Our Process For Making Animated Explainer Videos

At Keystone Media, we’ve spent years refining our craft, ensuring that we deliver only the best when it comes to animated explainer videos. It’s our firm belief that, particularly in the financial services sector, clarity is paramount.

Through animated explainer videos, we help you convey complex concepts in an engaging and comprehensible manner, increasing conversions, educating customers, and nurturing leads.

In this post, we’re going to delve into the details of our process which we call The Keystone Media Method. The idea is not only to provide transparency about our work but also to help you understand what goes into the creation of an impactful animated explainer video.

Animated Explainer Videos, Explained

Before we dive into The Keystone Media Method, let’s briefly discuss what animated explainer videos are, and the ‘why’ behind them.

What Are Animated Explainers Videos?

In essence, animated explainer videos are brief, compelling videos that vividly illustrate the workings and unique benefits of your product or service. They strategically focus on one or two key features, creating a clear and precise narrative that draws viewers in and keeps them engaged.

These videos communicate directly with viewers, often solving a problem or addressing a need that the viewer might have. This direct approach fosters a sense of connection and understanding, making your product or service more relatable and attractive to potential customers.

But the true power of animated explainer videos lies in their ability to simplify complex ideas. In the financial services sector, for example, where products and services can often seem daunting or complex, animated explainer videos can translate these into simple, understandable concepts.

The combination of engaging visuals and a straightforward narrative makes these videos an effective tool for communicating your brand message. Furthermore, ending with a strong call-to-action propels viewers to take the next step, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or visiting your website.

In summary, animated explainer videos are an engaging, concise, and highly effective way to introduce your offerings, simplify complex concepts, and motivate viewers to take action.

Why Use Animated Explainer Videos?

When we talk about digital content, videos reign supreme. Today, 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool. Furthermore, 84% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.

Failing to integrate video into your marketing arsenal in 2023 could see you falling behind in the dynamic world of financial services marketing.

Within this arena, animated explainer videos are a superstar, and for good reason. For financial services companies, they offer a powerful way to explain complex concepts, products and services.

They allow you to break down intricate financial systems, processes, and products into digestible pieces that your clients and customers can easily understand.

For instance, an animated explainer video could be used to explain the workings of a new financial investment tool. With the use of engaging visuals and a simplified narrative, potential investors can understand the benefits of the tool, how it works, and how they can leverage it. This would not only help them make informed decisions but also foster trust in your brand.

Animated Explainer Video Production Stage 01: The Vision

Starting with The Vision, we define your goals and develop a relevant script, select the fitting voiceover and music, and create a blueprint for your video. This process unfolds in four steps: The Discovery and Script, The Voiceover and Music, The Storyboard Sketch, and The Animatic.

The Discovery and Script

Creating an effective animated explainer video begins not with animation, but with understanding.

Firstly, we focus on defining your goals. What are the outcomes you desire from your animated explainer video? Perhaps you’re looking to boost brand awareness, or maybe you’re keen to enhance conversion rates on your website. Regardless of the objective, we need to understand it thoroughly to craft a video that can deliver.

Next, we explore your core message. What is it that you’re aiming to communicate through your video? How do you plan on using the video in your marketing strategy? These are important questions that need answering before we proceed further.

We then delve into the personality of your business. An animated explainer video isn’t just about conveying information – it’s also about encapsulating the ethos and character of your brand. By understanding what your business stands for, we can imbue your video with a personality that resonates with your target audience.

With this comprehensive understanding, we move on to the scripting stage. The script forms the backbone of your animated explainer video, translating your business goals and core message into a narrative that is easy to understand and engaging to watch.

Given the often complex nature of financial services, our aim here is to create a script that simplifies your message, sidestepping jargon and technical terminology to make it accessible to your audience.

Drawing on the information we’ve gathered during the discovery phase, we craft a script that aligns perfectly with your business objectives.

A well-crafted script highlights a problem, presents a solution, explains how this solution works, and motivates your audience to take the desired action. This is the cornerstone of the explainer video and sets the stage for the production process to unfold.

