Most explainer video process delays don’t happen during animation; they happen because of poor planning before artwork even exists. Making an explainer video comes down to nine main steps. 80% of your video’s success comes from following the three steps: the brief, the script, and the storyboard.
Every step needs your approval of the required steps before the studio moves to the next phase. This guide covers exactly what your studio needs from you at each stage, what the revision rounds process goes through, and how to keep the video production process faster.
The explainer video process at a glance
| Step | What happens | You provide / approve |
| 1. Brief and kickoff | Goals, audience and message are settled | Product details, brand assets / direction |
| 2. Concept and script | Narration is written and timed. | Fact checks / the script |
| 3. Storyboard | Each narration line becomes a sketched frame | Feedback on pacing / the storyboard |
| 4. Voice-over | A voice is cast and recorded | Tone, pronunciations / voice and recording |
| 5. Visual design | Moodboard and style frames set the look | Brand guidelines, references / style frames |
| 6. Illustration | Final artwork is built to move | Feedback where artwork is shared |
| 7. Animation | Artwork is timed to the narration | One set of consolidated notes / the draft |
| 8. Music and sound | Music, effects and mix are added | Music preference, usage plans / the mix |
| 9. Revisions and delivery | Final checks and export | Final sign-off / the finished video |
All studios do not work in the same order. Voice-over is the usual example that is normally used: some record it while the storyboard still requires refining process, while others wait until the visual style is chosen.
Step 1: Brief and kickoff
first collect what your studio needs to write the script. Gather the data according to the intent of your script and turning it into a creative summary. The studio needs to know who the video is for, what they already know, the steps that could be excluded, which features stay out with instructions, where it will run, and what viewers should do next.
A questionnaire and a kickoff call usually cover this. Where the video runs matters more than people expect because its most crucial step in mkaing the whole explainer video process.
Step 2: Concept and script
Some studios run the concept as a separate step, deciding on the type of story approach before any writing. Other studios write the concept directly into the script.
Script length decides video length. Normally the plan starts with 130 to 150 spoken words per minute: round about 140 words for a 60-second video and about 210 for 90 seconds.
Script approval is the first major checkpoint. Checking names, claims, figures, and legal wording is very important because the recording and timing will be built from this text.
Step 3: Storyboard
A storyboard turns each narration line into your sketched frame with notes. Here you can understand with the simple example:
Narration: “Every month, someone on your team spends two days chasing late invoices.”
Frame 3: A calendar fills with red flags on the word of “chasing.” A tired character at a laptop. Hold on to the full calendar for the second half of the line.
A storyboard shows timing problems before you proceed to animate. If one visual takes too long, viewers lose interest. Fixing this issue is now easy. You can simply split the scene or shorten the text.
Storyboard approval is the most important checkpoint in the whole process. Artwork and animation are built around these frames, so a structural change means redrawing and re-timing finished work.
The script, storyboard and style frames are the cheap places to change your mind. Animation is not in the step of the explainer video process.
Step 4: Voice-over
Pick your voice actor before any animation begins. The recorded narration sets the speed for the whole video. First create and set the style you need-tone, accent, and speed. Then ask a few actors to read a short test line from your actual script.
Keep these rules in mind once you choose actors before recording:
Lock the script first and get full text approval before recording.
Send a pronunciation list with clear audio guides for brand names, acronyms, and technical terms.
Account for translation early, keep your studio checked for foreign languages, and test translated script timing before anyone hits records.
Step 5: Visual design
Visual design sets the exact look of your video before the full illustration process begins.
Start with the mood board: collect reference images for characters, background styles, colors, and animation feel.
Review the style frames: full-color sample images with polished texture frames showing the key moments in your video will look.
Share your brand assets: make sure to properly mention your proper brand guidelines, logo files, ans sample of styles you like or dislike.
Step 6: Illustration
Once the storyboard and style are approved, the studio proceeds to the final artwork. If you are going for 2D animation, this is usually vector artwork split into layers. Let’s take an example: a character with a bending arm has separate shoulder, forearm, and hand pieces.
