NEW TO VIDEO? START WITH THE VIDEO PRODUCTION BRIEF

The production brief is designed to bring clarity to your vision and align your marketing needs with the video that you are about to create. The video brief is the best starting point for any video project.

Every successful video project begins with a video production brief. But what is it? Or more importantly, how can you write an exceptional brief for your next project?

While the in-s and out-s of production may feel complicated, the production brief acts as a bridge between your goals and what you want to create. It serves as a beacon for everyone to reference throughout the project and helps fine tune what you want and why.

Our version of the video brief is built from seven simple questions. We use these questions to connect with our clients and learn about their video needs. You can use these same questions to better understand how to write a video production brief from scratch.

What is the purpose of your PRODUCTION BRIEF?

A video needs a sense of direction. The best place to start is to establish the project’s purpose. We’ve found that the AIDA Model is a great framework for pinpointing what you are trying to achieve. By understanding where the video would fall in your conversion funnel, you can begin to understand why your video should exist and help direct the video toward your desired outcome:

Writing a strong video production brief means starting with the purpose of your video. We find that the AIDA model is a great tool for understanding what type of video you need to get the best results.

Who is your target audience?

The target audience will depend on a couple of factors. First, consider the purpose of your video and how it already encompasses the most fitting range for your target viewership. Second, determine the demographics and psychographics that will best represent your audience.

A video is more likely to leave a lasting impression if the viewer feels as if the video is speaking to them directly. When done correctly, the worldview of your target audience becomes a model for the visual presentation and the language of your script. Presenting your product or service in a way that feels more intriguing or more relatable will provide a favorable advantage over the competition.

What is your S.M.A.R.T. goal?

Like most things in business and life, success is determined by your goals. They provide motivation and help to focus the project on what is important. Establishing a S.M.A.R.T. goal before starting the project will help to determine the best metric for tracking ROI. We use the acronym S.M.A.R.T. as a framework because it’s an easy and effective tool for goal setting. This method allows us to quickly and easily narrow our efforts and increase the chances of a successful video campaign. Over time, results can be improved by focusing on specific metrics associated with your goal.

A powerful video campaign is only effective if you can track your results. Always establish a SMART goal in the video brief to focus your efforts and improve your chances of success.

What is the ONE core message that you want to communicate?

The core message is different from the purpose because it relates to how your audience will take action. An effective message will inspire your audience to take action in a way that is in service of your goals. Crafting a strong core message is arguably the most important part of the production brief and your marketing strategy as a whole. When at all possible, we recommend testing and refining the core message before deploying a large-scale video marketing campaign.

The best way to find your core message is to focus on the single most important action that you want your audience to follow. Be as clear as possible and avoid adding secondary or tertiary actions. More than one will dilute what you are trying to achieve and, in all likelihood, confuse the viewer.

What style best fits your VIDEO BRIEF?

Style comes with an endless number of possibilities. Whether auditory or visual, style is most commonly used to help achieve your goals. By creating content that looks and feels relatable, you can increase sales and encourage more of your customers to take action. One common approach to defining the style of your video is to gather examples. Providing the production team with videos that show what you are expecting as a final deliverable will help to clarify the presentation style of the video. These examples will become the template for pre-production and a source of inspiration in production and post. Style is a major factor in making your video relatable yet distinct, so find the style that best fits your audience. In order to find the style that best fits your vision, consider the following:

Would your audience respond best to a narrator or presenter?
Does your audience like videos where 100% of the visuals are created with b-roll, text, and animations?
Would your audience prefer a documentary-style video featuring your own team and staff?
If it’s a commercial with dialogue, there’s a good chance you will need professional actors.

Where is your video going to be distributed?

Different platforms mean different video formats. Where your video is distributed will determine how the video is captured and what specs to use. Each platform is likely to have a unique constraint for the final deliverable. They all need to be taken into consideration during production and post-production to get maximize the video quality and ensure the best results.

What is your budget and deadline?

When it comes to budgeting and deadlines, the common quest is to find a production company that is fast, cheap, and good. Everyone wants the best service delivered ahead of schedule and at the best price. Unfortunately, you will run into some trouble getting all three. Since the trifecta is impossible to find, It’s important to discuss factors like budget and deadline with your production team in order to determine the best fit for the project. In our experience, we would rather provide an accurate project assessment and lose the contract than find out later that cost, time, or quality won’t align. We see every video production as a team effort that requires an open and honest conversation about what’s possible within constraints. Knowing your budget and deadline will help ensure the best possible fit for your needs.

Getting crystal clear on these seven questions right from the get-go will streamline the production and keep everyone focused on the same vision, your vision, from start to finish. They are essential for writing professional and productive video production briefs.

If you’re still scratching your head and wondering how to write a video production brief, our team at ALOC Media is here to be of service. Our producers can help align your vision with your marketing strategy today. Just ask.