What This Page Covers
How local businesses can commission a professional explainer video Dublin, including production process, costs, timelines, and what to look for in a studio.
Who This Is For
Business owners, marketing managers, and communications teams in Dublin considering professional 2D animation for their brand or product.
Key Takeaway
Geography is not a barrier. Dublin businesses routinely commission professional explainer videos from studios just across the border in Belfast, with no added complexity, no time-zone friction, and no compromise on quality. Expert Insight
“A lot of Irish businesses assume they need a studio on their doorstep. In practice, the whole production process is remote: we share scripts, storyboards, and drafts online. Location hasn’t been a barrier for a single project we’ve delivered into the Republic.”Michelle Connolly, Founder and Director, Educational Voice
Quick Facts
- Educational Voice has produced over 3,300 educational animations for LearningMole.
- The studio is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and serves clients across Ireland and the UK.
- Most 2D explainer video projects complete within four to eight weeks of brief sign-off.
Dublin businesses are increasingly using professional explainer videos to communicate complex products and services clearly. Whether you need a 60-second animation for a fintech in the Docklands, a training video for a healthcare provider in Sandyford, or a product explainer for a SaaS company in the city centre, the principles of effective production are the same. What differs is the studio you choose and the brief you bring to them.
This page covers everything a local business needs to know before commissioning an explainer video Dublin: what the process involves, realistic cost expectations, how to evaluate studios, and why proximity matters less than it used to.
Table of Contents
Why Businesses Commission Explainer Video Dublin
Explainer videos work because they compress complex information into short, visually engaging content. For businesses selling anything requiring explanation, that compression has direct commercial value. Fewer customer service queries. Shorter sales cycles. Better retention on training content. The case for animation is not about novelty; it’s about communication efficiency.
Demand for explainer video services in Dublin has grown across several sectors. Technology companies use them to demonstrate software products without lengthy product tours. Healthcare organisations use them to explain procedures and services to patients. Financial services firms use them to meet compliance requirements while keeping communications accessible. Each sector has different constraints, but the underlying need is the same: turn something complicated into something a viewer can follow in under two minutes.
Dublin’s Business Landscape And Why Animation Fits
Dublin’s concentration of international tech firms, financial services companies, and professional services businesses makes it one of the strongest markets in Europe for explainer video production. Many of these companies operate across borders and need content that works for UK and European audiences as well as Irish ones. That cross-border dimension suits studios like Educational Voice, which serves clients across Dublin, the rest of Ireland, and the wider UK from its Belfast base.
Belfast is less than two hours from Dublin by road. In practice, that distance rarely comes up in the production process. Scripts, storyboards, voiceovers, and animations are shared digitally. The working relationship between a Dublin client and the Educational Voice team feels no different from working with a studio on the far side of the city.
What The Production Process Looks Like
Most professional 2D explainer video projects follow a clear sequence: brief, script, storyboard, animation, voiceover, sound, and delivery. Understanding each stage helps you manage expectations and provide feedback at the right moment.
Stage 1: Brief And Discovery
Before any creative work begins, the studio needs to understand your audience, your message, where the video will be used, and what success looks like. A well-written brief cuts production time and revision rounds. If you can answer these four questions clearly, you’re ready to commission: Who is the viewer? What do you want them to do after watching? Where will the video appear? What tone fits your brand?
Stage 2: Script
The script is the single most important deliverable in any animation project. Everything else flows from it. A 60-second video runs to roughly 140 words. That constraint forces clarity in a way that longer formats don’t. Most production delays stem from script revisions rather than animation work itself, so investing time here pays dividends throughout the project.
Stage 3: Storyboard
The storyboard translates the script into a visual sequence. Each scene is sketched out so you can see the structure before any full animation begins. This is the most efficient point at which to request structural changes. Once animation starts, alterations become progressively more expensive in both time and cost.
Stage 4: Animation
The animation stage is where the storyboard comes to life as 2D motion. Style, pace, character design, and visual hierarchy are all established here. Most studios offer one or two rounds of revisions at this stage. Providing consolidated feedback at each round (rather than piecemeal notes over several emails) keeps the project moving.
Stage 5: Voiceover And Sound
Voiceover brings personality to the finished video. For Irish businesses, accent considerations matter: a neutral Irish accent works well for domestic audiences, while a neutral British or international English accent may suit content destined for UK or global markets. Most professional studios source voiceover talent to match your brief, or can work with a voiceover you supply.
