What Is Included in an Explainer Video Project?

When a business commissions an explainer video, what it usually pictures is the finished film: sixty or ninety seconds of animation that makes a product or idea click. What it actually buys is a chain of deliverables, each one approved before the next begins, ending in a set of files that have to work on a website, in a sales deck, on social platforms and, sometimes, in five languages. Knowing the full list of explainer video project deliverables is the easiest way to compare proposals fairly, avoid paying twice for the same work, and end the project with everything you need to reuse it.

This guide is for marketing managers, founders, product teams and procurement leads who are commissioning an explainer for the first time or who have been burned before by a project that delivered one MP4 and nothing else. It walks through each deliverable group, what it is, why it matters, what good looks like and what is often missing. It then covers how scope changes with runtime and budget, what a proper handover contains, the contract terms worth reading twice, and how to line up competing proposals side by side.

The short answer: a complete explainer video project includes a creative brief and approved script, a storyboard, style frames that set the visual design, an animatic that locks timing against a scratch or final voice-over, the full animation, professional voice-over, music and sound design, a final mix, master and delivery exports in the formats and aspect ratios you need, captions, and a handover of source files and licenses. Anything a proposal leaves out of that list is either something you will not get, or something you will pay for later.

Script and creative brief: the deliverable that decides everything else

Every explainer starts with words. The script is the most important deliverable in the project because it fixes the message, the order of ideas and the runtime, and runtime drives cost more than anything else. Animation cost scales close to linearly with seconds. A sixty-second explainer is roughly twice a thirty. That means every sentence in the script has a price, and the discipline of cutting it matters.

What it is

The script deliverable is usually two documents. The first is a creative brief or discovery summary, in which the studio writes back what it understood: the audience, the single problem the video addresses, the one action the viewer should take, the tone, and where the video will be used. The second is the script itself, written as a two-column document with voice-over on one side and a short visual note on the other, and a word count that matches the target runtime.

Why it matters

Changing the script after animation has begun means redoing the animation. A new sentence is not a quick edit at that point; it shifts the timing of everything that follows, and it may require new scenes, new illustration and a new voice-over session. Locking the script early is the single cheapest way to keep an explainer on budget.

What good looks like

• A clear problem, a clear solution and a clear next step, in that order.
• Plain language read aloud at a natural pace, not marketing copy compressed to fit.
• A word count that matches the runtime. Voice-over reads at roughly two to three words per second for most explainers, so a sixty-second script usually lands somewhere around 130 to 160 words. Check this against your own read-through rather than treating it as a rule.
• Visual notes that describe ideas, not just "show the product."
• A stated number of script revision rounds, and a sign-off step.

What is often missing

The most common gap is the brief itself. Studios that go straight to script without writing back what they understood often discover in the storyboard that the audience or message was misunderstood. The second gap is a word count: a script that reads beautifully on paper can run twenty seconds over when voiced, and those twenty seconds cost money. For more on getting this phase right, our guide on how to get explainer video animation right covers script structure in more depth.

Storyboard and style frames: agreeing what it will look like

Once the words are fixed, the next deliverables fix the pictures. The storyboard shows what happens in each scene; the style frames show how it will look. Together they are the point at which you can still change your mind cheaply about visual direction.

What they are

A storyboard is a sequence of frames, one or more per scene, with the matching script line under each and notes on movement and transitions. It can be rough sketches or cleaner digital drawings, but it should cover the entire video. Style frames are a small number of fully designed stills, typically two to four, rendered in final color, typography and illustration style. They show exactly what finished frames will look like before animation starts.

Why they matter

Illustration load is one of the main drivers of cost. Custom characters and bespoke illustration are a separate discipline before animation starts, and the storyboard and style frames are where you see how much of it the project needs. A storyboard with twenty scenes each requiring new custom illustration is a very different project from one that reuses a small set of icons and interface screens. If the budget is tight, this is the stage to simplify.

What good looks like

• Every script line mapped to at least one frame, with nothing left as "TBC."
• Style frames that use your real brand colors, fonts and, where relevant, real product screens.
• A clear indication of which scenes need custom illustration, which need character animation, and which use simpler typographic or iconographic motion.
• Notes on transitions, so the animator is not inventing the flow between scenes.
• A sign-off step for both storyboard and style frames.

What is often missing

Style frames are the deliverable most often skipped in low-cost proposals. Without them, the first time you see the real look is in the animation, and any change at that point is expensive. Another gap is clarity on characters: a storyboard with people in it should say whether they will be rigged characters that move believably, or simpler figures. Rigged characters that move believably are the most expensive thing in this field, by some distance, and the storyboard is where that decision should be made deliberately.

The animatic: locking timing before the expensive part

An animatic is the storyboard frames edited together against the voice-over, with rough timing and simple movement. It is a short, crude video, and it is one of the most useful deliverables in the whole project.

What it is

The animatic uses the storyboard frames, or rough versions of the final assets, cut to a scratch or final voice-over track. Each scene is held for the length of its line, with basic moves to suggest camera and transitions. It shows the rhythm of the video before any serious animation hours are spent.

Why it matters

Timing problems are cheap to fix in an animatic and expensive to fix in animation. If a scene feels rushed, if an idea needs an extra beat, or if the pacing drags in the middle, you can see it here. The animatic is also the last reasonable point to adjust the script; after it is approved, script changes cascade through the animation. Pacing matters differently depending on where the video will play, and our guide to pacing for social video animation covers how cutdowns for social platforms change the rhythm.

What good looks like

• Timed to a real voice-over, ideally the final one, or a scratch track read at the same pace.
• Covers the full runtime, with every scene present.
• Includes a rough music bed if music is important to the pacing.
• Has a clear sign-off step, after which the timing is considered locked.

What is often missing

Some proposals combine storyboard and animatic into a single step, or skip the animatic entirely and go straight to animation. That can work for very short pieces, such as a logo sting, but for a full explainer it removes the safety net that stops timing problems becoming animation problems.

Animation: the core of the project and the biggest line item

Animation is where most of the time and money goes. It turns the approved storyboard, style frames and animatic into finished motion, scene by scene.

What it is

The animation deliverable is the full video, usually delivered first as a work-in-progress cut for review, then revised through an agreed number of rounds to a final picture lock. It includes all scene animation, transitions, on-screen text, interface or product motion where relevant, and any character animation.

Why it matters

This is the deliverable you will be judged on. It also carries most of the cost drivers: runtime, illustration load, character animation and 3D elements. Mixing 3D into motion graphics brings the 3D pipeline and its render times with it, so a single 3D product shot in an otherwise 2D explainer can add more than its seconds suggest.

What good looks like

• Motion that serves the message: movement draws the eye to the idea being explained, not away from it.
• Consistent style with the approved style frames, with no surprises.
• Readable on-screen text, held long enough to read and sized for the smallest screen it will play on.
• A stated number of revision rounds, with a clear definition of what counts as a revision and what counts as a change of scope.
• Work-in-progress reviews at sensible points, so problems are caught early.

What is often missing

The revision definition. "Two rounds of revisions" means little unless it says what a revision is. Adjusting a color or nudging a transition is a revision; rewriting a scene or changing the script is not. Revision rounds after animation starts are one of the listed cost drivers precisely because they are where scope creeps. Our guide to scoping animation projects goes into how to write revision terms that protect both sides.

Voice-over, music and sound: the half of the video people hear

Audio is often treated as an afterthought, yet it carries the message in most explainers. A strong voice-over and well-judged sound design can make modest animation feel polished; poor audio can make excellent animation feel cheap.

What it includes

• Voice-over. Casting options, a recording session with a professional voice actor, and edited, cleaned audio files. Pickups for small script fixes should be covered.
• Music. Either a licensed track from a library, with a license suitable for your intended use, or a custom composition.
• Sound design. Custom sound effects that match on-screen movement: clicks, whooshes, interface sounds, ambient beds.
• Final mix. Voice, music and effects balanced and mastered to a stated loudness target.

Why it matters

Licensing is where audio causes trouble later. A voice-over recorded for web use may not cover broadcast or paid advertising; a music track licensed for one platform may not cover another. If the video is later used in a paid campaign or on television and the license does not cover it, you either pay again or pull the video.

What good looks like

• Casting options from which you choose, rather than a single voice presented as final.
• Voice and music usage rights stated in writing, covering the media, territory and duration you need.
• A mix delivered to a stated loudness target appropriate to where the video will play. Broadcast delivery in the United States typically follows the ATSC A/85 recommended practice; online platforms apply their own normalization, so ask the studio what target they mix to and why.
• Separate stems (voice, music, effects) delivered with the handover, so the audio can be remixed or localized later.

