Explainer videos guide
A complete guide to explainer videos with FuturByte
What a business in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE should know before commissioning an explainer video: what makes one work, how we produce it, what you receive and how to judge its results.
What an explainer video is for
An explainer video answers one question well: what is this, and why should I care? In sixty to ninety seconds it introduces a problem the viewer recognises, shows how your product or service solves it and tells them what to do next. It replaces a long page of text with a story that most people will actually finish.
Explainers work because attention is scarce. A visitor landing on your website, an investor opening a pitch email or a customer scrolling past an advert gives you a few seconds to make sense. At FuturByte we build explainers around that reality, putting the clearest version of your message at the start and removing anything that slows it down.
When an explainer makes sense
Explainers help most when your offer is new, technical or easy to misunderstand. Software platforms, fintech products, healthcare services, logistics solutions, government initiatives and business to business services all benefit, because their value is hard to photograph and harder to summarise in a headline.
They also help established businesses with a specific job to do: launching a new feature, explaining a change in process, onboarding new customers, reducing repeated support questions or preparing visitors for an exhibition conversation. If your sales team keeps repeating the same explanation, that explanation is probably a good candidate for a video.
Formats and styles
Most explainers we produce are animated, because animation can simplify complicated ideas, show what happens inside software and adapt easily to new languages. Styles range from flat 2D illustration and character stories to isometric scenes, kinetic typography, whiteboard drawing and 3D product animation.
Some explainers work better with real people. Live action pieces featuring your team, customers or premises build trust, while screen recordings with motion graphics suit software demonstrations. Hybrid videos mix filmed presenters with animated overlays. We recommend a format based on your audience, your message and where the video will play, not on a fixed house style.
Defining the single message
The most common reason an explainer fails is that it tries to say everything. In our briefing session we work with you to choose one audience and one core message, then list the two or three supporting points that make it believable. Everything else, however true, is saved for the sales conversation or the website.
We also ask what the viewer believes before they press play, which objections they usually raise and what action you want at the end. A clear answer to those questions gives the script direction, and it gives everyone on your side an agreed reference when opinions differ later in the project.
Writing the script
The script is the foundation of an explainer, so we spend real effort on it. We write in plain language, use concrete examples instead of abstract claims and time the script for voiceover, typically around one hundred and fifty words for each minute of video. A ninety second explainer leaves very little room for anything unnecessary.
Most scripts follow a simple arc: the problem, the consequence, the solution, how it works and the next step. Within that shape there is room for humour, warmth or authority, depending on your brand. You review the script with your stakeholders and approve it before any visual work begins, because changing words later affects every scene.
Storyboard and visual direction
With the script agreed, we create a storyboard that matches each line to a picture. It shows the visual metaphors we will use, how scenes connect and where text or product screens appear. Reading the storyboard alongside the script lets your team see the whole video before animation begins.
In parallel, our designers produce a small set of style frames in the chosen look, using your brand colours, typefaces and any existing illustration style. Approving these frames sets the standard for the full production. If your brand has no illustration style yet, we create one that can also be used across your website, presentations and social posts.
Voice, music and sound
The voice is often the first thing viewers judge. We cast professional voice artists with samples in different tones, from friendly and conversational to calm and authoritative, so you can choose with your ears rather than from a description. For bilingual projects we cast voices for each language that share a similar tone, so the two versions feel like the same brand speaking. Recording happens before animation, so movement is timed to the actual delivery.
Music and sound effects then shape the pace and feeling. We select or commission tracks licensed for your intended use, and add subtle effects that make interactions on screen feel real. The final mix keeps the voice clear on phone speakers, laptop audio and conference room systems, where most explainers are actually heard.
English, Arabic and other languages
For many businesses in the UAE, an explainer needs to work in English and Arabic. We plan both versions from the beginning, leaving room for text length differences, choosing Arabic typefaces that suit your brand and designing scenes that read correctly when the direction of text changes.
The Arabic version uses native voice talent and properly adapted script, not a literal translation, and on screen text is set from right to left with care. We can add further languages for regional or international audiences. Because voice and text sit on separate layers, each additional version is efficient to produce once the master is complete.
