Animated Videos for Government and Municipalities: Complex Legislation Explained Clearly
Animations for government agencies and municipalities by Explainit Video Production.
On August 15, 2026, the Cybersecurity Act—the Dutch implementation of the European NIS2 Directive—will take effect. More than 8,000 organizations will be subject to new cybersecurity requirements, including all municipalities, provinces, and water boards. How do you explain this to employees who deal with it on a daily basis? Or to citizens who want to know what it means for them?
This is exactly the kind of challenge that animated videos are made for.
Why are more and more governments turning to animation?
Government communication faces a unique challenge: the message is often complex, legally sensitive, and intended for a broad audience with varying levels of knowledge. No one reads a 40-page policy paper. Everyone watches a 90-second animated video.
Animation works for government agencies for three reasons. First, it makes abstract legislation visual and understandable. Cybersecurity, privacy laws, or the Environment Act are difficult to film but lend themselves perfectly to animation. Second, animation is inclusive. With subtitles, voice-overs, and simple visual language, you can also reach citizens with limited language skills and people with visual or hearing impairments. Third, animation is timeless and adaptable. If there’s a change in the law, we can update the animation without having to reshoot it.
Making Complex Topics Clear
Legislation, policies, and processes that are difficult to film are presented in a visual and easy-to-understand way through animation.
Inclusive and accessible
By using captions, voice-overs, and simple visual language, you can meet digital accessibility requirements (WCAG).
Versatile and timeless
Is the law changing? We keep project files for 5 years so that changes can always be made.
The Cybersecurity Act (NIS2): A Current Example
The Cybersecurity Act will take effect on August 15, 2026, for all municipalities, provinces, and water boards in the Netherlands. Employees must know what is expected of them in terms of digital security. This includes requirements such as mandatory registration, duty of care, and mandatory reporting of incidents.
We created a series of animated videos for the City of Rotterdam about NIS2 legislation that does exactly that: explain in 90 seconds what the law entails, who it affects, and what the first steps are. No legal jargon, no documents hundreds of pages long—just a clear visual story that employees can understand right away.
These types of animations are used on the intranet, in team meetings, and as part of compliance training. The result: greater awareness and fewer questions directed at the IT department.
Five Uses of Animation in Government
Government communication goes far beyond legislation alone. Municipalities and government agencies use animated videos for a variety of purposes.
Explaining the Law
Making new laws—such as the Cybersecurity Act, the Environment Act, or the Open Government Act—understandable to employees and citizens.
Case: City of Rotterdam, NIS2 Legislation
Policies and Processes
Explaining grant applications, permitting procedures, or the heat transition to residents step by step.
Case Study: City of Ede, Heat Transition
Internal Communication
Clearly communicating the onboarding of new employees, compliance training, and organizational changes.
Consider: integrity training, information security
Citizen Participation
Involving residents in plans for their neighborhood, municipality, or local community. Animation makes complex plans visually accessible and easy to understand.
Consider: environmental vision, housing development, sustainability
Awareness Campaigns
Safety, health, waste sorting, or energy conservation. Short animations that get the message across on social media and websites.
Consider: fireworks policies, heat waves, water safety
What makes government communication different?
Government communications have specific requirements that not every video production company can meet. The tone must be professional yet approachable. The content must be legally accurate without becoming difficult to read. The video must comply with web accessibility standards (WCAG) so that everyone can understand the message.
At Explainit, we have extensive experience with government communications. We work for the City of Ede, the City of Rotterdam, the Municipality of Hoeksche Waard, and federal agencies. We are familiar with the expectations, approval processes, and brand guidelines associated with government projects.
From briefing to publication: how does it work?
The process for a government animation project isn't much different from a regular project, but there are a few specific points to keep in mind.
The briefing often involves multiple stakeholders. Policy staff, communications advisors, and legal counsel must agree on the message. We facilitate this process by making clear decisions early on in the scriptwriting phase about what will and will not be included in the video.
Within government agencies, review processes sometimes involve multiple levels. That’s why, whenever possible, we work with clear feedback points and a well-defined schedule. This way, everyone knows when input is expected, and you can prevent the project from falling behind schedule.
For government agencies, the final delivery often includes more than just an MP4 file. This may include subtitled versions, audio descriptions, multiple language versions, and formats for social media and the intranet.
Stakeholder Briefing
Policy staff, communications, and legal affairs all sit down together. We help refine the core message.
Multiple stakeholders? No problemScript and Coordination
All parties involved review the script for content. We process feedback quickly and in a structured manner.
Feedback SessionAnimation in the corporate style
Fully in line with your municipality’s or organization’s brand identity. Recognizable, professional, and consistent.
Custom Delivery
MP4, with subtitles, audio description, and multiple languages and formats for the intranet, website, and social media.
WCAG-compliantHow much does an animated video for the government cost?
Our rates for government agencies are the same as for other clients. A one-and-a-half-minute animated video costs between €2,500 and €5,000, excluding VAT, depending on the visual style and complexity. This covers the entire process: from script and storyboard to animation and delivery.
Do you need multiple animations—for example, a series on the Cybersecurity Act, information security, or onboarding? In that case, our e-learning rates are often more attractive. For a series of 7 or more animations, you’ll receive the maximum volume discount of 20%. This is ideal if you want to build a complete training program or educational series with a consistent visual style.
Calculate the costs right away using our free cost calculator for animated videos or for
e-learning animations. Or contact us for a no-obligation consultation about the possibilities. Call 0318 240 092 or email hallo@explainit.video.
Bas van Maanen
Founder of Explainit
Bas is the founder of Explainit, an animation and video production company based in the Ede region. With over 15 years of experience in animation and video production, he has completed hundreds of projects for clients such as KPMG, Erasmus+, the Municipality of Ede, and Yellowtail. Explainit deliberately works with a small team and brings in the right specialists for each project. This keeps the lines of communication short, the quality high, and the rates fair. Do you have questions about this article, or are you curious about what video can do for your organization? Feel free to contact us.