What is often missing

Stems and usage rights. Many projects deliver only a mixed final file, which makes localization or a music change much harder. And usage rights are often unstated, which leaves you guessing whether the video can be used in a paid campaign.

Exports, aspect ratios and captions: making the video usable everywhere

A single master file is not a finished deliverable. The video has to play properly on a website, in a presentation, on social platforms and possibly on screens at events, and each of those places has different requirements.

What it includes

The table below shows a typical export set for an explainer used across web and social. It is an example; your list should come from where the video will actually appear.

Why it matters

Vertical and square versions are not a matter of cropping. A 16:9 composition cropped to 9:16 loses most of the frame, cuts off text and usually breaks the layout. Proper vertical versions are recomposed, and that is real work that should be scoped. Captions matter both for accessibility and for performance, since many social platforms autoplay video without sound. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines treat captions for prerecorded video with audio as a Level A requirement, which is why many organizations require them on their websites.

What good looks like

• An export list agreed at the start, not negotiated at the end.
• Recomposed vertical and square versions, not crops.
• Caption files checked against the final voice-over, with correct timing and spelling of product names.
• Transparent files delivered correctly where elements must sit over other content; our guide to transparent video and alpha channels explains the format choices.

What is often missing

Aspect ratio versions and cutdowns are the items most often assumed and least often scoped. If a proposal says "final video in HD" and nothing more, expect to pay again for every other version. Localization is the other hidden item: text-heavy motion in eight languages is eight timing passes, not one export, because translated text and voice-over run to different lengths and every scene needs retiming.

Source files and licenses: the handover that makes the video reusable

The handover is what you are left with when the studio moves on. A good one lets you, or another studio, update the video in a year's time without starting from scratch. A poor one leaves you with a single MP4 and no way to change a price, a logo or a screen.

What it includes

• Project files. The animation project files, for example After Effects projects, organized and collected with their linked assets.
• Design files. The illustration and design files used for style frames and scenes.
• Audio. Final mix and separate stems for voice, music and effects.
• Fonts list. The fonts used, with their license status. Fonts are usually licensed to the user, so the studio may not be able to hand over the font files themselves.
• Licenses. Voice, music, stock footage and stock motion licenses, with the terms of use.
• Handover note. A short document explaining the file structure, the software versions used, any plugins required and how to re-export.

Why it matters

Products change. Interfaces are redesigned, prices change, logos are refreshed. An explainer with well-organized source files can be updated for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Without them, every change means rebuilding scenes. Our guides on After Effects project organization and archiving animation projects explain what a usable handover looks like in practice.

What good looks like

• Project files that open without missing assets on a machine with the stated software and plugins.
• Clear naming of compositions and layers, so another animator can find the scene they need.
• A written list of third-party plugins, since a project that depends on an unlisted plugin may not open correctly elsewhere.
• All licenses gathered in one place, with the covered uses noted.

What is often missing

Source files themselves. Some studios exclude them by default or charge extra for them. That can be reasonable, since source files represent a lot of craft, but it should be stated up front, not discovered when you ask. Stock asset licenses are another gap; if the studio used stock motion elements or footage, you need to know the terms. Our guide on using stock motion assets explains what to check.

How scope changes with runtime, style and budget

The typical US market range for an explainer video is $3,000 – $20,000 per minute, covering script, storyboard, custom design, animation, voice-over and sound. That range is wide because the cost drivers are real: runtime, illustration load, character animation, 3D elements, revision rounds after animation starts and localization. Where a project falls in that range depends on which of those it includes, not on the studio's ambition. For reference, a logo sting or short title typically runs $500 – $3,000 for a few seconds of brand motion, and UI and product motion typically runs $1,500 – $12,000 for interface animation, Lottie assets and developer specs.

The comparison below shows how scope typically differs across the explainer range. It is a guide to what changes as budgets rise, not a price list; where a particular project lands depends on its runtime and the drivers above.

Two things are worth noticing. First, the biggest jumps in scope come from characters, 3D and localization, which is why they are listed as cost drivers. Second, a project at the lower end of the range can still be excellent if its design is disciplined and its script is short. A tight thirty-second explainer with typographic and interface motion often communicates better than a rambling two-minute film with characters. Our article on how much explainer video animation costs covers pricing in more depth.

A worked example

The following is illustrative, not a real project. Suppose a software company wants a sixty-second explainer for its homepage and a vertical version for social. The script is written at about 150 words and read aloud at 62 seconds, so the team cuts one sentence to land at 58 seconds. The storyboard has 14 scenes. Style frames cover three of them: the opening problem scene, a product interface scene and the closing call to action. Two scenes need custom illustration; the rest use interface screens and typographic motion. There are no rigged characters and no 3D.

