Create a Full SaaS Explainer Video in Adobe After Effects

Name: Create a Full SaaS Explainer Video in Adobe After Effects
Rating: 4.6 (62 reviews)

A complete workflow from script and UI design to clean animation

Created byValeri Visuals

Last updated 1/2026

English

What you'll learn

Turn a script into a clear visual storyboard
Prepare Figma and Illustrator files for animation
Organize complex UI scenes for a smooth workflow
Animate transitions, UI demos, and product flows
Add cursor interactions, 3D layers, and camera moves
Polish your video with sound, color, and text animation

Course content

3 sections • 25 lectures • 12h 3m total length

Course Welcome and Project Files Setup1:32
Review the main course folder for assets, transfer designs from Figma to Illustrator, and save prepared files in the AI folder to prep for animation.
Figma Setup and Importing the Design10:33
Set up or log in to Figma, duplicate the project to avoid interfering with the design team, and import the design for use in After Effects with templates and assets.
Read the Script and Plan the Storyboard8:28
Plan the SaaS explainer by reading the client script, outlining the four-part structure (problem, company, solution, call to action), and storyboard visual ideas from Figma into After Effects.
Importing UI Panels from Figma to After Effects29:04
Preparing the Projects UI Panel in Illustrator19:11
Structuring Complex UI Panels for Animation23:20
Refining the Design with Rounded Corners10:37

Importing the Designs into After Effects29:09
Creating the Videoboard for Scene Timing22:45
Create a precise video board in After Effects by arranging storyboard frames into timed scenes aligned with a voiceover and captions.
The Correct Animation Workflow36:53
Adopt a two-phase workflow: macro first, micro later, to craft scenes that fit the voiceover and the video board, then refine with design details and transitions in After Effects.
Creating Scene 2 – Bouncy Sphere Animation21:27
Design scene two by building message bubbles and task boxes in After Effects, animate a bouncy sphere through precise timing and keyframes, and create a match-cut transition to scene one.
Building Scene 3 – Search Bar Animation31:36
Design and animate scene three for a SaaS explainer video in After Effects, featuring a search bar with typewriter text, button click, cursor motion, and synchronized transitions.
Building Scene 4 – Logo Animation24:39
Animate scene four by creating a logo rotation, stroke reveal for the logo text, and a 3D UI panel precomp setup in Adobe After Effects.
Continuing Scene 4 – Logo and Dashboard Transition23:27
Animate scene four by refining logo and dashboard transitions in After Effects, using keyframes, easing, and camera tweaks; integrate a cat gif with rounded corners and a gradient background.
Creating Scene 5 – Splitting Screens Animation31:13
Creating the Outro Animation for the Projects Screen37:01
Building the Title Animation Template37:59
Create a reusable title animation by building a main title composition in full hd, styling the gradient with invert, hue/saturation, and toner, then animate with scale and match-cut transitions.
Animating the Contacts UI Screen in 3D15:43
Animate the contacts UI screen in 3D space, converting layers to 3D, pre-comping sections, and creating camera-driven intro, popping-out rotations with offset keyframes and match-cut transitions, synced to voiceover.
Creating the Complex Demo Flow Animation38:52
Timing Adjustments and Click Interaction Animation58:39
Learn timing adjustments and click interaction animation in Adobe After Effects, including intro animation, pre-comps, and keyframes for a polished demo flow.
Building Scene 8 – Drag and Drop Demo Animation48:45
Creating the Final Title and Scene Outro27:57
Create the final title and outro for a SaaS explainer video by duplicating pre-comps, updating text, syncing animations to the voiceover, and aligning scene transitions.

Adding the Cursor Animation43:36
Learn to build a cursor animation in After Effects, syncing clicks to UI panels with pre-comps, precise keyframes, curves, and time-remap expressions driven by AI for seamless motion.
Enhancing Visuals with Effects and Color54:42
Enhance a SaaS explainer video in After Effects by coloring the cursor with gradient backgrounds and applying inner shadow, light sweep, and glow, plus scene-specific backgrounds and depth of field.
Final Touches, Music, and Text Animations36:47
Apply final touches to a SaaS explainer video in After Effects by animating text layers, adding music, tweaking scenes, and integrating avatar portraits for a polished, ready-to-render product.

Requirements

Adobe After Effects installed on your computer
Basic understanding of After Effects (layers, precomps, and keyframes)
Basic familiarity with Adobe Illustrator is helpful but not required
No previous experience with SaaS explainer videos is needed

Description

SaaS explainer videos are one of the most in-demand skills in motion design today. But for many designers, creating a full SaaS explainer video feels overwhelming. They know how to animate, but they don’t know how to structure a real project from start to finish. This course is designed to solve that problem.

In this course, you will learn how to create a full SaaS explainer video in Adobe After Effects, using a clear, professional workflow that is actually used in real client projects. We do not focus on random effects or shortcuts. Instead, we focus on structure, clarity, and decision-making.

You will follow the entire process step by step. We start by understanding the script and turning it into a clear visual storyboard. Then you’ll learn how to prepare UI designs from Figma for animation using Adobe Illustrator. After that, we move into After Effects, where you’ll organize complex UI scenes, animate product flows, transitions, and UI demos, and build the full explainer video.

Throughout the course, the focus is on creating motion that supports the message, stays clean, and remains easy to understand. You’ll also learn how to avoid common beginner mistakes that make SaaS explainer videos look confusing or unprofessional. By the end of the course, you will have completed the same full SaaS explainer video created during the lessons, and you’ll have a clear workflow you can reuse in future projects.

The final result is a portfolio-ready SaaS explainer video you can confidently show to clients or include in your showreel. If you know the basics of After Effects but feel lost when starting real projects, this course will give you clarity, confidence, and a repeatable process.

Who this course is for:

Beginner motion designers who want to create real SaaS explainer videos
Designers who know basic After Effects but feel lost on full projects
UI or graphic designers who want to move into motion design
Creatives who want a clear, repeatable workflow for SaaS animation
Freelancers who want a portfolio-ready SaaS explainer video

Create a Full SaaS Explainer Video in Adobe After Effects

What you'll learn

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Course content

IntroductionDesign & Project Preparation7 lectures • 1hr 43min

Figma Setup and Importing the Design15 lectures • 8hr 6min

Final Polish & Rendering3 lectures • 2hr 15min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: