film & video guide
home > film & video guide
Writing a good brief
What's in a brief? By the very nature of the word it has to be, well, brief! But it should also include enough information for the production company to work with.
Here's a few guidelines of details to include.
The Target Audience
Who are we talking to and why? What do we want them to take out from the production? Where will they view the production? What
makes them tick, what do they want to see?
A brief description of what is required
Is it a 1 minute promo or a 5 minute corporate video? Is it to be informative, inspirational, fun or serious? What's the content
to be? What's the tone you want to achieve?
Locations and other factors
Do you have locations that can be filmed or do these need to be sourced?
Actors
Do you envisage having actors with speaking parts, actors with voice-over or just a narrator? If it needs actors do you know
what their age, sex and appearance should be?
Mandatories
Do you have any special factors that must be incorporated e.g. it must be multi-lingual, it must feature interviews with these
key people, it must include shots of your corporate headquarters.
Timings
When do you need the production completed? When can you get approval to start?
Other Points
Discuss and agree what format your productions will be shot on.
If possible get some research and incorporate into the brief. It helps you understand the direction you need to go in, and therefore helps the production company better understand your needs.
Finally, if you're in any doubt about what to include in the brief talk to the production company. In fact, talk to the production company anyway. A better brief means a better production.