Corporate Video Examples: 12 Types (+ Cost)
October 17, 2026
VEC Team - February 21, 2026 - 19 min read
When you start shopping for explainer video services, you'll quickly discover that "explainer video" means very different things to different companies. One studio's basic package might include strategic consulting, scriptwriting, custom animation, and multi-format delivery. Another studio's premium package might only cover animation with you providing everything else.
This inconsistency makes comparison shopping genuinely difficult. How do you know if a $5,000 quote is a great deal or a terrible one if you can't tell what's included? How do you evaluate whether a service package actually covers what you need?
This guide breaks down exactly what professional explainer video services include, how service packages are typically structured, what you should expect at each price point, and how to identify gaps that could create problems during production. Think of it as your decoder ring for the explainer video industry.
Regardless of how a company structures their packages, professional explainer video services consist of the same fundamental components. Understanding each one helps you evaluate proposals and identify when something important is missing.
Strategy is the invisible ingredient that separates videos that convert from videos that don't. It encompasses everything that happens before a single frame is designed:
Not all explainer video services include strategy. Budget studios typically skip this entirely and expect you to provide a brief. Mid-tier companies may include a light discovery call. Premium services build strategy into the foundation of every project.
If strategy isn't included in the package, you'll either need to develop it yourself or hire a separate consultant. Skipping strategy entirely is the most common reason explainer videos underperform-the message is off, the audience isn't clearly defined, or the video tries to do too many things.
The script is where your strategy becomes a concrete narrative. Professional scriptwriting for explainer videos is a specialized skill-it's not copywriting, it's not blogging, and it's not screenwriting. It's a hybrid discipline that requires understanding of visual storytelling, audio pacing, and marketing psychology.
A professional scriptwriting service typically includes:
For a 90-second explainer, the script will be approximately 200-225 words. This seems short, but every word matters. Professional video scriptwriters often spend more time cutting words than writing them-ruthless editing is what makes the difference between a script that flows and one that feels rushed.
Storyboarding translates the script into a visual plan. It shows what will appear on screen during each section of the narration, including compositions, character positions, transitions, and key visual moments.
Most professional services include two levels of visual planning:
Style frames are particularly important because they're your preview of the final product. If you're happy with the style frames, you'll be happy with the final video. If you're not, this is the time to course-correct-before animation begins.
Custom illustration is what separates professional explainer videos from template-based ones. This phase involves creating all the visual elements that will appear in the video:
The complexity and detail of illustration work varies dramatically across service levels. Budget services use pre-made asset libraries with limited customization. Premium services create everything from scratch, tailored to your brand.
Professional voiceover recording is a standard component of most explainer video services. What's included varies:
Voice quality has a massive impact on perceived video quality. A great voiceover can make decent animation feel premium. A poor voiceover makes even beautiful animation feel amateurish.
This is the main event-the service that most people think of when they hear "explainer video." Animation involves bringing the illustrated storyboard to life through movement, timing, and transitions.
Animation quality is determined by:
Sound design is often underappreciated but dramatically affects how a video feels. Professional sound design includes:
Revisions are a crucial part of any service engagement. The number of revision rounds included varies by package, but professional services typically include 2-3 rounds at the animation stage, plus revisions at the script and storyboard stages.
Final delivery should include the completed video in multiple formats optimized for different platforms. A comprehensive delivery includes:
Most explainer video companies structure their explainer video services into tiered packages. Understanding what each tier typically includes helps you choose the right level for your needs and budget.
Choose Starter if: You need a professional video quickly, have a clear message already defined, and the video will primarily live on your website or in presentations. Budget-conscious startups and companies producing supplementary content (not their hero video) are well-served by this tier.
Choose Professional if: This is your primary explainer video-the one that introduces your product to the world. You need strategic input on messaging, custom visuals that match your brand, and multi-format delivery for social distribution. This is the sweet spot for most SaaS companies.
Choose Premium if: You're a well-funded company where this video will be the centerpiece of a major campaign or launch. You need the highest production values, extensive strategic collaboration, and maximum flexibility in the creative process.
Beyond what's delivered, how should the experience feel? Here's what a professional engagement looks like from the client's perspective:
After signing, you'll receive a welcome email with next steps, access to a project management tool (many studios use Monday.com, Asana, or Notion), and a calendar invite for the kickoff call. The kickoff is typically 60-90 minutes and covers your business context, audience, competitive landscape, and project objectives.
You'll be asked to provide brand assets (logos, color codes, fonts), existing marketing materials, competitor examples you like or dislike, and any reference videos that represent the tone or style you're aiming for.
The creative team will develop a first draft script based on the discovery insights. You'll review it, provide feedback, and they'll refine. This cycle typically repeats 2-3 times until the script feels right.
During this phase, be specific in your feedback. "I don't like it" isn't actionable. "The opening doesn't address our audience's primary pain point" is. "The CTA should be stronger and more specific" is. The more precise your feedback, the faster the script gets to the right place.
Once the script is approved, you'll receive a storyboard showing the visual plan for each scene. At the professional tier and above, you'll also receive 2-3 style frames showing the final visual direction.
