Animation has endless possibilities for its direction and execution. One of the most critical decisions when it comes to animated video production is choosing its style, and as part of that, whether 2D or 3D animation should be used.

The decision between animation styles isn’t as simple as it might seem. Both 2D animation and 3D animation have distinct advantages, and there is no ‘correct’ decision between the two, only what your video production requirements are. Depending on what your video content is being used for and several other factors, either direction could be viable and appropriate for your video content.

Going with 2D Animation

2D animation is more efficient and cost-effective to produce, so it lends itself well to video production projects where iteration is required or going to be a strong possibility. With this in mind, 2D animation is particularly suitable for performance marketing advertisement campaigns. This style of video content, more often than not, requires iterations to maximize its impact and audience reach.

To this end, 2D animation might be more appealing to newer companies or businesses where the video production budget is limited. With the right partner, however, budgetary concerns shouldn’t affect the quality of the final video content. Whether it’s 2D or 3D animation and regardless of budget, a partner like Magic Media produces the best animation possible regardless of budget and overall direction.

What’s more is that 2D animated video content is much easier to reproduce for web formats, which also might appeal to the marketing teams of an organization. For 2D animation that uses vector graphics, it’s straightforward to derive further content from the video. This can be extremely helpful for marketing material, teasers for videos, PDFs, and more.

2D Animation with Depth

An in-between option is a 2.5D animation style. This is essentially 2D animation but with added effects to create a sense of depth. This style is commonly seen in side-scrolling games such as the modern classic Limbo, and it can work just as well in video production. It has a compelling layered visual that can be eye-catching for your target audience if executed well.

For organizations where there is ample budget for 2D animation but perhaps not enough to produce 3D animation to requirements, 2.5D animation should be strongly considered to grab attention and set video content apart from the competition.

3D Animation Considerations

Producing 3D animation is generally more expensive than 2D animation, as there is a whole dimension of depth to be concerned with. There is a perception that 3D animation is inherently more impressive than 2D animation, which isn’t necessarily true as 2D animation can be as amazing with the right talent behind its execution. Regardless, there is a wow factor associated with 3D animation that can be beneficial for companies with the budget to create it.

3D animation makes more sense for some industries and projects than 2D animation. For instance, if Magic Media is creating animated video content for an animated TV series or 3D animated game, 3D animation would be more representative of the product it will be advertising. Using 2D animation in such cases could be considered inconsistent and lead to detachment for viewers.

Theoretically, 3D animation can be more detailed than its 2D counterparts and have more creative possibilities. With the added dimension of depth, there is technically more that can be accomplished using 3D animation. This, of course, depends on the talent behind creating it, but 3D animation can instill a sense of size and scope that might otherwise be impossible to achieve with 2D animation.

At Magic Media, we’re experienced veterans of game development, whether it’s for remakes or original projects. We offer dozens of services for gaming, entertainment, and tech projects, including full-cycle game development, real-time VFX, and more. For a services partner you can trust, get in touch today, and let’s create magic!