How to check a producer can simplify something complex

The hardest explainer videos aren't the ones with the flashiest animation. They're the ones where someone takes something genuinely difficult—a technical process, a regulatory framework, a counterintuitive pricing model—and makes it land in two minutes. A producer who can simplify without dumbing down is rare. And before you hand over a brief, you need to verify they have the skill and track record to actually pull it off.

Simplification isn't just about removing jargon. It's about understanding what your audience doesn't yet know, what they're afraid they'll miss, and what actually matters to them. A producer who rushes this—who assumes they understand your domain or leans on animation to cover gaps in structure—will give you a video that looks polished but leaves viewers confused. You need concrete ways to check whether someone can do the thinking before the rendering starts.

Check their process for unpacking complexity

Ask a potential producer to walk you through how they would tackle your specific topic. Don't ask "how do you make explainers?" Ask "how would you explain [your actual thing] to someone who's never heard of it?" Then listen for these signs.

First, do they ask clarifying questions before offering an approach? A producer who talks about visual metaphors or animated sequences before understanding your core message is skipping the hard part. They should probe: What's the one thing you need viewers to understand? What's the objection you hear most? What do your competitors get wrong in how they explain this?

Second, ask them to describe a previous project where they simplified something counterintuitive. Not a project they "worked on," but one they can walk you through in detail. Ask what the original client brief looked like, what complexity they identified, and how they chose to restructure the explanation. A producer who can recount that journey—where they found the core tension, how they tested the script, what they changed after feedback—is thinking like a simplifier, not just a maker.

Third, find out whether they write the script or collaborate with someone who does. Script is where complexity either gets tamed or gets hidden under animation. If the producer outsources this step or treats it as secondary, you're at risk. Ask to see samples of scripts they've led—not just finished videos. Read them. Do they flow? Does each sentence build on the one before, or do they jump around hoping motion graphics will glue it together?

Verify through references and past work

Request a portfolio project that matches your industry or complexity level. If they've never simplified something in your domain, ask why they think they can. That's a fair question.

When you review their work, mute the video first and read the on-screen text alone. Does the logic hold? Does it make sense without the animation? Then watch it again. Did the visuals enhance the explanation, or distract from a weak script underneath?

Call two references who commissioned complex explainers from this producer. Ask them specifically:

• Did the producer challenge or refine your brief, or just execute what you described?
• Did they deliver on the first round, or did simplification take multiple iterations?
• Can they explain why they made certain structural choices in the video?
• Would you hire them again for something equally intricate?

A producer worth hiring will have references who found them useful during the process, not just satisfied with the end result. Listen for whether those clients felt understood and pushed toward clarity, or merely handed a polished video.

Finally, ask for a treatment or sample script before you commit to production. A producer confident in their ability to simplify will willingly show how they'd approach your topic at the thinking stage. If they resist until you've signed and paid, that's a warning. By then, the hard work of simplification should already be done.

The verified producers on Strove have portfolios and client references you can check. Use them. Simplification is learned through doing it badly first, so experience and honesty about past projects matter more than a smooth pitch.