Explainer Video
- By Ognen
- •
- 29 Oct, 2017
6 steps to create your first animation
This kind of video is targeted at your audience and its main goal is to grab the attention and keep them interested, then they will trust your brand and your promise to them. However, have you ever considered whether you know how to make an explainer video? There is every chance that you are not sure what is required so read on to find out what you need to do and what you definitely shouldn’t do!
The Process Behind Making an Explainer Video
1. You are going to need a script
This is a video that needs to pack a punch so it needs to get your message across to your audience quickly and effectively. After all, this is a marketing video so you need to make sure it comes with a message and tells a story because that will capture the audience.
2. Time to Design a Story Board
A storyboard will help you to gain an idea of how the video will work as it will provide an understanding of where the cameras will be located along with characters and all other aspect of the video. It paves the way for both the illustration and animation sections.
3. You will need a voiceover
As your video is delivering a message, it is important that the message is delivered effectively through the use of a clear voiceover. Therefore, you will need to use the services of a professional who will be able to add the correct tones and emotion.
4. Time to start illustrating
You have already created your storyboard which includes all visual elements of your video and so, you will need a professional illustrator to begin the process of bringing your video to life. Your audience should be able to identify themselves with your video and should be portrayed through your characters as this will help them to become familiar with your brand.
5. Animation
This is the stage where your video will come together because it will merge the storyboard and illustrations together and add all the visual aspects to really give your video an identity. Using professional animators is a requirement at this staged because they will give characters a personality.
6. The Sound of Music
Your video may require background music or sound effects. This will make it extremely important to choose the right music to fit the mood of your video while ensuring it does not take over the importance of the voiceover.
Following the process correctly is key to making the video a success. The process outlined above will ensure that the process runs smoothly and efficiently.
So, now you understand how to get it right and how to create an explainer video but you are not in the clear yet because you are susceptible to mistakes, just like everyone else, but avoiding the obvious mistakes will give you a better chance of making the video a success.
I’ve been creating explainer videos for a little over 3 years now. In those past couple of years, I’ve had my hand in over 85 videos for companies of all different shapes and sizes. And while that might not be all that long, or that many videos compared to some folks, I’d like to think I’ve learned a few valuable lessons along the way.
So for those of you looking to create an explainer video for your business, here are 6 lessons I’ve learned. I hope these insights help you avoid the mistakes I’ve made in the past, and create an engaging video with lasting value.
1. Keep it Short
An elevator pitch is meant to be a short, speedy way to tell someone about your business…preferably in the amount of time it takes to ride an elevator. If you already have an elevator pitch, crafting a concise explainer video should be easy. Try to keep your video to 90-seconds or less. In most cases you should be able to keep it to 60-seconds, or even 30 if your business is relatively simple.
The shorter your video runs, the more likely you’re going to engage viewers from start to finish. If you spend too long describing the problem your customers have, wait too long to introduce your product or service, or waste too much time describing features, you’re going to lose people’s attention and defeat the purpose of having a video.
If you’re in charge of writing a script, keep in mind that 150 words equals around a minute of spoken word. While you may be able to read faster than that, you want to make sure the video has adequate breathing room to ensure viewers can keep up with the content you’re presenting.
1. Impressive visual power
You’ve probably noticed that marketers are making use of visuals more and more, to communicate their messages and ideas to their target audiences. And this is not by chance: it’s just that we are all visual learners. This means that we learn, understand, assimilate and remember information more easily through drawings, diagrams, charts, designs and any other visual resource. So, with this in mind, just picture in your mind how powerful video content can be and even more so if we mixed in designs and graphics in motion! Motion graphics fits perfectly with this “visual learning” logic and helps you reach your audience through compelling and persuasive content.
2. Stunning designs in motion
Keep in mind that motion graphics is not only about designs. Animation plays a key role too! Basically, motion graphics gets the most out of animation techniques to make the elements really come alive. One of the best things about this style is that it gives you the chance to convey any complex business idea by using graphic elements in movement. Result? You will make your target audience understand (and also remember) what your product is about, in just a couple of seconds. Amazing!
3. Mix with other styles
Motion graphics can also be merged with other explainer video styles to maximize its effectiveness. Let me be clear on this: imagine that besides resorting to the motion graphics technique, you also need to add an extra “human/personal” touch to your video. In this case, you will then need to add some cute characters that give your video that emotional approach you’re looking for. And that’s when you can mix motion graphics and character animation together! But, of course, you can mix it with other techniques too. We’ll talk about this in the next paragraphs.
Why Should I Use Motion Graphics?
Now you have a lot of information in mind. But maybe you still don’t know if motion graphics is the right choice for your next marketing video. Check out this list that summarizes the different situations or contexts in which you can resort to a motion graphics video.
Use a motion graphics video when…
Your company has a more serious or professional profile.
When your company sells a product or service that has a more professional profile and you want to enhance that identity through video marketing, then choose a motion graphics video.
You want to provide your video with an elegant style.
Remember that motion graphics is one of the most formal and sophisticated explainer video styles out there. It can help you bring that extra seriousness you’re looking for (and that other marketing videos may lack).
You want to pass out complex ideas without losing the visual appeal.
Motion graphics is a great choice if you need to pass out stats, numbers, facts and hard data that could be harder to assimilate if you didn’t use graphics in motion.
You want to synthesize concepts through an educational approach.
It’s said that an image is worth a thousand words. Then imagine the power of images in motion! Motion graphics have a huge synthesis power and make use of attractive visuals to get to an educational approach, without losing its “charm”.
You have a B2B company, or a B2C company that deals with “hard data”.
If you have a software, IT or financial company, for instance, motion graphics is a great choice for you: it lets you communicate hard data in a very direct and understandable way, without losing engagement.
