Successful video content is a combination of many people, skills and ideas coming together and creating an engaging finished film.
Aside from the initial idea, to storyboarding, scripting, videography, editing and more, one of the most important aspects of this creative process is to get everybody on the same page right from the start.
Knowing your outcome and plotting the pathway to get there successfully means several people being able to share their thoughts successfully. The result is that everybody works towards a common goal.
The purpose of the video brief
The most effective way of achieving this successful outcome is to use a comprehensive video brief. This applies to almost every commercial video, including property videos, brand videos, social media and so on.
Although every situation and every business is unique, there are key elements that are beneficial to include in every video brief – whether you are producing the video internally or outsourcing it (or a part of it) to a production company.
Further down this page, we have included a video brief template that you can download and use.
Some of the sections may seem less relevant to your project, but the more questions you can answer, the better everyone will understand what it is you are trying to achieve.
Depending on your particular circumstances, you may find this helpful to complete together with others who are working on the project – that way, it will prompt you to discuss the answers and reach an understanding with each other, as well as a consensus on the key points of the project.
One of the most important factors in video production is communication between everybody working on it, from start to finish. A video brief is a structured methodical way to achieve this.
What to include in your video brief
Your brief should answer the following points:
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- The purpose of the video
- The project budget and deadline
- Who the video is aimed at (your target market)
- Where the video is going to be used
- What your message is
- Who or what should feature in the video
- The tone and style of the video
- What you want your audience to think and feel
- What you want them to do once they have seen it
- How you are going to engage your audience
- What your measurable outcomes are (KPIs)
Break your initial planning down into these points and write out your answers to each of them. If you are collaborating with others, now is the time to get them involved.
It seems an obvious starting point, but even setting down the purpose of the video may sometimes be a challenge.
With your message, you really only want to have one main point – and stick to it. Most videos are not long enough to carry more than one clear message or theme and to add more only leads to confusion.
If you have two messages – make two videos.
Of course, if you are an estate agent, for example, working on several property videos for home sales, then sections of the brief are going to be the same each time. However, not all of them will.
The questions around next steps, where the video will be used and your measurable outcomes, for example, will be very different if writing a brief for a mid-terrace property in Norwich, compared to a six-bedroom estate in Hampshire.
Even property video briefs between similar homes may not always be the same, depending upon the owner circumstances and other variables.
So still take time to consider the questions, even if your first thought is that you’ve done it a hundred times before.
How to use your video brief
This is simple – share it.
Everyone working on the project – regardless of size – needs to read it and have the opportunity to ask questions.
They also need a chance to comment. Again, circumstances will vary, but if you are handing over to a production company, they may have some great previous experience and be able to make suggestions that will improve the final product.
Even if filming has been done internally and you are only outsourcing editing (a great suggestion, by the way, if your budget is tight), then the editor needs to see your brief. Editing has a tremendous impact on the quality, professionalism and success of the final film.
Download your video brief template here:
Video briefs are used – because they work.
They make a significant difference to the successful outcome of a project and provide a thought-out, planned means of measuring that success.
If you have a video project (not just property videos) then Splento has a professional who has relevant experience.
Splento is a global video production company, as we have access to professionals wherever you need them – locally and worldwide.
Best of all, as with all things Splento, we have a fixed hourly rate, which is an all-inclusive service.
To find out more about our video services, visit splento.com today.
If you have questions, then you can contact us anytime, or if you want to take a look at examples of our work first, start here – with our video portfolio.
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