The Explainer Video Workflow: From Script to Delivery, Step by Step

The explainer video workflow runs in eight stages, from brief to delivery — and the order matters. At Everything Design, the biggest decisions (script and voiceover) get locked before the expensive animation stage, which is what keeps the whole process fast and on-budget. Here's what happens at each step, and what you provide.

1. Brief and discovery

We start with five inputs from you — target audience, core message, desired CTA, brand guidelines, and any existing messaging — plus one named internal approver. A clear brief here saves weeks later.

2. Script

A tight, single-minded script — the most important artifact in the process. Animation can't rescue a weak script, so we lock it before anything visual begins.

3. Style frames

Visual direction: a few key frames that set the look and tone before committing to a full storyboard.

4. Storyboard

Every scene mapped out, so narrative and pacing are agreed before animation.

5. Voiceover and the Boardomatic

The final voiceover is placed against the static storyboard designs — our “Boardomatic” checkpoint. This is the single most important step for speed: timing and narrative problems get caught here, when a fix means moving a frame, not re-animating a scene.

6. Animation

The storyboard is brought to life — the heaviest, most time-consuming stage, and the reason locking everything before it matters so much.

7. Sound design and revisions

Music and sound effects, plus a structured revision round. How that round is run decides whether the timeline holds — see the revision process.

8. Delivery

Final files in the formats you need.

For how long each stage takes, see how long an explainer video takes and the condensed process FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

What are the steps in making an explainer video?

Brief and discovery, script, style frames, storyboard, voiceover and Boardomatic, animation, sound design and revisions, and delivery. Everything Design locks the script and voiceover before animation so problems are caught early.

What is a Boardomatic in explainer video production?

A checkpoint where the final voiceover is placed against static storyboard designs before animation begins. It catches timing and narrative issues when they're cheap to fix — moving a frame, not re-animating a scene — which is what keeps the timeline short.

What do you need from the client to start?

Five things: target audience, core message, desired CTA, brand guidelines, and existing messaging — plus one named approver to keep decisions fast.

Everything Design produces explainer videos through its in-house studio, Everything Film. See our animated explainer video service and pricing, or book a call.