A good video is 50% brief
Explainers fail for two reasons: a vague ask ("make something engaging") or a script written for a brochure, not for a viewer's attention. The freelancer can fix execution; only you can fix the brief. Here is what to bring to the table before a single frame is made.
The parts of a brief that matter
The one sentence. Write what the viewer should do after watching — request a quote, download the app, sign up. If you cannot write this sentence, the video has no job.
The script. An explainer is a script with pictures. Keep it to 120–160 words per minute of video and cut adjectives a narrator will read slowly. Read it aloud before you send it.
Style references. Point at two or three videos you like and say exactly what you like: the pacing, the colour, the music, the transitions. Style frames beat adjectives like "modern".
Length. 60–90 seconds converts best for most products. Longer is for education, not marketing.
What to decide before you ask for a quote
- Format — motion graphics, live-action edit, screen recording, 3D. Each is a different skill and price band.
- Music and voice — will you license music and hire a voice-over separately, or does the gig include them?
- Aspect ratios — one master 16:9, or also square and vertical crops for social? Ask up front; cropping later loses the composition.
- Deliverables — a finished MP4 is not a full delivery. Ask for the project file, source assets and any textless version.
How the process should run
- Script pass — approve the final script and storyboard before animation starts. This is the cheapest stage to change.
- Style frames — one or two static frames so you approve the look before the motion work begins.
- Feedback rounds — most packages include two to three revision rounds. Batch your notes per round; "also change the logo" in round three is a change order.
- Delivery — edited to length, mixed audio, correct export settings.
If you would not put the video on your homepage, do not approve it. Approval is the moment the project stops being yours and becomes the editor's responsibility to deliver.
Have the script and need it made real? The featured video editing gig turns raw footage and briefs into polished, social-ready cuts.
See more video & animation services or browse all video gigs.
Once the visuals are moving, make sure the narration sounds right — read how to choose a voice-over artist before you record.
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