2D Explainer Video Services: What You Should Actually Expect

When you hire a 2D explainer video service, you're not just buying animation — you're buying a production process. The best animated explainer video services handle everything from script to final file, guiding you through a structured workflow that transforms your product or idea into a clear, compelling video. Here's exactly what that process should include, what differentiates good studios from bad ones, and what to watch out for.

What a Professional 2D Explainer Video Service Includes

A full-service 2D animation studio delivers a lot more than just the final video file. Here's what you should expect to receive:

1. Discovery & Briefing

Good animated explainer video services start by understanding your business before touching a single frame. Our briefing process at ExpansionVideos covers: your product, your audience, your message priority, your brand guidelines, your competitors, and the specific action you want viewers to take. The brief is the foundation — a weak brief produces a weak video no matter how technically skilled the animator is.

2. Script Writing

The script is where your video either wins or loses. A good 60-second explainer script is 130–150 words. It follows a proven structure: problem → solution → how it works → call to action. This sounds simple; it isn't. Most first-time clients write scripts that are either too long, too technical, or too focused on features instead of the viewer's outcome.

Professional copywriters who specialize in video scripts understand pacing, breath points, and how the spoken word maps to visual storytelling. This is a different skill set from general copywriting. All our packages include script writing — it's not a bolt-on.

3. Storyboard & Style Frame

Before a single frame of animation is produced, you should see a visual plan. A storyboard maps each scene: what appears on screen, in what sequence, and how it connects to the voiceover. Style frames show you the visual treatment — color palette, illustration style, character design — before it's animated.

Approving the storyboard is the most important review stage. It's far cheaper to change a storyboard than to change animation. Studios that skip this stage (or rush it) often produce videos that require expensive rework.

4. Voiceover Recording

Professional voiceover transforms a good video into a great one. An experienced voice artist brings energy, clarity, and the right emotional tone to your message. We offer male and female voice artists in multiple accents — you listen to demos and select the voice that fits your brand.

The voiceover is recorded first, before animation begins — this ensures the animation is timed precisely to the spoken words, not the other way around. Studios that animate first and add voiceover last often produce videos where the timing feels off.

5. Custom 2D Animation

This is the core of the service. A skilled 2D animator builds your illustrations in Adobe Illustrator or similar tools, then brings them to life in After Effects with smooth, purposeful motion. The "2D" label covers a wide range of styles:

• Motion graphics: Animated text, icons, and infographics. Clean and corporate. Great for data-heavy products.
• Character animation: Custom-illustrated characters that move, interact, and emote. More expensive but higher emotional engagement.
• Whiteboard / doodle: Illustrated hand-drawn style. Can feel dated in 2026 but still effective for educational content.
• Flat design animation: Modern, colorful, simple shapes. The dominant style for SaaS and tech companies.
• Mixed media: Combines 2D animation with real footage, screen recordings, or 3D elements.

6. Sound Design & Music

Good sound design is invisible — you don't notice it, but you feel it. Subtle whooshes, clicks, and atmospheric effects make animated transitions feel satisfying. A well-chosen music track carries the emotional tone of the video from the first second to the last.

We license music through professional libraries (Artlist, Musicbed) for every project. You can browse and select from curated options, or we'll recommend tracks that fit your brand tone.

7. Revisions Until You're Happy

Unlimited revisions are standard in quality animated explainer video services. At ExpansionVideos, we don't cap revisions — we iterate until you love the result. The industry norm is 2–3 rounds of revisions before a video is approved; limiting revisions below that is a red flag.

8. Final Delivery

You receive the finished video in the formats you need: MP4 (H.264) for most web use, higher-resolution versions for broadcast or large-screen display, and the original source files (After Effects project, Illustrator assets). The source files let you make text updates yourself later without paying for a full production.

The Production Timeline for a 2D Explainer Video Service

Here's a typical timeline for a 60-second 2D animated explainer video:

Stage	Duration	Your Role
Brief & Discovery	1–2 days	Fill brief, join call
Script Writing	2–3 days	Review & approve script
Storyboard & Style	3–4 days	Approve visual direction
Voiceover	1–2 days	Select voice, approve recording
Animation	5–7 days	Review draft, request revisions
Sound & Music	1–2 days	Approve final version
Total	~3–4 weeks	Roughly 2–3 hours of your time

How to Evaluate Animated Explainer Video Services

Here are the signals that separate quality studios from those that will waste your budget:

Green flags

• Portfolio shows variety of styles, not just one template look
• They ask questions about your product before quoting
• Unlimited revisions policy
• Money-back guarantee
• Client references available
• Source files included in the final delivery
• Transparent, itemized pricing

Red flags

• Portfolio all looks the same (stock template recycled)
• Quote provided before asking any questions about your product
• Limited revisions (especially fewer than 3 rounds)
• No money-back policy
• 100% payment required upfront
• No mention of who specifically works on your project
• "From $99" pricing (a video cannot be professionally produced for $99)

What We Do at ExpansionVideos

Since 2015, we've delivered 500+ animated explainer videos for companies ranging from funded startups to global enterprises like Toyota, Deloitte, and Veritas. Our 2D explainer video service includes everything above as standard — no hidden fees, no limited revisions, no surprises.

We offer two main paths depending on your needs and timeline:

• AI Video from $299: Professional quality in 5–7 days. Great for fast-moving companies that need a solid video without a long production runway.
• 2D Animation from $799: Fully custom animation with hand-crafted illustrations, unlimited revisions, and the polish that makes your brand look world-class.