This is your opportunity to flag any issues with the visual approach-brand alignment, representation, complexity, tone. Changes at this stage are easy and free. Changes after animation starts are neither.
Voiceover recording and animation happen during this phase. You may be asked to approve voiceover auditions or select from multiple takes. The animation team will produce the full video based on the approved storyboard and style frames.
Many studios provide a mid-production check-in-a rough animation or work-in-progress review. This isn't a revision opportunity so much as a confidence check: "Are we on the right track?"
You'll receive the first complete draft of the animated video. Review it with your stakeholders and consolidate feedback into a single document. The studio will implement revisions and deliver the updated version. This cycle repeats for 2-3 rounds until you're happy with the final product.
Final delivery includes all format versions and, depending on your package, source files for future editing.
Understanding what's excluded is just as important as understanding what's included. Common exclusions that catch clients off guard:
When you have proposals from multiple providers, use this framework to compare them apples-to-apples:
Create a comparison matrix listing every component. For each proposal, mark whether each component is included, excluded, or available as an add-on. This makes it easy to see where proposals differ in scope, even when they look similar at the headline level.
The lowest quote isn't always the cheapest option. If Provider A quotes $5,000 but doesn't include scripting, strategy, or multi-format delivery, you'll need to source those separately. Provider B at $10,000 with everything included may actually be the better deal-and certainly the simpler engagement.
Read the fine print. Common hidden costs include:
At the end of the day, the most important question is: will this video drive the business outcome you need? A $15,000 video that increases demo requests by 40% is infinitely more valuable than a $3,000 video that doesn't move the needle. Evaluate based on portfolio quality, strategic depth, and track record-not just price.
Beyond standard explainer videos, many companies offer specialized explainer video services for specific situations:
Designed for new product announcements, these videos typically have higher production values, more emotional storytelling, and are optimized for social sharing and press coverage. They're often longer (2-3 minutes) and include more comprehensive product coverage.
Shorter (30-60 seconds) videos focused on individual features or capabilities. These are ideal for product marketing, sales enablement, and customer education. Companies often produce these in series, maintaining a consistent visual style across multiple videos.
Designed to help new users get started with your product. These are more instructional than promotional-showing step-by-step workflows, key features, and tips for getting value quickly. Good explainer video production partners can create these alongside your primary marketing explainer.
Videos designed for use by your sales team during the sales process. These may be personalized for different buyer personas, address specific objections, or provide deeper product demonstrations. They're typically not public-facing.
Videos that communicate your company's vision, market opportunity, and traction-not just your product. These serve a different audience (investors) with different concerns (market size, team, growth trajectory) and require a different messaging approach.
At Video Editing Company, our explainer video services are built specifically for SaaS and B2B technology companies. Here's what makes our approach different:
Want to see how our services compare to what you're evaluating? Book a call View Pricing and we'll walk you through our process, pricing, and recent work.
Save hours on project scoping with our proven brief template. Covers objectives, audience, messaging, distribution, and timeline planning.
Get the Brief Template ? See PricingAt a minimum, professional explainer video services should include: scriptwriting (or script review/editing), storyboard, animation, voiceover, sound design, at least 2 revision rounds, and final delivery in at least one optimized format. If a provider doesn't include scripting or sound design, you're working with an animation-only vendor-not a full-service provider.
If you have an experienced in-house creative team that can handle strategy, scriptwriting, and creative direction, animation-only services can save you money. If you don't have those capabilities internally-or if you want an outside perspective on your messaging-full-service is the safer choice. Most SaaS companies benefit from full-service engagements.
Sometimes, but it's usually more expensive than bundling upfront. Strategy work is most effective when it happens before production begins-adding it mid-project means potentially reworking completed elements. If you think you might need a service, include it from the start.
At minimum: brand guidelines (logo, colors, fonts), a description of your product and target audience, reference videos you like, your objectives for the video, and your timeline. The more context you provide upfront, the faster and smoother the process will be. A creative brief template can help organize this information.
Yes, but right-size your investment. An early-stage startup doesn't need a $25,000 premium production. A $5,000-8,000 professional video that clearly communicates your value proposition can significantly improve your homepage conversion rate, pitch deck effectiveness, and investor presentations. Focus on message clarity over production polish.
Plan to refresh your primary explainer every 12-18 months, or whenever a major product change affects the core narrative. Minor updates (new logos, updated stats) can be made using source files. If the fundamental value proposition or target audience changes, it's time for a new video.
Explainer video services focus on producing the video itself-strategy, script, animation, and delivery. Video marketing services encompass a broader scope: distribution, advertising, analytics, optimization, and ongoing content strategy. Some companies offer both; many specialize in one or the other. Clarify what you need before you start shopping.
The explainer video services landscape offers something for every budget and need level. The key is matching the service level to your actual requirements-not overpaying for capabilities you don't need, but also not underpaying and ending up with a video that misses the mark.
Use this guide to understand what's available, evaluate proposals critically, and ask the right questions. And remember: the best investment you can make is in the strategy and script. Everything else is built on that foundation.
Ready to explore what's right for your project? Let's talk.
