Your first animated explainer: a practical guide with Glintia
Choose one message, plan three scenes, and add a voiceover. Use this guide to turn a product introduction or lesson into your first animated video.
A useful explainer answers one question clearly. What does your product do? How does a process work? What should someone do next?
Glintia brings templates, characters, whiteboard animation, and voiceovers into an online editor. Here is a manageable way to approach your first project.
1. Choose one audience and one message
Write down who the video is for and what they should understand by the end. Keep your first video focused enough to explain in about 30 seconds.
For example: “Help new customers understand how to book their first appointment.” That gives you a clearer starting point than trying to explain your entire business.
2. Plan three scenes
Before choosing characters or backgrounds, sketch the story in words:
- The situation: Show the question or problem your viewer recognizes.
- The explanation: Walk through the product, idea, or process.
- The next step: Tell the viewer what to do with what they have learned.
For an appointment video, those scenes could be: choose a service, select a time, and check the booking confirmation.
3. Choose visuals that help explain
Start with a template and customize its scenes. Use the character builder to create your cast, then add prebuilt actions to show what happens. Whiteboard animation is another way to introduce a process step by step.
Upload your own images or video clips when they make the explanation more specific. A product image can communicate more than a decorative scene.
4. Add narration and check the timing
Record your own narration, or use text to speech — included on every plan — to turn your script into a voiceover. Listen to names, numbers, and important terms, then adjust the wording or timing where needed.
Watch the full video once as if you were seeing the topic for the first time. Is the text readable? Does each scene stay on screen long enough? Is the next step clear?
5. Check your plan and export
Before making a larger project, check the export quality, download allowance, video length, and features included in your plan. Review licensing details if you are creating videos for a business or client.
Compare Glintia plans to choose the option that fits what you need to make.
Put your trial to work
Use your seven-day trial to finish one useful video and learn which tools you need. Once you have completed a project, plan a second video that answers another common question from your audience.