Working with a video production agency is the best way to make sure that each and every video project aligns perfectly with all of an organisation’s marketing strategies. In order to create a video that resonates with your target audience, the video production company must have as much information as possible about the organisation, its brand, and the goal of the video.
That really interesting transition or the sequence of beautiful landscape shots that you see in a video was most likely planned days before filming even began. The graphics that perfectly match an organisation’s brand were strategically thought out well before creating them. Almost every detail that makes a video great, comes from thorough planning.
A corporate video production brief allows the organisation and video production agency to get on the same page. It is one of the first and most essential parts of any video production project, and chances are, the better the brief, the better the video.
What is a Video Production Brief?
To put it simply, the video production brief is the 5 W’s of your marketing project. Even if an organisation is not completely sure of all the answers at this stage it’s a good way for the production company to understand the purpose of your video and why you want to create a video in the first place.
Even if the organisation hasn’t fully thought out the video content or how it would like to go about producing content, this is a great place to start. A brief is a vital part of the production process but it is equally as important to the planning process. When filling out the brief, a production company or communications executive will be able to easily see the plot holes in the project (literally and metaphorically).
Factors to Consider Before Writing Video Production Brief
As mentioned above, before getting started on writing the video production brief it is important to gather as much information as possible. While doing this, take a look at the following points that we request in our brief form.
About the Project
- Proposed name of the project
- How many deliverables are required?
- What is the target audience?
- What is the primary purpose of the video?
- What is the key message?
- Is there an ideal duration for the video?
- What kind of content are you looking for?
Specifics
- Are there any specific people, places or things that must be included in the video?
- Do you have any inspiration for the video?
Logistics
- Do you have a filming date in mind?
- Is there a fixed or flexible deadline?
Extras
- Do you require closed captions?
- Do you require research?
- Do you require script writing?
- Do you require a story consultation?
- Do you require photography?
- Do you require drone video?
- Do you require location permits & approvals?
- Do you require animation?
- Do you require 360 VR or augmented reality?
- Do you require do you have a budget in mind?
- Do you require when will the project begin?
Steps to Write Corporate Video Production Brief
In terms of getting all the information together and providing it in a logical way for a corporate video production brief, take a look at the following tips for some of the sections.
Proposed name of the project
This is not the most vital part of the project, but it does provide a marker for file organisation and clear communication.
How many deliverables are required?
Make sure that your team or crew members have deadlines for when certain footage, rough cuts, or the actual final video should be delivered. It is also important to be clear on how these items should be delivered for example, a hard drive, WeTransfer, or some sort of FTP (file transfer protocol).
What is the target audience?
Having a good idea of what the primary and secondary audiences are for any video is essential for the crafting of it. Who is the ideal person that will watch a video for your organisation? Regardless of the type of video, verbal and written content can be catered to the audience fairly easy as long as it’s done before the production process begins.
What is the primary purpose of the video?
Before lights, cameras, action organisations should consider what the goal of their video is. This step goes deeper than “I want to promote my business”. The more specific an organisation can get about their goal the easier it is to choose a type, tone, length and even platform for it.
What kind of content are you looking for?
The wonderful thing about video marketing is that there are so many different types of videos that can be catered to fit the exact the needs of any organisation. An organisation could use a video to communicate virtually any message they have with their audience, so take a look at the list below and see which ones may work for your organisation.
Sample Creative Brief For Video Production
A video brief should include the following:
- Brand personality
- Background
- Targeted Audience
- Primary objective
- Secondary objective
- Deliverables
- Key Messages
- Tone & visual style
- References for inspiration
- Deadlines
- Budgeting
The goal of a creative brief is to provide a big picture view of the overall objective of the video production. Start with the background and define the targeted demographics. For example, it could be males in the age group of 30 to 35, rural or urban, average annual earnings, homeowner or not, married or not, kids or not, and other such things.
Clearly define the objective — whether it’s for brand promotion or selling a particular product. Make sure it has a clear message which is different from the product’s benefit. Decide on the tone of the video.
It should also include the scheduling part. Budgeting is also an essential part of the creative brief.
You should also have all the necessary dates and deadlines. The dates should include preproduction dates, production dates, postproduction dates and distribution dates.
Final Thoughts
After writing the creative brief, hand it over to the video production company you have hired. This will allow the production company to have a clear set of goals. An experienced video production company knows how to make the best use of a video creative brief period. You might also get some suggestions from the company to make certain improvements.
Keep in mind that the goal of a creative brief is to act as a baseline. Adjustments are common, especially when the final result isn’t what you expect. Sometimes, the message isn’t clearly defined or the targeted audience demographics are either too restrictive or too broad. This is why adjustments are a natural part of the whole process.
Creating a video production creative brief might seem like a tough or complex process, especially when you’re doing it for the first few times. However, it is necessary for your campaign to be successful. Don’t try to put everything in the brief but make sure it has all the necessary details. Take your time to cover each step and check with your marketing department.
A video production creative brief will help you determine the kind of marketing message that works for a particular section of your targeted demographics. Once you have a set baseline, it will be easier for you to make improvements for new briefs.
Hire a Professional Video Production Company
Here at Inspireworks, we specialise in transforming your creative thoughts into relatable and conversion-oriented videos. Our team will work with you to turn your ideas into stories and stories into effective videos. Decide on the message you want to impart and we will take care of the rest.
If you believe in the immense value of high quality, professional video content, please call us today at Inspireworks on 1300 885 968 or send us a message to learn how we can help your business with exceptional storytelling.