Explainer Video Production
If you want to learn about explainer video production for an upcoming video project, you’re in the right place! Video Igniter’s guide to explainer video production teaches everything you need to know including:
- Explaining the explainer video production process
- How much does explainer video production cost
- How long does t he explainer video production process take
- How to save money on the explainer video production process
- And more!
What are explainer videos?
Explainer videos are concise educational videos that break down big topics and make them easier to understand. Explainer videos can be made using live action filmed footage, animated videos or a combination of mixing live action footage with animated motion graphics.
Explainer Video Examples
Video Igniter can create any kind of 2D or 3D animated video for you. Check out our animation portfolio here. Request access to our demo reels and price sheet here. Contact us or schedule a call to start making your video.
How does the explainer video production process work?
Here’s a quick overview of the explainer video production process so that you can wrap your head around what’s involved at each stage of the experience.
1. Explainer Video Production Kickoff
Production kicks off with a phone call and or a questionnaire. The goal here is for us to learn:
✅ What are your main talking points
✅ Who is your target audience?
✅ What visual style do you want use for your video?
✅ What do you want viewers to do when they’re done watching your explainer video?
2. Script
Now that we understand what kind of video you want to create, our team develops a script that includes your key talking points and tailors the presentation of the messaging to your target audience. You will receive the first draft of the script as soon as it’s ready to review. Send us your revision notes and we will update your script for you. You get another opportunity to review your script before approving it for production.
3. Storyboard
Next, we’ll turn your script into a storyboard. The storyboard is the blueprint for your explainer video. It tells the illustrators and animators what to create. We’ll create a simple visual mockup to illustrate what happens during each part of your script. The storyboard also includes a brief writeup to explain how the visuals move about the scene. We’ll send you the first draft of the storyboard as soon as it’s ready to review. Send us your revision notes and we will update your storyboard for you. You’ll get to review the storyboard again to see if it needs any more refinements before you approve it for production.
4. VoiceOver
You will receive several voiceover auditions from our team. Select your favorite voiceover talent and then we will oversee the recording of the full voiceover. You get to review the full voiceover and request edits if you fee anything sounds off. After you approve the voiceover, we’ll acquire the usage rights to use the audio recording in your video.
5. Soundtrack
Our team will select several soundtracks that we feel will enhance the presentation of your explainer video. Let us know which one you prefer and we’ll acquire the broadcast license to use it in your explainer video.
6. Illustrations
You will receive several pieces of concept art from our art director. Pick you preferred concept and collaborate with our art director to refine the concept art until you absolutely love it!
Then, our art team will produce all of the illustrations needed for your explainer video. You’ll receive a copy of all the art to review. Give it a detailed review and send us your feedback. Our team will revise your illustrations until you are completely happy with them.
7. Animation
Once the illustrations, voiceover and soundtrack are approved, our team can wrap up production on your explainer video. As soon as it’s ready, we’ll send you the first draft of your explainer video. Give it a detailed review (ideally with members of your target audience). Collect everyone’s feedback and send it to us. We’ll incorporate your edits and send you the final draft of your explainer video.
What are the benefits of explainer videos?
Businesses and organizations use explainer videos to help communicate new information because explainer videos:
✅ Make it easier for people to learn and comprehend new information.
✅ Retain the information they learned.
✅ Make it more likely for a person to click play (if the thumbnail is animated/illustrated).
✅ It’s easier to update and improve an explainer video over time to improve it’s conversion rate (very difficult and expensive do to with non-animated explainer videos).
✅ Animated explainer videos captivate and hold viewers attention longer than long form filmed content.
How to save money on the explainer video production process?
Here are 6 things you can do to save over $1,100 off of your video’s production cost:
1). Write the script for your animated video instead of hiring us to write it for you. Download our free script writing template here.
2). Create the storyboard for your animated video instead of hiring us to create it for you. Download our free storyboard template here.
3). Record the voiceover for your video. Watch this video to learn how you can record professional quality voiceovers at home or in the office for free, without having to buy any fancy equipment or expensive software.
4). Use free, legal music in your video. Facebook’s sound collection offers a vast library of music you can use for free in videos that you produce for Instagram and Facebook. Incompetech offers royalty free music you can use in all your videos as long as you credit the artist.
5). See if you can use free stock images, stock footage, icons, clip art, text and pre-created 3D models to help lower parts of the visual production cost of your video.
6). Use a simpler visual style for your explainer video that doesn’t take as much time and money to produce. Check out our rates for different levels of production quality.
For more budget saving tips, out this article for more tips on how to create affordable animation.
