Toonvidio is a new product from Peter Beattie, Bill Zimmerman and John Socratous that the creators say will allow you to tap into a brand new, $40 billion market, even if you have no previous animation knowledge.
What does the product offer?
Toonvidio is a marketing product in a similar vein to the countless variations out there that allow you to insert yourself into the centre of the action. There is however, one difference between Toonvidio and those that have come before it, as Toonvidio is animation based. More specifically, Peter Beattie, Bill Zimmerman and John Socratous claim that it is the world’s first 2D and 3D video animation software which is aimed at small business owners.
In terms of what Toonvidio comes packaged with, there are a number of pre-animated objects and characters which are both 2D and 3D and come in a number of styles. There are also a number of additional assets in the form of backgrounds which show a number of different scenes.
Most of the models can have audio assigned to them which is something of a key feature of Toonvidio. Another key feature is something that Peter Beattie, Bill Zimmerman and John Socratous refer to as Emotional Recognition Survey technology (that I will look at below). Toonvidio also comes with full training on how to use the software.
How does the product work?
Obviously, the core premise behind Toonvidio is that you create 3D animations which you then use as a marketing platform for your products. Peter Beattie, Bill Zimmerman and John Socratous say that by using these “Hollywood-style 3D characters”, you will hold your audiences attention for longer.
Coupled with this is the ERS technology which the team say monitors people’s interest in your video by watching their face on webcam (users have to agree to do this). It will then show you where people are losing attention and what is drawing them in.
What is the initial investment?
There are currently two options for Toonvidio. The first of these is for the “lite” package which allows you to create videos solely for your personal use, This is priced at $67. The Commercial license allows you to create videos that you can also sell to clients and costs $97.
Interestingly, both mention that you only get one free emotional recognition survey so this is likely to come at an additional premium.
What is the rate of return?
There isn’t really any advertised rate of return for Toonvidio, but having seen the completed products, I would be surprised if you see any substantial increase in sales.
Conclusion
The biggest problem that I can foresee with Toonvidio is that the videos are frankly rather terrifying.
Most of the 3d models that have been demonstrated fall very clearly into uncanny valley territory. For those who don’t know the term, it is whereby an artificial person looks human, but not human enough creating a strong sense of unease or revulsion. If you are a marketer, you will notice that this is the exact opposite of what you want people to associate with your product. Even the 2D stuff is lacking in character and is badly animated.
All of this comes together to create a product that I simply can’t get excited about, mostly because the end results (for my tastes) simply aren’t good enough.
