Template
The one-page video brief that prevents reshoots
A brief is not paperwork. It is the document that decides whether everyone in the room is making the same video. This is the exact template we fill in before we quote.
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Video brief
One page. Fill every line.1. The basics
Project name:
Owner and approver (the one person who signs off):
Deadline, and what the deadline is tied to:
Budget range:
2. The video
One-sentence objective — finish this: after watching, the viewer should ___
Primary audience — who specifically, not 'everyone aged 18–45':
The single message. If they remember one thing, it is:
The action we want next:
3. Where it runs
Placements (Instagram Reels, product page, YouTube ad, sales deck…):
Required lengths and ratios:
Will it play with sound on or off?
4. Content
Must include (products, people, claims, logo, legal text):
Must avoid (competitor cues, claims we cannot support, past creative that failed):
Tone in three words:
Reference videos — two or three links, with a note on what you like about each:
5. Practicalities
Who and what we have access to (locations, products, staff, customers):
Existing assets to reuse (brand fonts, logo files, music, past footage):
Approvals needed beyond the owner (legal, regulatory, parent brand):
Deliverables list, with quantity, length and ratio for each:
Number of review rounds included:
The fields people get wrong
- 1
Objective becomes a wish list
'Build awareness, drive sales, explain features and show our values' is four videos. Pick one. The others become separate deliverables or they dilute this one.
- 2
Audience becomes a demographic
'Women 25–40 in metros' tells a director nothing. 'People who already use a competitor and think switching is a hassle' tells them everything about the opening line.
- 3
References are chosen for polish
Attach references for structure and tone, and say why. 'I like how this opens on the problem' is useful. 'I like this one' is not.
- 4
Approvers appear late
Name every approver in the brief. A legal or parent-brand reviewer who appears after the edit is the single most common cause of expensive rework.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a brief for a small Reel?
A short one, yes — objective, audience, action, placement and deliverables. Five lines is enough. The point is not formality; it is making sure the person editing knows what the video is for.
Who should write the brief, us or the agency?
You start it, we finish it. You hold the business context, we hold the production knowledge. In practice we take your draft, ask about ten questions, and return a version we both sign.
How specific should the deliverables list be?
Specific enough to count. 'Social videos' causes disputes; 'three 30-second cuts in 9:16 with burned-in captions, plus one 60-second 16:9 master' cannot be misread by either side.
What if we do not know what we want yet?
Then the first engagement is a concept session rather than a shoot. We take your objective and audience and come back with two or three directions. Briefing a shoot before the idea exists is how budgets get spent on the wrong video.
Have something worth filming?
Tell us what you are launching and we will come back with ideas, a plan and a quote within two working days.