Sixty-one percent of businesses use explainer videos to market their products and services. But how do you start from scratch?
Explainer videos are nothing without a great explainer video script template. You only have a minute or so to pitch your product, so every word and frame matters more than ever.
By following these rules and using our explainer video script template, your client’s product won’t only be well explained. It’ll be captivating.
FREE Download: Explainer Video Script Template
"Map out your product's story with our explainer video template below."
Download your FREE Explainer Video Script Template.
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Explainer Video Script
How to Write an Explainer Video Script?
An explainer video definition could read: “Sell your product in a minute and a half.” But truly, your explainer video should tell a story.
It won’t be as complex as a Pixar film, but it should have a beginning, a middle, and concrete end.
They all follow this basic structure in a one to two minute format:
Write an Explainer Video Script
On our free explainer video template, we’ve demarcated these sections for you to give your writing direction. (We’ll go into each in this article).
No two explainer videos are alike, so you should spend as much or as little time on each section as your product needs.
1. Setup the problem
How to start with your explainer video script?
You want to set up the problem as quickly as possible in your explainer video script, in no more than fifteen seconds. A problem can be explained quickly in a precise visual, or a series of shots showing the same problem over and over again for each person.
Speaking of that person, whether you chose to use disembodied voice over, or not, we need to experience the product through eyes of your key demographic.
Marketing an app for sexy maternity pants? Your protagonist should be a pregnant woman. Making an explainer video for a bacon product? Cast overweight people.
If your product is intended for anyone and everyone, your hero(es) should take the form of multiple people of all ages, races, and genders.
Your antagonist is the problem your product solves. For the app Coin, it’s having too many cards in your wallet. For Airbnb, it’s not being able to find cheap hotels.
PRO TIP: BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE
Is your character eating “at a restaurant” or a “five star restaurant?”
While it may not seem important, specificity is key in a successful explainer video script. Not only will enhance your explainer video. It’ll also give you preliminary budget.
When you break down your script, carefully go through each scene and determine what cast members, props, etc you need to make your explainer video come to life.
film management software like StudioBinder
In film management software like StudioBinder, you can tag your elements right on the script and it’ll auto generate the reports you need to start filming.
Our explainer video script template gets you software-ready, so download it from above and follow along.
2. Provide the solution
Every problem has a solution
All hope seems lost. The problem will persist forever. But there’s hope.
When you provide the solution, hit your product’s name hard at least twice. State clearly what your product does, but not how. Providing the solution is not the same as explaining the product.
It may seem like you should explain all the ins and outs at this moment, but don’t. Just get across the what. It gives the viewer something concrete to latch onto. It also instills curiosity as to how you’re going to make good on what you just laid out.
To emphasis this pivot, the best explainer videos change the music and camera to reflect the optimistic tone of the explainer video script. The narrator’s inflection can be more happy and upbeat.
CASE STUDY: ADBLOCK
In this sample from explainer video company, Sandwich Video, we see that the solution doesn’t equal the how.
explainer video company, Sandwich Video
When our hero is with ads (in the form of paddles), we clearly see the problem. The solution comes when AdBlock, a Kung Fu guru, karate chops the ads away. We never get an explanation of how it works, because the explainer video script writers know the how isn’t as powerful as the solution.
Our explainer video script only carves out just enough space to effectively communicate your solution. Download it at the bottom of this page.
3. Explain how it works
Dazzle us with how great your product is
This is the meat of your video, about one minute long. Here you should provide all the nifty details about how your app works.
Be selective with what factoids you chose to highlight. Answer any natural questions that would come from your product. This is your a chance to dazzle us with how great the product is.
If you’ve been following along on your explainer video script template, you’ve already piqued the interest of the viewer, so now you can actually do the explaining.
4. Call to action
Keep it short, but effective
Your “Call to Action” should be short, but effective.
Just like that sentence.
explainer video script template
On our explainer video script template, you’ll notice that this section should only account for 10 seconds of your explainer video.
Restate the problem and your solution again in one concise sentence. Clearly state your product’s name at least twice, and flash it onscreen.
Because a pitch is only as good as a follow up, point us in the next direction with a website link. If you’re posting your explainer video to Youtube, be sure to add an annotation so we can actually click the video and go to the product.
If you’ve made your explainer video script joke dense, be sure to end the video with your strongest punchline.
HOW MUCH DOES AN EXPLAINER VIDEO COST?
It all depends on your explainer video script template. If you’re hiring an explainer video company, it can cost you anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 dollars.
You can make it on your own much cheaper by writing the explainer video script on your own, starting the pre-production process, and then hiring a freelance cast and crew.
Make your own explainer video with our explainer video script template below.
FREE Download: Explainer Video Script Template
"Map out your product's story with our explainer video template below."
Download your FREE Explainer Video Script Template.
Just enter your email address and we'll instantly send it to you!
Wrapping Up
Conclusion
Explainer videos can be creative and captivating as they are informative. Using an explainer video script template ensures that you don’t get too far off the mark of what your project is doing.
What are your favorite explainer video scripts? Let us know in the comments.
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