Tips for creating effective explainer videos
Here are the top 5 tips for creating highly effective explainer videos that connect with your target audience and deliver conversions:
1). Define your target audience
Sounds like a simple one but without doing this step, it’s easy to muddle your message. Defining your target audience makes it easier for the creative team to make decisions that speak directly to the needs of your target audience.
2). Call To Action
end your video with a call to action. Whether it’s teaching people where to get more information, encouraging them to download up or make a donation, it’s important to end your video with a direct request after using the build up of your explainer video to make a case for them to take action.
3). Test Your CTAs
It isn’t enough to just end your video with a call to action. We recommend creating alternate CTAs to test so that you can see which CTA is more likely to get people to take action after watching your video. Testing CTAs can increase conversion rates by 10% or more!
4). Unique Visual Style
The world of animation opens up infinite visual possibilities. The best way to keep people engaged with your video is to develop a unique visual style that’s fun and entertaining to watch.
5). Test Different Thumbnails
Your video’s thumbnail is the first impression for your video. consider testing different thumbnails to see which one gets more people to click play.
For a deep dive on how to A/B test variations of your explainer video to get more views, more engagement and more conversions, check out our companion article called, “How to improve your video conversion rate.”
What does explainer video production cost?
Most explainer videos cost $1,500-$10,000 to make for each minute of video that’s being created. Explainer videos that include 3D visualizations can cost a few thousand dollars more.
Looking for a quote for your explainer video’s production cost? Get a quote from our team!
How long does explainer video production take?
A 1-2 minute long explainer video takes 2-6 weeks to create. The variation in production timeline depends on how much animation is included in the explainer video and whether or not production is starting with a pre-approved script or storyboard.
Need to speed up production for your deadline? We offer rush delivery animation to help speed up explainer video projects.
Want to figure out how long production will take for your explainer video? Reach out to get a quote & production timeline or schedule a call with our production team.
How To Get The Explainer Video Production Process Started?
Ready to start production on your explainer video? Here’s how to get the ball rolling:
1). Get in Touch With Our Team
You can send us an email, schedule a call, get a quote, request access to our price sheet or fill out this questionnaire about your project.
2). Production Proposal
We’ll get back to you asap with a production budgte and a production proposal to produce your explainer video.
3). Pay The Production Deposit
We’ll send you an invoice for 50% of the estimated production budget for your video. The explainer video production process begins as soon as we receive your payment.
Still have questions about explainer video production?
Do you have a question about explainer video production that wasn’t addressed in this FAQ? Use this form to send us your question and we’ll follow up with an answer. We’ll also post the question and answer to this page so other people can benefit from the knowledge.
What is Video Igniter Animation?
Video Igniter Animation is an online animated video production service. By working with our team online, you can get your custom animated video produced faster and for less than hiring a brick and mortar animation studio.
We can help you create any kind of 2D animated video or 3D animation you can imagine. Check out our animated video portfolio!
Need help syndicating your animated video? Ask us about video promotion!
Watch our explainer video on our home page to learn more about how we can help you create an animated video. For examples of the kinds of animation our team can produce, check out the demo reel below:
Looking For An Explainer Video Production Company In The U.S.?
Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
Explainer Video Production Success Stories & Testimonials
Don’t just take our word for it – these testimonials highlight Video Igniter’s reliability, creativity, flexibility and ability to deliver animations that exceed expectations. When you choose Video Igniter Animation, you can rest assured that you are working with a trusted and reputable studio.
“Video Igniter were very easy to work with and the entire process for creating and suggesting edits was seamless and stress-free. I would work with them again and would recommend to others looking to create a modern and stylish explainer video.”
Clair Simpson – VP Marketing, Repool.com
“I run a video production company and outsource animation. The team at Video Igniter did a great job in taking the concept I very crudely drew out and making it into a beautiful animation. The review process was easy and their turnaround time was very quick. I’d def recommend them if you’re looking for an animation project.”
Pat Henderson – Founder, Path8 Productions
“Video Igniter offered us the critical combination of creative value, clear communication, and patience with stakeholder feedback. We ended up with truly high-quality design assets for our video series largely due to the extra level of commitment — and the right balance of efficiencies with flexibility in the process when called for.”
Larry Schlessinger – Sr. Creative Program Manager, Amazon Web Services
“Video Igniter came to us with a number of creative and engaging ideas and were able to create an exciting, impactful video in a short period of time. And the best part was that it cost much less than other options of similar quality. The video they made is a great marketing tool for us.”
Alex Raymond – Founder, Kapta Systems
Get in touch!
Schedule a call with our production team to discuss your animated video project.
Get a quote for us to create your animated video.
Request access to our newest price sheet.
Create your Video Igniter account, fill out a creative brief for your video and we’ll begin production as soon as we receive your production deposit.
