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Introduction
Hey, I'm Danyal Redwan, a brand expert helping organisations across Singapore and Southeast Asia plan and deliver rebrands. My work sits across brand strategy, identity systems, storytelling, and regional brand growth.
Explainer videos are one of the most requested pieces of content we see, and one of the most often wasted. A business pays for a polished animation, posts it on the homepage, and finds that most people stop watching within the first few seconds. The animation was rarely the problem. The thinking before it usually was.
This guide covers how to plan an explainer video, whether animated, 2D infographic, or live action, so that people watch it to the end and understand what you do.
The Direct Answer
An explainer video works when it answers one question for one audience, in the viewer's language rather than yours. Plan it in this order: decide the single thing viewers should understand, write the script before choosing a style, keep it short, show the problem before the product, and design it to match your brand so it builds recognition rather than looking like stock content. Choose 2D animation or infographics when the idea is abstract or technical, and live action when trust depends on seeing real people.
For how we plan and produce video and animation in Singapore, see our videography and animation services.
Who This Article Is For
This article is for marketing leads and founders in Singapore planning an explainer video for a website, a product launch, a sales deck, or social media.
It is especially useful if your offer is technical, new to the market, or hard to explain in a sentence.
What Makes an Explainer Video Work?
1. One question, one audience
The most common mistake is trying to explain everything. A video that covers every feature for every customer type explains nothing to anyone. Decide who is watching and the one question they need answered, such as "what does this do for me?" or "how does this work?", and build only around that.
2. Start with the viewer's problem
Viewers decide quickly whether a video is about them. Open on the situation they recognise, not on your company name or logo. Once they see their own problem, they will stay to hear the answer.
3. Script first, style second
Choosing animation style before the script is written is like choosing fonts before writing the copy. Write and approve the script, read it aloud, and time it. The visual style should serve the script, not the other way around.
4. Keep it short
Shorter is almost always better. Every sentence in the script should earn its place. If a section could be cut without the viewer missing it, cut it.
5. Make it unmistakably yours
An explainer that uses generic characters and stock styles could belong to anyone. One that uses your brand's colours, typography, and tone builds recognition every time it plays. Treat the video as part of your identity system, not a separate piece of marketing (how visual systems keep brands consistent).
Which Type of Explainer Video Should You Choose?
| Format | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 2D animation | Abstract services, processes, software, and ideas that cannot be filmed | Generic character styles that look like everyone else's |
| 2D infographic video | Data, results, comparisons, and step-by-step processes | Too much text on screen at once |
| Motion graphics | Short social clips, product highlights, and brand moments | Movement for its own sake, with no message underneath |
| Live action | Trust, people, places, and real customer stories | Scripts that sound unnatural when spoken by real people |
Many of the strongest videos combine formats: live-action people for trust, with animated graphics to explain the parts that cannot be filmed.
What Does This Look Like in Practice?
The principle of one clear human truth applies to every format. When Osome asked us for a film, the real brief was to make its small business customers feel seen. Instead of a polished, focus-grouped founder, the film showed the real people running Singapore's small businesses (see the Osome project).
Red Cross Singapore needed a fundraising film that turned empathy into giving. Rather than showing the scale of a crisis, which tends to leave audiences feeling powerless, the film followed one musician's response to it. Because the idea was settled before cameras rolled, the entire production was planned and delivered in three days (see the Red Cross project).
Both films worked for the same reason a good explainer works: one audience, one clear idea, told from the viewer's side.
How Do You Plan an Explainer Video, Step by Step?
- Define the goal. What should viewers do or understand after watching?
- Name the audience. One primary viewer, described in a sentence.
- Write the key message. The single idea the video must land.
- Write and time the script. Read it aloud and cut anything that does not serve the message.
- Choose the format. Animation, infographic, live action, or a mix, based on what the script needs.
- Storyboard. Approve the frames before production, when changes are cheap.
- Produce and review. Keep one decision-maker for feedback.
- Plan where it lives. Website, sales deck, social cut-downs, and subtitles for silent viewing.
Practical Takeaway
Before you commission an explainer video:
- Write down the one question the video answers and who is asking it.
- Approve the script before discussing visual style.
- Open on the viewer's problem, not your logo.
- Match the video to your brand identity.
- Plan short versions for social media and subtitles for silent viewing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an explainer video be?
As short as the message allows. Most explainers work best when kept tight, with longer formats reserved for detailed product walkthroughs where viewers have already chosen to watch.
Should an explainer video be animated or live action?
Choose animation when the idea is abstract, technical, or impossible to film. Choose live action when trust depends on seeing real people and places. A mix of both is often the strongest option.
How long does it take to produce an explainer video?
It depends on the format and how quickly decisions are made. The script and storyboard stages take the most thought. When those are settled early, production moves much faster.
Where should we use our explainer video?
On your homepage or service page, in sales presentations, in email outreach, and as shorter cut-downs on social media. Always add subtitles, since many people watch with the sound off.
Does an explainer video help SEO?
It can, indirectly. A good video keeps visitors on the page longer and helps them understand your offer, and a clear page with a useful video is more likely to earn enquiries and links.
Planning an Explainer Video? Talk to Wherefore.
Tell us what you need people to understand, and we will help you find the clearest way to show it. Get in touch with the Wherefore team, email hello@wherefore.sg, or call +65 9682 2699.
