A good explainer video starts long before anyone opens After Effects, Blender or Moho. The real work begins with the script.

A strong explainer video script gives the animation team a clear story to build around, while making sure the final video speaks to the right audience and supports a real business goal.

At Animwood, we work on animated explainers, B2B videos and marketing content for companies across different industries. Over time, we’ve learned that the best scripts are rarely the most complicated ones. They are focused, visual and written with a specific viewer in mind.

Here are seven things to consider when writing an explainer video script.

1. Start with your buyer persona

Before writing the first line, decide who the video is actually for.

Your script will be very different if you are speaking to a CEO, a software developer, a sales team or a potential customer discovering your product for the first time.

Think about what your audience already knows, what they need to understand and what might convince them to take action. This should influence the complexity of the language, the features you explain and the way you present the problem.

This is especially important for B2B marketing videos. A technical product does not necessarily require a technical script. The goal is to make the value of the product easy to understand.

A good example is our Springboard explainer video, where the product is introduced through the journey of a character rather than through a simple list of features. The story gives the viewer a reason to keep watching while the product information is introduced naturally.

2. Know where the video will be published

Write the script with its final destination in mind.

A video made for a website does not necessarily need the same structure as one designed for LinkedIn, a sales presentation or a private investor meeting. Social media may require a stronger opening and captions, while a sales video can take more time to explain the product.

The publication channel can also affect the format and length of the animation. If you already know that you will need several versions, consider this while writing the original script.

For example, our work for Acumen included the main animated video as well as six cut-down versions in different aspect ratios for social media. Planning for different formats from the beginning makes this much easier later in production.

3. Give the viewer a clear call to action

Every marketing video should have a purpose.

Sometimes that purpose is to explain a product. Sometimes it is to generate a lead, encourage a website visit, book a demo or simply make the viewer remember a brand.

The call to action does not need to be complicated. In many cases, a short and direct sentence works best: “Visit our website”, “Book a demo” or “Get in touch”.

The important thing is that the viewer knows what to do next.

It is also useful to decide on the CTA before finishing the script. It can help you understand what information the viewer actually needs before reaching that final action.

4. Separate the voice-over from the visuals

One of the most useful ways to write an animation script is to use a two-column structure.

The first column contains the voice-over. The second explains what we see on screen.

This distinction is important because animation gives you a second storytelling tool. The visuals should not simply repeat every word spoken by the narrator.

Instead of writing:

“Users can easily access their dashboard.”

and then showing a character clicking on a dashboard, think about what else the image could communicate. You might show the interface, the result it creates or the problem it solves.

This approach gives the animation more room to tell the story.

Our Brainly animated series, for example, used characters to guide viewers through product features rather than relying only on direct explanation. Storytelling and product communication work together instead of competing with each other.

5. Get the voice-over length right

A script can look short on paper and still be too long for the animation.

As a practical rule, a 90-second animated video should have roughly 75 seconds of voice-over. The remaining time gives the viewer space to understand what is happening on screen, absorb transitions and simply breathe between ideas.

The best way to check your script is to read it out loud.

Read it at a normal pace, then try it slightly faster and slightly slower. Record yourself if possible. You will quickly notice sentences that are too long, awkward or simply unnecessary.

This is also where you can remove anything that does not contribute to the main message. A shorter script usually gives the animation more room to work.

6. Show, don’t just tell

Animation is a visual medium, so let the visuals do some of the explaining.

If the voice-over says exactly what the viewer can already see, the video becomes repetitive. Instead, use animation to demonstrate relationships, processes, emotions, interfaces and outcomes.

You can use characters, environments, icons, typography, UI elements or visual metaphors to communicate information without adding more words.

This is particularly useful when explaining complex products. Our Meshmellow explainer, for example, uses a character-driven visual approach to introduce a B2B computer graphics platform while keeping the tone approachable and memorable.

The script should therefore describe not only what the narrator says, but what the audience needs to see.

7. Keep the language simple

The final step is to remove unnecessary complexity.

Industry terminology can be useful when your audience understands it. But if you are speaking to a broader audience, jargon can quickly create distance between the viewer and your message.

This is especially important for technology, SaaS, finance and medical products, where internal terminology can easily find its way into marketing copy.

Use short sentences. Explain complicated ideas in familiar words. Avoid abbreviations unless your audience uses them every day.

The goal is not to make the product sound less sophisticated. It is to make the idea easier to understand.

A good explainer video starts with a good script

Writing an explainer video script is not about filling 60 or 90 seconds with information. It is about deciding what the viewer needs to understand, what they should feel and what they should do next.

Start with the buyer persona. Define where the video will be published. Establish the CTA. Separate voice-over from visuals, check the timing, use animation to show rather than repeat, and keep the language clear.

Once those decisions are made, the production becomes much easier. The storyboard has a stronger foundation, the art direction has a clearer purpose and the animation team knows what each scene needs to achieve.

At Animwood, scriptwriting is part of the creative process we provide alongside art direction, storyboarding and animation. Our explainer video production service covers the process from the initial idea through to the finished animation.

The better the script, the more effectively the animation can do what it is supposed to do: explain something clearly and make people care.

Get in touch with the Animwood team. We’ll be happy to discuss your idea, recommend the right creative approach and help you take it from script to finished animation:

newbusiness@animwood.com