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Monthly service

Animated Short (≤30s)

GIF/Reel explainer.

from $120.00 / per video
Have questions?
  • 4 to 6 days
  • Billed per per video
  • Delivered digitally
Overview

Thirty seconds, storyboarded before a frame is animated

This is a short motion piece of up to thirty seconds, built for feeds: a Reel, a Short, a looping GIF, a product teaser, or an animated version of a static diagram. The length is the constraint that shapes everything, because thirty seconds allows one idea told clearly, not three ideas told quickly.

Work starts with a storyboard. You see the sequence, the on-screen text and the pacing as frames before any animation happens, which is the cheapest possible point to change your mind. Once the board is approved we animate it, add captions, and lay in music or sound effects from properly licensed libraries.

Captions are burned in rather than left to the platform, because most feed video is watched with the sound off and auto-generated captions get product names wrong. The final file is exported as MP4 at the aspect ratio you need. Tell us at brief stage whether you want vertical for feeds, square, or widescreen for a website, and the composition is designed for it rather than cropped afterwards.

Who it is for

What a thirty-second piece is good for

Social feeds and paid placements

Formats where you have a couple of seconds to earn attention and no room for a slow build.

Explaining one small thing

A single feature, a single step, a single statistic. One idea animated well beats a tour of everything.

Bringing a static asset to life

A chart or diagram you already use, animated so the sequence of the argument is visible.

What is included

What the production covers

What you receive

  • MP4
  • Source file (on request)
How it runs

From order to hand-off

  1. 01
    Concept
  2. 02
    Animate
  3. 03
    QC & export
Why HL Digital

Why the storyboard comes first

Changes are cheap on paper

Reworking a storyboard takes an hour. Reworking finished animation does not, so you approve the board first.

Built to be watched silently

Captions are part of the design, not an afterthought, because most feed video plays with the sound off.

Licensed audio only

Music and effects come from libraries cleared for commercial use, so the post is not at risk of a takedown.

FAQs

Common questions

Is there a voiceover?
Not in this service. Thirty-second pieces normally carry their message in on-screen text and captions. If you want professional voiceover, the Explainer Video service includes it.
Which aspect ratio do we get?
One ratio, chosen at brief stage and composed for from the start. Additional ratios can be added, and we will quote them before production rather than cropping the finished piece and hoping.
Do you write the script?
We shape the on-screen text and the sequence during storyboarding, working from the message and key points you provide. The underlying claims and product facts come from you.
Can you use our own footage or product screenshots?
Yes, and it usually improves the result. Send the assets with the brief so they can be built into the storyboard rather than dropped in afterwards.
Do we get the project file?
The source file is available on request. Ask at brief stage so the project is organised for hand-over.
How many revisions are there?
One round at storyboard stage and one round on the animated draft, covering timing, text and colour. Structural changes after the storyboard is signed off are new work and will be quoted.

Ready to start with Animated Short (≤30s)?

Add it to your cart to order now, or tell us what you need and we will confirm the scope with you first.

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