Creating an Explainer video seems like a prudent step in the process of evolving your business. Creating an Explainer video is one of the easiest methods to help your customer understand what your product or service is all about- while engaging them at the same time.

Guide to Creating an Explainer video mypromovideos.com Need For Explainers

So where do you begin?

Be clear you know why you are creating your explainer video. Do you really want to explain something? Is it for building your brand? Is it a philosophy or stand you want to share? This clarity is the first and most important step. You also need to have a clear understanding of the end result you want. If you need more subscribers or want to clear your image or standout from the clutter- you should know it.  Not all of this is the same.

Guide to Creating an Explainer video mypromovideos.com marketing

How do you shortlist the studio?

This is a tough one. Well, not so tough if you have clarity on certain aspects. You need to look at the following :

Money matters

How much are you willing to spend? It is often better to have a budget range than an exact number. Understand that if you need good quality you can’t be too strict with your purse.

Expected quality

It is difficult to imagine a scenario where a good quality video is not necessary. Of course, if you are a startup creating an explainer video, you may not have a massive budget. Depending on the budget available to you, look for studios that offer better quality. You need not restrict yourselves to the studios in the first-world countries often developing countries have studios that can give you videos with excellent quality for a smaller price.

Treatment of your choice

Not all studios offer every kind of explainer video. Most studios specialize- some are good at live action, some 2D animation, some 3D, some papercut, some stop motion. So look for references. Decide on the treatment you want. Understand what appeals to you and may do justice to your brand/product/service.

Portfolio of the studio

Look at the work they have done before . Even if they don’t have much experience, their previous work examples are a good measure of the work they are capable of. So consider, would you be able to create the explainer video you wanted with them?

Previous clients of the studio

It is not essential that the studio should have worked with others in the same stream as you, and it is also not important that only the studios that work with big brands are good. But if they have, it could be a big plus in choosing this studio for creating an explainer video

Guide to Creating an Explainer video mypromovideos.com Approaching Studio

Finalising on a studio

When creating an Explainer video, understanding the way the studios function is very important. Now that you have a decent list of studios, talk to them. This simple step may help you a lot in your sorting. You can gauge how receptive they are, how they treat their clients, how professional they are, and if you “vibe” with them and their culture. Discuss the finer points. Set expectations. Ask them how long they typically take to complete a video and see if it matches your needs. If they belong to a different time zone, figure out how they intend to manage the time differences. Enquire about their team, talk to the team, if possible.

Guide to Creating an Explainer video mypromovideos.com Team

Now comes the process

Each studio will have its own preferred process when it comes to Creating an Explainer video. The client is asked for approval at each stage. Most studios do not proceed to the next stage without a nod from the client(that’s you!)

This is how the process usually looks:

Stage 1: Setting Expectations

This stage normally involves the Creative Studio asking you questions and/or asking you to fill up a questionnaire to better get to know what you want. This is a good time for you to explain your marketing message, the style of the video you are looking for – your “vision” for the explainer, so to speak.

Stage 2: Scripting

Most studios that help you in creating an explainer video will also write the script for you. It is better to leave the script in the hands of professionals who have worked to specialise in these fields. But ensure that you have armed them with all that they would need for creating an exceptional script- like target audience, product information, challenges you face, etc.

Stage 3: Storyboarding

Once the script is finalised, visuals are created for each scene. In the storyboard stage, the elements in each scene and the flow get finalised. It is mostly a comic-book-like representation with corresponding visual descriptions and voiceover.

Stage 4: VO

A lot depends on getting the right “voice” for the video. It is the personality of the video. Depending on the studio creating the explainer video, the VO can happen right after the script gets finalised, along with the storyboard stage or after the storyboard is finalised.

Stage 5: Style frames

The styleframes show the look and feel of a video. These are illustrations without animation, they tell you almost exactly how the final video will look- the colours, the texture, the assets and characters, et al.

Stage 6: Animation

Next in the process of creating an explainer video is “animation” (Yes! Finally!). Most often small portions are animated and sent you as “demo”  for your approval. Scenes are not always animated in order, or by the same person.

Stage 7: Compositing

The animated scenes, the backgrounds, and other elements are brought together during “compositing”. Simpler videos, do not have a separate stage for composting.

Stage 8: Music and SFX

Music and SFX bring life to the animated work. They are often done in the end as animations are finalised by them and the effects don’t look off. Animating to SFX is tougher than putting SFX on an animated video. So having it, in the end, makes practical sense and saves time.

Stage 9: Final Output

And we’re done! Before you wrap-up check one last time. These are humans creating your video, and humans can sometimes make mistakes. So check the spelling, check your logo and contact information, check the numbers, etc. Make the final payments.  And then give yourself and the studio a pat on the back. Breathe. Smile.

Guide to Creating an Explainer video mypromovideos.com Process

Time to get started

Now that you know what goes into Creating an Explainer video, give your business that “extra” boost it always needed. Go get yourself an Explainer video!