Recently, a client approached us with a new project: they wanted a video to help publicize their new fundraising campaign. As part of the campaign, people can buy letters in a Torah (Old Testament) book being hand-written this year. Buying a letter in a Torah supposedly brings a blessing to the buyer, but more importantly, the money from the letters will go to several important social causes. What could be a better subject for a video?
The challenge: Keeping it light and serious at the same time
The client knew from the get-go that they wanted an animation video (rather than stock footage, for example). We agreed this was the right choice, but the question was, what kind of animation? Our illustrated whiteboard style felt inaccurate for this topic - we knew we needed another style that would feel a bit more serious, while still being fun and engaging.
We thought of other types of animation and yet none seemed exactly right for this video’s social message. The answer finally came when we took a step back to remember what this project is all about: books. Well, one famous book in particular.
The solution: Paper-cut stop motion animation
Once we looked at the project from this point of view, the answer quickly became clear. We decided on a paper-cut animation, full of beautiful paper textures that will give our video a bookish feel visually, not only in the narration. This choice strengthened the theme, while providing the gravitas we were looking for - a more fitting vibe to match the important subject, while still fun to watch.
Though the entire video was designed and animated virtually, we wanted it to look as real as possible, meaning as close as can be to real stop motion. We made sure all the elements not only look like paper but behave like it too, in their movements.
Conclusion: A heartwarming animation video
The designs and animation managed to really capture the spirit of the whole project, and came out exactly as we imagined. The client was a big part of the decision making process too, from the very beginning. They were just as excited as us about this stylistic choice - and very happy with the result. We wish them great success in their fundraising efforts, and hope our video helps!