Later the company asks for a thirty-second cutdown and a Spanish version. Because the runtime of the cutdown is half the original, and animation cost scales close to linearly with seconds, the cutdown is not free, but it can reuse most assets, so the work is largely re-editing and retiming. The Spanish version needs a new voice-over, translated on-screen text and a timing pass on every scene, because Spanish text and voice-over run to different lengths. If the original project delivered organized source files and separate audio stems, both requests are straightforward. If it delivered a single MP4, both mean rebuilding.

How the project runs, phase by phase

A typical explainer runs through five phases. The durations below are typical ranges; the real time depends on runtime, complexity and how quickly approvals come back.

• Script and storyboard: 1–2 weeks.
• Style frames: 1 week.
• Animatic: 3–5 days.
• Animation: 2–5 weeks depending on runtime.
• Sound and delivery: 1 week.

Approval time sits between each phase. A project where the client takes a week to approve each step will run far longer than the sum of the production phases. Agree review windows up front, name a single decision-maker, and collect all stakeholder feedback before sending it to the studio. Conflicting feedback from different departments is one of the most common reasons explainers overrun.

Where regulated subjects add time

Explainers in healthcare, financial services and insurance often need compliance or legal review of the script and final video, which adds approval rounds. Build that into the schedule from the start. Our guide to healthcare explainer animation covers the particular review steps those subjects involve.

Contract terms to check before you sign

The contract or statement of work is where the deliverables list becomes enforceable. Read it with the checklist at the top of this guide beside you.

Deliverables list

Every deliverable you expect should be named: script, storyboard, style frames, animatic, animation, voice-over, music, sound design, exports by format and aspect ratio, captions, source files and licenses. If it is not listed, assume it is not included.

Revisions

Check how many rounds are included at each stage, what counts as a revision, and what the rate is for extra rounds. The contract should also say that script changes after animatic approval are a change of scope, since they mean redoing animation.

Ownership and usage rights

Check who owns the finished video and the source files, and what usage rights you have for voice, music, stock and fonts. Ownership of the video does not automatically include rights to third-party elements within it; those come with their own licenses.

Payment schedule

Payments are commonly split across milestones, such as a deposit at the start and further payments at storyboard, animation and delivery. Check that milestones match approvals, so you are paying for deliverables you have seen.

Timeline and approvals

Check whether the timeline assumes approval within a set number of days, and what happens if approvals are late. Most studios move the delivery date when approvals slip; that is reasonable, but it should be written down.

Cancellation and kill fees

Check what happens if the project is canceled partway through: what you pay, and what you receive. Usually you pay for work completed and receive the deliverables produced to that point.

Archiving

Check how long the studio will keep the project files after delivery, and whether they will be handed over. If source files are not part of the handover, you depend on the studio still having them when you need an update.

How to compare explainer video proposals side by side

Proposals for the same brief can vary widely in price, and the difference is usually in the deliverables, not the studio's rates. Comparing them properly means laying out the deliverables side by side.

A comparison method

1. List every deliverable from the checklist at the top of this guide as rows.
2. For each proposal, mark whether each deliverable is included, excluded or unclear.
3. Ask each studio to clarify the unclear items in writing.
4. Note revision rounds, usage rights and source file terms for each.
5. Compare runtimes: a proposal priced for forty-five seconds is not comparable with one priced for ninety.
6. Only then compare prices, and ask how each studio would reduce the price if needed, since the answer shows which deliverables they see as optional.

Questions to ask every studio

• How many style frames will we see before animation starts?
• Will there be an animatic, and will it be timed to the final voice-over?
• What counts as a revision, and what counts as a change of scope?
• Which aspect ratios and cutdowns are included, and are they recomposed?
• What usage rights come with the voice-over and music?
• Will we receive source files, stems and a handover note?
• How would localization be handled if we need it later?

Warning signs

Be wary of proposals that quote a single price with no deliverables list, skip style frames and the animatic, promise unlimited revisions, or are vague about usage rights. Unlimited revisions in particular tend to mean either that the studio expects to absorb losses, or that the definition of a revision will be argued later. A clear, bounded scope is better for both sides.

If you want to see how a studio structures these deliverables in practice, our motion graphics and animation services page sets out how we approach explainer projects.