The Voiceover and Music

As we transition from script to sound, the emphasis shifts to voiceover and music. Both elements play pivotal roles in bringing your animated explainer video to life and are carefully chosen to align with your brand and message.

The voiceover serves as the narrator of your story. To ensure it effectively communicates your script and resonates with your audience, we consider key factors such as tone, pacing, and style. We also bear in mind the demographic data such as age, gender, and accent preferences.

With the perfect script in hand, we curate a selection of voiceover artists whose style and tonal quality align with your business objectives, the results of our research, and the insights gathered during the discovery stage. Once you’ve selected your preferred voiceover artist, we facilitate the recording process.

Parallel to this, we commence the selection of the music track. Music holds the power to set the mood, accentuate key moments, and sustain audience engagement, all while subtly enhancing the overall narrative. As with voiceover, we use our music libraries to offer you options that sync with your brand and the tone set during the discovery stage.

The Storyboard Sketch

Following the script and sound elements, we now embark on the visual journey, starting with the creation of the storyboard sketch. This step unfolds as our voiceover professionals are bringing your script to life.

The storyboard sketch is a black and white, simplified sketch version of the main scenes that will be featured in your animated explainer video.

If the script calls for characters, these will also be sketched out at this stage. The purpose of this step is to focus on the broader narrative structure of your video, giving you a glimpse into how the story unfolds visually.

This sketch provides an effective and efficient way to sequence the narrative events, helping us to plot the main actions and transitions of the video.

This visual framework allows us to ensure that the storyline aligns with the script and voiceover, and sets the stage for the finer visual details that will be added in the upcoming stages.

Through the storyboard sketch, you’ll start seeing your animated explainer video come together, providing an early opportunity to visualize the narrative flow and start shaping the look and feel of the video.

The Animatic

Upon completion of the storyboard sketch, we move on to the creation of the animatic, where we start to see the merging of our previous stages.

The animatic is a preliminary version of your animated explainer video, integrating the sketched storyboard with the voiceover and music.

It gives you an early, holistic view of how your final video will look and sound. The animatic is to provide an initial feel for the pacing, timing, and flow of the final explainer video.

This stage is critical in avoiding costly and time-consuming changes further down the line. By giving you a comprehensive preview early in the process, the animatic allows for necessary revisions and adjustments to be made before we venture into the more time-intensive stages of animation.

In essence, the animatic is a window into the future of your video. It’s a valuable tool that helps ensure that your final animated explainer video aligns seamlessly with your vision, and offers an opportunity for any adjustments to be made in a cost and time effective manner.

Animated Explainer Video Production Stage 02: The Production

Utilising the information from The Vision stage, we proceed with our animated video production journey, converting your concept into a compelling reality in The Production stage. The Production stage is broken down into 2 substeps. The Visual Designs & Storyboard step and The Animation step.

Visual Designs & Storyboard

Once the animatic is approved, we venture into the realm of visual design, where our designers and illustrators bring your story to life in vivid, engaging detail. This stage transitions us from the simple sketches of the storyboard to the richly detailed visuals that will populate your animated explainer video.

The visual design phase is where we breathe life into the visual language of your video. Our designers meticulously consider elements like colour palettes, fonts, and character designs, transforming the sketched storyboard into a vibrant and visually captivating storyboard.

We create a variety of design concepts and present you with options, alongside our professional recommendations. This ensures you are involved in the process and can make an informed choice that best aligns with your vision and brand identity.

Following your selection of a design concept, we apply it across the entire storyboard, filling in the fine details based on the previously sketched scenes.

This transformation results in a complete visual storyboard that accurately mirrors your final animated explainer video in a series of still images complete with annotations.

By the end of this stage, your video exists in a detailed, image-based format. It provides a clear and vivid picture of what your final animated explainer video will look like, marking a significant milestone on our production journey.

The Animation

As we enter the animation stage, the work invested in the preceding stages starts to bear fruit. This is the crux of our process, where static images start to move, the narrative takes shape, and your story is told in an engaging, visual way. It’s here that our process transforms into an animated spectacle.

The animation stage is the most intricate and time-intensive step in our production process. As we navigate this step, we ensure that every element we animate is in line with the discovery, script, voiceover, and visual storyboard.

