What should I include in a video project brief?
Welcome to this edition of the STM Blog, where we’re going to tell you what to include in a video project brief.
WHAT IS A VIDEO BRIEF?
A project brief is a really simple document that includes all the different elements you want to include in your project.
Not everyone writes a project brief for us, because in the initial phone call or before starting, people will say things along the lines of “I want X, Y or Z”, but it tends to be companies who specialise in algebra solutions who say that though. 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 straight away so we can actually do the job for you. Key dates are important as well. If there is an event or an actual key day that you need us to film on, we need to check that we’re available. Is there something happening on a certain date? We need to know in order for us 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 that. Is a product of yours not selling as well as you’d hoped? A well put together product video demonstrating its uses and benefits should make the sales spike.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
This helps us clarify the tone of the video and the focus of the content. 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 because people have started to use services like on demand advertising where you can place your advert on ITV hub and 4oD. However, for us to make videos for those platforms, we have to do things a little bit differently. We have to make sure that just the format is correct and we have the right equipment 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? Just putting simply 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, some are 10 seconds, some are five minutes. On average, a lot of our videos are about a minute and a half to two minutes. 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 have to figure out where in the UK that is and factor in travel to our plans. We can film all over the UK, but where is it? Do we have to travel far? Do we have to stay overnight? Including where we’re going to film on the brief is really important for us to plan the project.
All of these things are things that we think that you should put on 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, then 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 got loads of other blogs like this in our knowledge centre, where we give you little tips and tricks to get by with video projects.
Why not check out our YouTube channel? We have a playlist dedicated entirely to tips and tricks.
If there’s any more that we haven’t touched on, well, get in touch and we’re happy to answer your questions!
If you’ve got any other questions about all things video, animation or live streaming let us know! Contact us here, give us a call on 01902 595100 or in the name of nostalgia send us a USB stick in the post.
While you’re here, why not check out these great resources?
How to make ordering a video project easier
How to explain a service using video
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