Topics for explainer videos are infinite! There is just so much to explain about the world we live in. So, let’s consider a few serious issues and a few fun things that are rather unusual, yet fascinating topics for explainer videos.

7 Unusual Topics for Explainer Videos

1. Stanislavsky’s ‘System’

Konstantin Stanislavski was a Russian theatre practitioner. Following a legendary 18-hour discussion he co-founded the world-famous Moscow Art Theatre (MAT) company. At its 30-year anniversary celebration in 1928, Stanislavski had a massive heart attack on-stage, but he waited until the curtain fell before seeking medical assistance. He survived, stopped acting, and continued to direct, teach, and write about acting, until his death in 1938. He is famous for his ‘system’ of actor training and rehearsal technique. Stanislavski proposed that actor training should involve something more than mere physical and vocal training. The Stanislavski ‘system’ cultivates the “art of experiencing”. Stanislavsky introduced into the production process a period of discussion and detailed analysis of the play and also subjected his actors to a rigorous process of artistic self-analysis and reflection. In rehearsal, the actor searches for inner motives to justify actions. The ‘system’ is definitely worthy of an explainer video!

2. Red Dye

            Cochineal dye has been around forever! It is made from bugs… and therefore, it may not sound so appetizing. (However, synthetic red dyes carry far greater health risks, as they are derived from either coal or petroleum by-products.) The bugs used to make red dye are cochineal insects. They produce a bitter, crimson-colored pigment called carminic acid, which is used to ward off predators. To make red dye, manufacturers dry the cochineals and grind them into a powder! The powder then turns a bright red color when mixed with water. Humans have been using this red dye, (to give the red color in foods, cosmetics and even fabrics) for centuries! An explainer video can shed more light on this weird practice! For more science topics, check out our blog post!

3. Manage Time

            A dictionary will tell you that “management” is “the process of dealing with, or controlling things or people”. So, that means that time can also be managed! In fact, it has to be managed if you want to achieve more in the 24 hours that you have available every day. High achievers manage their time exceptionally well! It is about working smarter, not harder, in order to enhance productivity, so that you get more done in less time. A lack of time management results in people just going with the flow and not getting much done. An explainer video that explains time-management techniques can save others a lot of time…

4. Laugh Yourself Healthy

            People who laugh a lot tend to be healthier! They worry less and are therefore less prone to chronic stress. Chronic stress causes emotional and physical health issues, including depression, headaches, heart disease and digestive problems. So, laughing is good for your heart and helps you handle life better! Cheerful people seem to be more resilient against negative events. On the other hand, stress experienced by less resilient people produces chemicals in the body that cause inflammation, (which, in turn, may lead to a variety of illnesses, including diabetes, arthritis, cancer and even dementia). Laughing also helps manage pain better, as endorphins released during laughter brings pain relief. Moreover, laughter boosts memory, as the stress hormone cortisol is reduced and you become more relaxed. There is a lot to say about laughter – it would be best revealed in a short explainer video!

5. Capital Punishment

            The term capital comes from Latin and means “of the head”, a reference to beheading. Crimes that are punishable by capital punishment commonly include offences such as murder, treason, espionage, war crimes, and genocide. However, this government-sanctioned practice is highly controversial. Some countries retain capital punishment; some have completely abolished it, and a few only use capital punishment in special circumstances (such as war crimes). However, even though most nations have abolished it, over 60% of the world’s population live in countries where the death penalty still operates. The debate about the death penalty varies considerably by country and by the crime in question. Then there are the methods of execution (hanging, beheading, firing squad, gas chamber, lethal injection, electrocution, stoning) – none is a quick easy death… There is a lot to explain about capital punishment!

6. Sword Swallowing

            A serious warning: this is not for the faint-hearted and must not be tried at home, but here is how a professional sword swallower does it… He inserts the tip of the blade into his mouth and navigates it down the pharynx. He finds the proper alignment into the oesophagus, slides the blade through the upper esophageal sphincter and flips open the epiglottis, so that the blade goes into the glottal chamber behind the laryngea and the voice box. Now, he slides the blade down the esophagus into the thoracic chamber, between the lungs. Then he nudges his heart slightly to the left, slides the blade past the sternum and breast bone, through the diaphragm, and into the upper stomach. Then he inserts the blade all the way down to the duodenum. And that, in a nutshell, is how a sword swallower swallows a sword! But, perhaps an explainer video can clarify this “simple” skill more precisely. If you want more ideas for (more normal) sports topics…check them out here.

7. Hiccuping

            In 1922 a man named Charles Osborne started hiccuping… And he continued hiccuping for the next 68 years, until his death in 1990! Hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. When the muscle spasms, the vocal cords produce the hiccup sound. Fortunately, for most people, hiccups usually only last for a few minutes. There are also a few home cures for getting rid of hiccups. The idea is to distract the diaphragm from having spasms by holding your breath, drinking a glass of water quickly or even having someone frighten you, to mention but a few! An explainer video can give you all the ins and outs of hiccuping and how to get rid of them!