3D Animation for Biotech – Benefits & Best Practices

Scientific progress pushes the limits of what was once imaginable not only in terms of biotech production but also the visualization of those products and their effects.

Every day science delves deeper into the inner workings of living organisms. Our cutting edge technology is now capable of operating at a nanoscale, opening a whole new level of complexity in molecular engineering that only 3D animation can accurately display.

Additionally, recent advances in mechanical 3D animation have made it a considerably faster and more accessible way for visualizing medical device prototypes, compared to archaic solutions (e.g. scale models).

For these reasons, digital 3D modeling and animation have become today the main tools for visual communication in the biotechnology and medical device industry, in particular.

In this article, we review each benefit of 3D biotech animation in detail and list the best practices to help your company achieve more with 3D.

1. Digital & multi-dimensional

Unlike with 2D, 3D animation is not limited to one perspective. In this regard, video production in 3D is more similar to live action, where you can reuse the assets to easily shoot different variations of the same scene.

Speaking of live-action video, the digital 3D assets, unlike real-life props, are easy to create, store, and customize. That’s why more and more often we see CGI replacing the traditional visual effects, to the point that movies turn into a “one big CGI scene”.

For companies, this means that the key message can be captured in a unique form and later easily tweaked and reused to produce new videos and collateral (such as images and even VR apps).

Pro tips / Best practices:

Remember to fully take advantage of the 360° camera movement, cutaways (look-through views) and “diving” zoom (down to any imaginable scale) available in 3D animation.

For example, your video can show how a drug works on a microscopic level, or how a medical device looks in a cross-section. You can literally turn the world inside-out, given the proper amount of work put into the inner details of the 3D models.

2. Powerful impact on sales & marketing

Bio- and biomedical engineering products are often highly sophisticated, which further complicates the job of marketing and sales staff. 3D-animated video removes the burden of explaining all of the technical details to each new employee (simplifies onboarding) and every potential client (educates prospects).

A high-quality 3D animation also has a “wow” factor that plays a significant role in marketing and sales. Even the most ordinary product can be presented as something fresh, given the right perspective.

In terms of branding, a professional 3D animated video can create a lasting positive impression on both clients and investors.

Pro tips / Best practices:

A professional 3D video production is not cheap, but the shift towards it will instantly improve your brand image among the competitors.

To gain the most return on your investment, use the video assets to create bite-size social clips and other marketing materials. Aim to cover each stage of the funnel to streamline your marketing and sales activities from top to bottom.

3. Multiple layers of information

As with animated video in general, 3D animation is a very flexible visual and audio medium, but only in 3D it is possible to present multiple dimensions of visual information at once.

For example, explaining the structure and functions of a medical device can require a 50-pages long manual. With 3D animation, all of it can be packed into a two-minute explainer video.

By utilizing labels, graphs, charts, and text overlays with spatial markers linked to them, we can pass information in a form that is instantly comprehensible and more visually memorable than static text and images.

Pro tips / Best practices:

To avoid information overload, aim to present the features or elements of your product gradually. A common trick is to start with a broad picture, explaining the high concept, and then zooming in on the details.

In case your product is actually tiny (e.g. a nanoscopic MRI contrast agent), the opposite transition could make more sense – starting with the nanoscale and panning out to show its effects in the “visible” world.

Use labels and text overlays in strategic places throughout your video to help the viewer navigate the presentation easier and remember more.

4. Realistic & practical examples

Modern 3D modeling and animation programs allow for hyper-realistic texturing and lighting, as well as precisely simulated physics, including complicated chemical kinetics.

Moreover, 3D animation can show perfect practical scenarios that are impossible to recreate in real life. For example, virtual assembly and disassembly of a product, without handling it or using any smoke and mirrors.

Additionally, as with any form of animation, the speed of each 3D scene can be adjusted to show a slower or faster version of a process. It’s less realistic, but can be much more practical.

Pro tips / Best practices:

3D explainer animation can be particularly useful for simulating hypothetical conditions on a product, including temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.

Think about the technical qualities of your product that make it stand out. Showing various use cases that imitate real-life situations can be useful if your product is multifunctional.

5. Prototyping compatibility

3D modeling is an essential prototyping tool in mechanical product design today. With 3D product models, you can test geometry, kinematics, and perform integrated calculations.

Of course, Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) is much more intricate than simplified 3D modeling for an animated video. Nonetheless, if you already have a functioning digital prototype, most likely it can be converted and used for video production too.

For pharmaceuticals and other non-mechanical products, where precise physics and geometry don’t matter, 3D animation can visualize prototypes prior to government authorization.

Bringing your product to life early with 3D animation is particularly effective for education and marketing purposes.

Pro tips / Best practices:

Virtual models and 3D animation are helpful in the early stages of product design, when engineers need to identify and solve mechanical issues before producing a live prototype (which is usually more expensive and involves 3D modeling anyways).

In case you already have product models for 3D printing or stereolithography, they can act as an asset or at least a reference for 3D animation.

6. Cost-effectiveness

The previous five points boil down to the one benefit that no company can overlook – the impact on bottom line:

• 3D animation can visualize your product prior to production, which means faster time to market and earlier attraction of investors;
• It benefits the viewer by including realistic examples and presenting complex information in an easy to understand visual manner;
• 3D product animation also simplifies the sales and marketing communications, which leads to a lower churn rate and streamlines the whole funnel.

Pro tips / Best practices:

First and foremost, make sure that the video production company you partner with has experience in your niche. This will effectively shorten the briefing stage and minimize the amount of rework required to get the final video right.

Keep in mind that studios rarely show all of their videos in the portfolio due to various client agreements. For example, at Verstiuk Production we have worked with multiple medical device and pharmaceutical companies, but only a few of their videos are available to the public.

To reach even higher ROI with a 3D animated video, you can also minimize the project’s budget by purchasing ready-made 3D models. The production of bespoke models can be costly, and there are many high-quality models available online for a fraction of that cost.

Adding 2D elements and stock live action scenes can also help reduce the overall cost of the project.

7. A ‘sanitized’ version of reality

Absolute realism may not be suitable for certain target audiences. For example, a video showing a heart surgery could make an unprepared viewer queasy. Or maybe you need partial realism to simplify the illustration of a certain procedure (e.g. highlight an artery as it is being stented).

In such cases, 3D animation can provide the viewer with a “sanitized” version of reality, using textures and special effects to focus on what really matters.

Pro tips / Best practices:

Balancing between the most exciting visual style, clarity of the message, and the budget of a video project is always a tough challenge. Try looking for a partner who understands your industry and can correctly divide the essential from the optional.

Make sure that your video follows its main purpose, whether it’s to impress, educate, or convert your audience. Details are great as long as they don’t result in frustration.

Final remarks

At Verstiuk Production, we often deal with clients from various biotech industries that are only taking their first steps in video marketing. Most of them know how much a 3D video can achieve because they have seen successful competitors. They eagerly rush to create similar videos for themselves.

However, we recommend all of our clients to start with their marketing goals and developing their own video strategy. Only then we will be able to correctly define what type and style of video your company needs.

Contact us to get a quick, free assessment of your video marketing needs.