In today’s fast-paced digital world, brands need to communicate clearly, quickly, and creatively. Enter the explainer video—a dynamic, visually engaging tool designed to simplify complex ideas and boost audience engagement. You’ve probably seen them everywhere: on websites, social media, or landing pages. But have you ever wondered how explainer videos are made?

From scripting to final render, explainer videos go through a meticulous, creative production pipeline. In this guest post, we’ll take you behind the scenes of how these videos are brought to life. Along the way, we’ll sprinkle in some fun facts about animation, discuss the explainer video production cost, and explain why hiring a professional video animation company is often the smartest move for brands aiming to stand out.

Step 1: Understanding the Goal and Audience

Every great explainer video begins with clarity. A production team first consults with the client to understand:

• What problem is the product or service solving?

• Who is the target audience?

• What is the main message or call to action?

This stage is foundational. It ensures the entire video aligns with the brand voice, audience expectations, and marketing goals.

Step 2: Scriptwriting – The Heart of the Video

The script is where the storytelling begins. A well-written script typically runs about 150 words for a 1-minute video and covers:

• A relatable problem

• The solution (your product/service)

• How it works

• A compelling call to action

Scriptwriters working for a video animation company are trained to simplify technical or abstract concepts into friendly, conversational language. The script sets the tone, pace, and structure for everything that follows.

Step 3: Storyboarding – Turning Words into Visuals

Once the script is approved, the team creates a storyboard. This visual roadmap outlines how each scene will look. Each frame is sketched to show key actions, characters, text, or transitions. It acts as a blueprint for designers, animators, and clients to align on the vision before production begins.

Step 4: Voiceover Recording – Giving the Video a Voice

The voiceover adds personality and helps guide the viewer through the content. A professional voice actor records the script in a tone that matches the brand—whether it's fun and friendly or formal and instructional.

Did you know? One of the fun facts about animation is that many voice actors record their lines in isolation, and animators sync everything later. This gives the production more control over timing and tone.

Step 5: Illustration and Design – Crafting the Visual Style

Next, the design team creates the visual assets based on the storyboard. This includes characters, icons, typography, and backgrounds. Every element is designed to be clear, consistent with the brand identity, and visually engaging.

If you're working with a full-service video animation company, they'll often offer multiple visual styles like:

• Flat 2D animation

• Whiteboard animation

• Motion graphics

• 3D animation

Your budget and goals will help determine the best style.

Step 6: Animation – Bringing It All to Life

This is where the real magic happens. Animators take the voiceover, visuals, and storyboard, and bring them together using software like Adobe After Effects, Toon Boom, or Blender. They create motion, transitions, timing, and pacing that keep the viewer engaged.

This is typically the longest stage of production, especially for highly customized or 3D explainer videos. One of the lesser-known fun facts about animation is that even a 60-second video can require dozens of hours of animation work!

Step 7: Sound Design – Enhancing the Experience

No video is complete without sound design. Background music, sound effects, and audio transitions help build emotion and reinforce the message. A good video animation company will either use licensed music or create custom scores tailored to the video’s tone.

Step 8: Final Edits and Delivery

After animation and sound are finalized, the production team performs a quality check and sends the video to the client for feedback. Revisions are made as needed, and once approved, the final video is exported in high-resolution formats for web, social media, email marketing, or presentations.

Explainer Video Production Cost – What Should You Expect?

One of the most common questions businesses ask is about the explainer video production cost. The answer depends on factors like:

• Video length

• Animation style (2D vs. 3D)

• Script complexity

• Voice talent and sound design

• Revisions and turnaround time

Here’s a rough breakdown of costs:

Hiring a reputable video animation company might seem costly upfront, but it guarantees a higher production value, a cohesive creative process, and results-driven content.

Why Work with a Video Animation Company?

While it’s possible to create explainer videos in-house or with freelancers, working with a dedicated video animation company provides key advantages:

• A full team of scriptwriters, designers, and animators

• Proven workflow and project management

• Strategic messaging tailored to your business goals

• Professional polish and brand consistency

• Faster turnaround with fewer revisions

For businesses that need high-quality videos to educate, market, or convert, investing in a pro team is often worth every penny.

Fun Facts About Animation to Inspire You

Before we wrap up, here are a few more fun facts about animation to appreciate just how powerful this art form really is:

• The first fully animated feature film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), which took 3 years and 750 animators to complete.

• Pixar’s Toy Story (1995) was the first entirely computer-animated feature film.

• Studies show that people retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to just 10% when reading text.

• Animated explainer videos can increase landing page conversions by up to 80%.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know how explainer videos are made, it’s clear that a lot of creative and technical expertise goes into every second of animation. From script to screen, every stage matters in delivering a message that not only looks good—but gets results.

Whether you're launching a product, training a team, or simplifying a service, partnering with a video animation company is a strategic way to elevate your brand communication. As animation continues to dominate digital content, understanding its process and power will put you one step ahead in the competitive world of marketing.