If you’re wondering how long does it take to make an animated explainer video, you’re in the right place!

Each stage of the production process takes a different amount of time. The length of your video and complexity of the illustrations and motion design also factors in.  This outline presents a breakdown of what to expect during the explainer video production process. You’ll also learn how long each stage of the production process takes.

Explainer Video Production Process Timeline

1. Pre-Production
2. Script
3. Storyboard
4. Voiceover + Auditions
5. Soundtrack
6. Concept Art
7. Illustrations
8. Animation

If you have a question about the animated explainer video production process that isn’t answered in this article, you can use our contact form to ask your question or click the image below to with a member of our production team:

Pre-Production

Before you start looking for an animation studio or freelancer to make your custom animated video, spend some time getting clear about what kind of animation you want to create. We created a guide to help you think through the important details. Once you’ve spent some time identifying the important criteria, you’ll be better prepared to pick out a video animator that can produce the video you want, within your desired budget and timeline.

After you’ve hired a 2D animation studio or Video Igniter to produce your video, we will send you a questionnaire to learn more about your video.

While you’re in the pre-production stage, you should also spend some time organizing files like fonts, logos, icons, branding documents and more.

Not sure which animation style is right for your video?  Read out our pros and cons list to learn what’s involved with producing different styles of animated videos:

Script

Under a normal production timeline, the script writing phase takes about 1 week for an animated video that’s 1 minute long. After the animator learns about your video idea, they will take 1-3 days to create the first draft of the script.

Download Video Igniter’s Free Script Writing Template

When the first draft is ready, take a day or two to review the script and organize your feedback for the production team. Once the writer receives your feedback, they can typically turn around a revised script in 24 hrs or less. Scripts typically take 1-3 rounds of edits to get to the final draft.

If you are writing the script yourself, allow 1-2 weeks for your team to review it and contribute their feedback. Ensure everyone has approved the script before you share it with your production team.

Storyboard

The next step of the explainer video production process is to turn the script into a storyboard. A storyboard is a document that explains what visuals and what motion design needs to happen during every sentence of your script. It’s essentially a blueprint for the design and animation teams so that they know what to create. 

Download Video Igniter’s Free Storyboard Template

A storyboard for a 1-2 minute video typically takes 1-4 days to produce. Then, it takes about 2-3 days to review the storyboard with the client and incorporate their edits.

You can save money on your production budget by creating your own storyboard. To learn how to create your own storyboard, check out this companion article.  We also have a free storyboard template and storyboard creation guide which you can access here:

VoiceOver + Auditions

Once your storyboard is approved, the next step of the animated explainer video production process is to get voiceover auditions for you to review. It takes about 1-3 business days to get voiceover auditions recorded and delivered from multiple artists. You should take a day or two to review the options with your team. Then, notify your animator about which audition is your favorite option. Tell your animation team if you want the voiceover artist to modify their tone when recording the full voiceover.

Your animation team will then get the full voiceover recorded in 1-3 business days. When the VO is ready to review, give it a detailed listen with your team. If you love the voiceover as is, let your animation team know. Otherwise, send them detailed feedback so that the voiceover artist will know which parts to rerecord. Provide specific instructions about how you want them to change the timing, energy or inflection used. It is also helpful to list what time in the recording the changes need to be made.

If you want to save time and a little money on your production budget, check out this video we made with tips on how to record your own professional sounding voiceover – even if you don’t have a studio or a professional microphone.

Soundtrack

Your animation team will also help select soundtracks that will enhance the presentation of your animated video. If you love one of the options, we’ll purchase the broadcast rights. Otherwise, we can select new options or wait until the first draft of your animated video is ready to view. That way, you can preview the video while listening to the different soundtrack options to feel which one is best.

Check out this guide to learn more about where to find soundtracks for your animated video.

Concept Art

After your storyboard is approved, the next phase of the explainer video production process is to create the concept art for your video. Depending on the size of your budget, you can expect to receive 1-5 different visual concepts showing how one scene of your animated video can be designed. This typically takes 2-5 days depending on the # of samples being created and the level of detail used in your animation.  

