Let me ask you a question. If you have a brand, some project that you admire or your team needs to make people interested in one of your products – what would you do to make any of these things engaging, radiant, and simply attractive to the audience?
Let me guess: after giving up a few creative approaches to this task, you are going to mouth your answer: “I’ll make a video!” We are on the same page here. To tell you the truth, most of the people involved in the creative sphere would say the same. It is hardly a coincidence – making a video is one of the most effective forms that help to interact with the clients or publicity efficiently. 
However, when it comes to the video itself, you might have a problem. There are so many ways of making a video, filling it with content, and, finally, wrapping it up in a decent package. Of course, the subject of your will dictate what kind of content you should use. To enliven your video, you might want to consider adding a character. What can enliven it better than… animated characters?
Why characters?
Can you recall how many characters were role models for you in the past? How many cartoons get stuck in your memory only because they were surrounding these characters? Believe it or not, but when you are making animated videos for some marketing purpose, the presence of characters will have a similar influence on a viewer. Well, only if you make them properly.
How to make animated characters?
You won’t find one way to make something, but there is always a chain of steps that would make it easier to move through the process. Shall we start?
1. Think about your future figure. It is essential to ask yourself a bunch of questions. For instance: What will it be? A person, an animal, a book? Is it the main character or a second plan type? These questions help you to make a skeleton for the idea. Keep in mind that two pillars of a good, believable character are movement and art. If your character will be able to move properly (as well as in the way the type of characters are moving in general), most likely people would consider him as real, engaging.
2. It is time to do sketches! (But it is even possible to skip this stage if your animated character is a simple example and doesn’t have a special and complicated look). The sketches help to invent a character.
Our brains have this ability to erase everything that wasn’t embodied on a piece of paper. Sometimes that happens quickly, like that dustpan-and-brush dog in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland sweeping up the path as he moves through it. What is my point? Once you are trying to make your character, sketching is the way to find the right shape.
3. Colors. Gaudy, dark, moderate. Using different colors an animation character designer can emphasize certain aspects of a unique personality. A perfect mix of tones can make viewers remember the individual and keep him in mind for a long time.
4. Narrative and a story. An interesting origin of the individual can attract more people and arouse a variety of feelings. A story today is crucial. Hovering between present and past, from here to there and back is a way to deepen a character and make him or her psychologically believable.
5. Simplicity. Not always the case, actually, but if you are working in 2D animation, a simple character will be a fit. The animated character design may be uncomplicated but attract more attention because of its simple and easy-to-remember appearance. However, if simplicity doesn’t align with your goals, don’t refuse to make your character as complex as those from cartoons.
6. Accessories. Animation character design includes a variety of things that will be helpful to present your character in the right way. It is possible to accentuate some unique features and interest people in a certain product. Take care of other angles to diversify the content. Even if the character is flat and made in 2D, it is still available to turn him around. In this way, viewers are able to see more details, especially if some of them were poorly visible or hidden away.
When the total character design has been finished the next stage is waiting – animation. Decide what the hero will be doing during the video so that you could create correct and good enough for the audience animation. But, that’s not all! The style matters. If you are reading our blog, you are probably familiar with our opinion on the subject. A style is a language. So…
Choose a language in accordance with your audience. Otherwise, they won’t understand you! For the mass audiences, we recommend choosing light, funny, and rather entertaining ways of styling your character. Let people enjoy the common design. Usually, the majority of people have already seen this type of animation and liked it because it is used in comics, magazines, and books. Another advantage is the high quality of animation.
The simple design gives more possibilities in the animation because of its easy anatomy and appearance. But let’s consider other options. If you are making explainers or in need of some educational videos for your audience, a character animation might be overwhelming. Let material speak for itself, as they say.
A complicated design may be helpful to promote some products or services. The availability of a lot of things and details attracts more attention to the audience because humans want to explore. To make people pay attention to a certain object, highlight it on the total theme.
Summary
All commercials nowadays are about communication. Even if your goal is not to sell something, but rather convert your audience into loyal advocates of the brand, you are still communicating something. When you ask people to watch an explainer video, you are basically trying to engage them in something. Here the presence of characters might be helpful to create a sense of connection. 
