Content Cabinet
The short answer
To make an explainer video: define the one question it answers, write a script of about 130 to 150 words per minute, turn it into a storyboard, record the voiceover, animate, then add music and sound. Approve the storyboard carefully, because changes after animation starts are expensive.
A 60-second 2D motion graphics explainer takes about one to two weeks of animation after the script and storyboard are signed off; 3D takes four to eight weeks (MotionCube, 2026).
The six steps
| Step | What happens | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Discovery | The studio learns the product, the audience and the competition | Decides what the video says, and in what order |
| 2. Script | Written to be heard, not read | Drives the storyboard, voice and pacing |
| 3. Storyboard | The script as a sequence of frames | The most important approval: cheap to change here |
| 4. Voiceover | A voice artist records the approved script | Sets the tone: warmth, authority, pace |
| 5. Design and animation | Illustration, then motion | Where most of the time and money goes |
| 6. Sound | Music, effects and the final mix | Often underestimated, and it shows |
Step 1: answer one question
Before any writing, finish this sentence: after watching, the viewer will understand ___. One blank, one answer. If you need two, you need two videos.
Step 2: write the script
MotionCube's guide puts a good script at 130 to 150 words per minute of finished animation, so a 60-second explainer has room for about 140 words. That feels short until you read it aloud. The structure most explainers use:
- The problem, in words your buyer would use.
- The product as the answer, in one sentence.
- How it works, in three steps or fewer.
- One piece of proof.
- One next step.
Dropbox's 2009 explainer is the classic example of step one: it opens on "You've been there. You're about to buy lunch and realize your wallet is in your other pants", then calls the product "a magic pocket" before showing a single screen.
A 60-second script example
Here is a sample we wrote for an imaginary invoicing app we will call Duebird. It runs 132 words, about a minute read aloud. Swap in your own product and keep the shape.
Problem (0 to 12 s). It's the 28th, and rent is due. Your client says the invoice never arrived. You find it in Drafts, sitting next to three others you meant to send last week.
Answer (12 to 20 s). Meet Duebird. It sends every invoice on time, and it chases the late ones so you don't have to.
How it works (20 to 44 s). Connect your bank and your calendar once. When a job ends, Duebird turns it into an invoice and sends it the same day, with no templates to fill in. If a client goes quiet, it follows up politely on day seven and again on day fourteen. When the money lands, it marks the invoice paid and updates your books.
Proof (44 to 52 s). Small agencies using Duebird get paid eleven days sooner, on average.
Next step (52 to 60 s). Your first ten invoices are free. Send one today, and stop chasing tomorrow.
Duebird and its numbers are invented for this example. In your script, every number has to be one you can prove.
Step 3: storyboard and style frames
The storyboard turns each line into a frame, and style frames show the finished look. MotionCube calls the storyboard the most important approval stage in the whole process: changes here are cheap, and changes after animation starts are expensive. Our free storyboard template has printable sheets and an online maker that checks each shot against its voiceover.
Steps 4 to 6: voice, animation and sound
Record the voiceover from the approved script, then animate to the voice so the timing fits. MotionCube's guide gives one to two weeks of animation for a 60-second motion graphics video, two to three weeks for 2D character animation and four to eight weeks for 3D. Music and sound come last, and a licensed track that fits the brand makes a visible difference.
How long the whole thing takes
For a 2D explainer, plan on three to five weeks from brief to final film, with about half of that spent agreeing the script and the look. AI-assisted studios quote faster turnarounds for simpler formats: SR Creative Productions lists 5 to 7 days for a 60-second motion graphics video and 14 to 21 days for a 30-second 3D product animation.
Mistakes that cost the most
- Writing the script by committee, so it tries to answer five questions.
- Approving the storyboard quickly and changing things during animation.
- Recording the voiceover before the script is final.
- Forgetting the vertical and 15-second versions until after delivery.
Questions people ask
How do you make an explainer video?
Define the one question it answers, write a script of about 140 words a minute, turn it into a storyboard, record the voiceover, animate to the voice, then add music and sound.
How long should an explainer video script be?
About 130 to 150 words per minute of finished video, so roughly 140 words for a 60-second explainer, per MotionCube's 2026 guide.
What is a good explainer video script example?
Open on a problem your buyer recognises, introduce the product in one sentence, show how it works in three steps, add one piece of proof and end with one next step. The sample on this page follows that shape.
How long does it take to make an explainer video?
Usually three to five weeks for 2D from brief to final film. Animation alone takes one to two weeks for 60 seconds of motion graphics and four to eight weeks for 3D.
Can I write the script myself?
Yes, and MotionCube notes it can save ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, but a studio will still need to adapt it for timing and visuals. A rough script is often more useful than a final one.
