If you’re looking to inject some creative oomph into your video brief, then check out our top 5 tips for guaranteed success.
Think of it as the ultimate, everything-you’ll-ever-need, fail-safe guide to creating a kick-ass video production brief.
No-one ever intentionally briefs for average work but writing a kick-ass video brief can be tricky. Getting it right matters. A well thought out brief can give a strong sense of direction and mean the difference between a smooth production process or one that’s full of problems.
When video content is needed yesterday and you need to create something fast, there can be a tendency to throw absolutely everything in the brief and hope for the best. Eek.
But before you start writing anything, it’s worth digging deep to really pull out the good stuff.
Taking time at the start to ask questions (even some uncomfortable ones) is key to understanding the nitty-gritty of what your video is all about.
Here’s 5 of the most important things we need to know before making any video. Think of it as our fail-safe guide to creating a kick-ass brief!
1. Know Your Purpose – Be Specific!
The truth is that making video for videos sake really is a waste of money. Likewise, making video content just because your competitors are, honestly isn’t going to give you the video oomph you’re looking for. If you don’t know exactly what you want, then it’s unlikely any production company (no matter what they say) will be able to make it for you.
So, start off by thinking why you want video in the first place. What do you want to achieve with it? What do you want the video to DO? Forget about what it should look like or what length it should be, think about the tangible, real-world outcome of the video for your business. This is the stuff that really matters.
Is your video’s purpose to drive sales? Grow your audience? Educate on a new product? Do you want to sell something or get your audience to understand something? Once you know the purpose of your content, you’ll be one step closer to putting together a kick-ass brief.
1. Know Your Audience – Up Close and Personal!
Who are you talking to? Top tip – don’t say everyone! If you’re talking to everyone then you’re not targeting anyone. And that’s a rookie mistake.
Demographics are great but for content with clout, try to think about your target audience and really understanding their motivation and goals. What makes them tick? When they see your content what do you want them to do? What actions do you want them to take? How do you want them to feel? If you can identify your customers pain points and show how your business or product solves their problems, then you’ll be on track with video content that really speaks to their needs. Aka content that works.
2. Know Your Timeline – Realistic is Better!
Communicating deadlines and timeframes upfront is a no-brainer! Not only are there practical constraints to a delivery process that need to be considered but it also means everyone is in on the same page about what’s actually possible.
Realistic time frames are key. A short timeline isn’t always a bad thing, if the content of the brief is achievable in the time given. More time doesn’t always mean better results. Equally, production done by the skin of your teeth to meet tight deadlines doesn’t suit anybody and you most likely won’t get the results you were hoping for. A good production team can advise you on what’s achievable in the timeframe you have. We like to call it video delivered on time with none of the headaches.
3. Know What Platforms You Want to Use and Why
Knowing where your content is going to live shapes how it’s put together.
The production of your video will change dramatically depending on where it’s going to be watched. Despite what they say, one size does not fit all!
Maybe you’re looking for content to stop the social media scroll in a short and snappy style, or maybe it’s to grab attention and engage users on your website. From company presentations to TV ads, make sure you include all the platforms in the brief.
Maybe you want to use the content in many places. Notifying the production team upfront means they can provide optimised content for these platforms making sure they have the right time lengths, right call to action and correct resolutions. It’s much quicker, easier, and most importantly cheaper, to edit content for different platforms during the production process than afterwards!
4. Know Your Budget (or Budget Range)
When briefing for video content, there’s a tendency for clients to keep their budget cards close to their chest. They are often reluctant to give a hard figure, fearing that either:
A) The production team will use up ALL the budget on offer irrespective of the idea scope. #Not true.
B) If they reveal they have a small budget, the ideas offered will be somehow inferior. #Double not true.
This result? Budgets become vague, loose, and even worse briefs become unrealistic.
Realistic budgets allow the team you’re briefing to come up with suggestions and ideas that deliver real-world results. A good production company will be able to guide you on what is possible whether you have £2k or £25K. Having a clear budget or at least knowing your budget range allows all parties to know where the starting point is.
It’s not about compromising the idea or the process, it’s about giving you creative ways to really hit your targets with the budget you have.
Knowing how to make your money stretch the furthest is what production companies do best. So, jump in and trust the people you’re working with! We promise, it’ll be worth it!
Having a well-written brief will save you time, money and stress. Knowing the purpose of your content, who you’re targeting, and having a clear budget are all essential ingredients for a kick-ass brief. If you’re looking to get started, our Client Video Brief will help you deep dive into the video nitty-gritty and get right to the heart of your objectives.
Maybe you’re not there yet. Sometimes working out the purpose of a video can be a bit of a challenge. You might not know what kind of video you want and need a little help figuring that out. At Theory we’re always happy to answer questions or offer advice on how to put a kick-ass brief together so drop us an email or give us a call.
At Theory we don’t just make video, we tell stories.
We’d love to tell yours.
