A clear brief saves two days of shooting. A vague brief multiplies revisions and derails the budget. Here's the video brief template we use with our clients (CNP, HEC, Dior, Mac Douglas) — free, to copy, with a filled example.
Contents
Why a good brief pays off
Out of 100 observed projects, those starting with a precise brief deliver on average 2 weeks earlier and exceed the initial budget by less than 5%. Those starting with a vague brief exceed budget on average by 30% and timeline by 3 to 5 weeks.
The reason is simple: without clear framing, every creative decision becomes a discussion, every adjustment becomes a revision. A solid brief reduces the number of decisions to take after the quote.
Ideal length: 2 to 4 pages. Too short → too much imprecision. Too long → nobody reads it.
The structure of an effective video brief
A good brief fits in 8 sections. Here's the structure we ask our clients for.
1. Company context (5 lines)
Who you are, what you do, your positioning. Not your history in 4 pages — just the strict minimum for the studio to grasp the tone.
2. Film objective (3 lines)
Not "make a corporate film". Rather: "recruit X candidates for programme Y", or "explain our Z offer to purchasing decision-makers", or "showcase the work of our 80 researchers to specialist press". Concrete, measurable.
3. Target audience (5 lines)
Who will watch this film, on what medium, in what context. An exec watching on mobile on the train doesn't have the same attention as a candidate on the careers page.
4. Key message (1 sentence)
If the viewer were to remember only one idea, which one? This sentence is the film's spine. The shorter and more precise, the stronger the film.
5. Tone and references (5-8 references)
List 5-8 films/series/ads that inspire you — with YouTube or Vimeo link. Explain in 1 line why for each. What we're looking for: not a copy but a shared direction.
6. Constraints
Budget envelope, deadline, required deliverables (formats, ratios, languages, subtitles), brand constraints (guidelines, colours, jingles), legal constraints (GDPR, image rights).
7. Validation criteria
Who validates, at which stage, in how many days. If validation goes through 5 people in a chain, state it from the brief.
8. Success metrics
How will you measure film success 3 months after delivery? If you have no answer, the project isn't mature.
Filled brief example (anonymised)
Here's a real brief received, anonymised. It's the format we love to see arrive.
Client: French industrial, 800 employees, renewable energy sector.
1. Context: French renewable energy player, 800 employees, present in Europe and West Africa. Strong growth but aging image vs competitors (Engie, EDF Renewables).
2. Objective: Recruit 40 junior engineers by end of 2026 in technical roles. Reduce candidate acquisition cost by 30%.
3. Audience: Bac+5 engineering students (Centrale, Mines, Polytechnique). Seen mainly on LinkedIn, Welcome To The Jungle, and corporate site careers page.
4. Key message: "Here, you work on concrete projects that change European energy, not on slides."
5. Tone: Documentary, sincere, demanding. References: Apple 2024 recruitment campaign, HEC Stand Up series, CNRS portraits. No voice-over, voice given to employees.
6. Constraints: Budget €30,000 incl. VAT. Deliverables: 1 long film 2'30 + 3 short portraits 45s + print visuals. Broadcast deadline September 1, 2026.
7. Validation: CHRO + Communications Director, 5 business days per round.
8. Success: 200 applications in 3 months for targeted roles, video completion rate >65%.
This brief fits on 1 page. It allows a studio to quote in 48h a relevant proposal, without endless back-and-forth.
5 frequent brief mistakes
- "We want a film that shows our values." Too abstract. What format? What audience? For what purpose?
- Citing 30 references. If you list 30 reference films, you don't know what you want. 5-8 is enough.
- No budget indicated. "We'll see based on the proposal." The studio then spends 4h guessing — often wrongly. Always indicate a range, even wide.
- Validation by an 8-person committee. More than 3 validators and the project dissolves into compromises. Centralise validation.
- Unrealistic deadline. "For in 3 weeks" on a film requiring 8 weeks. Either you revise the format, or the deadline. No third option.
Template ready to copy (paste in a doc)
Copy this template into Google Docs or Notion. Fill in the 8 blocks. Send as is to your studio.
[PROJECT NAME] — Video brief 1. CONTEXT - Company: [name, size, sector] - Positioning: [in 1 sentence] - Main competitors: [3 max] 2. FILM OBJECTIVE (measurable) - Main objective: [e.g.: recruit 40 engineers in 6 months] - Success KPI: [e.g.: 200 applications, completion rate >65%] 3. TARGET AUDIENCE - Profile: [who exactly] - Distribution channels: [LinkedIn, site, event...] - Viewing context: [mobile/desktop, attention span] 4. KEY MESSAGE (max 1 sentence) - [what to retain if only one thing] 5. TONE & REFERENCES - Desired tone: [3 adjectives] - 5-8 references: [YouTube/Vimeo links + 1 line of why] - What we do NOT want: [important — examples to avoid] 6. CONSTRAINTS - Budget: [range] - Deadline: [broadcast date] - Deliverables: [format, ratio, duration, languages] - Brand: [guidelines, colours, mandatory jingles] - Legal: [GDPR, image rights, specific authorisations] 7. VALIDATION - Validator(s): [name + role, ideally 1-3 max] - Validation delay per round: [business days] 8. SUCCESS METRICS - At 3 months: [how we'll know it worked]
