What is an Animated Explainer Video?
Before delving into the process, let’s define what an animated explainer video is. It’s a short, engaging video that helps businesses explain their products, services, or concepts in a clear and concise manner using animation. These videos typically feature simple and visually appealing designs, voiceovers, and music to convey key messages effectively.
An animated explainer video is often used to:
- Introduce a new product or service
- Explain how a product works
- Answer frequently asked questions
- Educate customers on complex topics
- Promote brand values and culture
These videos can take many forms, from 2D animation video to more advanced styles, like 3D animation, motion graphics, and whiteboard animation. The goal is to create an easily digestible and entertaining experience for the audience.
How Does an Animated Explainer Video Company Work?
The process of creating an animated explainer video typically involves multiple stages. Each stage requires collaboration between the video animation agency, the client, and the team of creatives and animators working on the video. Below are the main steps involved in the creation of an explainer video:
1. Initial Consultation and Briefing
The first step in the process involves the client consulting with the video animation agency. During this stage, the agency gathers information about the client’s brand, goals, target audience, and the key message they want to convey in the video. This consultation helps the agency understand the project’s scope and objectives, which are crucial for creating an effective explainer video.
Typically, the client will discuss:
- What the product or service is
- The challenges they want to address
- The target audience for the video
- Preferred style and tone of the video
- Any branding guidelines that need to be followed
This is a collaborative process, and it sets the foundation for the rest of the video production. Clear communication at this stage ensures that the agency fully understands the client’s vision and goals.
2. Scriptwriting and Storyboarding
Once the initial consultation is complete, the animated explainer video company moves on to the next phase: scriptwriting. The script is the backbone of any explainer video, as it outlines the message and narrative of the video.
A professional scriptwriter will work with the client to craft a script that is:
- Clear and concise – The script needs to be simple and easy to understand, avoiding jargon and long-winded explanations.
- Engaging – It should capture the audience’s attention and maintain their interest throughout the video.
- Aligned with brand voice – The tone of the script should match the brand’s personality and communicate its values effectively.
After the script is finalized, the agency proceeds to the storyboarding phase. A storyboard is a visual representation of the video’s scenes and sequence. It’s essentially a comic book-like illustration that shows how the animation will unfold.
Storyboarding helps the client visualize the video and provides an opportunity to refine the narrative before the animation process begins. This step is crucial in ensuring that the video flows well and conveys the intended message effectively.
3. Design and Style Development
Once the script and storyboard are approved, the video animation studio begins the design phase. This involves creating the visual elements of the video, such as characters, backgrounds, logos, and icons.
During this phase, the design team works to ensure the video matches the client’s brand identity. For instance, if the client’s brand uses a specific color palette, font, or logo, these elements will be incorporated into the animation. The visual style of the video, whether it’s a 2D animation video or a more modern 3D animation style, is decided here.
The design process involves:
- Creating characters – The design team will develop characters that are aligned with the brand’s personality, ensuring that they resonate with the target audience.
- Developing backgrounds and environments – These elements help create the setting and atmosphere of the video, making it feel immersive and visually appealing.
- Designing other assets – This includes any additional elements, such as text, icons, or logos, that will be used throughout the video.
At this stage, the client typically provides feedback on the designs, ensuring that the visuals are in line with their expectations.
4. Animation and Voiceover Recording
Once the designs are finalized, the animation team begins bringing the storyboard and characters to life. This is where the magic happens, as the animation team uses specialized software and techniques to create the moving visuals.
The animation process is complex, and it can take several weeks to complete depending on the video’s complexity. The animation team will work on:
- Animating characters – This involves creating lifelike movements for the characters, ensuring they express the intended emotions and behaviors.
- Animating scenes – The background, props, and other elements are animated to complement the characters and the storyline.
- Integrating special effects – Special effects like transitions, lighting, and shadows are added to make the video look more polished.
In parallel with the animation process, a voiceover artist will record the script. A professional voiceover is essential for delivering the message clearly and engagingly. The voiceover artist will bring the script to life by speaking in a tone and style that matches the video’s message and overall feel.
Once the voiceover is recorded, it’s synchronized with the animation to ensure that the timing and pacing are perfect.
5. Sound Design and Music
In addition to the animation and voiceover, sound design plays an important role in making an explainer video more engaging. Sound effects, background music, and transitions are added to the video to enhance its emotional impact and ensure the video feels complete.
The video animation agency will work with sound designers to:
- Choose appropriate background music – The right music can evoke emotions, whether it’s excitement, curiosity, or trust. Music also sets the tone of the video.
- Add sound effects – These can help emphasize key points in the video, such as product features or call-to-action moments.
- Adjust audio levels – Ensuring the balance between the voiceover, music, and sound effects is crucial for a professional result.
The sound design is integrated with the animation to create a seamless experience for the viewer.
6. Feedback and Revisions
Once the first version of the explainer video is complete, it’s time for the client to review it. During this phase, the client provides feedback on the animation, voiceover, sound design, and overall flow of the video.
The client may request revisions, such as changing specific scenes, adjusting the pacing, or tweaking the voiceover. This feedback loop ensures that the final product meets the client’s expectations and achieves the desired goals.
7. Final Delivery and Distribution
Once all revisions have been made and the video is approved, the video animation studio delivers the final version of the animated explainer video. The video is usually delivered in a format suitable for the client’s needs, such as MP4, MOV, or GIF.
The client can then use the video across various platforms, including:
- Websites and landing pages
- Social media channels
- Email marketing campaigns
- Paid advertising
Why Choose an Animated Explainer Video Company?
Working with one of the top explainer video companies offers many advantages. A professional agency brings a wealth of experience, technical expertise, and creativity to the table. They know how to create visually appealing, engaging videos that deliver a clear message in a short amount of time.
If you want to create a 2D animation video or other types of animated videos that stand out and capture your audience’s attention, partnering with an experienced video animation agency is the right choice. These agencies offer video animation services that ensure high-quality, polished results that will effectively represent your brand and communicate your message.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the process of creating an animated explainer video involves several key steps, from initial consultation and scriptwriting to final delivery and distribution. Each step requires close collaboration between the client and the animated explainer video company to ensure that the video effectively conveys the message and resonates with the target audience. Working with a professional video animation studio ensures that the final product meets high standards, is visually appealing, and is optimized for maximum engagement.