The seven lines of a workable brief, what to leave open, and why over-specifying kills the video.
The line nobody writes
The most important one, and it fits in a sentence.
Write what the video must prove, not what it must show. The difference is decisive: showing a product is a description, proving something is an intention, and only the second gives the creator something to build on.
A simple test: if your sentence starts with an action verb of the product, it describes. If it starts with what the person must believe at the end, it proves.
The seven useful lines
A workable brief fits on one screen.
The product and its exact name, pronounced as it should be.
The thing to prove, in one sentence.
The format and expected length.
What must not be done or said, in three points at most.
The imposed mentions, in a separate box, word for word.
The deliverables: number of videos, formats, raw files or not.
And the delivery date, calculated from receipt of the product.
What to leave open
Three elements, and that is where the value gets created.
The shooting location: the creator knows their environment, its light, its constraints.
The exact words, except for imposed mentions: a text written by the brand and read by somebody else is heard immediately.
And the hook: ask for three variants rather than imposing one, and you will keep one you would not have written.
A remark that counts especially here: a brief that is too precise produces a compliant, dead video. Teams on this market like a framework, and that is precisely why they need reminding that the framework applies to constraints, not to the creative work.
What must go with the brief
Four items, and they avoid most of the back and forth.
The written list of authorised claims, with their exact wording.
Two examples of videos you like and one you do not, with a sentence explaining why.
The technical constraints: format, margins to leave free, original sound kept, no music.
And the name of the person who approves, with the time in which they answer.
What a brief must fix, and in how many lines
| Element | What it avoids | Length |
|---|---|---|
| The product and its reference | Filming the wrong model | One line |
| The forbidden sentences | A complete reshoot | Three lines |
| The formats and naming | An export to redo | Two lines |
| The mandatory disclosures | A blocked release | Two lines |
What goes in an appendix rather than the brief
The brand charter, the general terms and the reference samples. The brief fits on one page; the rest is attached and consulted as needed.
What is checked before the shoot
A photo of the set and the first line of the script, sent by the creator. Two minutes of checking avoid a whole day being redone.
After delivery
Three rules, and they bring good creators back.
Answer within forty-eight hours, even if only to say you are watching.
Group all your requests in one go: three successive rounds cost more than a shoot.
And say what worked, not only what has to change. On this market a precise, argued response acts as a loyalty bonus: the person will know exactly what to repeat next time, and you will no longer have to rewrite the brief.
