10 VIDEO STYLES


AND HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOUR NON-PROFIT



Published Jan, 2025 ~ reading time: 5 minutes




Using video for marketing is becoming increasingly popular and this trend is not going away any time soon. Charities too, benefit greatly from video marketing. According to Classy (a leading online fundraising platform), fundraising campaigns that incorporate video receive 114% more funding than campaigns that don’t.


If you are looking to jump onto the bandwagon of using video for your charity, it’s time to get familiar with the different styles of video out there, and how they can help you attain your goals.


A successful non-profit video should inspire and inform people, at the same time as evoking emotion. Tapping into people’s emotions makes them connect with a cause and therefore more likely to donate.


Below is handy guide to help you choose a style that best suits your message and budget.






The complete guide to video styles and their features



All videos fall into 2 main categories: Live-action videos and Animated videos.


  • LIVE-ACTION VIDEOS are videos that include real people in action. These are filmed by professionals or laymen with cameras and then edited in post-production.


  • ANIMATED VIDEOS are moving graphic elements, like text and images, designed by artists and animators.


All videos are designed to evoke emotion, though they will do so in different ways.


Below are the subcategories of these two video types, a short explanation and the pros/cons for each style.




LIVE-ACTION VIDEOS


1. Live-action film

These are videos of actors acting out a scene or a story. The duration of live-action videos ranges from 30 seconds to an hour. With a strong storyline, these videos can retain the viewers’ attention longer than any other video style.



2. Interviews / testimonials

Interview or testimonial videos are videos of people talking about their own experiences. These videos usually include approx. 3 people and run for around 5 minutes. Headshots of the interviewees are supplemented with b-roll footage (scenes related to the topic).



3. Narrator

A video of one person telling their story along with b-roll footage to add interest and meaning.



4. Showcase video

These videos will have a narrator talking about the organisation whilst videos and images show the organisation in action. These videos can also incorporate snippets of interviews.




Pros for Live-action videos:

  • Authentic and relatable – especially when real people talk about their own experiences.


  • Very emotive - live-action films generate the strongest emotions.


  • Connection - Viewers can feel a closer connection with real people compared to animated characters.

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  • Cost – options range from a DIY video to hiring a production team. For a low-cost video, you can film from your smartphone. According to a study by marketing guru Neil Patel, videos with no elaborate effects received more likes and views overall than those with more complex productions, showing that authenticity often wins over production quality.




Cons for live-action videos:

  • Cost – live-action videos can be costly as they involve a larger team, including a production manager, actors (along with wardrobe, makeup, etc), videographers and editors as well as renting and staging a location for shooting the video.


  • Limited – Live videos rely on live situations. Therefore, this style offers less flexibility as it is limited to a time, place, and the many people involved.


  • Challenging most charities have difficulty finding people who are willing to discuss sensitive, private matters in public.






ANIMATED VIDEOS


Animated videos are designs in motion. The styles of animated videos are as unlimited as the artists’ imagination, but will usually fall into one of these categories:



1. Character animation

These videos include a story ‘acted’ by designed characters. They can be 3d (very costly) or 2D (less costly) and range from designs that are playful and fun to those with a more serious vibe.



2. Motion graphics

Videos with various graphic elements along with a narration to explain ideas or convey emotion. The design is crafted to complement the brand and message. Typically, these videos are short and to the point.




3. Whiteboard animation

A cost-effective animation style, showing pictures being drawn onto a whiteboard. Whiteboard animations usually include voice-overs that explain the content or narrate the scene. The simplicity of this video style is what makes it attractive and easy to understand.




4. Kinetic Typography

Also known as ‘moving text,’ this technique combines text and motion to express concepts and evoke emotion. This style works well with a voice-over or music and is especially effective for songs.





Pros for animated videos:

  • Excels at demonstrating sensitive or abstract concepts. When it comes to sensitive or heavy topics, it is hard to strike that balance where the video will evoke emotion but still be appealing to watch. With clever use of colour, composition and music, animated videos are the ideal choice for portraying heavy topics in a way that is emotive as well as easy to digest.


  • Simplifies complex ideas. Animated videos are ideal for making complex ideas easy to understand.


  • Makes boring information exciting If you want to share data, facts or figures, animation can turn these boring statistics into an entertaining video.

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  • Short –Animation delivers your message quickly. It allows you to get a lot of information across in a short amount of time.


  • Confidentiality – animation allows you to share people’s real stories while keeping them anonymous


  • Unlimited and unique With the visuals being designed for the video, you have the flexibility to create absolutely anything, along with more editing control to convey your message exactly as you want to.




Cons for animated videos

  • Less personal – animated videos can seem less personal than live videos, unless skilfully done.


  • Time consuming - time needed for planning, design or illustration, storyboards, and animation which needs specific software and expertise.


  • Costs – costs for animated videos vary greatly from cheap animators in the £££s to professional studios in the £££,££££s. For a low-cost option, organisations with enough man-power can manage a project like this within their team, by writing their own script, using in house designers, and either hiring an animator or using a simple DIY animation software. However, if you have a larger budget, outsourcing to an experienced animation studio will give you more polished and targeted results

​At MRmotion, we pride ourselves on being a creative, solution-oriented studio, catering for organisations who care about producing a professional and sophisticated video that is completely unique, tailored to their vision and goals.





Finally, there are 2 more video styles you may want to consider:


  • MIXED MEDIA VIDEOS Just as its name suggests, this video style incorporates various media. For example, live action embellished with animation. This video style can get you the benefits of both live video and animation.


  • STOCK FOOTAGE VIDEOS If you want a live-video at a lower cost, you may consider a video based on stock footage (footage purchased online). A video like this must be skilfully done to look purposeful rather than generic. Stock footage is commonly used in a mixed media video.





When choosing a video style, first make sure you know the advantages each style offers and how it can help you tell your story in a way that will impact your audience while staying within your budget.



Ultimately the power of storytelling lies in the message. Whichever style you choose to go with, the most important thing is to ensure that you convey your story with emotion, clarity and purpose.





At MRmotion we bring stories to life in the most catchy, impactful and memorable way possible.


Let’s chat about how we can use an animated video to get your message out there, touch hearts and compel people to act!


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