Corporate Video Examples: 12 Types (+ Cost)
October 17, 2026
VEC Team - February 21, 2026 - 20 min read
Explainer video production is one of those investments that seems straightforward until you actually start planning one. What should it cost? How long will it take? Who's responsible for what? What happens if the script needs a complete rewrite after animation has started?
These aren't hypothetical questions. They're the exact situations that derail explainer video projects, blow budgets, and leave marketing teams with a video they're not proud of. The good news is that nearly every production problem is preventable-if you understand how the process actually works.
This guide breaks down explainer video production into its component parts: what each phase involves, what it costs, how long it takes, and where projects typically go sideways. Whether you're producing your first explainer or your fifteenth, you'll walk away with a clear framework for planning, budgeting, and managing the process.
Every professional explainer video production follows the same basic structure, regardless of style, length, or budget. The specifics vary by company, but the phases are consistent. Understanding each phase helps you set realistic expectations, provide better feedback, and avoid costly missteps.
Every successful explainer video production begins with a discovery phase. This isn't a formality-it's the foundation that everything else is built on. During discovery, the production team learns about your product, market, audience, competitors, and objectives.
A thorough discovery process typically includes:
The discovery phase typically takes 3-5 business days and is largely dependent on client availability for calls and feedback. Projects that skip or rush this phase almost always require expensive corrections later.
The script is the most important deliverable in the entire explainer video production process. It determines the video's structure, pacing, emotional arc, and ultimately its effectiveness. A strong script can carry average animation. A weak script will sink even the most beautiful visuals.
Professional scriptwriting for explainer videos follows a specific formula:
For a 90-second video, the script should be approximately 200-225 words. Professional writers read scripts aloud to test pacing and naturalness. The scripting phase usually involves 2-3 revision rounds and takes 5-7 business days.
Once the script is approved, the visual planning begins. The storyboard is a scene-by-scene visual representation of the video-think of it as a comic book version of your final product. Each frame shows what will appear on screen during a specific section of the narration.
Style frames go a step further. While storyboards are often rough sketches, style frames are fully rendered examples of what the final animation will look like. They define the color palette, illustration style, character design, typography, and overall visual language.
This phase is critical because it's the last chance to make major changes before animation begins. Changing the script after animation starts is expensive-often requiring rework of completed scenes. Changing the visual direction after animation starts is even worse.
Professional voiceover recording typically happens in parallel with the storyboard approval process or immediately after. The production company will either use their in-house talent, cast from a pool of professional voice actors, or work with a talent you've selected.
Key considerations for voiceover:
Voiceover recording itself takes 1-2 hours, but the casting and review process adds 2-3 business days to the timeline.
This is where the magic happens-and where the majority of the budget goes. Animation is time-intensive, technically demanding, and difficult to rush without compromising quality.
The animation phase involves:
For a 90-second 2D explainer video, expect the animation phase to take 7-10 business days. More complex styles (isometric 3D, mixed media) may require additional time.
The final phase involves client review of the animated draft, revision cycles, and final polish. Professional studios build 2-3 revision rounds into this phase.
Sound design is often the unsung hero of great explainer videos. It includes:
Final delivery includes the completed video in multiple formats and resolutions: high-res for web embedding, compressed versions for social platforms, and format variations (16:9, 9:16, 1:1) for different distribution channels.
Pricing in the explainer video world is famously opaque. You'll find quotes ranging from $300 to $50,000 for seemingly similar deliverables. Understanding what drives costs helps you set a realistic budget and evaluate proposals intelligently.
Seven factors primarily influence explainer video production costs:
Prices reflect full-service production including strategy, script, VO, animation, and sound design. Execution-only pricing may be 30-50% lower.
Here's what each budget tier typically gets you:
Under $3,000 - Template-Based Production
At this price point, you're getting templated animation with limited customization. Characters, backgrounds, and transitions come from a library. The script may be written by a generalist or provided by you. Voiceover is often from a marketplace like Fiverr or Voices.com. There's minimal strategic input. This tier works for internal communications, MVP product videos, or social media content where production value isn't critical.