Once you receive your concept art, take a day or two to review the concepts with your team. Let your design team know which style you prefer. If you want to make visual refinements to the styleframe, now’s the time to speak up.  If you like design elements from multiple concepts, tell your design team. They can combine the best design elements into a single visual concept for you to review and approve. This typically takes another day or two for the designers to create and then run by you for approval.

Illustrations

Now that your concept art is approved, the designers will create the rest of the art for your video. It takes about one week to create all of the art for a one minute animated video. Give your illustrations a thorough and detailed review. It’s important you are happy with the art before animation begins. If you love it as-is, let them you know you approve the art. Otherwise, submit your feedback to the design team and wait 1-3 days for the update. It’s not uncommon to do a 2nd round of edits on the illustrations for an additional layer of polish.

Animation

When the art, soundtrack and voiceover are approved, the animation team will start animating your video. One animator can animate about one minute of 2D animated content in one week. Revisions can typically be turned around in 1-2 days after the animator receives your feedback.

When you receive the first draft of their video, circulate the first draft among your stakeholders. It’s a good idea to get different people’s impressions and feedback. This way, when you come back with your list of edits, all the ideas are consolidated and can be addressed at once. Going through multiple rounds of revisions at this stage will likely increase your final production cost and the amount of time it takes to get your animation completed.

Post-Production

The final stage of the animated explainer video production process is called, “Post-Production.”  Post-Production includes adding little details like sound effects, or rendering out multiple versions of the video with slight variations (perhaps you want to show a different business location’s address at the end of each video). These kinds of edits are typically simple and take 1-2 days to process after the final draft draft is approved.

Client Expectations and How to Set Realistic Timelines

Setting clear and realistic timelines for animated explainer videos is crucial to ensure the project progresses smoothly and meets both the client’s and the production team’s expectations. Often, clients may not be aware of the time commitment required for each stage of the process, from initial scriptwriting to final animation tweaks.

To avoid delays, it’s important to communicate the different phases of the project clearly. For example, the time spent on feedback rounds and revisions should be factored in early on. Be transparent about potential delays and set clear milestones so that both parties are on the same page.

By establishing a realistic production schedule upfront, both the animation studio and the client can ensure a smooth workflow and a timely delivery, reducing the risk of rushed decisions that could compromise quality.

The Impact of Animation Style on Production Time

The animation style chosen for an explainer video can significantly impact the production timeline. Simple 2D animations often take less time to produce compared to more complex 3D or motion graphics. A simple character animation might require fewer frames and less detailed design work, while a high-quality 3D animation requires detailed modeling, texturing, lighting, and rendering, which takes more time. Additionally, motion graphics with advanced visual effects may involve intricate sequencing and rendering, adding extra production time.

When deciding on the animation style, it’s essential for clients to understand that more elaborate animation styles typically require more time to complete. For businesses looking to meet tight deadlines, opting for a simpler style can help keep the production time shorter while still delivering a high-quality video.

VoiceOver and Audio Considerations

VoiceOvers and sound design are integral components of any animated explainer video, and they play a crucial role in setting the tone of your video. The process of selecting a voice actor, recording the voiceover, and synchronizing it with the animation can add a significant amount of time to the production timeline. Additionally, clients may need to be involved in reviewing and approving the voiceover before finalizing the audio.

Factors like accent, tone, and pacing can all affect the time spent in this phase. Furthermore, sound design, which includes background music, sound effects, and audio mixing, also takes time to perfect. Clients should be prepared for the time it takes to incorporate these elements and ensure that all audio elements align perfectly with the visuals for a seamless final product.

Time for Iterations and Explainer Video Revisions

An animated explainer video typically goes through several iterations and rounds of revisions. After the initial draft is created, the client will usually provide feedback on elements such as animation, pacing, and overall messaging.

The number of revision rounds can greatly impact the overall timeline, so it’s important for both the animation team and the client to agree on the expected number of revisions beforehand. To ensure a quicker turnaround, clients should provide clear, constructive feedback rather than vague or general comments. This allows the animation team to make precise adjustments, rather than spending time trying to interpret unclear instructions. By planning for at least two or three rounds of revisions and setting realistic expectations about feedback time, clients can avoid unnecessary delays.

