A timed explainer script that holds attention
The best explainer videos follow a tight emotional arc: name a problem the viewer feels, reveal the solution, show it working, prove it, and ask for one action. Doing that in 60–90 seconds takes discipline because every second counts. This builder turns your product details into a scene-by-scene voiceover script and estimates the runtime of each scene so you know the whole thing fits before you ever hit record.
How it works
The tool assembles five scenes in the proven explainer order and times each one. The hook opens by dramatising the problem so the viewer recognises themselves. The solution reveal introduces your product as the turning point. The how it works section breaks the experience into three simple steps, because three is the number a viewer can hold in memory. The proof scene adds a single credibility line — a customer count, a result, or a rating. The CTA closes with one clear instruction. Each scene’s duration is estimated from its word count at roughly 150 words per minute, and the tool sums them so you can keep the total inside the 60–90 second sweet spot.
Scene-by-scene breakdown
| Scene | Purpose | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | Make the viewer feel the problem | 8–12 s |
| Solution reveal | Name your product as the fix | 6–10 s |
| How it works | Three short steps | 20–30 s |
| Proof | One credibility signal | 8–12 s |
| CTA | One clear instruction | 5–8 s |
Worked example
Suppose you are building a script for a freelance invoicing app targeting designers. A filled-out script might open like this:
“It’s 11pm and you’re chasing a client who owes you £800. Again. InvoiceNow sends automatic payment reminders the moment an invoice goes overdue. Here’s how it works: upload your logo, send the invoice in one tap, and watch the reminders go out on a schedule you set. Over 12,000 freelancers have already cut their average payment time in half. Start your free trial at invoicenow.co — link below.”
At 150 words per minute that runs roughly 75 seconds — right in the sweet spot. The hook is specific and emotional; the steps are concrete; the proof is a number, not a claim; the CTA is singular.
Tips for writing each scene
- Hook: Use a time, a place, or a dollar amount to make the problem tangible. Vague pain (“managing projects is stressful”) is forgettable; specific pain (“your last three Slack threads each had 47 messages to find one file”) lands.
- Three steps: Label them “Step one,” “Step two,” “Step three” — the structure itself tells the viewer the process is learnable. Each step should be one sentence and describe one action.
- Proof: A real number (“5,000 teams,” “rated 4.8 stars”) is more persuasive than an adjective (“trusted,” “leading”). If you have no number yet, use “join thousands of users” as a placeholder — but replace it as soon as the real figure is available.
- CTA: Read it out loud and time it. If it takes more than four seconds to say, it is too long. “Go to example.com” is faster than “Visit our website at www.example.com today.”
If the total runs over 90 seconds, cut adjectives and merge steps; if it runs under 60, add a sharper proof line or a second benefit. Aim to land squarely in the middle for the strongest retention.