An explainer video is a short video, usually 60 to 120 seconds, that explains what a product, service, or idea does and why it matters to the viewer, in plain language and a simple story. It exists to answer one question fast: “What is this, and why should I care?”
Most businesses reach for an explainer when something is hard to describe in a sentence. A new software platform, a medical device, a benefits program, a complex service offering. The explainer does the explaining so your sales team, your website, and your onboarding emails don’t have to. Three things separate a good one from a forgettable one:
- It is built around the viewer’s problem, not the company’s feature list
- It says one thing clearly instead of five things vaguely
- Its style, animated, live-action, or hybrid, fits the audience and the message
This guide covers what an explainer video is, the main types with examples, animated vs live-action explainers, how explainers differ from product demos and commercials, ideal length, when to use one, how they get made, and what they cost.
Key Takeaways
- An explainer video answers “what is this and why does it matter” in about 60 to 120 seconds. It focuses on the viewer’s problem and one clear solution, then ends with a single next step.
- There are six main types of explainer videos. 2D animated, motion graphics, whiteboard, live-action, screencast, and hybrid explainers each fit different products and audiences.
- Live-action and hybrid explainers build trust with B2B buyers. Real people, real products, and real facilities often carry more weight with senior buyers than cartoon characters.
- Script length drives runtime. At roughly 150 spoken words per minute, a 60-second explainer has room for about 150 words, which forces the focus that makes explainers work.
- Explainers typically cost $3,000 to $15,000 in Phoenix. Style, length, animation complexity, and the number of versions drive the final price.
What Is an Explainer Video?
An explainer video is a short-form marketing or communication video that uses a simple narrative, visuals, and voiceover or on-camera talent to explain a product, service, process, or concept to a specific audience. Most explainers follow the same basic arc: the problem, the solution, how it works, why it’s credible, and what to do next.
Explainers live wherever people first meet an idea. The top of a homepage, a landing page for a paid campaign, a sales email, a trade show booth loop, an onboarding portal, or the start of an investor pitch. They work because they compress a conversation a salesperson might have in ten minutes into one or two minutes the viewer can watch on their own time.
The term covers a lot of styles. Some explainers are fully animated with illustrated characters. Some are motion graphics built from icons and text. Others are shot with real people in real locations. What makes it an explainer isn’t the style. It’s the job: making something clear.
Here’s an explainer video from D-MAK Productions that combines on-camera talent with motion graphics for a technology marketing message:
Types of Explainer Videos
The six main types of explainer videos are 2D animated, motion graphics, whiteboard, live-action, screencast or product, and hybrid explainers. Each one suits different products, budgets, and audiences.
| Type | What it looks like | Best for |
| 2D animated | Illustrated characters and scenes, fully animated | Consumer products, abstract ideas, friendly brands |
| Motion graphics | Animated text, icons, charts, and shapes | Data-heavy services, SaaS, financial and technical topics |
| Whiteboard | Hand-drawn illustrations appearing on a white background | Education, training, step-by-step processes |
| Live-action | Real people, products, and locations filmed on camera | B2B services, healthcare, manufacturing, trust-driven brands |
| Screencast or product | Screen recordings of software with callouts and voiceover | Software features, onboarding, support |
| Hybrid | Live-action footage combined with motion graphics overlays | Complex B2B products, enterprise tech, medical devices |
Many of the best-performing business explainers are hybrids. A presenter on a real set explains the problem, then animated callouts and diagrams show the parts of the solution a camera can’t capture. Our guide to motion graphics vs animation explains how those two styles differ in cost and use.
Animated vs Live-Action Explainers
Animated explainers are best for abstract ideas, invisible processes, and tight budgets that still need polish, while live-action explainers are best when trust, real people, and physical products are central to the message.
| Factor | Animated explainer | Live-action explainer |
| Best at showing | Concepts, data, invisible processes, software | People, places, products, expertise |
| Trust signal | Clear and friendly | Real faces and real facilities |
| Changes later | Easier to update a scene or line | Updates may need a reshoot |
| Production path | Script, storyboard, design, animation, voiceover | Script, casting, shoot day, edit, graphics |
| Typical audience | Consumers, SaaS users, broad audiences | B2B buyers, healthcare, industrial, enterprise |
For senior B2B buyers, the choice often comes down to credibility. A plant manager, a physician, or an engineer on camera saying how something works tends to land differently than an illustrated character saying the same words. That’s why D-MAK’s explainer work leans toward live-action and hybrid formats for enterprise and technical clients, with motion graphics used to make the complicated parts visible.
Explainer Video vs Product Demo vs Commercial
An explainer video explains what something is and why it matters, a product demo shows exactly how it works, and a commercial persuades or builds brand awareness in a short, emotional spot.
| Video type | Main job | Typical length | Where it’s used |
| Explainer video | Make a product, service, or idea clear | 60 to 120 seconds | Homepage, landing pages, sales emails, trade shows |
| Product demo | Show features and workflows step by step | 2 to 10 minutes | Sales calls, trials, onboarding, support |
| Commercial | Build awareness or drive a response | 15 to 60 seconds | TV, streaming, paid social, pre-roll |
The three often work together. An explainer earns the viewer’s interest, a demo answers the detailed questions, and a commercial brings new people into the funnel. If you’re planning a demo alongside your explainer, our guide on how to write a video brief for a product demo helps keep the two from overlapping.
