In short: A creative brief has one objective, one audience, a message with proof points, the deliverables with lengths and aspect ratios, the approval route, the budget range and the date. Fill in the objective first, then the deliverables, because the crew needs both to plan the day. Keep it to one page and send it before anyone quotes.
A creative brief tells a studio or crew what the video is for, what they will make and who approves it. A clear brief makes quotes easier to compare, and it stops the crew guessing at the look and the deliverables.
Start with the objective
Write the objective in one sentence: what the video should make the viewer do, feel or know. If the objective needs more than one sentence, you have two videos in the brief. Split them, or pick the one that matters most this quarter.
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The fields to fill in
- Objective. The one sentence above, plus where the video will be seen.
- Audience. Who they are, what they already know and what would make them stop scrolling.
- Message and proof points. Two or three claims the video makes, each with the evidence you can show. Do not promise what you cannot show on camera.
- Deliverables. Each file on its own line, with the length, the aspect ratio (horizontal, square or vertical), the captions if needed and the platform.
- Look and references. Up to three example videos, with a note on what to take from each. Name the parts you like, such as the pace or the lighting.
- People. Presenters, performers, speakers and anyone who needs to be on camera, with any consent or approval rules.
- Approvals. The person who gives the final yes, the number of rounds you expect and the date each round is due.
- Budget and timing. A range you can afford, the shoot date and the delivery date.
A worked example
A brand is launching a new service and wants a 60-second film for its website and six vertical cuts for social. The objective is "book a discovery call". The audience is operations directors at mid-sized firms. The proof points are two customer quotes and one before-and-after result. Deliverables: one horizontal film at 60 seconds, six vertical clips of 15 to 20 seconds with burnt-in captions. The approval route is the marketing lead, then the managing director, with two rounds due within five working days of the cut.
With that brief, the crew can plan one set, one presenter and a single day, and the quote can cover the vertical cuts from the start.
Common mistakes
- No single objective. The shoot then tries to do three jobs and does none well.
- Deliverables with no aspect ratio. Vertical and horizontal need different framing, so decide before the day.
- Approvals with no name. Write the person who says yes, not "the team".
- Describing a look in adjectives such as "premium" or "fresh", with no references to show what that means.
- No budget range. A studio cannot suggest a route that suits you if it does not know the ceiling.
Once the brief is done, how to brief a studio or a crew explains how to send it. If the video will be part of a wider content day, the Content Studio page explains how the day is planned around the brief.
Related guides
The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.
Questions we get asked
What should a creative brief for a video include?
One objective, the audience, the message and the proof points, the deliverables with lengths and aspect ratios, the look and references, the approvals, the budget range and the shoot date.
How long should a video brief be?
One page for most shoots. If it runs longer, the objective is probably not clear yet, so write the objective first and cut anything that does not serve it.
Who fills in the creative brief?
The person who owns the objective, usually the marketing lead or the owner. The studio or crew then adds the technical needs, such as the set, the crew and the locations.
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