Animated Explainer Videos, Manchester & UK
Script, storyboards, voiceover and animation, all from one freelancer.
Tell your story in the best way possible with an animated explainer video. I've made them for The Guardian, Matik, and more, and explainer videos typically start from around £5,000.
Get in touch"Thomas was amazing to work with! Extremely organized and professional throughout the entire length of the project. His work was phenomenal. Highly recommend working with him!"
— Nikola Mijic, CEO, Matik
More of my animated explainer work:
Animated explainer for Brewtopia
This was the launch video for a side project of mine: Brewtopia - a checklist against climate change.
The explainer is the first in what I hope to be a number of animations for the Brewtopia YouTube channel, running through different actions on how people can help fight climate breakdown.
I covered all aspects of this project, from script writing, to illustration, voiceover, and animation! I'm particularly fond of the little characters used throughout that help highlight the personal actions people can take.
Animated 3D explainer video for MSL
The client was keen to highlight the link between people and technology at the heart of their business. With this in mind, I wrote the script to focus on the idea that buildings are so much more than the structures we see, that they thrive because of what goes on behind the scenes: the world of MSL.
The style and colours used are all straight from the MSL colour palette, using a combination of After Effects and Cinema 4D I managed to create a 3D world in quite a unique style.
Platform for action animated explainer for The Guardian
The Guardian commercial team hired me to produce an animation that highlighted the benefits of advertising with The Guardian.
A key challenge of this project was to mix the live action footage and images of iconic Guardian front pages with animated elements throughout. Keeping the animation, illustration, and transitions simple allowed for the graphic elements to be included without feeling out of place.
Animated explainer on the Ebola Virus
The main aim of this animation was to highlight the effects of Ebola; how it spreads, the symptoms it causes; and ultimately why it's such a deadly virus.
As with all the work I've done for The Guardian it wasn't just me working on this, a whole team of Journalists and science editors helped produce the script. Alex Purcell, the head motion designer then provided the art direction, I was then set the task of animating everything and putting all the pieces together.
Animated explainer on equality in the workplace
The team had recently rebranded, as part of this they had "the spark" graphic (the different coloured shards used in their publications).
As part of the storyboarding process, I managed to incorporate the spark into the illustrations for each of the videos, building the general visual style around it & using it to help frame certain scenes and statistics.
Animated explainer on toilets for The Guardian
One of my first freelance projects for The Guardian was to work on this 99 seconds piece.
This particular animation was a collaborative effort, the animation had been started by the head of motion; Alex, and another freelancer prior to my involvement.
Perhaps my favourite contribution is the Toilet 2.0 - we needed a way of animating a futuristic toilet, so I went with what I've dubbed as "the flush-o-tron 3000"
It was a great project to work on, a really good introduction to the team at The Guardian and how they work too.
Motion Design for The Guardian Comment
Working freelance for The Guardian, I was tasked with creating various animated scenes for their comment is free series; a selection of videos that explore a whole variety of topics. The example shown above was just one of the comment is free videos, stills from others are listed below.
Each video has a unique style, sometimes fully animated, other times combining still imagery or footage with motion design elements - each one was a new challenge.
All freelance animation services
Take a look through my freelance motion design and animation services, for all other projects send me an email to see if I can help out.
I'm based in Manchester, and work with clients across the world so location isn't an issue.
Animated explainer video FAQs
What is an animated explainer video?
Animated explainer videos are a great way to teach people something. You could use one to introduce your business, explain how your app works, or break down a complicated topic — whatever you need explaining, animation is a great way to do it.
Compared with conventional video production, animated explainer videos can offer a much higher ROI — no weather delays, no costly re-shoots, and changes are far quicker to make once the animation is underway.
How much does an animated explainer video cost?
As a rough ballpark figure, animated explainer videos typically start from around £5000-£6000, depending on style, length, and how much illustration or 3D work is involved. For the full breakdown of what goes into that figure, read how much an animation costs.
Every project is different though, so get in touch and I can give you a more accurate quote based on what you have in mind.
How long should an explainer video be?
Most explainer videos work best somewhere between 60-90 seconds: long enough to properly introduce an idea, short enough that nobody switches off halfway through.
The best ones stick to one clear message rather than trying to cover everything at once, like the product explainer I created for Matik.
How is an animated explainer video made?
The process follows the same stages as any animated video production, with each one signed off before moving to the next:
Script. Every project starts with planning discussions to establish the goals of the video — finding out exactly what needs to be said is crucial. A well structured script, written specifically for the explainer format, is the cornerstone of any successful project and an area I really focus on.
Storyboards. Rather than rough sketches, I create illustrated designs for the main frames of the animation. They're much closer to the finished video, so you can see how it will look and feel, as well as its structure and flow.
Voiceover and music. The voiceover is recorded and a music track chosen to suit the style and tone of the video.
Animation. With everything signed off, the storyboards are brought to life and your explainer video is completed!
Does my explainer video need a voiceover?
Not every explainer needs a voiceover, but it's recommended to guide viewers through the visuals. I provide voiceovers for animated explainer videos myself as part of the process — you don't have to use my dulcet northern tones, but of course I'd recommend them.
Do you only make explainer videos for Manchester businesses?
Nope! I'm based in Manchester, but the whole process works remotely, so I make animated explainer videos for clients across the UK and beyond.
Got a question that isn't here, or an idea in mind? Let's chat:
Get in touch