What Makes a Good Explainer Video?
A good explainer video focuses on the viewer’s problem, delivers one clear message, uses visuals that do real explaining, and ends with one specific call to action.
- It starts with the problem. The first few seconds should describe a situation the viewer recognizes, not the company’s history.
- It says one thing. An explainer that covers every feature explains none of them. Pick the one idea that matters most.
- It uses plain language. Write the way a smart colleague would explain it over coffee. Jargon can come later, in the demo.
- Its visuals carry meaning. Every shot or animation should show something the voiceover describes, not decorate it.
- It sounds professional. Clear voiceover and a clean sound mix matter as much as the visuals.
- It ends with one next step. Book a demo, request a quote, start a trial. One action, stated clearly.
The script is where most of this is decided. The format is the costume. The script is the character.
How Long Should an Explainer Video Be?
Most explainer videos should be 60 to 120 seconds long, with 90 seconds a strong default for homepages and landing pages. Shorter cutdowns of 15 to 30 seconds work for paid social, and longer explainers of 2 to 3 minutes can work for complex B2B products when the audience is already interested.
| Length | Script length (about 150 words per minute) | Best use |
| 15 to 30 seconds | 40 to 75 words | Paid social, pre-roll, event screens |
| 60 seconds | About 150 words | Homepage hero, email, social |
| 90 seconds | About 225 words | Landing pages, sales outreach |
| 2 to 3 minutes | 300 to 450 words | Complex B2B products, investor or partner pitches |
Script length is the easiest way to control runtime. If the script is over the word count, the video will be too long, no matter how fast the editor cuts.
Explainer Video Examples by Use Case
Explainer videos work across industries whenever something needs to be understood quickly. Here’s how the format adapts:
| Industry or use | What the explainer shows | Common style |
| SaaS and software | The problem the platform solves and the core workflow | Motion graphics or hybrid with screen capture |
| Healthcare and medical devices | How a treatment, device, or program works for patients or clinicians | Live-action or hybrid with medical animation |
| Manufacturing and industrial | A process, product, or capability that’s hard to see | Live-action with motion graphics callouts |
| Professional services | What the firm does and how the engagement works | Live-action with a presenter or client interviews |
| HR and internal communications | Benefits, policies, or change initiatives | Motion graphics or live-action with leaders |
| Nonprofits and education | A program, a cause, or how a gift is used | Live-action stories or 2D animation |
D-MAK Productions has produced video for technology and healthcare brands including TSMC and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the pattern across those industries is the same: the more technical the topic, the more a real expert on camera helps. See more examples in our work on video production for SaaS and tech companies and healthcare video production.
When Should You Use an Explainer Video?
Use an explainer video when people need to understand something before they can buy, adopt, or support it, and when that understanding currently depends on a long conversation or a dense page of text.
Common triggers include:
- Launching a new product or service. The explainer becomes the first thing prospects see. Our guide to product launch videos covers the full launch set.
- Entering a new market. A new audience needs the basics, not the insider version.
- A sales team repeating the same pitch. If every first call starts with the same 10-minute explanation, that’s a script.
- High website bounce rates on key pages. A short explainer can hold attention long enough to earn the next click.
- Onboarding and change management. Employees and customers absorb a 90-second video faster than a policy PDF.
How an Explainer Video Gets Made
An explainer video is made in five steps: define the goal and audience, write the script, choose the style and plan visuals, produce the footage or animation, and edit, finish, and publish. The details differ between animated and live-action paths, but the order doesn’t.
Step 1: Define the Goal and the Audience
The first step in making an explainer video is naming one goal and one audience, because every later decision depends on who is watching and what they should do next.
Write down who the viewer is, what they already know, what problem they have, and the single action you want them to take. That becomes the creative brief.
Step 2: Write the Script
Writing the script means turning the brief into a short narrative, usually problem, solution, how it works, proof, and call to action, sized to the target runtime.
Use the 150-words-per-minute rule to keep it honest. Read it out loud. If it sounds like a brochure, rewrite it until it sounds like a person.
Step 3: Choose the Style and Plan the Visuals
Choosing the style and planning the visuals means deciding between animated, live-action, or hybrid, then storyboarding or shot-listing what appears on screen for every line.
For animation, that’s a storyboard and style frames. For live-action, it’s casting, locations, a shot list, and a plan for any graphics that will be layered on top.
Step 4: Produce the Footage or Animation
Producing the explainer means recording the voiceover and either animating the scenes or filming the live-action shoot, often in a single studio or on-location day.
Live-action explainers with a presenter often use a teleprompter so the script stays tight. Hybrid explainers are planned so graphics have room to live in the frame.