Stage 6: Final Delivery
Finished videos are typically delivered as MP4 files at 1080p, sized for web embedding, with any variations needed for different platforms (square crop for Instagram, captioned versions for accessibility) agreed at the brief stage. Most studios also provide a clean version without music to allow for future revoicing if the content needs updating.
| Stage | What Happens | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Brief and discovery | Project scope, audience, message, and goals agreed | 3–5 days |
| Script | Written, reviewed, and signed off by client | 5–7 days |
| Storyboard | Visual sequence sketched and approved | 5–7 days |
| Animation | Full 2D animation produced with revision rounds | 10–21 days |
| Voiceover and sound | Voiceover recorded, mixed with music and sound effects | 3–5 days |
| Final delivery | MP4 and any required format variations delivered | 1–2 days |
Explainer Video Costs: What To Budget In Dublin
Professional 2D explainer videos for Dublin businesses typically range from around £1,500 for a simple 60-second animation to £15,000 or more for longer or more complex productions. Most business explainer videos for SMEs fall in the £3,000 to £7,000 range. Price is driven by four variables: length, animation complexity, revision rounds, and turnaround speed.
What Affects The Price
Length. A 90-second video costs more than a 60-second one, but not proportionally more. Much of the setup cost is fixed. Adding 30 seconds of well-planned animation is cheaper than producing a second video from scratch.
Animation style. Simple motion graphics with text and icons cost less than character animation with lip-sync. If your message can be communicated clearly without characters, opting for a cleaner graphic style reduces production time and cost without reducing effectiveness.
Revision rounds. More rounds of revisions extend timelines and cost. Clear, consolidated feedback at each stage keeps both to a minimum. Studios with a structured revision process will outline this in their proposal.
Turnaround time. Rush projects cost more. If you need a video in two weeks rather than six, expect a premium. Planning ahead is the simplest way to control budget.
| Video Type | Typical Length | Approximate Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| Simple explainer (icons, text, motion graphics) | 60 seconds | £1,500–£3,500 |
| Standard business explainer | 60–90 seconds | £3,000–£6,000 |
| Character animation explainer | 90 seconds–2 minutes | £5,000–£10,000 |
| Training or educational series | Multiple videos | Negotiated per project |
Prices are in GBP, which is the currency Educational Voice quotes in from its Belfast base. For Dublin businesses invoicing in euros, EUR billing is available on request. The proximity of EUR/GBP exchange rates in recent years has made cross-border commissioning straightforward, with most clients finding the conversion adds little practical complexity to the project.
One comparison worth making: a professionally produced 60-second explainer video typically costs less than a single trade show stand for one day, and it keeps working indefinitely. The return on a well-made animation compounds over time as it appears across websites, email campaigns, social media, and sales decks.
Choosing A Studio: What Actually Matters
When evaluating animation studios for a Dublin project, focus on portfolio quality, communication clarity, and process transparency. Location matters far less than it once did.
Portfolio And Style Match
A studio’s existing work tells you more than any pitch document. Look for videos in a style similar to what you need. If you want character animation, check they have strong examples of character animation. If you want clean motion graphics, look for those. Style consistency across their portfolio suggests systematic quality rather than lucky one-offs.
Process Clarity
Good studios explain their process before you ask. They outline how many revision rounds are included, who owns the final files, what formats they deliver, and what happens if a project runs over scope. Vague answers at this stage tend to cause problems mid-project.
Communication And Responsiveness
You’ll exchange a lot of feedback with your studio during production. How quickly they respond to your initial enquiry is a reasonable proxy for how the working relationship will feel. A studio that takes a week to answer a quote request will likely take a week to answer script feedback too.
References And Repeat Clients
Ask whether the studio has worked with clients in your sector. Ask whether they have repeat clients. Studios that do good work get hired again. High client turnover is a yellow flag worth investigating.
“The brief is where projects succeed or fail. Studios that ask good questions at the start, about audience, message, and where the video will be used, tend to deliver videos that actually achieve the business goal. Studios that rush straight to animation rarely do.”Michelle Connolly, Founder and Director, Educational Voice
Why Dublin Businesses Work With Educational Voice
Educational Voice is a Belfast-based 2D animation studio founded by Michelle Connolly, a former primary school teacher who built the business around the principle that clear communication is a skill, not an accident. The studio serves clients across Dublin, Northern Ireland, and the wider UK.
