8 Stages To Produce An Explainer Video
It’s all about putting the right experts together.
Are you preparing for an important pitch? Explaining a complicated concept? Exploring new ways to stand out from the competition?
If yes, an explainer video is the perfect solution for you.
What are explainer videos?
Explainer videos are great marketing tools that allow people to get information about your product or service in a concise, digestible and entertaining way.
Usually animated, they can increase your conversion rate by 75%!
Typically ranging from 1–3 minutes, they can take a variety of styles depending on your budget and topic matter.
Here are some common examples:
However, while explainer videos look simple, producing one is a complicated process that requires bringing experts from different specialisations together.
From completing the project brief, script-writing, illustration, storyboarding, animation, sound effects and voice-overs, the entire process needs to flow in a seamless manner.
The 8 Stages Of Producing An Explainer Video
1. Project Questionnaire & Kick-Off Meeting
Usually, there will be a project manager who takes charge of the project and acts as a liaison between the client and the team of experts (i.e. scriptwriter, illustrator, animator, voiceover artist, video editor).
Ideally, the project manager is a content strategist with experience in content and animation. This allows him or her to troubleshoot, plan ahead, and makes the project smoother.
The project manager will send you a short questionnaire to better understand your needs and company’s offerings. After which, a kick-off meeting via phone, video call, or in-person will be conducted.
2. Story Concept & Script
Some clients might want to write the script themselves, but it is usually best created by a professional scriptwriter with experience in explainer video formats and writing styles.
It’s not as simple as just writing the voiceover text — the scriptwriter has to be able to create your target audience persona, address customer pain points, explain how your company solves the problem, highlight the benefits of your product or service, and craft an effective call-to-action — while keeping your brand tone of voice and conceptualising the visuals.
Remember, when it comes to video, it’s harder to write an impactful short script than a long one!
3. Illustration
This is where illustrators or graphic designers develop the characters and backgrounds according to the script. Some companies use template software to create designs, while others provide custom hand-drawn characters.
Characters are important in reflecting your customer persona, so designers will need to understand the demographics, physical features, and even fashion sense to create an accurate custom character!
Take our client CryoWerx for example. They wanted a custom robot character in a video to showcase their innovative vending machine concept, which was used in trade shows to make the brand come alive.
The colour palette of the video is usually determined by the approach of the video. For example, warm colours are usually used for lighthearted and fun videos, while cool colours are for a more sophisticated and corporate feel. Brand colours can also be incorporated into the video to create consistency.
4. Storyboard
The storyboard is a layout of how your video looks like before animation brings the story to life.
At this stage, the visual story is told based on the written script. As such, creating a professional storyboard requires expertise in storytelling, point-of-view, camera angles and frame composition.
Once the storyboard is approved, it is not advisable to make any changes as it would increase the cost of production.
5. Voice Over
The voiceover is the narrator who tells the story based on the script.
Video producers will usually let you choose from a range of voice artists. Your choice should be based on the native language and accent of your target audience in order to resonate with them. In addition, the sex of your voiceover artist depends on your main target demographic, or the tone of your video.
6. Animation
After the script and storyboard are approved, animators bring all graphic assets to life. At this stage, making changes to the storyboard would incur additional cost and delay the project, so do make sure you are 100% satisfied before proceeding.
7. Sound effects
Video editors add music and sound effects to enhance the overall video impact, driving the core message through and making the video more entertaining.
Usually, royalty-free music tracks are used, but it is good to check with your project manager in case of hidden costs.
8. Delivery
Your video is completed and delivered in HD, so you can embed it on your website and start promoting it! In fact, one of the most common mistakes for businesses is not marketing a video effectively after investing resources in producing one.
However, creating and promoting a video are two very different things, requiring specialists in different fields. At Want Things Done, we take project hassles off your plate by pulling experts together to work on projects which may require more than one expert.
Need help in embarking on a video creation and marketing project? Get in touch now.
