The best projects we've done started with a short brief. The hardest ones started with a 14-slide deck that never said what the video was actually for. A good brief isn't long. It's clear.
The five questions
- What is this video for? One sentence. 'Get bookings for the monsoon season' beats 'raise brand awareness'.
- Who is it for? Be specific. Age, place, what they care about, where they'll see it.
- What's the one thing they should remember? Just one.
- Where will it live? Instagram, YouTube, website, a screen at an event, TV.
- What's the budget and the deadline? Even a rough range helps us propose the right idea.
“Clients worry that sharing a budget means we'll spend all of it. The opposite is true. Without a range I'm guessing, and a guess either wastes your money or wastes your time.”
Nice to have
- Two or three videos you love, and one you hate. The one you hate is often more useful.
- Brand guidelines, logo files and any must-say lines.
- Who signs off. One decision-maker saves weeks.
- Anything that's off-limits: competitors, claims, locations.
“Send me references, but tell me why you like them. 'This one because of the music' and 'this one because it feels honest' lead to completely different films.”
What to leave out
The shot list, the camera, the exact script. That's our job, and you're paying us to have ideas you haven't thought of. Tell us the problem, not the solution.
Copy this
- Goal:
- Audience:
- The one thing to remember:
- Platforms and formats:
- Budget range and deadline:
- References (and why):
- Decision-maker:
- Must-haves and no-gos:
Fill that in, send it to us, and we'll come back with ideas, a timeline and a clear budget.
Questions people ask
What should a video production brief include?
The goal of the video, the target audience, the one key message, where it will be published, the budget range and deadline, references, the decision-maker and any must-haves or no-gos.
How long should a video brief be?
One page is enough. A clear, short brief leads to better ideas and more accurate budgets than a long deck.
Planning a shoot? Tell us about it — or see what we've made.
