How to write a video production brief
A good brief is the starting point for any successful video production. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to include when writing a video production brief, or use the free template.
Last updated: April 2026
What is a video production brief and why does it matter?
A good video brief is the starting point for your working relationship with a videographer or video production company, and gives them some of the information they will need during the pre-production process.
It will be the key reference point when thinking about and planning the making of your film(s); the basis on which the videographer or video production company quotes for the cost of the work; and their prompt for making suggestions to improve the end results based on their experience and knowledge.
Writing a video brief can also be a really helpful process for you, the client. It often helps to focus and refine your thinking about exactly what you want to create, making for a more successful video. We like to follow up on a brief with either a phone call or face-to-face meeting to make sure that everyone is on exactly the same page in their understanding of the project.
How to brief a video production company
A video production brief doesn’t have to be complicated, and there is no set format for what it should contain. Some are long, others are short; some are heavy on detail and logistics, others paint a more conceptual picture of what you want to create. But there are some basic things that we would always recommend including to give your videographer or production company a clear picture of what you want. Use the list below as a guide, or download our free template.
What to include in a video production brief
These are the things we find most helpful when receiving an initial brief from a potential client. We’d recommend providing as much of this information as you can, but briefs come in all shapes and sizes so don’t worry if you don’t have it all – just provide what you can and your production partner should then be able to help you with the rest.
1. Title, summary and background
Give your project a working title. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you can change it later on. But it gives us something to structure our thinking around. It can be simple and descriptive (”Acme Corporation Customer Testimonial”), or it can be more inventive (”Daffy Duck’s Magical Reinvention”).
Give a brief overview of who you are and what you want to make. A quick backgrounder on your brand, business or organisation, and a top-level description of the video(s) you are interested in commissioning.
What is the key message, feeling, and desired effect? Good videos should drive some form of change in the viewer, whether that’s making a purchasing decision or a change of opinion about something.
Who is it for? Having a clear idea of who your intended audience is will help the production company strategise appropriate content formats and styles.
Where will it be distributed? Different distribution channels (for example: broadcast/hosted on a company website/YouTube/LinkedIn/Instagram) will affect some of the creative decisions that shape your project, so you should be clear about these at the outset.
2. Creative vision and references
Reference videos: Have you seen similar videos (from anywhere) that you really like the style of? Are their comparable videos that you really don’t like? Send links to these, they’re extremely helpful. Will the videos you are commissioning form part of a larger marketing strategy or content series, and so need to fit in alongside films you have already produced? If so, include a link to your existing videos. Watching these videos will really help your production partner to understand the style and production value you want.
Budget: If your project has a fixed budget, you should list it here if you feel comfortable doing so. It will help the video production company or videographer put together a realistic proposal within any budgetary constraints.
3. Deliverables
List all of the deliverables (finalised edits) that you need, including the duration, aspect ratios, caption (subtitling), and versioning requirements. We know that sometimes additional needs come up later on, but locking in this information at the start will allow for better planning and strategy, and will help to avoid unanticipated costs for additional deliverables beyond the original project scope.
An example list of deliverables might be:
1 x Brand campaign hero edit (16:9, 120s max.)
2 x Social edits (9:16 & 4:5, 30s max., captioned)
4. Timeline, deadlines, locations
Deadlines: If you have a hard deadline by which you need all of the deliverables supplied, include this in the brief. This will allow your production partner to assess feasibility and map out some project waypoints to make sure everything stays on schedule.
Specific filming dates and locations: If filming needs to take place on specific days – because of interviewee availability, for example – then include this in the brief. If filming also needs to take place at a specific location (your company’s offices, for example), then include this also.
6. Anything else
The more detail you can provide the better, so if you can think of any other information that might be useful, add it in. If you are aware of any compliance requirements in your industry that your production partner should be aware of – claims substantiation, for example – then include them. We would always rather receive more information than less, even if some of it isn’t strictly related to the video.
Once your brief is ready, the next step is finding the right partner to bring it to life. If you're based in or around the capital, take a look at what we offer as a video production company in London.
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