When 2D Animation Explains What Copy Cannot

Some ideas are hard to explain in writing. A software product that moves data between three systems. A financial service that depends on timing. A process that happens inside a machine, or inside the body. You can write a thousand careful words about it, and most people still won't picture it.

Ninety seconds of well-paced 2D animation can often do what that page couldn't. Not because video is fashionable, but because motion can show cause and effect, sequence and scale in a way static text can't.

Where 2D animation beats text and live action

2D animation is the right tool when the thing you're explaining is abstract, invisible or simply not filmable:

• Software and digital services, where the real interface is cluttered and the value lies in what happens behind it.
• Processes and systems, such as how an order moves through a supply chain or how a payment is protected.
• Products that don't exist yet, where there's nothing to film but there's a story to tell investors or early customers.
• Sensitive subjects, like health or money, where illustrated characters feel more approachable than actors.
• Content that needs to work in several languages. Animation can be re-voiced and its text swapped without a reshoot.

When it's the wrong choice

Animation isn't always the answer. If people need to see the real thing, such as the texture of food, the finish on a kitchen or the size of a room, live action or 3D product animation will usually serve you better. And if the purchase depends on trust in specific people, a founder speaking on camera often beats any illustration.

How long should an explainer video be?

For a homepage or product page explainer, 60 to 90 seconds is a reliable range. It's long enough to set up a problem and show a solution, and short enough that most viewers finish it.

Narration is usually spoken at around 140 to 150 words a minute, so a 90-second video has room for roughly 200 to 225 words. That's less than most people expect, and it's the best argument for cutting the script hard. For social media, plan separate cuts of 15 to 30 seconds rather than hoping people watch the full version.

Writing the explainer video script

The script decides whether an explainer works. Good animation can't save a confused one. A structure that holds up for most products:

1. The problem, described the way your customer would describe it.
2. The solution, in one sentence.
3. How it works, in three steps at most.
4. Proof: a result, a number or a recognisable customer.
5. One call to action.

Write for the ear, not the page. Read the script out loud. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long. If you have to explain a term, cut it or replace it. And keep to one message: an explainer that tries to cover every feature ends up explaining none of them.

Styles of 2D animation

Different styles suit different budgets and messages:

• Motion graphics: animated type, icons, shapes and interface elements. Clean and efficient, and well suited to software, data and B2B.
• Character animation: illustrated people acting out a scenario. Warmer and better at showing how a customer feels before and after.
• Flat illustration with camera moves: illustrated scenes brought to life with movement and transitions. A good middle ground on cost.
• Frame-by-frame animation: drawn by hand, frame by frame. Expressive and distinctive, and also the slowest and most expensive option.

Most commercial explainers mix two of these, for example motion graphics for the product and simple characters for the people using it. You can see a range of styles in our 2D animation reel and motion graphics work.

The production process

A typical 2D explainer moves through these stages:

1. Brief: audience, message, where the video will be used, and what the viewer should do afterwards.
2. Script: written, read aloud, timed and approved before anything is drawn.
3. Style frames: a few finished stills that set the visual look.
4. Storyboard: every scene sketched out against the script.
5. Animatic: the storyboard timed to a scratch voiceover, so pacing problems show up early and cheaply.
6. Voiceover: recorded with a professional voice actor.
7. Animation: the main production stage.
8. Sound design and music: often underestimated, and responsible for a lot of the polish.
9. Delivery: final files in the formats and aspect ratios you need, with captions.

Most changes are cheap at the script and storyboard stages and expensive once animation has started. That's why we ask for firm sign-off at each step.

Getting more from one explainer

One explainer can do a lot of work if you plan for it:

• Cut 15-second versions for social ads and stories.
• Export vertical (9:16) and square (1:1) versions alongside the main 16:9 file.
• Turn key scenes into short loops for your website or presentations.
• Use it in sales decks, onboarding emails and trade show screens.
• Always add captions. A lot of people watch video on social media with the sound off.

How to tell if it's working

Look at play rate (how many visitors start the video), watch-through (how many reach the end) and, most importantly, the conversion rate of the page it sits on. If people stop watching at the same point, that's the part of the script to fix.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to make a 2D explainer video?

A 60 to 90 second explainer typically takes four to eight weeks from brief to delivery. The style, the amount of character animation, and how quickly feedback comes back all affect the timeline.

What affects the cost of an animated explainer?

Length, style and complexity are the main drivers. Character animation costs more than motion graphics, and frame-by-frame costs more than either. Extra language versions, custom music and a large number of revision rounds add to it too.

Our 2D animation service covers everything from script to final delivery. If you have something that's hard to explain, tell us about it.

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