Explaining technical ideas — how an API works, what a VPN does, why a math formula holds — is far easier with visuals. But making animated explainer videos used to mean storyboards, voice-over sessions and hours in After Effects.
Here's a faster workflow I use, built around AI.
1. Start with one clear question
Good explainers answer a single question: "What happens when I call an API?" Write it down. Everything in the video should serve that question.
2. Draft a short script (or let AI do it)
Aim for 60–120 seconds, roughly 150–300 words. Structure: hook → problem → simple analogy → how it works step by step → recap.
3. Generate the visuals and narration
Tools like Easyimate take a topic or script and produce a narrated, animated explainer automatically — scenes, motion and voice included. Other options worth knowing: Vyond and Animaker (template-based, more manual control) and Canva (good for simple motion slides).
4. Edit for clarity, not polish
Watch it once with sound off. If the visuals alone don't tell the story, simplify the scene. Cut any sentence that doesn't move the explanation forward.
5. Pick the right format
- 16:9 for YouTube, courses and docs
- 9:16 vertical for Shorts, Reels and TikTok
Tips for developers and teachers
- Embed short explainers in README files or docs to cut support questions.
- Teachers: one 90-second video per concept beats a 20-minute lecture recording.
- Reuse: one script can become a long video plus several vertical clips.
Wrap-up
You don't need animation skills anymore — just a clear question and a good script. Try it on the concept your users or students ask about most.
Disclosure: I work on Easyimate.
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