How to Create a Corporate Video Brief: Use This Easy Template

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As producer at a video agency , I love working with marketing professionals who know what they want. But I notice many lack confidence when delivering their vision in the form of a video brief.

A coherent brief is the cornerstone of a successful video project. It helps you start from a position of clarity and save on meetings and preproduction time, and it allows your video agency to focus on fine-tuning your project rather than starting from scratch.

But what is a video brief?

Creating a video brief needn’t be daunting. By answering nine simple questions, you can help your video agency to understand the purpose of your film, pinpoint your target market, and deliver your message in the most impactful way.

But this article doesn’t only ask the questions; below are also options for the types of answers your video agency is looking for.

Pick your answers, insert them into this video brief template, and presto! You have a rock-solid brief that will look professional and help your project run smoothly.

Corporate Video Brief Questions and Answers

1. Why do you need a video?

Understanding the purpose of your video is crucial to the success of your project.

You may need…

A landing page video introducing your company
A promo showcasing the benefits of a new product or service
A how-to video that’s a step-by-step guide to using your product or service
An event video
A testimonial video featuring your satisfied customers
Something else

If you aren’t sure about industry jargon for the type of film you’re looking for, don’t worry—your video agency will help you articulate your ideas and find out precisely what you need from your video project.

2. Where will your video be shown?

The platform you will use to distribute your video affects how it will be filmed, how long it will be, and whether you will use audio or rely on onscreen messages.

Your video could be…

For your website
For social media
For use at conferences
For emailing to potential clients
Accessed on smartphones, or a desktop, laptop, or tablet
Optimized with accessibility features for those with disabilities
In need of subtitles for various language communities

3. Who is your audience?

A big factor in determining how to deliver your message is how captive or warm you want your audience to be.

Your audience could be made up of…

Potential clients who are seeing your product or service for the first time
Potential clients who are already interested
Established clients
Other specialists in your sector
Funding organizations
The general public

4. What tone should the video have?

You know your audience best, so guidance on tone is always appreciated.

It might be…

Corporate
Friendly
Technical
Intellectual
Approachable
Quirky
Humorous
Serious

5. What is the key message that you want to get across?

Videos, like attention spans, are becoming ever shorter.

To create an impactful corporate video, it’s better to make one point convincingly than to squeeze in ten points that get drowned in detail.

At the planning stage you can write down everything that occurs to you, but an agency team will help you condense your message and give it maximum zing.

If you have a lot to say, it’s worth considering making a suite of videos, each one serving a different purpose.

6. How should your message be delivered?

If you don’t know the answer to this question, your video agency can talk through the options and send you examples of various types of film to work out how to deliver your message in the most impactful way.

It might be delivered…

By a presenter (either a professional or someone from your organization)
Through interviews with staff members, clients, and stakeholders
Through voiceover
Through graphics and onscreen text

7. Does your corporate video require filming, 3D animation/graphics, or a combination of the two?

If filming is required, what do you need your video agency to capture? How many days will you be filming? If animation is required, do you want to depict something specific?

Again, if you’re unsure, your video agency can discuss the options available for the budget you have in mind.

8. What inspires you?

Sharing links to videos you love or that your organization has used previously will help your video agency to understand your vision for the project. If you can specify what you like or what you would like to improve for each video, even better!

9. What is your budget?

Budget has a big effect on what it’s possible to achieve. Here are some costs to consider:

Preproduction. Some examples are the planning and collaboration that happens before the shoot, drafting interview questions or producing a script that nails your message, organizing locations, and storyboarding an animation project. All of that is the foundation of an amazing video, and it must be included in the budget.
Camera crew. If you want to film real-life footage, your video agency will need to know what size crew to send (how many camera operators, sound recorders, etc.) and whether you will need a producer to attend the shoot.
Actors. Not every project requires actors. Sometimes, featuring people who are part of your organization adds more authenticity. However, actors can add a lot to a project, especially if you are trying to engage a particular demographic.
Editing. Agencies will use their experience to estimate how many days of editing a project requires.
Animation. If you are planning an animation with characters, bear in mind that it is painstaking work. A couple of minutes of film can take months to complete, and the budget quote will reflect that.
Graphics work. This involves words, graphs, maps, etc. They can be simpler to animate than full characters and are therefore less costly.
Voiceover. A professional voice actor can make a huge difference in a video. If your video requires a voiceover, it must be included in the budget. Bear in mind that for big projects, usage fees can push the price up.
Music. Music adds atmosphere to a video. Royalty-free tracks that complement the tone of your video need to be included in the budget.
Accessibility: subtitles, audio descriptions, and signing. Accessibility is important. Captioning needn’t be expensive, especially if your video is short. If you need subtitles in various languages, there will be translation costs as well as captioning costs. Signing and audio description are special skills, and the cost will reflect that. But if your video is short, you may be pleasantly surprised at how affordable it is to make your video accessible to your entire audience.

Corporate Video Brief Template

This video brief template is all you need. Just fill in the gaps with the correct options from this article, and you’ll create a corporate video brief that will impress your video agency and ensure your project gets off to a fantastic start.