Click through our process for developing 2-Minute Explainers

Much of the research that goes into 2-Minute Explainers is simply talking to people — that's how we get the conversational tone that distinguishes our productions. We spend as much time as possible talking with salespeople, product managers, and engineers, and others who spend time with customers. Sometimes we talk with groups of people, sometimes the conversation takes place in the context of a webinar.

The research phase generally takes several days, over the course of which we're working to figure out who the 2-Minute Explainer is talking to, how best to phrase the pain points a solution addresses.

Of course, before we start interviewing people, we read white papers, PowerPoint decks and other marketing collateral for reference. But most of the content of a 2-Minute Explainer is distilled from conversations in which we try to draw out, what is it about your solution that's most likely to make the customer want to learn more.

We write a narration script, about 250 words in length, that attempts to tell the target prospect exactly why he or she should go on to the next step in learning about this particular product. The script will include notes on visuals, but we think that the most important thing to do early on is to get the story right, precisely defining the pain points addressed and the product features that address them.

This script usually goes through two or three drafts. We prefer getting feedback over the phone, but we spend a fair amount of time rewriting clients' rewrites in order to reshape the ideas within the two-minute time-frame. Occasionally we're asked, "what happens if it has to go to three minutes?" To which our answer is, if you haven't gained the prospect's interest in two minutes, you probably won't get it the third minute.

Animation artists use the temporary track to develop and time graphics. This track will be continuously revised, with sections added and deleted, as we develop visuals.

The constant revision and fine-tuning of the words spoken out loud is one of the procedures that gives 2-Minute Explainers their distinctive conversational tone.

We dramatize the value proposition with animations that tell, or rather show, prospects how things could be better than they are now. The look and feel of the presentation is generally adapted from the client's graphic standards or the look and feel of their website. In some cases, the website will be getting a makeover at the same time as the 2-Minute Explainer is under development, in which case, we'll adjust to the web design as it evolves.

The mix of graphical elements - diagrams, photos, charts, animation - is determined by the client's preference, the artist's preference, what's available, and what works. Generally, we feel that the level of production should be modest — that is, our goal is to put across the value proposition, not to show the viewer how hip and clever we are.

We collaborate closely with clients to complete each 2-Minute Explainer one section at-a-time. There's a lot of back-and-forth as to what's working, what could work better, and sometimes, what's not working at all. Since the graphics and narration work together in telling the story, it's always clear whether or not the story is being told they way it should be told. It it's not, we change it.

To record and insert the professional narration usually takes only half a day. We supervise the recording session at a leading New York recording studio. The client has the option of sitting in — in-person, or on the phone.

Talent is selected collaboratively with the client — we have few people we like to work with because they come across as sincere and business-like, but we're glad to expand the roster if none seems just right.

2-Minute Explainers can be downloaded immediately, in formats suitable for web deployment and for use in presentations or as a trade show loop.The client takes ownership of all source files, which can be updated, localized, or used as a library of artwork for PowerPoint presentations and other collateral.