), The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, and The Aristocats.

Animation for Entertainment

Now, computer animation includes not only 2D graphics but also 3D elements that are put into motion using montage or frame-by-frame techniques. These techniques enabled producers and animators to create and render faster and also led them to use animation not only to produce television series and movies but also to create branded storytelling and web series.

Computers promoted the development of 3D animation. The studios created 3D models or characters using geometric shapes in a 3D coordinate system. Then they gave it life and movement. By then, the public had a lot of alternatives for 2D and 3D videos or feature films for their entertainment.

Animation for Brands and Businesses

Brands such as Apple, Hubspot, Dropbox, Coke, and more started using animated videos with characters and moving graphics to tell the story and trajectory of their brand. In this way, animation entered the narrative of conventional brands to revolutionize the way in which they advertised and addressed the public.

Usually, brands divide animation into two techniques: traditional frame-by-frame and stop motion, and modern animation with motion graphics and 3D computer animation.

There are also many brands that create characters to show how people can benefit from the product or service that they offer. Moreover, many brands are currently using CG motion animation to create animated videos with sound and voice-over. Such videos may not be character-driven, but they usually have various types of graphics.

Finally, this decade, we can see how many businesses, companies, brands, and content producers are creating animated videos using the latest technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and 360-degree video technology. All this is in order to provide you with quality visual experiences, create consumer attention, and become the trendsetter. The evolution of animation will be in a different dimension in the future.