Animated Videos for Business Growth: Outsource or In-house?

Recently, more and more people have been trying their hand at creating animated videos, often in connection with video production platforms like YouTube.

When you’re ready to create your first animated video—something you’ve never attempted before—you might wonder whether you should outsource the work or try teaching yourself.

This article summarizes the pros and cons of both self-learning and outsourcing. If you’re thinking about creating an animated video, please use this as a reference when considering your options.

Growing demand for animated videos

As mentioned at the beginning, there has been a growing demand for animated videos recently. In our daily lives, we are seeing more and more animated videos, such as smartphone ads and music videos.

The reason for this increase in animated videos can be attributed to their unique appeal. In the following section, I will explain exactly what makes them so appealing.

Clear and engaging visual communication

The appeal of animated videos lies, first and foremost, in their clarity. With their free-form expression, they make concepts easy to grasp visually, allowing you to effectively convey a product’s merits and present information—such as numerical data—that is otherwise difficult to explain. When animation clarifies aspects that users might otherwise find confusing, it helps build trust and makes it easier to drive conversions (such as purchases).

In live-action filming with real actors, viewers’ attention is often drawn to gestures and facial expressions. With animated videos, there’s no need to worry about viewers being distracted by elements unrelated to the intended message. Another key appeal of animated videos is that they make it easy to incorporate techniques that keep viewers engaged without losing their focus.

No need to be on camera

Animated videos don’t necessarily have to feature real people. Both the voices and visuals can be freely customized. “I want to use a real person’s voice, but I’m a bit hesitant about showing my face…” This approach is perfect for people who feel this way. Furthermore, animated videos can be created using characters. Not only is there no need to show your face, but using characters also makes the content more approachable. 

No need to film with a live audience

With the spread of the novel coronavirus, we all want to avoid contact with others as much as possible. As we transition into an era of “contactless and non-face-to-face” interactions, the video production industry is no exception. Since filming often involves contact with many people, this has sometimes led to significant delays in the production process.

In animation production, casting requirements are minimal compared to live-action filming. This makes it an effective measure against COVID-19 and helps mitigate risks, which is why demand for animated video production has been on the rise.

Should you learn animation yourself or hire someone?

So, when it comes to animated videos, is it better to learn on your own or outsource the work?

It Depends on Your Objectives

To start with the conclusion, whether it’s better to take your time learning video production on your own or to outsource the work depends on your goals.

For example, if you’re someone who “aims to produce videos in-house in the future and wants to start with a limited budget”, we recommend outsourcing the work initially, then gradually learning on your own once you understand the process.

Also, for those who want to effectively convey the appeal of their products or services, if the goal is to create an animated video that solves a specific problem, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

Create your own animations with free tools (like Animatron)

Actually, you can learn how to create animated videos for free. These days, there’s a wide variety of tools available—ranging from those with extensive templates that make it easy to produce large volumes of videos to high-performance tools with advanced features designed for professionals.

While video production can seem daunting, it’s now easier than ever to get started without needing specialized knowledge or expensive software.

For example, take this video creation tool, Animatron.

Source: https://www.animatron.com/studio

Although Animatron is designed for beginners, it is a software capable of handling professional-level video editing. Since it is a foreign website, the software itself does not support Japanese, but it appears that Japanese fonts can be loaded.

This is a highly recommended production tool for anyone who wants to try their hand at video production. Whether you plan to teach yourself video production or outsource it, if you are considering adopting this software, why not give it a try?

In addition to the free plan, there are paid plans available, so if you like it, you can continue creating with Animatron and even take on more advanced video projects.

As software like this becomes more common, allowing more people to get involved in creative production, an increasing number of people are taking on animation projects.

Pros and cons of DIY animation

Advantages: no cost, no need for quotes

The biggest advantage of teaching yourself how to create animated videos is that it keeps costs low. Plus, since you don’t need to request quotes from external vendors, you can get started right away once you decide to do it.

However, when producing animated videos on your own, managing the production process can be extremely challenging. If someone without the necessary expertise takes on the role, it can end up taking much longer than expected, potentially resulting in missed deadlines.

Disadvantages: time-consuming, can distract from other work

One drawback of producing content on your own is that it requires a significant amount of time and effort.

To begin with, it is difficult to grasp the entire production process required to create an animated video. If a client with no prior production experience takes on the role of director, the project may take longer than expected, potentially leading to delays.

Unless you are in a position where you can focus solely on production and delegate other tasks to others, you will likely have to squeeze in production work between your regular duties.

Pros and Cons of Hiring Professionals

Benefits: saves time, expertise you can trust

When outsourcing the production of animated videos, you can either entrust the entire process to a third party or outsource only specific parts. Depending on your objectives and budget, you can choose to outsource just the illustration or editing work.

The biggest advantage of outsourcing is the peace of mind that comes from leaving it to the professionals. Since they can create videos that convey your vision more effectively than if you were to produce them yourself, you can expect better results.

Drawbacks: additional expenses

Production costs vary significantly depending on the type of animated video you’re creating, but here are some examples of typical expenses involved in producing an animated video:

• Planning fees
• Direction fees
• Illustration creation fees
• Editing fees
• Audio editing (narration, BGM, etc.)

If you want to achieve solid results while keeping costs down, you might consider outsourcing just a portion of the work to start with.

Outsourcing Is recommended for marketing purposes

So far, we’ve looked at the pros and cons of self-learning versus outsourcing when it comes to producing animated videos. If you’ve read about the challenge of managing the production process—one of the downsides—and don’t feel confident about producing the video on your own, why not consider outsourcing your animated video project?

Marketing Perspective in Japan: Beyond Just Creation

NOKID provides creative planning and production for PR using characters, events, and video content. Effective videos balance business and creative perspectives, e.g., short clips optimized for TikTok, designed to capture attention in the first 2–3 seconds.

For first-time animation or PR-focused content, feel free to consult with us.