$5,000 - $15,000 - Professional Custom Production
This is where most SaaS companies should start. You get custom illustrations tailored to your brand, professional scriptwriting, dedicated project management, quality voiceover, and proper sound design. The production team includes specialists at each stage-not one person doing everything. Expect 2-3 revision rounds and 4-6 weeks from kickoff to delivery.
According to Vidico's 2026 cost guide, a professional 2-minute explainer video typically costs between $5,000 and $25,000 depending on complexity. Industry averages put the figure at around $11,000 for a standard explainer.
$15,000 - $30,000+ - Premium Full-Service Production
Premium production includes everything in the professional tier plus extensive strategy work, custom character design, advanced animation techniques (3D, mixed media), premium voice talent, original music composition, and comprehensive multi-format delivery. This tier is appropriate for flagship products, major launches, investor-facing content, or companies where the explainer video is the centerpiece of their go-to-market strategy.
Understanding the cost breakdown helps you evaluate quotes and identify where studios might be cutting corners:
Animation is always the largest line item because it's the most labor-intensive phase. A single minute of quality 2D animation can take 40-80 hours of animator time. That's why rushing the animation phase usually means compromising quality-there's simply no shortcut.
The biggest timeline killer in explainer video production isn't the studio's speed-it's the client's feedback velocity. Here's how to keep your project on track:
Before the project starts, establish who needs to review each deliverable and how quickly they need to respond. If your CEO needs to approve the script, make sure that's on their calendar. Feedback delays of 3-5 days at each stage can easily add 3-4 weeks to a project that should have taken 5.
Nothing derails production faster than contradictory feedback from multiple stakeholders. Designate one person as the single point of contact who consolidates all internal feedback before sending it to the studio. This prevents the studio from receiving conflicting directions.
The strategy and script phases are where you should spend the most time and energy. Get the message right before you start visualizing it. Changes at the script stage cost almost nothing. Changes at the animation stage can cost thousands.
Professional studios present work in stages for a reason-each approval locks in a foundation that the next phase builds on. Don't wait until you see the animated draft to raise script concerns. Approve each phase before moving to the next.
If you need the video by March 15, tell the studio March 1. Buffer time absorbs the inevitable delays-internal review cycles, stakeholder vacations, unexpected revision requests-without putting the final deadline at risk.
SaaS explainer video production has unique requirements that generic studios often miss:
How do you show a software product in an animated video? This is the central creative challenge. Options include:
The right approach depends on your audience's familiarity with your product category. If they know what CRM software looks like, show your UI. If they don't even know they need your category, lead with the problem and introduce the product later.
SaaS products evolve constantly. A video that shows specific UI elements may become outdated within months. Smart production approaches include:
Most SaaS products serve multiple buyer personas. A single explainer video typically needs to speak to one primary persona. If you have significantly different audiences (e.g., developers and business users), consider producing multiple versions rather than trying to serve everyone with one video.
With tools like Descript, Canva, and various AI-powered video generators, it's tempting to produce explainer videos in-house. Here's an honest comparison:
DIY makes sense when:
Professional production makes sense when:
There's no shame in DIY for the right use cases. But for your primary explainer video-the one that introduces your product to the world-professional production almost always delivers a better return.
Regardless of your budget, these strategies help you maximize the return on your investment:
A single 16:9 video is a wasted opportunity. Request vertical (9:16) and square (1:1) versions for social media. Request shorter cuts (15s, 30s) for paid advertising. Request a version without the CTA for use in presentations. These additional formats cost relatively little when produced alongside the main video but dramatically expand your distribution options.
Always ensure your contract includes full ownership of the final video and source files (After Effects projects, Illustrator files, etc.). This allows you to make minor updates-changing a CTA, updating a statistic, swapping a logo-without going back to the studio.
If you have to allocate extra budget somewhere, put it into the script. A better script is the single highest-leverage improvement you can make. If the studio offers an additional strategy session or script revision round as an add-on, take it.
