Have you ever been driving in the snow and suddenly found your car going sideways? It’s a bad feeling, since you’re no longer in control of a giant moving thing. I’ve created over 200 explainers… some of them great, some of them not so great, so I know what it looks like when a project goes sideways. If the script is uninspired, or the animation needs work, that’s my fault. But sometimes well-meaning clients can prevent their explainer from being the best it can be! Here are three common problems that crop up, and how to avoid them, so we can ALL make better explainers!
I’ve created over 200 explainers… some of them great, some of them not so great, so I know what it looks like when a project goes sideways.
1) No Strategy
Even if you’re super-excited to make an explainer, and you’ve got cash on hand to get started right away, you need to make sure your strategy is rock solid in the scripting phase before you start your animation. It’s OK to start the project not knowing exactly how you want to position your product or service, but you can’t proceed until your goal is crystal clear. SLOW DOWN and take all the time you need to figure out what the heck you’re trying to say. The car needs to be pointed in the right direction BEFORE it starts moving.
Solution: work with your writer to uncover the simplest, most focused way to tell your story, and DEFEND THAT VISION. Design-by-committee seldom works with explainers: your video will be too general at best, and schizophrenic at worst. It’s better to pick ONE vision and let someone on your team defend it.
Design-by-committee seldom works with explainers: your video will be too general at best, and schizophrenic at worst.
2) No Authority
Maybe you’ve got a great idea for an explainer, or you worked with your creatives to make it even better. Too bad there are stakeholders above you waiting to dilute your idea ’til it’s unrecognizable.
Solution: bring stakeholders in early enough to see where things are going and get them to trust your judgment. All the best explainers I ever produced had one thing in common: the client-side decision maker agreed with creative’s vision and let them work their magic. So either give authority to the person with the vision, or explain your vision to the person with authority.
Explainer success is NOT about iteration, it’s about VISION.
Average vision better executed ALWAYS beats better vision, poorly executed.
3) No Time to Work on the Project
Some clients underestimate how much work they actually have to do to produce a great animation. Even if you’ve hired a top shop like mine, there are some decisions only a client can make. If you take TOO long waiting for approvals and second-guessing the work, the project loses momentum and succumbs to apathy ’til someone shovels a mediocre video out the door.
Solution: dedicate someone client-side to own the project who has the time to work on it. And be quick and concise with your feedback. There are enough mediocre explainers out there. Make sure you’re committed to the time it takes to make an amazing one.
dedicate someone client-side to own the project who has the time to work on it. And be quick and concise with your feedback.
Pretty simple stuff: have a vision, stick with it, and set aside some time to work on the project. Those three things will help guarantee all four wheels stay on the ground, and your project wont go sideways!
