Are you considering creating an explainer video for your product or service? Are you new to video content creation and need help getting started?

Yum Yum Videos share their explainer video tips in this infographic.

They break things down as follows:

• Script
• Storyboard
• Styleframes
• Voice-over
• Animation
• Music and sound effects
• Distribution

Check out the infographic for more detail.

 

Explainer videos have become a powerful tool for businesses and organizations to convey complex ideas, products, or services in a concise and engaging manner. These short videos can capture the attention of your target audience and deliver your message effectively.

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the 9 essential steps to create a successful explainer video.

 

Script

Before you embark on the visual journey of creating an explainer video, you must first lay a solid foundation—the script. The script serves as the core element that shapes your video’s narrative, delivering the essential message, setting the tone, and guiding the entire production process.

In this section, we’ll delve deep into the art of scripting, exploring how to define your objectives, understand your target audience, keep your content concise, and most importantly, tell a compelling story that captures your viewers’ attention and keeps them engaged.

Crafting an effective script is akin to drawing the blueprint for a masterpiece; it’s the crucial initial step that lays the groundwork for everything that follows.

Here’s how to craft a compelling script:

• Define your objective: Clearly state the purpose of your video. Are you explaining a product, introducing your company, or educating your audience?
• Know your target audience: Understand your viewers’ demographics, pain points, and interests. Tailor your script to resonate with them.
• Keep it concise: Explainer videos are typically short, so every word counts. Aim for a script that’s around 150 to 200 words (for a 1-minute video) to maintain viewer engagement.
• Create a problem-solution narrative: Present a problem or pain point that your product or service addresses, and then introduce your solution as the hero.
• Use a conversational tone: Write as if you’re having a one-on-one conversation with your audience. Avoid jargon or complex language.
• Include a clear call to action (CTA): What do you want your viewers to do after watching the video? Whether it’s visiting your website, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase, make your CTA explicit.

 

Storyboard

Imagine your script as the skeleton of your explainer video, and the storyboard as the flesh and bones that bring it to life. The storyboard is a visual representation of your script, serving as a detailed roadmap for your video’s sequence of scenes, transitions, and visual elements.

In this section, we’ll guide you through the process of dividing your script into individual scenes, sketching out visual frames, planning transitions, and adding annotations that clarify the intended action and camera angles.

A well-crafted storyboard not only ensures that your video’s visuals align with your script but also guarantees a seamless and engaging viewing experience.

Here’s how to create an effective storyboard:

• Divide your script into scenes: Break down your script into distinct scenes or shots. Each scene should represent a different visual element or concept.
• Sketch your frames: Create simple sketches or drawings for each scene to visualize the action, characters, and transitions. You don’t need to be an artist; stick figures will do.
• Plan transitions: Consider how each scene will flow into the next. Smooth transitions help maintain viewer engagement.
• Add annotations: Write notes or descriptions under each frame to clarify the intended action, camera angles, and any special effects.
• Review and revise: Share the storyboard with your team for feedback. Make adjustments as needed to ensure clarity and coherence.

 

Styleframes

The styleframes of your explainer video act as its visual identity, setting the tone, and defining its overall look and feel. This step involves making critical decisions regarding color palettes, typography, and design elements that harmonize with your script and storyboard.

In this section, we’ll delve into the process of choosing a visual style that resonates with your brand and target audience, creating a mood board to gather design inspiration, and developing key styleframes that encapsulate your video’s visual essence.

Your styleframes serve as the artistic palette with which you’ll paint your video’s canvas, ensuring that it communicates your message effectively and leaves a lasting impression on your viewers.

Here’s how to create compelling styleframes:

• Choose your visual style: Decide on the visual style that best matches your brand and message. Consider factors like color scheme, typography, and design elements.
• Create a mood board: Collect visual references and inspiration from websites, magazines, or other videos that align with your chosen style. This will help convey your vision to the design team.
• Design key frames: Develop a few key styleframes that represent different scenes from your storyboard. These frames should showcase the overall look and feel of your video.
• Seek feedback: Share your styleframes with your team and stakeholders to ensure everyone is aligned with the visual direction. Make necessary revisions based on feedback.