Pre-Production Time and Its Importance

Pre-production is a crucial phase in the creation of an animated explainer video, and it can often be the most time-consuming. During this phase, the script is written, the storyboard is developed, and the overall concept for the video is fleshed out.

Clients should understand that skipping or rushing through pre-production can lead to inefficiencies later on in the process. A well-developed script, storyboard, and plan will help ensure that the animation is aligned with the desired message and tone, reducing the likelihood of major revisions later.

Furthermore, the pre-production phase allows the animation team to establish a clear timeline and budget, which sets expectations for the remainder of the project. Clients who invest the necessary time in this phase can enjoy a smoother production process and a more effective final video.

Hiring Freelancers vs. Agencies For Your Explainer Video

When choosing between freelancers and agencies for animated explainer video production, it’s important to understand how each option affects the project timeline. Freelancers often have a more flexible schedule and may be able to start and complete a project faster than a larger agency.

However, agencies typically offer a more structured process, with specialized teams handling different parts of the production. This can lead to a higher-quality final product, but it may take longer, as the agency may need more time to coordinate various departments (e.g., animation, sound design, voiceovers).

For clients working with tight deadlines, freelancers may be an attractive option, but for more complex projects requiring specialized skills, an agency might be worth the additional time and investment.

The Role of Feedback in Speeding Up Production

Providing structured and timely feedback is one of the best ways to speed up the production process of an animated explainer video. Delays in receiving feedback or unclear instructions can cause the animation team to spend valuable time revising work that doesn’t meet the client’s expectations.

To avoid unnecessary back-and-forth, clients should provide specific feedback on each aspect of the video, from visuals to pacing to messaging. The more precise and prompt the feedback, the faster the production team can implement the changes, resulting in a quicker turnaround for the final video.

Cultural and Linguistic Considerations in Global Projects

For businesses creating animated explainer videos for a global audience, cultural and linguistic considerations can add additional time to the production process. Localization involves translating the video script, adapting the animation for different cultural contexts, and sometimes even adjusting the voiceover to reflect different accents or dialects.

This process ensures that the video resonates with audiences in different regions while maintaining the integrity of the original message. Clients should factor in the time it takes to localize content when planning their production timeline. Depending on the number of languages and regions involved, localization can add a few weeks to the project timeline, so it’s essential to plan accordingly.

Tracking Progress and Managing Timelines with Project Management Software

Using project management software can greatly improve communication and help track the progress of an animated explainer video project. Tools like Trello, Asana, or Monday.com allow both clients and the animation team to set deadlines, track milestones, and communicate in real-time. This helps ensure that everyone is on the same page throughout the production process.

Project management software can also help identify potential delays early on, allowing teams to make adjustments to the schedule before they become bigger issues. Clients who use these tools are more likely to stay informed about their project’s progress and can quickly address any roadblocks that arise.

Finalizing and Distributing the Video

Once the animation is completed, there are still a few crucial steps before the video is ready for distribution. The final steps include exporting the video in different formats (such as MP4, MOV, or AVI) for different platforms, performing a quality check to ensure there are no errors, and optimizing the video for web usage. Depending on the platforms where the video will be distributed (e.g., YouTube, social media, website embedding), certain adjustments might be necessary, such as adjusting the video size, aspect ratio, or adding captions. Clients should factor in time for these final steps when planning the project timeline. Having a clear plan for distribution ensures that the video will be properly optimized for the audience and platforms, leading to a successful launch.

Animated Explainer Video Production Resources

Now that you can answer the question, “how long does it take to make an animated explainer video,” here are some additional resources that will help you turn your idea into a custom animated explainer video:

• How to make video animations
• What explainer video services does Video Igniter offer?
• How much does it cost to hire an explainer video production company?
• How to make a 3D explainer video
• What is it like work with an animated explainer video company?

What is Video Igniter Animation?

