How to Brief a Video Production Company: A Step-by-Step Guide

The single biggest predictor of a successful video project isn't the production company's talent. It's the quality of the brief.

A clear, comprehensive brief gives your production partner everything they need to execute brilliantly. A vague brief produces a lot of back-and-forth, missed expectations, and final products that don't quite hit the mark.

Here's exactly what a great video brief looks like.

1. Define the Business Objective

Start with why — not what kind of video you want, but what business problem you're solving.

• Are you trying to generate leads?
• Reduce sales cycle length?
• Attract better talent?
• Increase website conversion rate?
• Build brand awareness in a new market?

The clearer you are about the business objective, the better your production partner can make creative decisions that serve it.

Example of a weak objective: "We need a company video."

Example of a strong objective: "We need a video for our homepage that communicates our values and unique approach to financial planning, which we'll use to convert website visitors into consultation bookings."

2. Define Your Target Audience

Who is this video for? Be specific.

• Demographics: age, role, industry, income level
• Psychographics: what do they value? What are they afraid of? What do they aspire to?
• Where in the buyer journey are they? (First exposure, or actively evaluating options?)
• What do they currently believe about your category — and what do you want them to believe after watching?

The more precisely you can describe the person you're trying to reach, the more targeted and effective the creative can be.

3. Describe the Desired Emotional Response

This is the question most briefs skip — and it's one of the most important.

After watching your video, how do you want the viewer to feel?

• Inspired and motivated?
• Reassured and confident?
• Excited and energized?
• Understood and respected?

Emotional direction shapes every creative decision: music selection, pacing, color grade, talent direction, and narrative structure.

4. Specify Where the Video Will Be Used

Distribution context determines creative approach. A 60-second Instagram Reel requires a different treatment than a 3-minute homepage hero video.

List every channel:

• Website (which page?)
• Social media (which platforms?)
• Email campaigns
• Sales presentations
• Trade shows
• Broadcast/streaming
• Internal communications

If you're repurposing content across multiple channels, tell your production partner so they can capture footage and edit with that flexibility in mind.

5. Set the Right Length

Be intentional about length. The most common mistake is overestimating how much time viewers will give you.

General guidelines:

• Social media: 15–60 seconds
• Website homepage: 60–90 seconds
• Brand film: 2–3 minutes
• Explainer/educational: 2–4 minutes
• Training content: as long as needed per module

When in doubt, shorter is better. You can always create a longer version for specific contexts.

6. Share Reference Videos

This is one of the most efficient ways to communicate your vision. Find 3–5 videos whose style, tone, or approach you admire — they don't need to be in your industry.

For each reference, note specifically what you like about it:

• The pacing
• The music selection
• The interview style
• The color grade
• The animation style
• The voiceover approach

This gives your production partner concrete creative direction without requiring you to speak the technical language of filmmaking.

7. Define the Call to Action

Every video needs a destination. What do you want viewers to do after watching?

• Visit a specific URL
• Call a phone number
• Schedule a consultation
• Follow your social media
• Download a resource

Be explicit. The CTA should be built into the video's structure and closing frames.

8. Establish Timeline and Budget

Be transparent about both. A good production company will tell you honestly what's achievable within your constraints — and being vague about budget wastes everyone's time.

On timeline: build in more time than you think you need. Production projects almost always encounter scheduling challenges. A realistic timeline includes:

• 1–2 weeks for pre-production
• 1–3 shoot days
• 2–4 weeks for post-production
• 1–2 rounds of revisions

The Brief Template

Here's a simple template you can adapt:

1. Business objective: What problem does this video solve?
2. Target audience: Who are we trying to reach, and what do we know about them?
3. Desired emotional response: How should viewers feel after watching?
4. Distribution channels: Where will this video be used?
5. Desired length: How long should it be?
6. Reference videos: What style, tone, or approach do you admire?
7. Call to action: What should viewers do next?
8. Timeline: When do you need the final video?
9. Budget: What is your production budget?

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Ready to start your project? Send us a brief — or just reach out and we'll help you build one together.