Table of Contents
- What a Strong Video Brief Actually Does
- Video Production Brief Template You Can Copy
- Defining Target Audience for Video Content Before You Write a Word
- How to Write a Video Production Budget Breakdown
- Video Production KPIs and Success Metrics to Agree Upfront
- Good Briefs vs Bad Briefs: Worked Examples
- Common Mistakes When You Brief a Video Production Company
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: September 25, 2026
What a Strong Video Brief Actually Does
A strong video brief is a single document that tells a production company exactly what you want, who it is for, and how you will judge success. It removes guesswork before filming starts.
Most projects go wrong long before the camera comes out. They go wrong in the first email.
At ERS Video, we have seen briefs that were three sentences long and briefs that ran to nine pages. The short ones were not the problem. The vague ones were.
A good brief does four jobs:
- It states the goal in one clear sentence
- It names the audience and where they will see the video
- It sets the budget range and the deadline
- It lists what you will supply, such as access, people, and footage
Get those four things right and the rest is detail.
Video Production Brief Template You Can Copy
A video production brief template is a fill-in-the-blanks document that covers ten core sections. Copy the structure below, answer every line, and you will brief a video production company without a single follow-up call.
Here is the full template. Replace the brackets with your own details.
1. Project title: [Working name]
2. Goal: [One sentence. What must this video achieve?]
3. Audience: [Who watches it, and what do they already know?]
4. Key message: [The one thing they must remember]
5. Format and length: [e.g. 60-second promo, 3-minute case study]
6. Where it will run: [Website, social, event screen, email]
7. Budget range: [Your honest range, not a wish]
8. Deadline: [Final delivery date, plus any milestone dates]
9. What you will provide: [Location, talent, brand assets, product access]
10. Success measures: [How you will judge if it worked]
The Ten Sections Every Brief Needs
Each section answers a question the production team would otherwise have to ask you. Skipping one costs you time later.
The template above works for promotional films, event coverage, and property walkthroughs alike. The detail changes. The structure does not.
Defining Target Audience for Video Content Before You Write a Word
Defining target audience for video content means deciding who the video is for before you decide what it says. A video aimed at everyone reaches no one.
Answer three questions in your brief:
- Who is watching? A customer, a supplier, or a recruit?
- What do they already know about you?
- What do you want them to do next?
A property walkthrough for buyers and a recruitment film for graduates need completely different pacing and tone. Write both audiences into the brief, and the production team will shape the edit around them.
How to Write a Video Production Budget Breakdown
A video production budget breakdown is a line-by-line list of where the money goes. It helps you compare quotes fairly instead of comparing one big number to another.
Ask any production company to split their quote into these lines:
| Budget Line | What It Covers | Typical Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-production | Planning, scripting, scheduling | Number of shoot days |
| Filming | Crew, kit, travel, location time | Days on site |
| Aerial filming | Drone operator and permissions | Whether you need it |
| Editing | Cut, colour, sound, graphics | Footage volume |
| Revisions | Rounds of changes | How clear your brief was |
What Drives the Cost Up or Down
Shoot days are the biggest lever. One day on site costs far less than three, and a tight brief often means fewer days.
Other factors:
- Animation and motion graphics add editing time
- Multiple locations add travel and setup
- Aerial filming needs a qualified operator and extra planning
- Tight deadlines can mean overtime
Pricing depends on quantity, dates, and delivery, so ask for a quote rather than working from a rule of thumb.
Video Production KPIs and Success Metrics to Agree Upfront
Video production KPIs and success metrics are the numbers you will use to judge the finished film. Agree them in the brief, not after delivery.
Pick two or three that match your goal:
- Views and watch time for awareness campaigns
- Click-throughs if the video sits on a landing page
- Enquiries or bookings if the goal is leads
- Completion rate for longer case study films
A common mistake is judging a brand film by lead numbers. A film built to build trust will not convert like a direct sales ad. Match the metric to the job.
Ask your production company to deliver cutdowns for social at the same time as the main film. It costs far less than a separate edit later, and it gives you more ways to hit your targets.
Good Briefs vs Bad Briefs: Worked Examples
A good brief gives the production team a clear target. A bad brief gives them a puzzle.
Bad brief: “We want a video for our website. Make it look professional and modern. Budget is flexible.”
That brief has no goal, no audience, and no deadline. The team will guess, and you will likely reject the first cut.
Good brief: “We need a 90-second promotional film for our publishing company. It should run on our homepage and at trade events. The audience is independent authors. The key message is that we handle design, print, and distribution. We can film at our office on two half-days. We need final delivery before our autumn campaign.”
The second brief is not longer by much. It is just specific.
Common Mistakes When You Brief a Video Production Company
Most brief problems are avoidable. Here are the ones we see most often.
- Hiding the budget. A range helps the team propose something you can actually afford.
- Listing too many messages. One video, one main point.
- Skipping the deadline. Say the final date and any event it must be ready for.
- Forgetting who supplies what. State location access, talent, and brand assets clearly.
- Leaving out approval. Name who signs off, and how many rounds of changes you expect.
If you do not name the person who signs off, feedback can arrive from five directions at once. That stretches the edit and pushes delivery past your deadline.
Conclusion
Briefing a video production company well takes an hour of clear thinking, and it saves weeks of back-and-forth. The template above gives you the structure. The worked examples show you the standard to aim for.
If you would rather not start from a blank page, ERS Video offers a personal and flexible service built around your goals. We handle bespoke video content, including interviews and filming at your workplace, plus aerial videography when the story calls for it. Our clients often mention the value and the care taken at every stage.
Book a call with ERS Video and get a brief that turns into a film your business can be proud of.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be included in a video production brief?
A complete brief covers ten things: your objective, the target audience, key messages, the call to action, tone, deliverables and formats, deadline, budget range, approval contacts, and how you will measure success. It should also state what the video is not for, so nobody assumes extra uses later. Keep it to two pages, written in plain language. The video production brief template in this guide gives you a ready-made structure you can adapt to any project.
Why is a creative brief important for video production?
The brief is the only document everyone works from, so it prevents expensive guesswork. It gives the production team a clear picture of your objective, audience and budget before they quote or plan a shoot. It also protects you: if the finished video drifts off-message, you can point to what was agreed. Most reshoots and awkward edits trace back to a brief that was too vague or never written down.
What are the common mistakes when briefing a video production company?
The usual ones are leaving out the budget range, hiding the real deadline, listing every possible message instead of one clear takeaway, and forgetting to say where the video will be published. Another frequent mistake is approving the brief by committee, which slows everything down. Name one decision-maker, agree the video production KPIs and success metrics upfront, and put the budget breakdown in writing before the shoot is booked.
How do I define my video project objectives?
Start with the business outcome, not the video. Ask what should change after someone watches: more enquiries, more bookings, better-qualified leads, or a clearer explanation of a complex service. Then pick one primary objective and at most two secondary ones. Write it as a single sentence, such as ‘generate 30 enquiries from our autumn campaign’. That sentence shapes the script, the shoot day and the metrics you track afterwards.