How to Brief a Video Production Company (and Actually Get What You Want)

Most clients come to us with a vague idea and a deadline. The result? Wasted pre-production time, scope creep, and a final product that sort of looks like what was imagined, but not quite.

After a decade in production, we've learned that a great brief isn't just helpful, it's the single biggest predictor of whether a project delivers real value.

Here's what a great brief actually contains:

1. The business problem, not the solution

The most common mistake clients make is leading with "we need a 2-minute brand video." That's a format, not a goal. Start with: what is this video supposed to accomplish? Change a perception? Drive demo requests? Onboard new hires faster?

When we know the goal, we can recommend the right format, which isn't always what the client assumed.

2. Your audience, specifically

"Our target is B2B decision-makers" tells us nothing. "Our audience is risk-averse CFOs at mid-market manufacturing firms who've been burned by tech promises before" tells us everything. The tighter the audience definition, the sharper the creative.

3. Where it will live

A 6-minute brand film for your website homepage requires different pacing than a 90-second cut for LinkedIn. If you know the placement upfront, we can shoot and edit accordingly, rather than squeezing a long-form piece into a short-form format in post.

4. What "good" looks like

Share references. Not to copy them, but to calibrate expectations. If you love the emotional weight of a Nike campaign and the clean aesthetic of an Apple keynote, knowing that in week one saves us three rounds of revisions.

5. The one thing

Every great video has a single core message. If you can't say it in one sentence, you don't have a clear enough brief. We help clients get there, but it's much easier when they've already wrestled with it.