A one-minute motion design video takes a few weeks of work. It is not the animation that takes longest, it is everything before it: understanding the goal, writing the message, getting it approved, drawing every shot. The stronger those steps, the faster the animation, and the fewer the changes at the end.
Here are the five steps, with what happens, what you receive and what we need from you at each one. The dates are those of a presentation video, delivered in 28 days.
1. Scoping (days 1 to 3)
What happens. A call of about an hour to understand the goal, the audience, the message and the constraints. We start from your brief, if there is one, and complete it together.
What you receive. A written brief, the full schedule with the date of each approval, and the list of approvers.
What we need from you. One person who consolidates feedback and gives approvals, plus subject-matter experts if the topic is technical. This is when to say who must approve: an approver discovered along the way costs one more version.
To prepare the call, our one-page brief template comes down to five questions.
2. The script (days 4 to 8)
What happens. We write the voice-over and on-screen text, sequence by sequence. It is the most important step: this is where the message is decided, and where a change costs almost nothing.
What you receive. The script, in a document every approver can annotate.
What we need from you. A written approval, consolidated by your contact. If legal or compliance must review, now is the time. Our article on the explainer video script details its structure.
3. The storyboard (days 9 to 12)
What happens. Every shot is drawn, in order, with its text. We also set the art direction: colours, typefaces, illustration style, within your brand guidelines.
What you receive. The full storyboard, shot by shot: you see the whole video before it is animated.
What we need from you. A written approval. It is the last moment to change your mind at no cost: after that, we animate.
4. Animation and sound (days 13 to 24)
What happens. The shots come to life. The voice-over is recorded, preferably by a professional voice actor, or with a synthetic voice if you ask for one. The music is chosen, the sound design added.
What you receive. A first complete version of the video, with sound.
What we need from you. A first round of feedback, consolidated: a single list, where conflicting opinions are already settled. That is what makes revisions fast.
5. Revisions and delivery (days 25 to 28)
What happens. Two rounds of feedback are included. Each round is handled on a numbered version, so everyone talks about the same one.
What you receive. Exports for each channel, subtitles, the versions planned in the quote, and the source files if you ask for them.
What we need from you. The final approval, and the release date.
Why this order matters
Each step approves what would be expensive to change later. Substance is approved on text, form on drawings, and animation only starts on content that is already approved. That is what makes it possible to keep a schedule and a fixed price: changes come when they cost little.
And for the other formats?
The same steps apply, with different durations:
| Format | Delivery | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Internal video | 21 days | A shorter script, approved by leadership and HR |
| Presentation video | 28 days | The steps described above |
| E-learning module | 35 days | A workshop with your experts at scoping, an instructional script |
The day-by-day detail is on our process page.
In short
Five steps, a written approval at each one, and an order that makes changes come when they cost little. On your side, one contact who consolidates feedback and approvers known from day one. For the big picture, read our guide to corporate motion design video.