Video Igniter is an animated video production company that creates 2D and 3D videos. Check out our animated video portfolio to see our latest and greatest creations!

Interested in learning about pricing for your video project? Request access to our pricing page here.

Animated Video Demo Reel

With so many different animation styles out there, we thought it would be helpful to present an overview of the most common types of animated videos and provide a run down of their pros and cons to help you figure out which animation styles could be used for your video.

2D Animation Styles:

1). Flash / After Effects 2D animation
2). Motion Graphics
3). Hand Drawn Animation (aka Frame by Frame or Cel Animation)
4). Kinetic Typography
5). Cut-Out Animation
6). Rotoscoping Animation

3D Animation Styles:

1). 3D Animation
2). Stop Motion
3). Cel-Shaded Animation

Non-Animated Explainer Videos:

1). Screen Recording
2). Whiteboard Videos

2D Animation Styles:

1). Flash / After Effects 2D Animation

If you’ve seen a 2D animated video online, odds are, it was likely made using Adobe Flash or Adobe After Effects. These are two of the most popular programs for creating 2D animated videos because they enable an infinite range of different animation styles at a lower cost than producing a video with traditional frame-by-frame (hand drawn) animation.

Pros: Enables you to create infinite different types of animation styles. Very easy to make custom branded art.

Cons: This is what everyone does. Can be difficult to pick out which studio or freelancer is best for you.

Example of an Animated Explainer Video Created with Flash:



Example of a More Advanced Animation Created with Adobe After Effects:

2). Motion Graphics

Think of motion graphics as a type of animation that’s more like an animated diagram or a series of shapes, icons and text sliding around. Generally this is animation that doesn’t have people walking around. Instead, motion graphics are used like visual accents. Sometimes they are overlaid on top of live action videos, other times they’re inserted between scenes of a video to show an animated diagram that visually illustrates what a narrator is explaining.

Pros: Can be simpler to produce than traditional animation.

Cons: May not include enough detail for what you want to show or explain.

3). Hand Drawn Animation aka Frame-By-Frame Animation

This is the ‘real’ old school style of animation. The kind where each frame of the animation is hand drawn by the video animator. It enables the artist to create beautiful flowing animated details with realistic, smooth movements. It also takes a lot of time, skill and a huge team with an adequate budget to produce anything more than a few seconds long.

Pros: Visually unique compared to the glut of 2D animated content out there.

Cons: Expensive. Takes a long time and a big team to produce.

4). Kinetic Typography

Kinetic typography is a type of animated video that relies heavily on animating text with flashy motion and designs to keep the viewer engaged. Sometimes characters and scenes get mixed in but typically the goal is to animate the words in visually unique ways in sync with the narrative voiceover.

Pros: When designed with proper timing, these videos do a great job at keeping viewer’s interest. It’s also possible to watch these videos without the sound on (i.e. in a social media feed) and still be able to understand the content of the video w/out the audio.

Cons: Since the focus tends to be text-based, sometimes content that’s presented in kinetic typography videos should actually be an animated diagram (which you can totally mix into your video).

5). Cut-Out Animation

Cut-out animation uses flat materials, like paper or fabric, to create characters and scenes that move in a two-dimensional space. Traditionally, this style involved physically moving cut-out pieces frame by frame, but modern software now simulates the process digitally. Cut-out animation is popular for its cost-effectiveness and charming simplicity, as seen in shows like South Park. If you’re looking for a fun, quirky, and budget-friendly animation style, cut-out animation might be a perfect fit.

Pros: This fun animation style is visually unique and helps your message stand out from other forms of 2D computer animation.

Cons: Creating this style of animation takes more time to create compared to modern forms of computer animation.

6). Rotoscoping

Rotoscoping involves tracing over live-action video footage to create lifelike movement in an animated format. This style blends realism with artistic expression, making it a great option when you want natural character motion with a stylized visual appeal. Rotoscoping was famously used in films like A Scanner Darkly and Waking Life to create a surreal, dreamlike effect that draws viewers into the story.

Pros: Visuals include realistic, natural movement using a unique stylized aesthetic.