For characters that move constantly, animators use digital rigs (a setup of joints & controls) to pose them without redrawing every frame. Drawphics lists character rigging among its animation services.
Step 7: Animation
This is where your storyboard, final artwork, and recorded voice-over come together into a full moving draft: character movement, text, transitions, and camera moves.
Merge all elements: animation brings all your artwork, storyboard, voiceover, and movement together into a single moving draft.
Be specific about feedback: give clear feedback with exact timestamps. Use exact times, like “pause at 0:42” instead of vague phrases like make it pop.
Send one document list: combine all feedback into a single file before emailing the studio.
Keep limit changes: adjust the proper timing process so there is no need to rebuild them from scratch.
By the animation draft, requests should be refinements of timing and emphasis. Reordering scenes means rebuilding them.
Step 8: Music and sound
An explainer delivers its message in the narration, so music that competes with the voice hurts the video.
Studios usually offer a few music options and add sound effects on key actions. Tell the studio where the video will run, because stock music licenses must cover the media and campaigns you plan to use.
Step 9: Revisions and final delivery
How revision rounds work
Revision terms differ from project to project, so it’s better to deal in writing. Many studios include a set number of revision rounds per stage and charge for extra rounds.
Before proceeding to the final step in explainer video process, confirm how many rounds each stage includes, how extra rounds are going to be charged for, and what counts as a revision versus what counts as a change of direction.
Final review and files
At final review, the person with approval authority checks:
- Spelling
- Names
- on-screen text
- Timing
- audio balance
- legal wording before sign-off.
These are the steps that require last refining.
How long the explainer video process takes
Most explainer video process projects take 4 to 8 weeks total. A simple 60-second video is usually covered within a shorter time, while the longer projects include longer scripts, complex 3D styles, 3D graphics, and a large review team, which will push your timeline to 8 weeks.
| Phase | Timeline | What Happens |
| Pre-Production | Weeks 1–3 | Set your style goals, write the project script, sketch the storyboard, and make the final voice over record. |
| Production | Weeks 4–6 | Pick the visual style, draw all graphic assets, and create the main animate draft. |
| Post-Production | Weeks 7–8 | Add sound effects, handle revision rounds, and export the final file report. |
The timeline depends on how fast you approve work because delayed feedback adds a week to your deadline. Check Drawphics’ guide to whiteboard animation cost to learn how timelines, length, artwork complexity, and revisions shape your overall price.
How animation style changes the process
Your animation style can change the workload, but the main steps stay the same. Whiteboard animation: Traditionally animation videos are filmed live on camera, and fixed edits are required.
3D vs. 2D animation: 3D requires extra steps, including steps of modelling, refining, lighting, and rendering, making it more expensive and time-consuming than 2D.
Set the style early: you can choose your animation style early in the project brief. To see what suit is best for your project, explore the Drawphics service page for 2D and 3D animation.
Before you contact a studio
- Goal: know your goal specifically, what the video should achieve.
- Audience: who will watch it and what they already know
- Main message: the one idea a viewer should remember
- Platform : the platform and the action you want viewers to take
- Approver: one person with final sign-off, plus any required reviewers
- Brand assets and references: logos, fonts, and videos you like or dislike
- Source material: product documents, decks or existing scripts
- Timing: any launch date, with room for review rounds
FAQs
1) Who writes the script for an explainer video?
It depends on the studio. Some studios write the script from the brief, some may polish the draft, and some offer both.
2) Can we use our existing logos and illustrations?
Yes, you can, but you must need to send original vector files rather than exported JPEGs or PNGs.
3) How many revision rounds are included?
Mostly studio revisions include 1 or 2 revision rounds per phase. Extra changes will require extra cost.
4) How should the team handle feedback?
Assign the duty to the single decision maker to combine all internal components into one list before sending it to the studio.
5) Can we record our own voiceover?
Yes, you can record with a professional microphone in good audio quality.
Planning your explainer video
Most schedule and budget problems in the explainer video process trace back to decisions made before any artwork exists: the message, the script and the storyboard. Settle those with one approver and the later steps become far more predictable.
To plan a project, see Drawphics’ explainer video services, then share your project details through the contact page.