Without a doubt, the power of animation to create visually compelling advertising campaigns is impressive. But what about the potential of rotoscope animation specifically to render even the tiniest details with greater precision and finesse?
Especially in the world of product advertising, a rotoscope can create a seamless blend of the product with any chosen backdrop. It’s as if the product was photographed right there, in that specific environment. Well, today’s advertisers are increasingly harnessing the power of rotoscope animation to depict lifelike movements.
A Case Study: Charles Schwab’s 2008 Commercial
A relevant case in point? The 2008 commercial of Charles Schwab cleverly combined real footage with roto animation to draw some strongest reactions from the public. In a 2008 conference hosted by the Association of National Advertisers, Charles Schwab’s CMO, Becky Saeger, shared an intriguing observation: numerous fans of the company’s advertising could recite the ad scripts from memory. This phenomenon underscores the effectiveness of employing top-notch advertising techniques, such as rotoscope animation, which can significantly enhance ad memorability.
So, let’s dive deeper into why the advertising world is developing a growing fondness for rotoscopes.
Ethical Concerns of Using Rotoscope Animation
If you surf the internet for roto animation, you would come across various articles and blogs about how it first came into existence and about Max Fleischer who pioneered in developing the rotoscope tool in the early 1900s. His discovery led to a brand new animation style. He used his tool to bring the animated character Koko the Clown to life in his Out of the Inkwell series. Well, Fleischer could not have foreseen the impact his invention would have on the world of animation.
Modern Applications and Ethical Debates
The contemporary application of rotoscoping is significantly more technologically advanced than its early iterations. Originally, rotoscoping involved projecting live-action images onto a glass panel, which animators would then trace. In contrast, today’s rotoscoping is executed with computer software.
Regardless of the method employed, a frequently raised ethical question concerning this animation style is whether it’s a form of cheating.
After all, it involves tracing over pre-existing real-life videos to create animation. However, the consensus within the industry is a resounding “No”. Rather, it is viewed as an art form in its own right. This is evidenced by its adoption by major studios such as Disney and Studio Ghibli. Its usage is evident from Dysney’s very first feature film, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, released in the year 1937.
Divergent Views Among Animators
However, animators around the globe have 2 opinions about it. When one set of people says that rotoscope animation is an easy cheat, there are others who justify its usage. Although it’s all about mixing and merging live-action footage and traced animation sequences, this is just the first step to making a rotoscope animation. It absolutely requires skill and tool mastery.
Use Cases of Rotoscope Animation
As roto animation has a unique style and lifelike movement, ad agencies and marketers consider it a tool to create visually arresting commercials and ads to captivate the audience’s attention in no time. Not just that! It is cost-effective. When many animated commercials are labor intensive, roto animation can use a pre-existing background and a simple character footage and yet leave a lasting impression. The ‘wow’ factor of it is that the style existed even before the advent of the internet and modern software.
A classic example of rotoscope animation is the “Take On Me” music video by Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha. The video was made using rotoscope animation techniques and live-action. As people found the video very refreshing compared to the kind of video produced back then in the 1980s, it became a huge hit. It won six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. Its success proved that roto animation could be used to create compelling narratives and visually stunning aesthetics.
If you are a fan of paid subscription services, you can easily identify rotoscope animation from some of the series like ‘Undone’ on Amazon Prime. The creators of the series used the technique to blur the line between reality and fantasy and portray the concept of time travel. The show’s advertisement campaign too used the same animation technique to create a visually striking promotional material.
Rotoscope animation allows the creators an easy blend of realism and fantasy, as it combines live-action footage with animation techniques. This can create a unique aesthetic that sets an advertisement and promotional video apart from competitors.
Not just that. The technique can offer more advantages than aesthetics. Roto animation can be used to attractively highlight key aspects or features of a product or service. Let’s take the example of the ‘Talk to Chuck’ campaign. The animation was used to emphasize the customers’ expressions and emotions in a creative way, thereby conveying the message that Charles Schwab listens to and understands its customers. Schwab’s, being a multinational financial company and having many competitors in the market, saw an immediate increase i.e., increase in their customers switching from competitors after the success of the ad. Also, the company witnessed an increase in new accounts.