 

Voice-over

The voice-over is the auditory soul of your explainer video, providing the narration that accompanies the visual elements. Crafting an effective voice-over involves careful consideration of factors such as the choice of the voice actor, adapting the script for voice narration, professional recording, and synchronization with the video’s visuals.

In this section, we’ll explore how to choose the right voice to convey your message, adapt your script for voice narration, collaborate with a professional voice actor, record and edit the audio to perfection, and ensure that the voice-over seamlessly complements your video’s storytelling.

The voice-over is where your script truly comes to life, engaging the viewer on a personal and emotional level.

Here’s how to get the right voice-over for your video:

• Choose the right voice: Consider the tone, age, gender, and accent of the voice actor. The voice should match your brand and resonate with your target audience.
• Write a voice-over script: Adapt your original script for the voice-over, ensuring it matches the video’s pacing and visuals. Remember to include pauses for dramatic effect or to highlight key points.
• Hire a professional: It’s usually best to work with a professional voice-over artist who can deliver a polished performance. You can find voice actors on platforms like Voices.com or through talent agencies.
• Record and edit: Record the voice-over in a professional studio or with high-quality equipment. Ensure the audio is clear and free from background noise. Edit the audio to match the video’s timing.
• Sync with visuals: Time the voice-over to match the actions and transitions in your storyboard. This synchronization enhances the overall impact of your explainer video.

 

Illustration

Illustrations are the visual building blocks that transform your script and storyboard into captivating visuals, making abstract concepts tangible and relatable.

This section is all about collaboration with talented illustrators or graphic designers who can create custom illustrations tailored to your script and styleframes. We’ll delve into the importance of maintaining consistency in your illustration style, the use of visual metaphors to simplify complex ideas, and how each illustration contributes to your video’s storytelling.

Your illustrations serve as the visual storytellers in your video, ensuring that your message is not only understood but also remembered.

Whether you opt for 2D or 3D illustrations, here’s how to ensure they align with your vision:

• Collaborate with illustrators: Work closely with talented illustrators or graphic designers who can create custom illustrations tailored to your script and styleframes.
• Maintain consistency: Ensure that the illustration style matches the styleframes and aligns with your brand’s visual identity.
• Visual metaphors: Use illustrations to simplify complex ideas or concepts. Visual metaphors can make abstract concepts more relatable to your audience.
• Storytelling through visuals: Each illustration should tell a part of your story. Use visuals to reinforce the narrative from your script.
• Review and iterate: Regularly review the illustrations with your team to make sure they align with the script and storyboard. Make necessary revisions to improve clarity and impact.

 

Animation

Animation is the dynamic force that brings your static illustrations to life, infusing movement, depth, and engagement into your explainer video.

Here, we’ll guide you through the process of planning your animation, adding motion to characters and objects, incorporating visual effects for a more immersive experience, and ensuring that your animations synchronize seamlessly with the voice-over and script.

Animation is where your video transcends from a series of images into a compelling narrative that captures the viewer’s imagination and attention.

Here’s how to ensure your animation enhances your video’s storytelling:

• Plan your animation: Review your storyboard and script to determine the animation style and movements required for each scene. Consider factors like timing, transitions, and effects.
• Add motion: Animate characters, objects, and text to match the voice-over and script. Ensure that animations are smooth and enhance the viewer’s understanding.
• Incorporate visual effects: Use visual effects, such as fades, transitions, and overlays, to add depth and engagement to your video.
• Timing is key: Ensure that animations are synchronized with the voice-over and match the pacing of your script. Avoid overwhelming the viewer with too much movement at once.
• Test and refine: Review the animated sequences with your team and stakeholders, and make necessary adjustments to improve the overall quality and coherence of the video.

 

Music and Sound Effects

Music and sound effects may often be underestimated in the video creation process, but they play a vital role in enhancing the emotional impact of your explainer video.