Step 5: Edit, Finish, and Publish
Editing and finishing brings the pieces together with music, sound design, color, captions, and motion graphics, followed by review rounds and exports for each placement.
Plan the cutdowns before you publish. A 90-second master can usually produce a 30-second version, a 15-second social clip, and a vertical cut. Our video editing services cover finishing if you already have footage.
Here’s an explainer video from D-MAK Productions built with motion graphics and editing:
https://vimeo.com/735600461
Producing a Live-Action Explainer in Phoenix
Live-action explainers in Phoenix are usually shot in a studio or at the client’s own facility, which keeps the schedule predictable in a city where the weather can shape exterior shoots. A few local details help:
- Studio days are the safe default in summer. From late May through September, heat makes long exterior setups hard on talent and gear, so presenter segments are often shot indoors and exteriors are scheduled for early morning.
- Your facility is a strong set. Labs, fabs, clinics, and offices around Phoenix, Tempe, and Chandler often tell the story better than a rented location, as long as safety and confidentiality rules are planned in advance.
- Real experts beat actors for technical topics. An engineer or clinician on a teleprompter, coached well, usually reads as more credible than hired talent.
- Plan graphics before the shoot. If callouts or diagrams will appear next to the presenter, frame the shot with room for them on the day.
How Much Does an Explainer Video Cost?
An explainer video typically costs $3,000 to $15,000 in the Phoenix market, depending on length, style, animation complexity, on-camera talent, and the number of versions you need.
Simple motion graphics explainers with a professional voiceover sit toward the lower end. Custom character animation, multi-location live-action shoots, and hybrid explainers with detailed graphics sit toward the higher end. For a detailed breakdown, see our guide to how much an explainer video costs, and our video production cost guide for Phoenix for how explainers compare with other video types.
Common Explainer Video Mistakes
- Leading with the company, not the problem. Viewers care about their situation first.
- Cramming in every feature. One clear idea beats five blurry ones.
- Writing a script that’s too long. Over the word count means over the runtime.
- Choosing a style that doesn’t fit the audience. Cartoon characters can undercut credibility with senior B2B buyers.
- Skipping captions. Much of the audience will watch with the sound off.
- Ending without a clear call to action. Tell the viewer exactly what to do next.
Why Choose D-MAK Productions for Explainer Videos?
D-MAK Productions is a Phoenix-based video production company with 15 years of experience producing explainer, product, and corporate videos. The team handles scripting, studio and on-location shoots, motion graphics, and editing in-house, so live-action and hybrid explainers come together without handing the project between vendors.
Clients describe the team as very easy to work with. For explainers, that means straightforward scripting sessions, realistic schedules, and graphics built to make complex products easier to follow. D-MAK works across Arizona and travels nationwide. Compare your options with our list of the best explainer video production companies to hire.
Explore our promotional video services or see our corporate video portfolio.
What Is an Explainer Video, in Short?
An explainer video is a 60- to 120-second video that makes a product, service, or idea clear by walking the viewer from their problem to your solution and one next step. It can be animated, live-action, or a hybrid of both, and the best ones are built on a short, focused script.
Planning an explainer video? Contact D-MAK Productions to talk through the right style for your audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is an Explainer Video?
An explainer video is a short video, usually 60 to 120 seconds, that explains what a product, service, or idea does and why it matters to the viewer. It typically follows a problem, solution, how it works, and call-to-action structure.
What Are the Different Types of Explainer Videos?
The different types of explainer videos are 2D animated, motion graphics, whiteboard, live-action, screencast or product, and hybrid explainers that combine live-action footage with motion graphics.
Animated vs Live-Action Explainer Video: Which Is Better?
Neither animated nor live-action explainer videos are better in every case. Animated explainers are better for abstract ideas and software, while live-action explainers are better when trust, real people, and physical products matter most, especially for B2B audiences.
How Long Should an Explainer Video Be?
An explainer video should usually be 60 to 120 seconds long, with 90 seconds a strong default for websites. Short 15- to 30-second cutdowns work for social media, and complex B2B explainers can run 2 to 3 minutes.
What Are Good Explainer Video Examples for B2B Companies?
Good explainer video examples for B2B companies include SaaS platform overviews, medical device explainers, manufacturing process videos, and professional services videos that feature real experts on camera with motion graphics to clarify technical details.
When Should a Business Use an Explainer Video?
A business should use an explainer video when launching a new product, entering a new market, onboarding customers or employees, or whenever sales conversations keep starting with the same long explanation.
What Is the Difference Between an Explainer Video and a Product Demo?
The difference between an explainer video and a product demo is depth. An explainer video explains what something is and why it matters in about 60 to 120 seconds, while a product demo shows exactly how it works, feature by feature, over several minutes.
Who Makes Live-Action Explainer Videos in Phoenix?
D-MAK Productions makes live-action and hybrid explainer videos in Phoenix, handling scripting, studio and on-location filming, motion graphics, and editing in-house for B2B, healthcare, and technology clients.