Belfast and Dublin are less than two hours apart, and the studio has delivered projects for Dublin clients without any operational friction. Production is remote by design. Scripts, storyboards, and draft animations are shared online at each stage. Client meetings happen by video call. The physical gap between Belfast and Dublin has not once determined whether a project was delivered well.
Educational Voice has produced over 3,300 educational animations for LearningMole, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading educational content platforms. That volume of work across a single sustained partnership represents a quality assurance track record that few animation studios can match. It also means the team has deep experience in the specific challenge that makes explainer videos hard: explaining complex ideas to audiences who are not already experts.
For businesses in Dublin, commissioning through Educational Voice means working with a studio that understands both the Irish and UK markets, speaks both contexts fluently, and has the production depth to deliver consistently at scale. More about the studio’s work and approach is on the Dublin services page and the wider portfolio.
What Educational Voice Produces For Dublin Businesses
Explainer videos for products and services. Educational and training animations. Sales and marketing animations. Healthcare and financial services content. Corporate communications and onboarding videos.
All projects are 2D animation, produced from the Belfast studio, with voiceover, music, and sound sourced to match your audience. Discuss Your Project.
FAQs
How Much Does An Explainer Video Cost For A Dublin Business?
Professional 2D explainer videos for Dublin businesses typically range from around £1,500 for a simple 60-second motion graphics animation to £10,000 or more for character-led productions with complex animation requirements. Most business explainers fall in the £3,000 to £7,000 range. Educational Voice provides transparent pricing at the initial consultation stage, tailored to the specific brief rather than a generic rate card. EUR invoicing is available on request.
How Long Does It Take To Produce An Explainer Video?
Most 2D explainer video projects complete within four to eight weeks from brief sign-off. A straightforward 60-second motion graphics animation with efficient client feedback can be delivered in four weeks. Projects requiring character animation, multiple revision rounds, or custom voiceover casting typically run six to eight weeks. Rush timelines are possible but carry a cost premium. Planning ahead is the most reliable way to control both timeline and budget.
Can A Dublin Business Work With A Studio Based In Belfast?
Yes, and many do. The entire production process is remote: scripts, storyboards, draft animations, and final files are shared digitally. Client feedback happens over email and video calls. Educational Voice has delivered projects for Dublin clients with no cross-border complications. Belfast is less than two hours from Dublin, so in-person meetings are straightforward when useful, but the majority of projects are completed without them.
What Should I Prepare Before Approaching An Animation Studio?
You do not need a fully formed brief to make the first contact. A rough idea of your goal is enough to start a productive conversation. Think through: what you want the viewer to do after watching; who the audience is; where the video will be used (website, social media, presentations, training platform); and an approximate budget range. Educational Voice offers free initial consultations where the brief is refined collaboratively before any commitment is made.
What Types Of Business Animation Does Educational Voice Produce?
Educational Voice produces 2D animation only, covering explainer videos, educational and training animations, sales and marketing content, healthcare animations, financial services explainers, and corporate communications. The studio does not produce 3D animation, motion capture, or VR content. For most business communication purposes, 2D animation is the more cost-effective and widely accessible format.
What Is The ROI On A Professional Explainer Video?
A well-produced explainer video can deliver returns across several areas: reduced customer support queries as viewers self-serve through the content; improved conversion rates on landing pages and product pages where video is present; better retention for training and onboarding content; and ongoing use across multiple channels for years after production. The upfront cost of a professional video typically compares favourably to the cumulative cost of the problems it prevents. Educational Voice’s production of over 3,300 animations gives the team practical insight into which formats and approaches deliver measurable results.
How Does Pricing Work For Dublin Clients Invoicing In Euros?
Educational Voice quotes in GBP from its Belfast base. For Dublin clients, EUR invoicing is available on request. The proximity of EUR/GBP exchange rates in recent years has made cross-border project costs predictable. Payment terms and currency preferences are discussed and agreed at the proposal stage.
Ready To Discuss Your Dublin Explainer Video?
Educational Voice creates professional 2D animations for businesses in Dublin and across Ireland. Whether you need an explainer video for a product launch, a training animation for your team, or a marketing video for a new service, the team at our Belfast studio is ready to help. Contact Educational Voice. See Our Portfolio.
