Short explainers from a link or a doc

Who this is for

This fits a SaaS marketer, founder or product manager who has to explain one idea quickly: how a feature works, why a process matters, what a new policy means. It suits a landing page, a help article or the first slide of a talk.

It's the wrong format for a full course. If your subject needs five minutes, the comparison with Vyond is more useful than this page.

What you start from

Paste a source when you can. The film will follow your words and your facts, and a tighter source gives a tighter film.

What happens, step by step

1. On Home, choose + › An animation about › Explain how something works. Choose Tell a story if the subject is news, history or a topic that rests on outside facts.
2. Add your link or text, then answer the questions: where it will go, its length, and the look. Illustrations and motion graphics are the usual choices for a SaaS explainer.
3. Choose Plan the storyboard. You'll see the scenes, what each one says, and, for stories, the sources behind the facts.
4. Correct the storyboard. This is where to remove a weak claim or reorder the argument.
5. Make a Draft, which takes about five minutes.
6. Press Direct this film for rounds of review and improvement, usually 15 to 30 minutes.
7. Check the facts panel, then export or share.

How the fact checks work

The facts panel lists a story's claims with the quote and source behind each one, and it flags conflicts. The checks look for three problems in particular:

• A quotation that isn't word for word in the source.
• Sources that disagree on a value.
• A number on screen that isn't in the research.

These checks catch mistakes, but they don't replace a person. Read the panel, open the sources, and have someone who knows the subject watch the film before it goes out.

What you get

• MP4 in H.264 at 24 fps. Pick a platform at the start for 1080p: YouTube and X export at 1920 × 1080, and a vertical film for TikTok, Reels or Shorts at 1080 × 1920.
• MP4 with voiceover: AI narration from your captions in one of six voices, with optional music. It needs a storyboard with captions.
• Captions burned in or attached. WCAG 2.2 asks for captions on prerecorded video at level A, so leave them on for anything public.
• A share link, QR code or website embed, with view analytics that don't use cookies.
• Canvas shapes from Wide 21:9 to Vertical 9:16.

What it costs

A typical directed explainer uses about 63 credits, or $6.30. A draft usually uses under 15, so test the idea there first. Research and revisions use a few credits each. The trial includes 120 credits, about one film, with no card. Starter is $29 a month for 350 credits, about 5 films, and Pro is $79 for 1,000, about 15. A top-up of 100 credits costs $12. Pricing has the current figures, and how to make an animation covers the choices in more detail.

When another route is better

A brief you can paste

This uses a made-up product and rule, so replace them. Paste your source text underneath it.

"Explain how Acme Invoices' late-payment reminders work, for the feature page. Make it 30 seconds, in motion graphics, in our brand colours. Use only the text below as your source. Scene 1: the problem, invoices that go quiet. Scene 2: what triggers a reminder. Scene 3: what the client sees. Scene 4: what changes for the freelancer. End on: Turn it on in Settings. Keep each caption under ten words so it's readable on a phone."

Common questions