A brief is the beginning of a working relationship. Before it becomes a document, it should make space for a conversation about the brand, the people it wants to reach, and the reason this project needs to exist. Beautiful references help, but they cannot answer those questions on their own.
The aim is to give a creative team a clear problem and enough freedom to propose a meaningful response. Here are the decisions that make that possible.
Start with the person watching
“Everyone” is a difficult audience to create for. Picture one person who matters to the project. What do they already know about your brand? What are they trying to accomplish? Where will they encounter the film, and how much attention are they likely to give it?
A film introducing an unfamiliar brand has different work to do from a launch video for an established community. Describing that context helps the team choose an appropriate opening, level of detail, and pace.
Name one primary intention
Decide what should change after someone watches. They might understand a new idea, feel closer to the people behind a company, explore a product, or start a conversation. Choose the main intention first, then identify any supporting ones.
This creates a useful way to evaluate ideas. A striking concept may be memorable, but does it serve the intended change? Agreeing on that question early makes feedback more specific later.
Find the message you can stand behind
Write the central message in one ordinary sentence. If it needs several claims to feel complete, it may contain more than one project. Keep the message focused and gather the evidence that supports it: a real process, a person’s perspective, a product behaviour, or a documented result.
Separate facts from aspirations. The creative team needs to know which statements can be used, what requires approval, and what you hope the project will communicate through atmosphere rather than direct claims.
Explain what you like about a reference
A reference becomes useful when you name the quality you respond to. Is it the intimacy of the portrait, the relationship between sound and image, the restraint of the edit, or the way a material catches light? Different people can see very different things in the same film.
Bring a small selection and describe each one. This gives the team a shared vocabulary while leaving room to create a direction that belongs to your brand.
Put practical boundaries on the table
Creative ambition needs a realistic frame. Share the intended release date, a budget range, access to locations or people, and any requirements that will shape production. Be explicit about where the work will appear.
- List the main film and any shorter versions or still photographs.
- Identify the formats, languages, and accessibility needs.
- Clarify usage expectations and who will approve the work.
- Distinguish confirmed constraints from preferences that can be discussed.
Leave room for a creative answer
A brief does not need to prescribe every shot. Describe the intention, boundaries, and essential information, then invite the team to challenge the approach. A productive collaboration allows a new idea to emerge without losing sight of the original purpose.
Before production begins, read the brief together. Resolve the words that could mean different things to different people, agree on the next decisions, and make the person responsible for each one clear. That shared understanding is the most useful foundation you can give a film.