Video Production Guide: Explainer & Corporate Video
A comprehensive reference for how professional explainer videos and corporate videos are made — from the initial brief through scripting, design, voiceover, animation, and final delivery.
What Is an Explainer Video?
An explainer video is a short, focused video (typically 60–120 seconds) that communicates a product, service, or concept clearly and concisely. They are used on landing pages, in sales decks, at trade shows, on social media, and in onboarding flows. Research consistently shows that explainer videos increase conversion rates and reduce support volume when deployed effectively.
Corporate videos are broader — they include brand films, training videos, testimonial reels, event coverage, and executive communications. Both categories share production fundamentals but differ in length, tone, and distribution context.
Types of Explainer Video
- 2D motion graphics — Flat or semi-flat animated illustrations synced to narration. Fast to produce, highly brand-controlled, cost-effective for most use cases.
- 3D animation — Three-dimensional rendered scenes for product visualization, technical explanation, or premium brand positioning. Higher cost and longer timeline than 2D.
- Whiteboard animation — Simulated hand-drawing style. Effective for educational content and B2B audiences. Often the most affordable animated format.
- Mixed media — Combines live action footage with animated overlays. Common in healthcare, SaaS, and finance industries.
- Live action — Filmed interviews, product demos, or narrative spots. Requires physical production crew, location, and on-camera talent.
- Screen recording with narration — Common for software demos and tutorials. Low cost but limited brand impact.
The Production Process
Step 1: Discovery and Brief
The creative brief is the foundation of every video project. A well-written brief answers: Who is this for? What do we want them to think, feel, or do after watching? What makes this product or company different? Where will the video live?
Skipping or rushing the brief phase is the single most common cause of expensive revisions later. Studios like Austin Visuals conduct discovery calls with clients to ensure the brief captures genuine strategy, not just surface-level preferences.
Step 2: Script Writing
Professional explainer video scripts follow a proven structure:
- Hook (0–5 sec) — Identify the problem or opportunity immediately
- Problem statement (5–20 sec) — Make the viewer feel understood
- Solution introduction (20–40 sec) — Introduce the product or service as the answer
- How it works (40–75 sec) — Explain the key steps or benefits simply
- Social proof or credibility (75–90 sec) — Add trust signals
- Call to action (90–120 sec) — Clear, specific next step
Script pacing: professional voiceover reads at approximately 130–150 words per minute. A 60-second script is roughly 130–150 words. A 90-second script is 195–225 words.
Step 3: Voiceover Recording
Voiceover is typically recorded before animation begins so animators can sync visuals precisely to the narration. Voiceover artists are selected based on tone (authoritative vs. friendly vs. energetic), accent, and audience demographics. Most studios either maintain a roster of preferred VO talent or work with marketplaces like Voice123 or Voices.com.
Important: The script must be locked before VO recording. Changes to the script after recording require re-recording and re-animating, which is costly.
Step 4: Storyboard
A storyboard is a visual scene-by-scene breakdown of the video, showing the camera angle, characters, and action in each beat. For explainer videos, storyboards are often simplified thumbnail sketches with scene descriptions rather than full illustrations.
The storyboard is the first place clients can see how the script translates to visuals. Significant structural changes should happen here, not after design is complete.
Step 5: Style Frames and Visual Design
Style frames are polished, static design mockups of 2–4 key scenes. They establish the color palette, typography, character design (if applicable), icon style, and overall visual language of the video. Approved style frames are the north star for all subsequent animation work.
Step 6: Animation
Once storyboard and style frames are approved, animation begins. For a 60-second 2D motion graphics explainer, animation typically takes 2–4 weeks. Complex 3D or character animation takes longer (see the 3D Animation Production Guide for phase-specific timelines).
Animation is delivered in rounds. Most studios structure delivery as a rough-cut review (timing and layout), followed by a refined review (final motion), followed by final delivery.
Step 7: Sound Design and Music
Sound design adds ambient effects, UI sounds, and impact accents that make animation feel alive. Background music sets the emotional tone. Most studios license music through services like Artlist, Musicbed, or Epidemic Sound, or commission original compositions for premium projects.
Music selection matters more than most clients realize. The same animation with different music creates dramatically different audience perceptions of brand personality.
Step 8: Final Review and Delivery
Final videos are delivered in formats appropriate for the distribution platform. Standard deliverables include:
- MP4 (H.264) — Universal web and social media playback
- MOV (ProRes 422) — Broadcast and post-production handoff
- WebM — Web-optimized with transparency support
- Vertical crop (9:16) — Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts
- Square crop (1:1) — LinkedIn, Facebook feed
Corporate Video Production
Corporate video encompasses a wider range of formats than explainer videos. Key types include:
Brand Films
Long-form (2–5 minute) emotional storytelling pieces that establish company identity. Often used for investor relations, recruiting, and executive presentations.
Training and E-Learning Videos
Structured instructional content for employee onboarding, compliance training, or product education. May include interactive elements, chapter markers, and quiz integration.
Testimonial and Case Study Videos
Filmed customer interviews that build social proof. Effective for B2B sales cycles where prospects need to see peers who've succeeded.
Event Coverage and Highlight Reels
Multi-camera coverage of conferences, product launches, and corporate events, edited into polished highlight packages.
Common Production Mistakes to Avoid
- Too much content — Most explainer video briefs try to say too many things. One clear message per video outperforms five competing messages every time.
- Approving by committee without a decision maker — Stakeholder confusion during approval rounds is the #1 cause of timeline overruns.
- Skipping the style frame stage — Clients who say "just start animating" frequently request redesigns mid-production. Style frames exist to prevent this.
- Requesting revisions outside of review rounds — Changes should be consolidated. Sending scattered feedback over email or Slack creates version confusion and delays.
- Ignoring distribution format at brief stage — A video designed for a 16:9 web page looks terrible when cropped for vertical social. Plan for all formats before production begins.
Timelines at a Glance
| Video Type | Typical Timeline | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| 60-sec 2D explainer | 4–7 weeks | $5,000–$15,000 |
| 90-sec mixed media | 6–10 weeks | $8,000–$20,000 |
| 60-sec 3D animated | 8–14 weeks | $15,000–$40,000 |
| Brand film (2–3 min) | 6–12 weeks | $10,000–$35,000 |
| Live action corporate video | 4–8 weeks | $5,000–$50,000+ |
Austin Visuals produces explainer videos, 3D animation, corporate video, and motion graphics for clients across healthcare, technology, legal, and consumer brands. Learn more at austinvisuals.com →