Video for Google Play: interface, animation or video?

A couple of years ago I wrote about how to make a video for the application page in the App Store. Everything was as specific as possible there: the guys from Apple had already thought for us and made a list of stringent requirements for the video - so it’s not necessary to puzzle over the choice of visual style.

With Google Play, everything is both simpler and harder at the same time: there are no serious limitations, complete creative freedom. Therefore, first we will have to decide in what style to make a video and what to show in it.
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There are three main visual solutions: real interface, video filming and animation. In the post I will try to briefly tell about each of them and show examples of successful videos.

Interface

The video based on the real interface is the most popular format on Google Play. There may be titles, graphics, small video inserts, but the main focus is on the interface.

Examples

Inbox is a great example of an application that is best suited for interface video. Users do not need to explain what e-mail is - but it is important for them to see with their own eyes all the features and capabilities implemented in the interface and evaluate how convenient it is to use them.



In the case of mobile games, the demonstration of real gameplay is a must have. No matter how exciting the cut scenes are, users want to see in advance what they will play.



Benefits:

• Inexpensive to produce.
• The user gains experience with the application in advance
• Meets user expectations.

Disadvantages:

• Does not cause strong emotions.

For which applications is best suited:

• Games.
• Content applications: magazines, video hosting, TV channels, content stores.
• Applications from simple and clear categories that solve everyday tasks: maps, instant messengers, social networks, mail services, photo editors, shops, etc.
• Applications that are already actively advertised using other video content.

Conclusion: if in doubt and do not want to risk - make a video based on the interface. If you have cool content in your application that is important to show, make video based on the interface. Well, or if the interface is completely enough to explain what tasks the application solves.

Videography

The video most often shows the main cases, tells the stories of users. Here, the focus is on the task that the application solves, on the life situations in which it helps, and not on specific features.

Examples:

In the Google Play Games app, it doesn't matter what its interface looks like. It is important to show the players and their emotions - and the video shot from the webcam angle solves this problem perfectly.



A video from the Pinterest page is a typical example of an emotional lifestyle movie about an app. He shows several characters with different cases - so that more users can recognize themselves in them. The video was made very personal, in the documentary style: natural light, mobile camera, everyday situations, muted colors.

By the way, this video is a vivid example of how calmly the moderators of Google Play relate to the content of the video: the iPhones and the interface of the iOS version of the application are shown here - and nothing.



Google Calendar Video is a good example of an equal combination of video and interface. There is no realism and everyday life here: all the scenes are frankly staged, exaggerated - due to this they quickly and vividly show different scenarios of using the calendar.



Benefits:

• Very emotional.
• You can clearly show the usage scenarios for the application.
• The audience recognizes itself in the heroes of the video.

Disadvantages:

• Relatively expensive to manufacture.

For which applications is best suited:

• Related to offline activity.
• Designed for a specific target group: entrepreneurs, mothers, gamers, travelers, etc.

Conclusion: if you want (and can) squeeze out a maximum of emotions from the viewer and are ready to spend money on it - shoot a video.

Animation

An animated video for Google Play is most often an explorer that tells you why you need an application and how it works. Accordingly, it is needed if it is not entirely clear from the application interface which tasks it solves.

The second way to use animation is to cut scenes on games, but they are always combined with a demonstration of real gameplay.

An animated explorer is not the easiest to perform and is not the cheapest format, but the most versatile. In addition to the page on Google Play, it can be used on the website, in mailing lists and offline events, it is quite simple to adapt it to one or several commercials.

Examples:

Dropbox is important to talk about the tasks that the service solves — about working with files and accessing them from any device. The interface of the application in this case is not indicative enough, and it is not particularly important - cases and the basic principle of work are much more important.



Benefits:

• There are almost no good video clips on Google Play - this makes it stand out among other applications.
• You can clearly show the usage scenarios for the application.
• You can explain why you need the application and how it works.
• Universal: suitable for other sites, easy to adapt to advertising.

Disadvantages:

• Relatively expensive to manufacture.

For which applications is best suited:

• Applications with innovative or complex mechanics.
• Related to offline activity.
• Games: animated cut scenes + gameplay.

Conclusion: if the interface is not enough to explain how the application works - do the animation. Or if you need an animated explorer for other sites - it is logical to place it on Google Play.

A few words from google

You are absolutely free to choose the visual style, but Google has several formal requirements for the link to the video and its content :

• Specify the URL of a separate video on YouTube, not a playlist or channel.
• Do not use age-limited videos as promo videos.
• Use a full link to a YouTube video instead of a shortened one.
• Do not use materials that contain images of the female breast, buttocks, genitals, and other explicit images of the human body — neither in photographs, nor in drawings.
• Do not use rough and profanity on the page of your application. If this is an important element of the application, you need to hide them on the description page.
• Do not show scenes of violence.
• Do not display images of illegal drug use, even if this content is used for artistic or educational purposes. Content on the application page should be suitable for any audience.

Thanks for attention!