Lastly, rotoscope animation can be used to create a sense of intrigue and curiosity. As seen in the “Undone” advertising campaign, the unique style of the animation can draw viewers in and make them want to learn more.
More Detailed View On The Increasing Use of Rotoscope Animation in Advertising
Animation industry has reached $400 billion from just $391 billion in 2023. Which means there is a hike in the use of animation techniques. Also, by 2026, almost 50% of animation studios will be cloud based, increasing remote collaborations and reducing cost associated with physical infrastructure. All these indicate that the advertisement industry too will make use of this opportunity and incorporate more animation as a part of the creative.
Of all the animation techniques, rotoscope animation has the chance of getting used more often because it requires minimum resources and uses previously produced footage.
Here are the top reasons, other than aesthetic appeal on why advertising industry will use Rotoscope Animation more often:
Storytelling Flexibility: Rotoscope animation allows advertisers a scope for greater creativity and flexibility in their storyboard. Marketers can create fantastical scenes that would be too costly or even impossible to shoot or create in real time.
For Instance, Nike’s “Air Jordan XX3” commercial showcases the storytelling flexibility of rotoscope animation. The ad features basketball legend Michael Jordan performing impressive moves on the court. The initial roto animation really amps up the excitement and creativity in the ad. It lets us incorporate abstract and symbolic elements that just wouldn’t be possible with traditional filming methods.
Audience Engagement: Imagine getting lost in the unique and mesmerizing visuals of rotoscope animation. It pulls you in on a deeper level, making the ad not just memorable but unforgettable.
Take the British lottery company, Lotto. They nailed this with their “Who Wins If You Win” campaign. You see real winners sharing their stories but with a twist—animated elements that elevate their tales to another level. This creative blend of reality and imagination grabs your attention and sticks with you long after.
Cost-Effective: Rotoscoping as a technique is time consuming, but it can actually save money compared to other animation styles or expensive live-action shoots that use more resources and software, especially when you’re aiming for complex or fantastical scenes.
The biggest example of this can be the ad project made by a Canadian student with just Photoshop. The video calls Canadians to stay active.
Versatility: Rotoscope animation can do it all, whether the ad needs to evoke serious emotions and be informative or whimsical and fun. This makes it a go-to choice for a wide range of brands and products, especially those from the B2B industry.
The Digital Revolution in Rotoscoping
The advent of the internet and digital technology has brought about significant changes in rotoscoping processes, unlike in the 80s. Software like Adobe After Effects and Silhouette have streamlined the process further, allowing artists and designers with short project deadline time frames to work faster and more accurately. Digital rotoscoping gives designers enhanced flexibility, control, and productivity, enabling artists to easily make adjustments, add effects, and experiment with different styles within a few clicks of the mouse.
Further, coming to 2024, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as machine learning and deep learning is further revolutionizing rotoscoping, making it super convenient compared to other animation styles. By automating repetitive tasks that’s a part of the rotoscoping process and enhancing accuracy, AI allows for the production of more sophisticated and realistic animations.
Future Trends in Rotoscoping
If you’re curious about the future of rotoscoping, it looks promising and exciting, especially with the potential for AI-driven techniques. Soon, rotoscopy will pave the way to creating more immersive animations with depth and dimensions that can be integrated with Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) devices. This will give opportunities for businesses to give customers unique perspectives and interactive experiences. Artists can now seamlessly blend the virtual world with reality, pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling through rotoscoping.
Visual Effects (VFX) network Hotspring introduced Slapshot, a smart tool using machine learning that can quickly create high-quality rotoscoping WIPs at any resolution.
By eliminating the need to wait for rotoscoping work-in-progress updates, this will greatly reduce the traditional stress of creating TV spots, films, and TV visual effects. It will speed up creative collaboration and provide clients with high-quality versions of any rotoscoping task.
In conclusion, the future of rotoscoping in the advertising industry looks promising. As technology continues to evolve, the potential for this unique form of animation is limitless. By embracing these innovations and staying abreast of the latest developments, advertisers can unlock new creative possibilities and elevate their campaigns to new heights. As the industry evolves, so must we as creators and innovators.
To know more about how rotoscope animation can help your business, check out our interesting case study.
