

Why do two channels provide more information? Aren’t they working together? Narration is sometimes necessary to cut through dense information and communicate in the pithy way today’s viewers demand. Yes, but that doesn’t mean they are redundant (although sometimes they might be for the sake of emphasis or variety.) Usually, the information on each channel complements the other. For instance, in the LendLedger video, the visual channel is not only providing the narrative of the shop owner (our protagonist), it’s also providing textual examples (not mentioned in the voiceover) of the kind of digital records LendLedger draws upon to provide credit. This allows critical information to be absorbed more quickly and easily. Mobile isn’t the only place where picture has an advantage over audio. If you have plans to use your video on a trade show floor, for example, chances are that it will be quite noisy and nobody will be able to hear your video or its beautifully wrought narration. Some trade shows restrict or even ban the use of audio on the exhibition floor.Īnother place where animated text might be preferable is Facebook. Video ads on your timeline will usually start playing without sound as you scroll by them. If your Facebook doesn’t get clicked (and that probably happens around 99% of the time) visitors will still be able to see and read your animated text. That’s an important advantage for your awareness or brand-building efforts. On the other hand, B2B decisions are usually still made at desks, whether that be company offices or home offices in these days of social distancing. That means key views will probably be on desktops. Pictures can spark emotions too, but nothing makes a beeline for our heart quicker than a strong piece of music. There are many examples of this, but here’s a classic, produced at Curious Pictures eight years ago now: Storytelling If you are going for the heartstrings, it might be best to get the voiceover out of the way and let the music do its thing. Sometimes voiceover is an integral part of the storytelling.