Cons: Rotoscoping is a time-consuming, expensive process which requires a film crew to capture video content before animators can trace over each scene.

Types of 3D Animation:

1). Animated Computer Generated 3D Visuals

3D animation is ideal for when you want to take a viewer on a journey inside a 3D space to show what an environment is like or to understand the inner workings of a machine. 3D animation also works great for your standard business explainer video if you want to go for a high impact visual style that stands out from the rest. Just note that 3D animations take longer to produce, require a larger budget, and it’s not as easy to make changes to the video once production has begun. 3D animated video styles can look cartoon-ish (like Pixar movies) or they can be made to look like photo-realistic renderings of the real world.

Pros: Great for showing how products/machines work or exploring 3D environments

Cons: Expensive and takes a long time to produce. Difficult to make changes mid-way through video production.

Cartoon-style 3D:

Photo-realistic 3D:

2). Stop motion

Stop motion animation is created by setting up a scene (could be made of clay, paper, legos, etc), taking a photo, moving a few things slightly in the scene, and taking another picture. By repeating this process of taking photos of the scene with slight adjustments, the images can be combined to create a moving animated scene.

Pros: Fun and unique to watch.

Cons: Expensive and it takes a long time to do a good job – definitely can’t be rushed.

3). Cel-Shaded Animation

Cel-shaded animation gives 3D objects a flat, cartoonish appearance reminiscent of traditional 2D animation. It’s often used in video games and stylized animations to create bold, eye-catching visuals. Titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Arcane demonstrate how cel shading can blend modern 3D animation with classic, hand-drawn aesthetics.

Pros: Evokes a nostalgic, hand-drawn aesthetic with modern computer animation tools. Rendering costs are lower compared to photorealistic 3D animation.

Cons: Limited realism compared to traditional 3D animation. Requires talented artists to do a quality job creating this visual style.

Non-animated explainer videos:

1). Screen recording

Sometimes you want to show what’s actually happening on a phone, tablet or computer screen. In this case, you can use different programs to record what is happening on screen to show exactly what is happening, rather than providing a high level story of what an app actually does. Motion graphics are sometimes mixed in to keep the viewer’s attention and to visually call out specific details on screen.

Pros: Great for showcasing how to use different websites, software and apps.

Cons: Generally kinda boring to watch unless there’s some unique motion graphics overlaid on top of the screen recording. Not great for sales/marketing videos, but that’s not what they’re really meant for anyway.

Deep Dive: How to hire and collaborate with a motion graphics company?

2). Whiteboard videos

Whiteboard videos are another style of hand drawn animation – however, unlike Frame-by-Frame animation, where the animator draws each frame individually and then flips through them to make the image look like it’s in motion, whiteboard explainers are videos that show the artist in the act of drawing out visuals in sync with a voiceover.

Pros: Generally quick and less expensive to produce. Great at keeping the viewer’s attention.

Cons: They all look very similar so they’re not great for brand recognition.

Practical Applications for Different Animation Styles

The type of content you want to create often informs the visual style that’s appropriate for the video. Below, you can see our recommendations for which style(s) of animation are appropriate to use for creating educational, entertaining and promotional video content.

Educational Content

Animations simplify abstract concepts and make learning more accessible. Animated educational videos often use 2D animation and motion graphics to illustrate scientific principles, historical events, and mathematical theories.

Entertainment

From children’s cartoons to adult animated series, the entertainment industry uses a diverse range of styles to appeal to different audiences. 2D, 3D, and stop motion animation have all found success in TV, movies, and online content.

Marketing and Advertising

Animation helps brands stand out in competitive markets by delivering memorable, engaging content. Motion graphics and character animations are popular choices for commercials, product explainers, and social media content.

Choosing the Right Animation Style

The right animation style depends on your video’s goals, target audience, and budget. If you need something cost-effective and fun, 2D animation might be the way to go. For high-impact, immersive content, 3D or mixed media animation could be a better fit.

