8 Things Animation Can Do That Filming Can't

Written By Angus Duff

Now, before we start, a quick disclaimer:

We love live-action.
Live-action has given us The Godfather, Harry Potter, and those gorgeous shots in Planet Earth where a snow leopard blinks in slow motion.
It’s a beautiful medium. And for many projects, it’s the best route to take!
But this post is about the stuff animation can do that live-action just can’t, unless you have the budget of a small country.

So let’s dive into 8 ways animation can do its own magical thing.

Illustration of character floating - defying laws of physics

1. You Can Break the Laws of Physics and Nobody Gets Hurt

Live-action reality: Want to throw a character off a cliff? That’s a stunt team, a drone, insurance forms, and someone yelling “CUT!” 47 times.
Animation reality: Want to throw a character off a cliff? Great. He’ll bounce, do 3 somersaults, and land in a taco. All before lunch.

Animation lets you rewrite physics.
It doesn’t just bend reality, it hires reality as a consultant and gives it some creative notes.

Character in front of different scenery - space, ocean, desert and jungle

2. No Location Scouting. Ever.

Filming in space? Underwater? In someone’s dream where it’s raining frogs and the buildings are made of memory foam?

In animation, you can go there. No permits. No flights. Just pixels, coffee, and imagination.

Branded illustration, character with banner. Engage Educate Empower is being said

3. Every Frame is Brand-Aligned

In live-action, you’re battling lighting, props, weather, and someone who brought the wrong mug again. Damn it, Carl, how many times!?

In animation? You control the entire visual language. Fonts. Colours. Movement. Emotion. Consistency. It’s like being a god, but for style guides.

Motion design character floating surrounded by loads of clocks. Dinosaur on left and robot on right

4. Time Travel is Possible

Want to show a timeline from 1600 to 2080? Live-action says: “Cool. Let's cast 9 actors, age them with makeup, and build a Victorian train station.”

Animation says: “BRB, drawing a time machine.”

Character surrounded by loads of abstract shapes representing abstract ideas

5. You Can Visualise the Invisible

Ever tried filming trust? Or an idea? Or what happens in your brain when you smell toast?

Animation can give shape to things we can’t see, and turn abstract concepts into something we feel.

Live-action shows what’s there.
Animation shows what’s going on inside.

Character controlling time of day and weather. Symbolizing how motion design allows you to do this

6. It’s Pandemic-Proof, Weather-Proof, and Actor Tantrum-Proof

There are no “we lost the light” days in animation.
No “our lead actor shaved his head mid-shoot” surprises.

Just the calm, methodical world of keyframes, layer naming (well… mostly), and caffeine.

Character in rocket shooting past the Hollywood sign

7. You Can Tell Big Stories on a Small Budget

A sweeping saga across planets. A data-heavy explainer about quantum mechanics. A superhero origin story about someone learning to code.

In live-action? You’d need a Marvel-sized wallet.
In animation? You need an idea and a nerd with a computer.

Animation in lots of different formats. Billboards, phone, laptop, ipad, computer

8. It Scales Brilliantly for Social, Learning, and Brand Content

Animation can shrink down, speed up, subtitle itself, and shape-shift for any platform.
TikTok? Yup. E-learning module? Absolutely. Billboard ad with a QR code that leads to a video of a brain singing opera? Why not.

So—what’s the takeaway?

Animation and live-action aren’t rivals.
They’re just two different tools in the creative utility belt.
Live-action is real. Raw. Tangible.
Animation is imaginative. Fluid. Magical.

Use cameras when you want truth.
Use animation when you want to bend it.

And sometimes… the best stories happen when you combine both.

Angus Duff
Next

What Exactly Is an Explainer Video?