How long does it take to make an explainer video?

Plan in weeks, then check the actual scope

For a custom animated explainer, expect a schedule measured in weeks rather than only editing days. Published examples differ: MotionCube states four to six weeks for a standard 60–90 second production; UK studio Kenzo describes six to ten weeks for a custom 60–90 second film. These are provider-specific timelines, not an FDM delivery promise or a universal minimum.

Your schedule depends on what is already approved, the amount of original design and animation, reviewer availability and the final deliverables. A straightforward edit from approved material can be a different job entirely. Share the real publication date, not just the date you would like to see a first cut.

Sources: MotionCube: Published production timelineKenzo Studio: Custom animated explainer timelines

What happens between the brief and the final video?

There are several outputs before the finished film: an agreed brief, a script or narrative outline, visual direction, a first full cut and final delivery files. At FDM, these decisions are staged so a late review does not become the first time someone considers the core message.

The schedule below is an illustrative six-week planning exercise for a modest custom explainer. It is not a standard FDM package. It assumes available assets, a responsive decision-maker and a scope that the production team has confirmed fits. Some tasks can overlap after their dependencies are settled; unresolved decisions should not be hidden by calling everything “in progress”.

Sources: FDM: FDM production process

The calendar includes your review time

If a supplier needs two days to revise but your reviewer is unavailable for a week, the next milestone moves by more than two days. Put approval windows in the shared schedule, including specialist review where the content needs it. Do not assume a doctor, product manager or compliance reviewer can turn around a full film on the day it arrives.

FDM’s published 487-comments story describes an engagement where the client had an internal timeline that had not been shared. The lesson for scheduling is concrete: disclose the actual deadline and review conditions at the beginning. A production team cannot plan around a constraint it does not know exists.

Sources: FDM: The client who left 487 comments

Can you make an explainer video in one or two weeks?

Possibly, for a sufficiently limited scope and a team with availability. That is a question to test against the material, not a promise to make from runtime alone. An approved script, supplied graphics and a simple execution are different from an unresolved story with original illustration, new voiceover and several stakeholders.

If the launch date cannot move, reduce the first deliverable. A short, accurate use-case film may be possible before a larger overview. A clear screen-led walkthrough may be more realistic than a new illustrated world. Ask the producer to identify what must be locked by which day and what cannot fit. Paying a rush fee cannot make an unavailable approver available.

What usually needs a new schedule?

Treat a changed audience, new product claim, different visual style or additional language as a planning decision, not simply another comment. The effect depends on when it arrives. A script change can alter narration length, screen selection, graphics and timing together. The team should explain the consequence before proceeding.

Do not book publication for the exact minute the master is due. Allow a check on the actual destination: website player, presentation system or social platform. Confirm captions, thumbnail, aspect ratio and links. A technically correct file can still be the wrong version for the placement.

• Missing product access or source footage
• A new decision-maker entering late
• Conflicting feedback without a final owner
• New claims after narration is approved
• Extra formats or languages added at handover

What can you do before kickoff to save time?

Collect the brand files, source material, product access and approved claims. Choose one person who can consolidate feedback and name the people who must approve specialist details. Put their availability beside the production milestones. Ask what happens if either side misses a date.

Finally, define “done”. A master film, caption file, thumbnail and two cutdowns are four delivery requirements, not one vague finish line. A dated schedule should state when each will be reviewed and handed over. That is more useful than agreeing to “as soon as possible” and hoping both sides mean the same thing.