With so many cool animation styles to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow it down to the right option for your video. If you’re still not sure which types of animation are appropriate for your video, send us a message or schedule a call to discuss your video project and goals with Video Igniter’s production team.

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.

Watch the demo reel below for examples of the kinds of animation our team can produce for you.

Looking For An Animated Video Company In The U.S.?

Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

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.

“Couldn’t be happier with Derek and his team. The quality of the work for the cost far exceeded expectations and surpasses anything in the market. Derek was patient, offered many revisions, and was overall great to work with.”

Alex Novick – Founder, Sproutly.com

“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 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.

If you hire a video animator or an animation studio to create an explainer video, they will need to have a storyboard with your script in order to know what details to produce in your animation. Often times, animators and studios can help you take your idea or your script and turn it into a storyboard – but if you want to take on that part of creating an animated video, this article will explain how to create a storyboard for an animated video, even if you have no artistic abilities.

Learn how to create a storyboard.

If you have a question about how to create a storyboard that isn’t answered in this article, you can use our contact form to ask your question or click the image below to with a member of our production team:

What is a storyboard?

But first, what is a storyboard? A storyboard is a document that includes text and visuals to explain two things:

1). What art do the designers need to create?

2). How should the animators make the custom designed art move around?

How do you create a storyboard for an animated video?

Each page of a storyboard has four parts and you should include all of them when you make the storyboard for your animated video:

1). Script

2). Sketch/Mockup

3). Direction

4). Asset List

Download Video Igniter’s Free Storyboard Template

1). Script

When you first start making the storyboard for your animation, begin by taking each sentence from your script and put one sentence on each page of your storyboard. It’s possible that when you create your storyboard, you may find that it makes sense to break up a sentence over multiple slides because there’s a lot of motion and design information to explain to the animators. Alternatively if a sentence needs multiple slides to explain all the motion design, have the full sentence on each page and highlight the active part of the sentence by making that part of the sentence bold.

If a scene has a lot of detail, split the sentence into multiple slides.

2). Sketch/Mockup

Each slide of your storyboard should contain a mockup of the scene that is going to be designed for each sentence of the script. Your sketch or mockup doesn’t have to look professional – it just has to be adequate enough to communicate your idea. It’s our job to take your ideas and turn it into something real. Stick figure sketches are perfectly fine – a simple sketch on paper goes a long way – just take a photo of it and include it on the appropriate page of your storyboard.

Too timid to try sketching out your ideas? Use freely available images and icons online to create a rough mockup of the scene you want us to design.

Examples Of Storyboards For Animated Videos That Were Created Using Sketches Or Icons And Clipart.

3). Direction

This is the most important part of creating a storyboard – use simple language to clearly explain what sort of motion design you want to happen during this part of the script. The more you can break down your ideas, the easier it will be for the animators to understand what they are going to animate. Simple language with bullet points is the best way to sequentially document the order of operations that needs to happen in a scene.

If you want an action to happen at a specific moment during the voiceover, it helps to say something like, “when the voiceover says, ‘____,’ do this _______.”

Use the upper right corner of the storyboard to explain to the animator what motion happens in the scene.

4). Asset list

In the bottom right corner of the storyboard, include a list of all the assets that are needed for that scene. Below are examples of some of the kinds of assets you should include in your list:

Scene Examples: blue bedroom, snowy mountain scene, busy shopping mall.

Characters Examples: old fireman in uniform with a white beard, a zebra with white and blue stripes.

Object Examples: digital alarm clock, an orange android phone.

Stock Footage Examples: video of a bumblebee, picture of the inside of a plant cell.

Audio Examples: cash register noise, glass shatter SFX.

5). Extra notes (Screenshots & Examples)

While you create your storyboard, you may find that it’s helpful to include additional information to explain the ideas in your storyboard. Feel free to insert additional slides that include extra descriptive or visual information for the animators and designers to reference when creating your video.

For example – maybe there are a few different styles of desks that you would like to see in a scene. You could include one in the mockup in a slide for your storyboard, and then on the slide after that, include 3 photos of other styles of desks the designers could use as a visual reference for the scene. Or, perhaps you want a character to walk a specific way in a scene and you found a YouTube video of a guy that perfectly demonstrates the type of motion you want to see conveyed in your animation – including a link to the video for the animators to watch will be very helpful for them.