Each frame is a calculated decision, each movement purposeful, and each moment carefully designed to enhance your narrative.

Because this stage is so critical and intricate, the thorough groundwork laid out in the previous stages becomes invaluable. These stages help us to minimize major changes at this point, keeping us on schedule and ensuring the delivery of your explainer video in a timely manner.

It’s our goal to ensure that your animated explainer video is a product of thoughtful consideration, attention to detail, and utmost care.

In the end, we bring your story to life with carefully orchestrated animations that are not only in sync with the voiceover but are also specifically designed to captivate your audience, communicate your message, and represent your brand identity effectively.

This is where the magic truly happens.

Animated Explainer Video Production Stage 03: The Delivery

The Delivery stage, the final stage of The Keystone Media Method, perfects your explainer video with sound design. Once tailored to your exact requirements and exported, your vision successfully comes to life. This stage is divided into two key steps: Sound Design, and Export & Delivery.

Sound Design

Sound design serves as the final layer of our production process, integrating all auditory elements with the visual narrative we’ve created.

This stage is about achieving a harmonious fusion of voice, music, and sound effects that further elevates your animated explainer video.

Starting with the voiceover, we ensure it aligns seamlessly with the animated scenes, providing the narrative backbone to the unfolding visuals.

Following this, we incorporate the chosen music, carefully selected during our earlier stage, to further enhance the narrative rhythm and mood.

Finally, we add sound effects, those subtle auditory touches that make your animated explainer video feel more realistic and engaging. These effects are meticulously synchronised with the visuals, adding depth to the animation and enriching the viewer’s experience.

At the end of this stage, all elements are expertly mixed and aligned with the animation, ensuring that the audio and visual aspects of your animated explainer video work together harmoniously. It is through this synergy that we amplify the overall impact of your video, resulting in a compelling piece of visual storytelling.

Export & Delivery

As we reach the final stretch of our journey, it’s time to package and deliver your animated explainer video. This stage is all about ensuring that the final product aligns with your requirements and is ready to make its mark in the financial services industry.

Our process here begins by carefully exporting your animated explainer video according to your desired specifications. Be it a particular file format or resolution, we ensure the video is optimally prepared for your intended use.

Upon successful export, we utilize secure platforms like WeTransfer or Google Drive to deliver your video swiftly and safely. At Keystone Media, we understand the importance of timely delivery and take every measure to ensure that your video reaches you as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Our commitment to you doesn’t end with the delivery. We stand ready to provide further assistance or address any queries you might have once you receive your animated explainer video. It’s our aim to ensure that you are fully equipped to leverage your new video asset effectively.

So there you have it – the final touch to our meticulous process of crafting an animated explainer video that’s built to serve your financial services firm.

From The Vision to The Delivery, each step is imbued with an unwavering commitment to quality, precision, and your business’s unique needs.

To learn about the time frames for making an explainer video, see our article titled, How Long Does It Take To Make An Explainer Video?

Conclusion: The Keystone Media Method

Creating an animated explainer video may seem like a journey filled with many steps, but each step is crucial in delivering a final product that truly embodies your brand and effectively communicates your message.

At Keystone Media, we’ve fine-tuned our process to ensure that from The Vision to The Delivery, every step is efficiently managed and meticulously executed, producing a powerful video that resonates with your audience.

With our step-by-step, collaborative approach, we ensure that you’re involved in every decision, keeping you updated and informed throughout the process.

Whether it’s defining your objectives, selecting a voiceover artist, choosing a music track, or refining the animation, your input is integral to creating a video that not only explains your financial services but also aligns with your brand identity.

In the fast-paced world of financial services, an animated explainer video can serve as a valuable tool to stand out in a crowded market, clearly and effectively communicating complex ideas.

As the saying goes, “Good things take time,” and at Keystone Media, we believe the time spent on creating a tailor-made animated explainer video for your business is truly an investment worth making. Your audience, and your brand, deserve nothing less.

Thank you for your time and if you have any questions about our process for making animated explainer videos, please feel free to contact us.