How to Write a Video Brief That Gets Results
A bad brief produces a bad video. Here is a simple framework for writing video briefs that give editors and producers exactly what they need to deliver what you want.
Why do video projects go wrong?
Most video production problems trace back to the brief. The brief said "make a video about our new product" and the team delivered something the stakeholder didn't expect. Not because the video was bad - because the brief was vague.
A good video brief takes 15 minutes to write and saves days of revisions. It forces you to answer the questions that matter before anyone presses record.
What should a video brief include?
Who is the audience?
Not "everyone." Be specific. "Marketing directors at enterprise companies evaluating video production solutions." "New hires in their first week at our Sydney office." "Existing customers who haven't used the reporting feature yet." The audience determines the tone, the length, the format, and where the video will be distributed.
What is the one thing you want the viewer to do?
Watch a video and... book a demo? Complete a compliance quiz? Share it with their team? Visit a landing page? Apply for the job? Every video needs a single clear action. If you have two actions, you need two videos.
What is the key message in one sentence?
If the viewer remembers only one thing, what should it be? Write it as a single sentence. "Our platform lets you produce 10 videos per month at a fraction of agency cost." "The new expense system saves you 15 minutes per claim." If you can't write it in one sentence, you haven't figured out what the video is about yet.
Where will this video live?
The distribution channel determines the format. LinkedIn: landscape, 30-60 seconds, with captions. Instagram Stories: vertical, under 30 seconds. Website homepage: landscape, 60-90 seconds. Email: landscape, under 60 seconds. LMS: landscape, 3-5 minute modules. Your editor needs to know this before they start cutting.
What is the tone?
Professional and authoritative? Casual and conversational? Energetic and fast-paced? Technical and detailed? Point to an existing video (yours or someone else's) that has the tone you want. "Like our Optus case study, but for a tech audience" is clearer than "professional but approachable."
What assets do you have?
List what's available: existing footage, logos, brand guidelines, music preferences, product screenshots, headshots. The editor shouldn't have to ask for things that should have been in the brief.
What are the constraints?
Deadline. Budget. Approval process. Legal review requirements. Any content that must or must not be included. Constraints aren't obstacles - they're parameters that help the team deliver something usable.
What does a bad brief look like?
"We need a video about our company for the website. It should be professional and engaging. We want to highlight our values and what makes us different. Please make it around 2-3 minutes."
This brief will produce a generic corporate video that nobody watches. It doesn't specify the audience, the action, the key message, or the tone. The team will make assumptions, the stakeholder will disagree with those assumptions, and revisions will follow.
What does a good brief look like?
Audience: Marketing directors at mid-market companies (100-1000 employees) in AU and US, currently using agencies for video production.
Action: Visit the pricing page.
Key message: You can produce 10x more video at a fraction of agency cost by letting your team film and having professional editors deliver branded content in 48 hours.
Distribution: Website homepage (hero position) and LinkedIn (organic post).
Tone: Confident and direct. Like the Schneider Electric overview video but shorter.
Format: 60 seconds, landscape, with captions for social.
Assets: Customer testimonial clips from Optus and Medibank. Product platform screenshots. Brand kit on file.
Deadline: First cut by Friday. Final by next Wednesday.
This brief gives the production team everything they need. Revisions will be minor because the direction was clear from the start.
How do you use a video brief with Shootsta?
Shootsta's platform includes a built-in briefing system that walks you through each of these elements. You fill in the brief, upload your footage, and editors use both to deliver a video that matches what you asked for. The brief stays attached to the project so anyone reviewing it can see the original intent.
Explore how the Shootsta platform works, or read about enabling non-creatives to produce video for tips on getting good footage from non-video people.
