What a brief is and why it matters
A video production brief is a written document that tells a production company everything they need to know to make your video. It covers what you want the video to accomplish, who it's for, what it should contain, and what you expect to receive at the end.
A brief is not a script. It's not a shot list. It's not a mood board (though a mood board can accompany it). It's the single document that should answer every important question a production company has before they start work.
Briefs matter for a simple reason: production work is expensive and time-consuming to redo. A video that goes into production without a clear brief tends to drift — the production company makes educated guesses about your message, your tone, your audience. Some of those guesses will be wrong. And by the time you see the first cut and realise the tone is completely off, or the video is focused on the wrong thing, a significant amount of time and money has already been spent.
A good brief prevents this. It aligns you and the production company before a single camera is picked up. It also gives you something to come back to when decisions need to be made during the project — does this change fall within the brief, or is it a scope change?
Most of the revision requests we see on video projects trace back to something that wasn't in the original brief. A brief that takes 30 minutes to write can save days of back-and-forth edits.
The 8 things every good video brief covers
You don't need to write an essay. You need to answer these eight questions clearly:
Goal — what should happen after someone watches this?
This is the most important question and the one most briefs skip. Not "we want a video about our company." But: "We want someone who sees this to visit our website and request a consultation." Or: "We want existing clients to understand the new feature." Be specific about the action or outcome you're driving.
Audience — who is watching this, and what do they already know?
A video for existing clients who know your brand is different from a video for cold-audience prospects. A video for Egyptian business owners is different from one for a global audience. The more specific you are about who's watching, the better the creative decisions will be.
Format and length — what kind of video is this?
Instagram Reel, YouTube ad, corporate explainer, event coverage, testimonial, product demo — these are different productions. Specify the format. Specify the approximate length. Specify the aspect ratio if you know it (16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for vertical, 1:1 for square). If you need multiple formats from one shoot, list them all.
Tone and style — what should it feel like?
Professional and polished? Warm and conversational? Fast-paced and energetic? Calm and reassuring? If you have reference videos (from other brands, not necessarily competitors) that capture the feel you're going for, share them. You don't need to copy them — you just need to communicate the register.
Script notes — key messages and what to say
You don't need to write the full script. But you should be able to list the two or three things the video absolutely must communicate. What does the viewer need to understand or believe by the end? Are there specific phrases or claims you always use? Anything that's off-limits?
Locations and what to show
Will this be shot at your premises? At a specific location? In multiple places? Do you want to show specific products, people, environments, or activities? The production company needs to know what they're working with so they can plan the shoot accordingly and flag any logistical issues early.
Timeline — when do you need it, and are there hard deadlines?
Be honest about your deadline. If there's a product launch, an event, or a campaign go-live date driving the timeline — say so. Rushed production is more expensive and more stressful for everyone. The earlier you brief a project, the more options you have on timing and cost.
Budget range — give them a working range, not "surprise me"
You don't need to name your maximum budget. But giving a production company a range lets them design the best possible video within that range rather than guessing. "Between X and Y" is infinitely more useful than "make it as cheap as possible." It also tells them immediately whether you're a fit for each other.
Common mistakes to avoid
How a good brief saves you money
The connection between brief quality and production cost is direct. Here's how it works in practice:
Accurate quotes. When a production company has a complete brief, they can quote you accurately. When they don't, they pad for unknowns or strip the scope down to get you a low number — neither of which serves you. A complete brief produces a quote that actually reflects the job.
Fewer revisions. Most revision requests on video projects are caused by misaligned expectations from the start. "I thought it would feel more energetic" — that's something the brief should have defined. "I didn't realise it was going to be a monologue, I expected interviews" — that should have been in the brief. Every revision round after the first takes time that's either included in the scope (and therefore already paid for) or charged as extra. Fewer surprises means fewer revisions.
No scope creep. When you have a brief, you have a reference document for what was agreed. If you want to add a new location midway through production, you and the production company can both look at the brief and have an honest conversation about whether that's within scope. Without a brief, scope creep is much harder to manage because there's no baseline to compare against.
Faster approvals. When the team reviewing the video knows what was in the brief, they can evaluate it against clear criteria. "Does this match what we briefed?" is easier to answer than "does this feel right?" Faster approvals mean faster delivery and less time on the project overall.
Free Video Production Brief Template
A ready-to-use template with all 14 sections labelled and explained. Fill it in before contacting any production company.
Once you've filled in the brief, you're in a much stronger position to approach a production company — whether that's Orion Productions or anyone else. You'll get more accurate quotes, fewer surprises, and a video that actually does what you need it to do.
Ready to plan your video?
Send us your brief — or just tell us what you're working on — and we'll come back with a free plan covering what we'd recommend, why, and what it typically involves.
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