A successful explainer video is decided before the first frame: in the script. It decides what the viewer will understand, in what order, and in how much time. Beautiful animation does not save a vague script; a good script makes the animation easy.
Here is the structure we use, the word count to respect, and a timed example for a 60-second video.
Why the script comes first
The script is the only moment when everything can change for almost nothing. A sentence is rewritten in a minute; the same sentence, once animated, means redoing shots. That is why we have it approved in writing before drawing anything, by everyone who will have to approve the video.
The word count: 130 to 150 per minute
A calm voice-over runs at roughly 130 to 150 words per minute. A 60-second video therefore holds 130 to 150 words, a 90-second video 200 to 220. That is barely a paragraph, and it is the most useful constraint: it forces choices.
If the script runs over, do not ask for a faster voice. Remove a message.
The five-part structure
| Part | What is said | For 60 s | For 90 s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The problem | The situation the viewer recognises | 0 to 10 s | 0 to 15 s |
| 2. The solution | What you offer, in one sentence | 10 to 20 s | 15 to 25 s |
| 3. How it works | Three steps, no more | 20 to 45 s | 25 to 65 s |
| 4. The proof | A figure, a customer, a result | 45 to 53 s | 65 to 80 s |
| 5. The call to action | What the viewer should do now | 53 to 60 s | 80 to 90 s |
The problem always comes first. Viewers only care about your solution once they have recognised themselves in the problem.
The format: two columns, voice and screen
A video script is written in two columns. On the left, what the voice-over says. On the right, what is on screen: text, diagrams, the interface. The two complement each other, they do not repeat: the screen shows what the voice cannot say quickly, a figure, a step, a name.
A timed 60-second example
For a fictional company, an app that centralises expense reports:
| Time | Voice-over | On screen |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 10 s | End of the month. Crumpled receipts, a spreadsheet, and three reminders for one taxi receipt. | A pile of receipts, an overflowing spreadsheet |
| 10 to 20 s | With Expensa, every expense is recorded with one photo, the moment it happens. | A phone snaps a receipt |
| 20 to 45 s | The amount and VAT are read automatically. The manager approves with one tap. Accounting receives everything, already sorted. | Three steps: photo, approval, export |
| 45 to 53 s | Teams using it close their expense reports in minutes. | A figure, a clock |
| 53 to 60 s | Try Expensa free for a month. | The logo, the website address |
That is about 70 words of voice-over: the video breathes, and the screen carries the rest. The figures in a real video would come from your own data, never from an estimate.
Writing rules
- One idea per sentence. A sentence is said in one breath.
- Spoken language. Write for the ear: short words, no brackets, no abbreviations.
- Figures on screen. The voice says "almost all", the screen shows "92%".
- No internal jargon. Your internal project name means nothing to a prospect.
- Read it aloud, stopwatch in hand. It is the only real test of length.
The most common mistakes
- Starting with the company's history instead of the viewer's problem.
- Listing every feature instead of showing the one that matters.
- Writing voice and screen so that they say the same thing.
- Forgetting the call to action, or including three.
- Having one person approve the script, then discovering the other approvers on the animation.
In short
A good explainer script states the problem before the solution, fits the word count, is written in two columns and is approved before any image. With us, it is part of every presentation video, with its written approval. To see where it fits in the project, read our article on the steps of a motion design video, or our guide to corporate motion design video.