How production runs
Production moves through clear stages with your review at each one: script, storyboard, style frames, voice recording, an animatic that shows rough timing, then full animation and final sound. Each stage has a defined purpose for feedback, which keeps reviews focused and prevents late changes that would unravel earlier work.
We use a shared review tool where your team can comment directly on a frame or a moment in the timeline. Comments are gathered, consolidated and answered in one place, so nothing is lost in email threads and everyone can see what has been agreed and what is still open. Agreed changes are logged with the date and the person who approved them, which keeps larger organisations aligned.
Showing software and products clearly
Many explainers need to show a real interface or product. Rather than pasting raw screenshots, we rebuild key screens as clean, simplified graphics that highlight only what matters, then animate taps, swipes and results so viewers follow each step without squinting at small text.
For physical products we can model them in 3D, showing parts, materials and use from angles a camera would struggle to reach. Either way, we check every screen and detail with your product team, so the video is accurate on launch day and matches what customers will actually see when they sign up or open the box.
Choosing the right length
Shorter is usually better, but not at any cost. A homepage explainer often works best at sixty to ninety seconds. A product demonstration for interested prospects can run longer because the audience has already chosen to learn more. Social media versions are often fifteen to thirty seconds, with the key message in the first three.
We plan the main video and its shorter edits together, so the script and scenes are built with natural cut points. That means a single production can supply a full explainer for your website, a short teaser for advertising and individual clips for social posts and sales emails without awkward edits. Planning this upfront also keeps the overall production efficient.
What you receive
You receive the finished explainer in high resolution with widescreen, square and vertical versions as agreed, a captioned version for silent autoplay and a clean version without on screen text. Each language version is delivered as its own set of files, clearly named and organised.
On request we also supply thumbnail images, still frames for presentations, separate audio files, subtitle files and the editable project files. Holding the source files means future updates, such as a new pricing screen, an updated interface or a changed phone number, can be made without rebuilding the video.
Where to use your explainer
Placed near the top of a landing page or homepage, an explainer helps visitors understand your offer before they scroll away. In paid campaigns on YouTube, Meta, LinkedIn and TikTok, shorter cuts introduce your brand to people who have never heard of you. Sales teams use it in emails, proposals and the first minutes of meetings.
Explainers also work at exhibitions and events, in onboarding emails for new customers, inside help centres and product dashboards, and on screens in branches or waiting areas. We plan the list of placements at the start, because each one affects the length, framing and opening of the final edits.
Measuring results
Before production we agree on what success looks like. Useful measures include the share of viewers who watch to the end, the conversion rate of visitors who watch compared with those who do not, click through rate on campaign versions, and the change in support requests on topics the video covers.
Video platforms and website analytics show exactly where viewers stop watching. If many leave early, the opening needs work; if they leave before the call to action, the ending may be too slow. Because the project files are organised, we can often improve a weak section by re-editing existing scenes rather than starting again.
Keeping the video current
Products change, interfaces are redesigned and offers move on. An explainer that shows an old screen or a discontinued feature quietly erodes trust. We keep your project files and can update scenes, swap screens, change prices shown on screen or record new lines of voiceover when something changes.
Many clients go on to build a series, such as separate explainers for each product line, a set of short how to videos for customers or onboarding films for staff. Reusing characters, styles and sound across the series keeps it consistent and makes each new video quicker to produce.
How we work with your team
A small group on your side usually works best: one person who owns the project day to day, and one or two decision makers who approve each stage. We agree on that group at the start so feedback is consistent and the schedule does not stall while a new opinion is gathered.
From our side you will work with a producer who manages the schedule and communication, a writer, designers, animators and a sound team. You always know who is responsible for what, what the next milestone is and what we need from you to reach it.
How to prepare for a first conversation
You do not need a script to begin. It helps to share who the video is for, what you want viewers to understand, where it will be shown, which languages you need and when it must be ready. Any existing presentations, product screens, brand guidelines and examples of explainers you like are useful.
From there we will recommend a format, a length and a realistic schedule, and outline what the production would include. Clients rate FuturByte 4.9 from 23 reviews on Clutch, and our team in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, would be glad to help you explain what makes your business worth choosing.
4.9