Some ideas are difficult to film.
You cannot point a camera at a software algorithm. You cannot film a data flow moving between systems. You cannot easily show how a financial product works behind the scenes or how a scientific process happens inside a device.
That is where an animated explainer video production company becomes strategically valuable.
Animation is not simply a visual style. Its primary advantage is that it can show things live action cannot: software interfaces in motion, internal product mechanisms, abstract data flows and hypothetical scenarios. It makes the invisible visible and the complex understandable.
What Is an Animated Explainer Video?
An animated explainer video is a short, structured piece of content designed to clarify a product, service or concept.
Typically between 60 and 90 seconds for homepage use, it introduces the problem your audience faces, the solution you provide, how it works and why it matters.
Unlike a traditional corporate film, it does not rely on offices, interviews or brand shots. Instead, it builds understanding through visual storytelling, motion graphics and tightly structured scripting.
When executed well, it simplifies without oversimplifying.
What an Animated Explainer Video Production Company Actually Does
Commissioning animation is not just about hiring someone to move shapes on screen.
A professional explainer video production company will guide you through a structured, sequential process.
Concept Development and Scriptwriting
The script is the most important element of an animated explainer.
A clear, concise, jargon-free script will always outperform a visually impressive animation built around a weak message. At this stage, the objective is clarity. What must the viewer understand? What action should they take?
Changing direction at script stage is simple. Changing direction after animation has begun is costly.
Storyboarding
Once the script is agreed, the video is translated into visual frames. This allows stakeholders to see how the narrative will unfold before full animation begins.
This stage protects budget and prevents misalignment.
Design and Visual Style
Character design, graphic style, colour palettes and typography are developed in line with brand guidelines and audience expectations.
Voiceover and Sound
Voiceover selection shapes tone. Sound design adds pace and clarity. These elements contribute significantly to how professional the final piece feels.
Animation and Production
Animation only begins once script and storyboards are approved. This approval-dependent structure protects both timeline and cost.
Square Daisy operates with an in-house animation capability, not a dependency on freelance animators. That affects turnaround, consistency and revision control. When feedback is required, it is managed directly rather than relayed through third parties.
Explore our broader approach to animated video production for further detail.
When Animation Is the Right Choice
Animation is not always the correct solution. But in certain scenarios, it clearly outperforms live action.
It is particularly effective when the product cannot be filmed physically, the service is abstract or intangible, the process happens inside software or machinery or consistency across multiple outputs matters.
We explore this further in our article on when animated video is the right option.
For example, in our software explainer video project, animation allowed complex platform functionality to be visualised clearly in a way that live action never could.
The Simplicity Principle
The best animated explainer videos are not the most visually complicated. They are the clearest.
Over-designed graphics cannot compensate for a confused message. If the viewer cannot summarise your offering in one sentence after watching, the script has failed.
This is why script development comes first.
In business explainer video production, simplicity is not about dumbing down. It is about removing unnecessary detail so the essential idea becomes obvious.
In our premium credit interactive explainer video, clarity of narrative was prioritised over visual spectacle. The result was a structured explanation that supported user interaction rather than overwhelming it.
Types of Animated Explainer Video
Different formats suit different objectives.
Character Animation
Useful for human-centred services, onboarding scenarios or customer journey storytelling.
Motion Graphics
Ideal for software, data-heavy propositions or B2B services where clarity and structure matter more than character narrative.
Whiteboard Animation
Effective for educational or step-by-step explanations, particularly in training contexts.
Infographic Animation
Strong for statistics-led messaging or demonstrating comparative data.
Mixed Media
Combining animation with live action can work when credibility and abstraction both need to be addressed.
In our work on service animations, animation enabled abstract identity services to be visualised clearly without relying on staged scenarios.
Length and Format: What Works Best?
Length should be dictated by context.
For homepage or top-of-funnel use, 60 to 90 seconds is optimal. Viewers are exploring, not studying.
For detailed product walkthroughs or technical explanations, longer formats are appropriate, particularly when the viewer has already committed to understanding more.
A three-minute animation can be effective in a sales meeting or onboarding context. A 30-second cutdown may work better for social distribution.
Format matters too. Landscape for website and LinkedIn. Vertical edits for social. Multiple aspect ratios can be created efficiently when planned at storyboard stage.
How Much Does an Animated Explainer Video Cost?
Cost depends on complexity, length and style.
Factors include script development time, illustration detail, animation complexity, voiceover and sound design and revision rounds.
We have written in detail about how much an animated video costs, including what influences pricing.
The key is alignment between objective and production scope. Overcomplicating visuals rarely improves commercial outcomes.
Animated Explainer vs Corporate Video
What is the difference between an explainer video and a corporate video?
A corporate film typically showcases brand, people and culture. It builds trust through visibility.
An animated explainer focuses on understanding. It clarifies proposition, process and value.
For technology brands in particular, animation often provides sharper clarity. We discuss this in more detail in our on video production explainer for technology brands.
Both formats have value. The choice depends on what the audience needs to understand at that moment.
The Square Daisy Approach
As an animated explainer video production company, our approach is structured.
We begin with objectives. Who is the audience? What must they understand? What action should follow?
From there, we develop a tightly focused script, agree visual direction at storyboard stage, protect budget through staged approvals, animate in-house for quality control and deliver formats optimised for platform.
Because the process happens in stages, early clarity prevents late-stage cost increases. Changing direction after animation begins is significantly more expensive than refining a storyboard.
Animated explainer videos also have longevity. They do not become outdated when offices move, staff change or product interfaces evolve slightly. That extended useful life increases return on investment compared to many live-action projects.
Our broader explainer video production service outlines further details, but the principle remains the same: clarity first, style second.
What Makes a Good Animated Explainer Video?
A good animated explainer video communicates one clear idea, uses language the audience understands, avoids jargon, has logical narrative flow, matches tone to audience and ends with a defined next step.
It does not try to say everything. It says the right thing clearly.
Thinking About Animation for Your Business?
If your product, service or system is difficult to explain in words alone, animation may be the most commercially effective format available.
Animation is chosen because it can show what cannot otherwise be shown.
If you are considering working with an animated explainer video production company, start by clarifying the message you need your audience to understand.
From there, we can design an animation that simplifies complexity rather than adding to it.
If you would like to explore how animation could support your marketing or sales strategy, get in touch.
