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Video briefs have a particular failure mode that design briefs don’t quite share: the person writing the brief often doesn’t know enough about video production to know what decisions they need to make before commissioning the work. They send over a brief that describes what they want the video to achieve, which is a start, but doesn’t say anything about format, length, distribution channel, or budget. The production company comes back with a quote that either seems wildly expensive or suspiciously cheap, and nobody’s quite sure why.
A good video brief is one that gives a production company enough information to quote accurately and come back with genuine creative options rather than a list of clarifying questions.
Decisions you need to make before the brief goes out
The brief can’t be written until you’ve answered a few foundational questions internally. Where will this video live? On your website, on social media, at an event, as part of a presentation? The distribution channel has a significant effect on the format, length, and production values that make sense. A 90-second film for Instagram has different requirements from a five-minute film for a fundraising gala.
Who is the audience, and what do you want them to think, feel, or do after watching? This sounds obvious but it’s often left vague. “We want people to feel inspired” is not a useful brief objective. “We want potential donors to understand how the service works and feel confident that donations are used well” is something a production company can work with.
What’s the budget? Giving a budget range in the brief is not a weakness; it’s useful information that allows the supplier to propose an approach that’s realistic rather than aspirational. Without it, you’ll either get the most expensive version of what you asked for, or a quote that’s so hedged with caveats it’s hard to compare to anything.
Tone is harder to describe than you think
The tone section of a video brief is often the least useful, because people default to adjectives that could describe almost any video: “professional, warm, engaging”. It helps to be more specific. What does “warm” mean to you in practice: a presenter-led film with a conversational style, or something more observational? Are you open to humour? What reference films have you seen that felt right?
Reference films are one of the most useful things you can include in a video brief, precisely because tone is so subjective. Showing someone an example of what you mean is more useful than describing it.
Who needs to be involved and when
Video production involves other people: the subjects of the film, anyone who needs to sign off the script, legal or comms review at various stages, the person who will host or distribute the final version. The brief should make the approval process clear. If a production company doesn’t know that final sign-off requires three rounds of internal review, they’ll quote for one.
A template to work from
The video brief template covers background, objectives, audience, key messages, tone, format, length, distribution channels, timeline, budget, and approval process in a single editable Word document, with a PDF reference version. Complete it before your first conversation with a supplier.
Video Production Brief Template
Editable Word document and PDF reference version.