An explainer video is a wonderful thing. Done right, it can promote and simplify a complex product or service while dazzling your audience by showcasing your brand in motion.

We’re going to tell you a bit about explainer videos and what makes them a compelling tool for brands, as well as showing you some great examples produced by our Video and Motion Graphics team.

What is an explainer video?

Explainers are often confused with tutorials, but they serve a slightly different purpose. A tutorial is purely instructional. It’s there, for example, to tell you how to install an Isofix infant car seat when you’re running an hour late for an appointment – the importance of which cannot be overstated.

The objective of an effective explainer video is to bring a product or service to life in a way that drives engagement and inspires action.

This can be an especially powerful tool for companies whose offering or story is even harder to grasp. Take one of our more high-tech clients, Prysmian – a world leader in cable manufacturing. While they provide a fascinating range of services, the complicated language and intricate specifications can steal focus. That’s why creating an explainer video that gets to the core of what Prysmian does would add real value, cutting through the complexity and highlighting what really matters.

And because shoots on location have – for obvious reasons – become a bit challenging over the last couple of years, brands have begun to branch out and explore other storytelling media such as animation.

Animated explainer videos help to bring impossible stories to life – they can transport us to new worlds and introduce us to new ideas – and all in a way that yields tangible results. Offering up to 300% more traffic and possible leads, animated explainers are one of the best tools available to set you apart from your competitors.

Research shows that viewers are twice as likely to buy a product they’ve seen in an online video and four times as likely to choose Youtube, over other platforms, for information about a product or service. This gives us a clear indication that users want their product information in more digestible and dynamic formats.

Keep it simple.

Simple animations can pack a serious punch. While many believe animated explainers must involve either big-budget cinema-level CGI or garish cartoon characters Cbeebies would be proud of, that’s simply not true. There are various techniques and styles to adopt, and harnessing the power of simplicity may be exactly what your brand needs. Clean, punchy text sequences with elegant shape animations can deliver something really engaging that will resonate with your audience and propel your brand into the beyond. There is also real value in keeping your video short and sweet (ideally two minutes or less) and getting the core message in early.

Atomic Design: What is it and why is it important in 2022? video here.

‍Atomic Design: What is it and why is it important

Our explainer about Atomic Design is a good example of how simple graphics and a well-crafted script can effectively streamline a complex concept. This appropriately named approach to building modern websites, through the use of so-called ‘atoms,’ ‘molecules’ and ‘organisms,’ has countless benefits. But, as you may agree, a written explanation alone isn’t compelling or informative enough. Watching this video is much more enjoyable and crucially, more memorable than reading a wall of text. Plus, it’s more likely that the viewer will share it.

An Introduction To Bud’s Training Management Platform video here.

Bud Systems: Introducing Bud – Powering apprenticeship delivery

We love a good brand-led explainer video. Bud’s bold, clean branding meant we could use some technicolour flair to design an equally vivid video. We started by extending Bud’s multi-coloured logo form into a visual suite of colourful geometric shapes and key lines which capture the simplicity of the platform in an eye-catching yet understated way. We then brought these shapes to life with various motion techniques and sound editing, interspersed with shots of the platform in action. The resulting video echoes the vibrancy and enthusiasm Bud’s users rediscover in their work with the help of this all-in-one platform.

Motion: Breathe life into your website with motion design (2022) video here.

Motion: Breathe life into your website with motion design

Our explainer video about motion design on the web is a perfect example of the power of simplicity. Through the use of geometric shapes and clean, playful movements we demonstrate not only the practical examples and best practices but communicate the benefits of doing so in an effective, captivating way.

So, how do we approach explainer videos?

Concept

Every successful video starts with a great idea. We take your brief on board – or work with you to create one – and use it to craft a compelling concept with your brand, mission and audience in mind.

Script

Our talented copywriters will transform that idea or content into a script that’s fit for video. We can craft your entire script from scratch, or simply recommend amendments to an existing one.

Storyboard

Our team of creatives can begin to bring the finalised script to life. After choosing a style that fits the brand and concept, the video is mapped out scene by scene. This is an exciting stage where you get to see your story take shape, review the content and give feedback.

Production

Once we get to work putting all the magic pieces together, you can sit back and relax. Behind the scenes we’ll be taking care of everything, from tweaking keyframes, ensuring smooth transitions and sculpting audio to enrich the experience through to sourcing and directing voiceovers until we’re finally ready to export and review.

You finally have your explainer video and you’ve shared it with the world. Now what?

Well, it doesn’t have to stop there! You can repurpose, reuse and re-share that lovely content across a whole host of different platforms. Switch up the voiceover, translate it to different languages, make it vertical for Instagram reels – the options are endless, and you’ll have a suite of assets ready to wow.

What are you waiting for? Let’s get together to craft your message and make it stand out.

About Proctor + Stevenson

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