In this section, we will explore how audio elements can take your video to the next level. We’ll discuss the process of selecting the right music to match your video’s mood and message, incorporating sound effects that synchronize with the on-screen actions, and professionally mixing the audio to ensure a harmonious balance between voice-over, music, and sound effects.

Effective audio can transport your viewers into the narrative, immersing them in your message and making your explainer video a memorable experience.

Here’s how to choose the right audio elements:

• Select the right music: Choose music that complements the mood and message of your video. You can find royalty-free music on platforms like Epidemic Sound or PremiumBeat.
• Add sound effects: Incorporate sound effects that match the actions in your video. For example, if you’re demonstrating a product, include the sound of it being used.
• Mix audio professionally: Ensure that the voice-over, music, and sound effects are well-balanced and don’t overpower each other. Professional audio mixing is crucial for a polished final product.
• Test with a focus group: Before finalizing the audio, test it with a focus group or colleagues to gather feedback on its effectiveness in conveying your message.

 

The Wrap Up

As you approach the final stages of your explainer video production, it’s time to gather all the pieces and ensure they fit seamlessly together.

This section serves as the finishing touches, where you review, refine, and perfect your video before its grand reveal. We’ll discuss the importance of revising the draft with your team, making any necessary adjustments based on feedback, finalizing all elements, and conducting rigorous quality assurance checks.

Your explainer video should emerge from this stage as a polished and cohesive work of art, ready to captivate your audience and convey your message with utmost clarity and professionalism.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Review the draft: Gather your team to review the draft of the explainer video. Pay close attention to any discrepancies between the script, storyboard, and the actual visuals and audio.
• Revise and refine: Make any necessary revisions based on the feedback you receive during the review process. These revisions could involve tweaking animations, adjusting the voice-over, or refining the visual elements.
• Finalize the video: Once you’ve made all the necessary revisions, it’s time to finalize the video. Ensure that all elements—script, voice-over, illustrations, animations, and audio—are synchronized and polished.
• Quality assurance: Perform thorough quality checks to catch any errors, such as glitches, typos, or audio issues. It’s essential to present a flawless final product to your audience.

 

Distribution

Creating an exceptional explainer video is just the beginning of your journey. To maximize its impact, you need a solid distribution strategy.

In this section, we’ll guide you through the crucial steps of getting your video in front of your target audience. We’ll discuss choosing the right platforms for hosting and sharing your video, optimizing it for search engines, embedding it on your website, leveraging email marketing, harnessing the power of social media promotion, and monitoring its performance through analytics.

Effective distribution ensures that your carefully crafted explainer video doesn’t remain hidden but reaches the audience you’ve intended it for, achieving your communication objectives and driving engagement with your brand.

Here’s how to get your video in front of your target audience:

• Choose the right platforms: Determine where your audience spends their time online. Popular platforms for video distribution include YouTube, Vimeo, and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Optimize for SEO: Ensure your video is discoverable by optimizing its title, description, and tags for relevant keywords. This will help improve its search engine ranking.
• Share on your website: Embed the video on your website, landing pages, and product pages to provide visitors with engaging content.
• Email marketing: Use email marketing to share your explainer video with your subscribers. Videos in email marketing campaigns can boost engagement and conversions.
• Social media promotion: Share your video across your social media channels and encourage your followers to like, share, and comment. Consider running paid advertising campaigns to reach a broader audience.
• Monitor and analyze: Track the performance of your video using analytics tools provided by the hosting platform and other third-party tools. Pay attention to metrics like views, engagement, and click-through rates.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating an effective explainer video involves careful planning, collaboration, and attention to detail.

By following these 9 steps—script, storyboard, styleframes, voice-over, illustration, animation, music and sound effects, the wrap-up, and distribution—you can produce a compelling explainer video that captures your audience’s attention and delivers your message with impact.

Remember that the key to success lies in aligning every element of your video with your brand and your audience’s needs.

So, go ahead and start crafting your explainer video, and watch your message come to life!