At a glance
A video production brief sets out the audience, purpose, main messages, style, distribution, budget and deadline. One page of key points is usually enough to start a conversation with a production company. Include reference videos and any fixed requirements, and flag decisions you still need help with.
In this guide
A video production brief helps us understand what you need from your corporate video. It gives the production team a starting point for discussing the approach, scope and schedule.
Use our video production brief template to put your answers in one document, or send them through our quote form.
Use these seven questions to explain what you need from the video. You don’t need every answer before contacting us, but your brief should cover the audience, main messages, intended use, budget and deadline.
Watch: Preparing a video production brief · 3 min 27 sec
Topics and times in the video
- 0:14 – What is a video production brief?
- 0:48 – What is the purpose of your video?
- 1:02 – Who is the target audience?
- 1:21 – What are the key messages you want to communicate?
- 1:48 – What style are you looking for?
- 2:10 – Special requirements?
- 2:24 – How will your video be distributed?
- 2:41 – What is your budget and deadline?
What is the purpose of your video?
Start with what you want the video to achieve. Do you want to support your sales process, help staff learn a task or bring more people to your website? Explain what you want viewers to understand or do after watching.
Who is your target audience?
Describe who the video is for, what they already know and what they need to understand. This helps us choose the language, level of detail and examples to include.
What are the key messages you want to communicate?
Identify the one or two main messages viewers need to take away. List the information and examples that support them, and flag anything that must be included.
If the brief covers several unrelated topics, we can discuss whether they need separate videos.
What style are you looking for?
Showing examples of the type of video you are looking for is a useful way to explain your preference. Is a narrator or presenter delivering the information? Would text captions or a documentary-style video suit the subject?
If a narrator or presenter is required, would you prefer professional actors or someone from your company? Share reference videos and explain what you like about them, such as the tone, pace, interview approach or graphics.
Special requirements?
Please let us know if there is specific content that needs to be included. Are there logos to include or music to use? Is there a location or colour scheme you want your video to revolve around?
Flag any access arrangements, filming permissions or people who need to approve the finished video. This helps us work out what needs to be organised before filming.
How will your video be distributed?
Where and how the video is shown can influence its style. Will it be displayed on your website’s homepage? Is it a training video for staff inductions? Is it part of a presentation for a conference or an important meeting? Will it form part of a social media campaign shared on Instagram and YouTube?
List the places you plan to use the video so we can discuss formats, captions and any shorter versions you need.
What is your budget and deadline?
Have you set a budget range for your corporate video brief? Share the range you have in mind so we can recommend an approach that fits. If you need help deciding what to allow, read about the factors that affect video production cost. We can also show you examples of different videos across a range of budgets.
Let us know when you need the finished video and whether there are fixed filming dates. We can then plan the production and allow time for your team’s feedback and approvals.
A useful brief gives us enough information to discuss the project with you. Gather your key points, reference videos and requirements, then flag anything you still need help deciding.
If you need help preparing your brief or would like a quote, contact us. You can also explore our video production planning and technique guides.
Ryan Spanger is the founder and managing director of Dream Engine, a Melbourne video production company established in 2002. Over the past two decades, he’s produced hundreds of videos for businesses, government departments, universities and healthcare organisations across Australia. Ryan specialises in helping organisations explain complex ideas through clear, engaging video content, with particular experience in corporate communications, training and education.
