What should I include in a video project brief?
Welcome to this edition of the STM Blog, where we’ll guide you on what to include in a video project brief.
WHAT IS A VIDEO BRIEF?
A project brief is a concise document that outlines all the key elements you want to include in your project.
Not everyone writes a project brief for us, because during the initial phone call or before starting, people often say things along the lines of “I want X, Y or Z.” However, it tends to be companies that specialise in algebra solutions who make this claim. You might say “I want the company logo to feature” or “Our new renovations are quite nice, please include them”.
A video brief allows us to always refer back to it and see it all in black and white, from the horse’s mouth. It’s a point of reference throughout the entire project.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A VIDEO PROJECT BRIEF?
DEADLINES AND KEY DATES
First things first, we’ll need your deadline and key dates.
The reason we ask for deadlines is pretty obvious, but if you’re saying you need your video by next week, then we have to consider doing two days of filming, four days of editing, and there’s pre-production as well, it might not be realistic.
We want to know the deadline immediately so we can complete the job for you. Key dates are important as well. If there is an event or a key day that you need us to film, we need to check that we’re available. Is there an event happening on a specific date? We need to know in order to include it in the production process.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE VIDEO?
The goal of the video is also very important to include in a project brief. Why? Because you are trying to solve a problem with a video. Are you not keeping people on your website for as long as possible? An engaging and visually appealing video will help with that. Is a product of yours not selling as well as you’d hoped? A well-crafted product video that effectively demonstrates its uses and benefits should lead to a sales spike.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
This helps us clarify the tone of the video and the content’s focus. A video aimed at business executives would look somewhat different to a video aimed at teenagers, and it’s obviously pretty important for us to distinguish that difference from the project brief.
USAGE
The next thing is usage. Where is this video going to end up? The reason we ask this is that people have started to use services like on-demand advertising, where you can place your ad on platforms like ITV Hub and 4oD. However, to create videos for those platforms, we have to approach things a little differently. We must ensure that both the format and the equipment are correct for the job.
WHAT TYPE OF VIDEO ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE?
Will it be a case study? Multiple testimonials? Is it an event video? Simply putting what you think this video will be in the brief is useful.
EXAMPLES
Another great thing to include in a project brief is examples. If you’ve got a video that might be quite different, or it includes a unique idea, if you’ve seen an example that is similar to your idea, or you’ve been inspired by something, this is really useful for us because it helps us get into your head a little bit.
HOW LONG DO YOU WANT YOUR VIDEO TO BE?
This is a key component because the length of your video is completely dependent on the idea. Some videos are 30 seconds long, some are 10 seconds long, and some are five minutes long. On average, most of our videos are between a minute and a half and two minutes long. Telling us what you want it to be in length on the project brief is a great way of letting us work out how much work is involved.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO FILM?
We need to determine the location in the UK and factor in travel to our plans. We can film anywhere in the UK, but where exactly is it? Do we have to travel a long distance? Do we need to stay overnight? Including the filming location in the brief is crucial for us to plan the project effectively.
All of these things are things that we think you should put in a video project brief. Now, we don’t want War and Peace, obviously, but we do like as much detail as possible. So, if you stick to our guidelines, you should be on the right track, and hopefully, the whole process of getting your video made will be quicker. In the spirit of kindness, have a free video project brief on us!
We hope you enjoyed this blog about how to write a video project brief. If you’re interested, we’ve a wealth of other blogs like this in our knowledge centre, where we provide you with helpful tips and tricks to navigate video projects.
Why not check out our YouTube channel? We have a playlist dedicated entirely to tips and tricks.
If there’s anything else we haven’t covered, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.
If you’ve any other questions about video, animation, or live streaming, please let us know! Contact us here, give us a call on 01902 595100, or, for nostalgia’s sake, send us a USB stick in the post.
While you’re here, why not explore these valuable resources?
How to make ordering a video project easier
How to explain a service using video
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