How Long Does It Take to Make an Explainer Video? Our Timeline Explained

A custom B2B explainer video typically takes six to ten weeks from script to delivery. At Everything Design, our in-house film studio, Everything Film, compresses that to roughly 26 days — without cutting corners — using a checkpoint that catches problems before the expensive animation stage. Here's exactly what drives the timeline, a week-by-week breakdown, and how to make it faster.

What determines how long an explainer video takes

Four things move the timeline more than anything else: length and complexity (a 60-second animated explainer is faster than a three-minute one with heavy 3D), how ready your inputs are (a clear brief and locked messaging save weeks), how many revision rounds you run, and how many people approve (one decision-maker is fast; a committee is slow). Most delays aren't production — they're decisions.

The explainer video timeline, week by week

For a custom 60–90 second animated explainer, the script-to-delivery timeline looks like this:

• Week 1 — strategy & script. Discovery, messaging, and a tight, single-minded script. The most important week; a weak script makes everything after it slower.
• Week 2 — style & storyboard. Visual direction, style frames, and a storyboard mapping every scene.
• Weeks 2–3 — voiceover & the Boardomatic. The final voiceover is placed against static designs — our “Boardomatic” checkpoint — so timing and narrative problems get caught before animation begins.
• Weeks 3–5 — animation. The storyboard comes to life. The heaviest, most time-consuming stage.
• Weeks 5–6 — sound design & revisions. Music, sound effects, and a structured revision round.
• Week 6 — delivery. Final files in the formats you need.

See the condensed version in our explainer video process FAQ, and the full step-by-step in the explainer video workflow from script to delivery.

How Everything Design makes it faster — without cutting corners

The reason we can compress six-to-ten weeks toward ~26 days is the Boardomatic: locking the final voiceover against static frames means a timing or narrative fix moves a frame, not a fully animated scene. The other accelerants are on your side — have your five inputs ready (target audience, core message, CTA, brand guidelines, existing messaging) and name one internal approver. How the revision stage is run matters most of all; see how the revision process actually works.

Proof it works

Fast doesn't mean forgettable. An explainer we produced for Tekstac contributed to an 890% increase in sales; Solytics Partners has come back for a new explainer every quarter — four and counting; and Cloudphysician closed its first US client the first time it showed the film we made.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an explainer video take to make?

A custom B2B explainer typically takes six to ten weeks from script to delivery. Everything Design compresses this to roughly 26 days using a Boardomatic checkpoint that locks the voiceover against static designs before animation begins.

What makes an explainer video take longer?

Length and animation complexity, unclear or unlocked inputs, extra revision rounds, and too many approvers. Most delays come from decisions, not production — a clear brief and one decision-maker are the biggest time savers.

Can an explainer video be made faster?

Yes — by locking the script and voiceover early (before animation), having your inputs ready, naming one approver, and running structured revision rounds rather than open-ended feedback.

How long is the animation stage?

Animation is the heaviest stage — roughly weeks three to five of a six-week compressed timeline — which is exactly why catching timing and narrative issues before it starts saves the most time.

Everything Design produces B2B explainer videos through its in-house studio, Everything Film. See our animated explainer video service, the best explainer video companies in India, or pricing (from $5,000). Book a call to scope yours.