what makes explainer video great

What Makes An Explainer Video Great?

If you work in animation and video production you have almost certainly been asked, “Do you make explainer videos?” We see them as TV commercials, sprinkled throughout social media, and prominently displayed on the homepages of business’ websites. It’s a style of video that is a mainstay for the category, but some of its undefined features leave viewers wanting more.  Many companies fall into the trap of using an explainer video to commonly state a problem and provide a passive solution. They overspend on visuals when really they should be using their budgets on “extensive research on what visitors want to see, and deliver[ing] it…

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Exploring the Language of LinkedIn

Creatively speaking, I get bored with the repetitive nature of language on LinkedIn. I don’t doubt the sincerity of the statements, but like the office birthday card we all sign off on... “What should I write?”  I took a minute to scan the Google cache of LinkedIn to see what some of the most common phrases are. Here are the results in PDF https://vimeo.com/414890750 We always see the “So Proud, Very Honored, Amazing Team” posts. And we agree! Your team is amazing, and you SHOULD be proud of them. At the same time, explaining some of the background and specifics of what amazing thing happened…

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It Costs How Much?? Understanding the Cost of Music in Video

Using several seconds of Pharrell’s “Happy” for a company recruiting video? That’ll cost you. And we’re not talking about a televised commercial. That is for any video that is not for personal use.  Companies often forget just how much goes into making a marketing video, from the storyboards to the actual filming to the final selection of music and sounds. The latter is often forgotten about until the last minute, yet it shouldn’t be... because it can cost you! Using even a couple seconds of a song can be expensive. If you’re clipping a song by a lesser-known artist in a video, that may only…

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How ‘SNL At Home’ Round 2 Showed Us Video Production Matters

Like the rest of us, the cast and crew of Saturday Night Live was thrown a major curveball by the COVID-19 virus. Though the show was scheduled to return from hiatus March 28, New York’s March 24 executive order completely shut down production for several weeks.  And, much like the rest of us, SNL was forced to adapt to this new ‘normal’ as quickly as possible, resulting in the heroic, if comedically uneven, “SNL At Home” episode that aired April 11th. Shot primarily using Zoom video conferencing software, the episode turned cast members into their own ‘one man band’, the results of which could only…

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Virtual Work: Tips for Being On Camera

Few people enjoy being under a spotlight. Especially a literal one. With the recent crisis causing a strong push to work from home, more and more people will have to get used to seeing themselves on camera. It may not be recorded for playback, but at the very least, it is visible to the viewer.  As a video content company, we’ve done our fair share of interviewing people on camera. And with that comes a whole bunch of awkwardness--fidgeting with their fingers, stumbling over words, and forgetting answers to simple questions. It is often cringe-worthy to watch yourself on camera, but there are some simple…

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Staying Creative in Trying Times

Lately we have all been enduring rapid and massive change and most of us are attempting to adapt as quickly as we can. As we modify our personal and professional lives, creativity plays a very important role.  The Scenario The medical world is working hard to find new ways to accommodate the growing number of patients that need them. Businesses are trying to find new ways to make money in order to stay relevant during this quarantine and after. Some people have been rapidly forced into trying to find new means of income. Now more than ever (at least in my lifetime), we need to…

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The 4 Key Ingredients of Great Customer Care

In 2020, companies are underperforming if they don’t have positive customer relationships. This happens consistently in the B2C market—think back to United’s customer dragging scandal after overbooking a flight. At least to consumers, these companies do not appear to be asking, how do we best care for our customers? And, it’s costing them.  Outlier’s business model is built on relationships and delivering mutually beneficial results, so we are forced to ask and answer this often. We’ve boiled customer success down to four key ingredients: clarity, accountability, growth, and of course, respect.  Clarity Happiness is when expectations meet—or exceed—reality. This mantra, while perhaps a lofty generalization…

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COVID-19 Update: We Are Here to Help

Here We Stand First and foremost, we are following the recommended precautions to help reduce the impact on hospitals, the elderly, and the sick. During this time we are determined to promote positive morale and reduce anxiety, and now would like to help amplify necessary communications. Each one of us has anxiety but can’t let it arrest us. We have friends and family facing the virus head-on by providing medical support, manufacturing materials, or staffing for necessary retail stores. We want to be of support and one way we can do so is in our role of media professionals. If you need a message prepared…

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Core Values: Why We Define Them, How They Define Us

Outlier’s strength lies in knowing how to capture everyday moments that uncover what’s special about the people behind your brand. We use video to capture and share the emotion of people and their stories. We use animation and design to create visual beauty that captures the hearts and minds of audiences. Defining Your Core Values Core values are something we’ve talked about a lot internally at Outlier in recent months. After changing our business model a little over a year ago to focus more exclusively on video and content marketing, it was time to do some serious soul searching around the “why” of Outlier. So…

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Five Easy Ways To Use Animation To Level-up Your Content Library

Creating content for your brand is an integral part of building a business. Whether you are selling a product, service or an idea – words alone are usually not enough. Enter Visual Communication. Not a New Concept. Using photos of your product is a given; potential customers want to know what to expect when they purchase / use your product or service. If your good is a service or idea, however, taking a photo isn’t always an option. Words can get the idea across, but often you need something to catch the eye and draw the audience in. How Animation Can Help Technology has evolved…

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