Producing multiple videos at once is significantly more cost-effective than producing them individually. The studio can reuse character designs, illustration assets, and the overall visual system across videos. Many studios offer 15-25% discounts for multi-video packages.
We see these mistakes regularly across projects of all sizes:
This is the most expensive mistake in explainer video production. When animation starts on an unapproved script, every script change means re-animating scenes. What should be a $200 script revision becomes a $2,000 animation rework. Never, ever allow animation to begin until the script is 100% approved by all stakeholders.
When six stakeholders all have different opinions and all of them are communicated directly to the studio, chaos ensues. Appoint one decision-maker. Consolidate feedback internally before sharing it externally.
Your CEO's favorite color doesn't matter. What matters is whether the video resonates with your target audience. Keep feedback focused on whether the video achieves its objective-not on personal aesthetic preferences.
Sound design accounts for a disproportionate share of a video's perceived quality. A well-animated video with poor audio feels cheap. A decently animated video with great sound design feels premium. Don't skimp on this phase.
The best explainer video in the world is worthless if nobody sees it. Before you invest in production, have a plan for homepage placement, email campaigns, social media distribution, paid amplification, sales enablement, and partnership channels.
At Video Editing Company, we've refined our production process over hundreds of SaaS and B2B explainer video projects. Our approach emphasizes strategic messaging, transparent timelines, and a collaborative process that gives you control without the chaos.
Every project includes a dedicated project manager, professional scriptwriting, custom animation, and multi-format delivery. We work on fixed-price engagements with clear milestones-no surprise invoices, no scope creep.
Curious about what your project would cost? Book a free consultation View Pricing and we'll give you an honest estimate based on your specific requirements.
Use our free budget calculator to estimate costs for your explainer video production based on style, length, and service level.
Get the Budget Calculator ? See PricingA professional 60-second explainer video typically costs between $5,000 and $15,000 for custom 2D animation with full-service production (strategy, script, voiceover, animation, sound design). Template-based options start around $1,500. Premium productions with 3D animation or mixed media can exceed $25,000.
A standard explainer video production takes 4-6 weeks from kickoff to final delivery. This includes discovery (1 week), scripting (1 week), storyboarding (1 week), animation (1-2 weeks), and revisions (1 week). Complex projects or those with slow feedback cycles may take 8-10 weeks.
Yes, but with tradeoffs. Rush timelines of 2-3 weeks are possible by overlapping phases and limiting revision rounds. Most studios charge a 25-50% rush fee. The risk is that compressed timelines leave less room for strategic refinement and may result in a video that's "good enough" rather than great.
A full-service package typically includes: discovery/strategy session, creative brief, scriptwriting (2-3 drafts), storyboard, style frames, professional voiceover, custom animation, sound design and music, 2-3 revision rounds, and final delivery in multiple formats. Some studios also include project management tools and a dedicated point of contact.
Let the studio write it. Professional video scriptwriters understand pacing, visual storytelling, and how to structure a narrative for screen-skills that differ significantly from blog writing or ad copywriting. Provide a detailed brief with your key messages, but let the experts craft the script.
Animation style is the single biggest cost driver. Whiteboard animation requires the least animator time, while 3D animation requires the most. The second biggest driver is video length-each additional 30 seconds adds 20-30% to the animation cost because every second needs to be illustrated and animated.
This depends on the contract. Reputable studios transfer full ownership of the final video and source files (After Effects projects, illustrations) upon final payment. Always confirm IP ownership in writing before signing. Some studios retain ownership of source files unless you pay an additional fee-clarify this upfront.
Explainer video production is a significant investment-but when done right, it's one of the highest-ROI marketing activities available to SaaS companies. The key is understanding the process well enough to be a great client: provide clear briefs, give timely feedback, trust the professionals you've hired, and invest where it matters most (strategy and script).
Use this guide as your reference throughout the process. Bookmark it, share it with your team, and come back to it when you need to evaluate proposals, set timelines, or make budget decisions.
And when you're ready to start your next explainer video project, we'd love to talk.
