How to Make an AI Explainer Video (Step by Step)

An explainer video earns attention it doesn't demand

The best explainer videos make something confusing feel obvious in under two minutes. For years, learning how to make an AI explainer video meant stitching together an animator, a voice actor, and an editor—plus a budget. Now you can chat your way from a blank page to a finished cut: script, scenes, voiceover, word-synced captions, and music, all in an afternoon.

This guide walks the whole path—from the beat sheet to the publish button—so your explainer actually explains instead of just looking busy.

Start with the script, not the software

Every explainer lives or dies on its script, so write it before you open any tool. A good AI explainer video script follows a four-beat shape: hook, problem, solution, call to action. Open on the pain your viewer already feels, name it plainly, show how the thing works, then tell them exactly what to do next.

Keep it tight. A useful rule of thumb is roughly 150 spoken words per 60 seconds of finished video, so a 90-second explainer is about 220 words—no more. Read it out loud; if you stumble, your viewer will too. If you want a deeper framework, borrow from the three-act structure and make sure every line pushes toward the call to action) at the end.

Need help shaping the spoken track? Our guide on how to write a voiceover script breaks down pacing line by line.

Explainer video ideas worth making

Stuck on what to cover? Most strong explainer video ideas fall into a handful of proven angles:

• Product explainer — problem to solution to benefit, for a single feature or a whole app.
• How-it-works — walk through the mechanics of a tool, service, or concept.
• Onboarding — the three things a new user must do first.
• Founder story — why the thing exists and who it's for.
• FAQ or myth-busting — answer the one question support hears every day.

If you're building an explainer video for a product, the problem-solution angle almost always wins: show the messy "before," then the clean "after" your product delivers. Resist the urge to list every feature—pick the one that changes the viewer's day.

How to make an AI explainer video, step by step

Here's the repeatable workflow, start to finish.

• Lock the script. Nail the four beats above and trim to length.
• Plan your scenes. Break the script into shots, one idea per scene. A quick storyboard for your explainer video keeps the visuals from wandering.
• Generate the visuals. In Scriptly, you describe each scene in chat and the AI director generates short video clips, with selectable takes so you can pick the one that reads cleanest. Design any recurring characters or product props once and they stay consistent across scenes.
• Add voiceover and captions. Drop in your script as voiceover, then layer word-synced captions so the video works on mute—where most social feeds live.
• Score and polish. Add music that matches the energy, trim dead air, and give the call to action enough screen time to actually be read.
• Render and export. Output the finished film and you're done.

Prefer to drive the whole thing from copy you've already written? You can also make an AI video straight from a script.

How to make an animated explainer video vs. a presenter

Two formats dominate, and the right one depends on your message.

An animated explainer video uses motion, characters, and visual metaphors to teach an idea. It shines for abstract concepts—how a workflow saves time, how data moves through a system—because you can literally show the invisible. It also keeps a brand's look consistent frame to frame.

A presenter or avatar explainer puts a talking face on screen. That adds trust and warmth, which helps for pitches, founder messages, and anything where a human touch matters more than slick visuals.

You can mix them, too: open with a presenter for connection, then cut to animation for the how-it-works section. Whatever you choose, sharp AI video prompts are what separate a clean scene from a muddy one.

Mistakes that make explainers fall flat

A few avoidable errors sink most first drafts:

• Burying the hook. If the first five seconds don't earn the next five, viewers leave.
• Cramming every feature. One clear idea beats ten half-explained ones.
• Skipping captions. Silent autoplay is the default, so captions aren't optional.
• Forgetting the ask. End with one specific next step, not a vague "learn more."

Fix those four and you're already ahead of most explainers online.

Make your explainer video today

You don't need a studio or an editing suite—just a clear script and a good idea. Start building your AI explainer video in Scriptly: chat your scenes into existence, add voiceover and captions, and render a finished film the same day. Browse more creator guides on the blog when you're ready to go deeper.