Deep Dive: Want to learn more about the animated video production process? Check out this companion article to learn “How To Create An Animated Video.”

Download Our Free Storyboard Template

We have a storyboard template that you can use to create your storyboard in PowerPoint, Pages, or Slides. Click here to download our free storyboard templates and get our quick storyboard DIY guide too.

Animated Video Storyboard Examples

Interested in checking out some storyboards that were created for real animated video projects? Take a look at our explainer video storyboard examples.

Want Help Creating Your Storyboard?

Creating a storyboard is a fun creative process that turns your words into a visual story. That being said, we know it can be a challenging creative exercise and it’s not for everyone. If you want someone to create the storyboard for your animated video, just let us know and we’ll take care of it for you!

Tools To Help You Create Your Storyboard

We love an old fashioned hand-drawn storyboard – but there’s a growing number of digital tools out there that speed up the storyboard creation process. Let’s explore a few options to help you speed up and streamline the storyboard creation process.

Digital Storyboard Apps

Boords is one of our favorite apps we use to create and share storyboards with our clients. After you upload your storyboard images to Boords, the app provides spaces for you to type in the script and the direction for the motion design which keeps your storyboard organized and nicely formatted.

Boords also makes it easy for clients to add their comments directly on each slide of the storyboard so we know what parts to update and revise.

Digital Sketching Devices

The old way of making a storyboard was to hand draw each scene, take a photo of it, transfer it to your computer and then format the image to fit within your storyboard. Now a days, it’s becoming more common to use an iPad or a Remarkable tablet to sketch each scene and then digitally add the image into your storyboard. This saves on time and makes it easier to update the sketches based on client feedback.

Source: Remarkable.com

AI Generated Storyboard Scenes

We’re just starting to see AI’s that are created for the specific purpose of creating storyboards. They tend to fall into two categories:

1). AI’s that suggest content for your storyboard

These AIs can read a script and take in information about your target audience and then suggest ideas for what to show for each part of your script. This is a great way to get ideas for scenes that are difficult to visualize.

2). AI’s that create sketches for your storyboard

Other AIs are capable of taking your script and generating sketches for each scene in your storyboard. Customization abilities are limited but you can ask the AI to keep regenerating new suggestions until it comes up with something that’s close enough.

What Is An Animatic?

Some animated video projects require the creation of an animatic in addition to the storyboard. An animatic is halfway between a storyboard and the final animation. Storyboard sketches are synced up with the timing of your voiceover to create a very rough version of your video. Often times, additional images are sketched for inclusion in the animatic.

The purpose of the animatic is to create a rough timing of the animation so that everyone involved with the project can see how the timing / pacing of the visuals lines up with the pace of the voiceover. It’s helpful for identifying ‘dead’ portions of the video where very little motion is happening. It’s also useful for planning and choreographing detailed and nuanced parts of your animation to ensure the timing is right. If your animation is very detailed, it’s useful to create an animatic first to ensure your video is created properly the first time. Animatics are also useful for testing the comedic timing of jokes.

Animatics are frequently created for 3D animation projects and hand drawn animations. Standard 2D computer animation projects usually don’t require the creation of an animatic.

Here’s an example of an animatic. Below that is the video that was created from the animatic.

Still have questions about how to create a storyboard for an animated video?

Do you have a question about how to create a storyboard 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!

Want to know more about the production process? Learn how to make a video animation.

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 Animation Studio In The U.S.?

Video Igniter is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

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 to help you make video animations, 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

“I am beyond satisfied with my experience with Video Igniter. The first drafts of the work were almost exactly what I had in my head when developing the concept. After that each step along the way was seamless until arriving at a perfect finished product. And all this at a tremendous value. Anyone who has considered creating a marketing video should check out Video Igniter.”

Anonymous Customer Feedback

Need help creating your storyboard? Get in touch!

Schedule a call 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.