How to Write a Video Brief for a Production Studio

Quick answer: A good video brief tells a production studio what the video needs to accomplish, who will watch it, where it will run, how long it should be, whether it's live action or animation, when you need it, and roughly what you can spend. Add your website or deck and a few films you like, and a studio can come back with a clear plan and an accurate proposal.

Most of the inquiries we get start with a single line, something like "We need a launch video, can you help?" We're always glad to hear from people, but a message like that usually leads to a week of back and forth before anyone can say anything useful about the project.

A short, clear brief skips most of that. It also tends to lead to a better film, because the studio understands what you're trying to do before anyone writes a script. If you have a launch, a raise, or a rebrand planned for early next year, now is a good time to put one together.

Here's what we'd want to see in a brief, and why each part matters.

Start with what the video needs to accomplish

This is the most important part of the brief, and the part people most often leave out.

"We want a brand video" describes a deliverable. "We're announcing our Series A in February and want investors and prospective customers to understand why we're different from the three other companies in our space" describes a goal, and a studio can build a film around that.

If you can, name the one thing you want a viewer to do or believe after watching. Book a demo, take a meeting, trust the founders, understand a product that's hard to explain. One clear goal makes every later decision easier.

Tell the studio who's going to watch it

A film made for Series A investors looks and sounds different from one made for enterprise IT buyers or for engineers you're trying to recruit. Describe your audience in a sentence or two, including how much they already know about your category.

If there are several audiences, say which one matters most. A single film can reach more than one group, but it works best when it's built for one of them first.

Say where the video will live

Where the video runs shapes how it's shot and edited, so it helps to know this up front. A homepage hero film, a launch post on LinkedIn and X, an investor follow-up email, a conference screen, and paid social ads all need slightly different things.

If you'll want vertical cuts for social, a shorter version for email, or a silent loop for your website, mention it in the brief. Those versions are much easier to plan for before the shoot than after it.

Give a length and a format

Most brand and launch films land between one and two minutes, and social cuts usually run 15 to 60 seconds. If you have a target length in mind, include it.

Also say whether you're picturing live action, animation, or a mix of both, and for animation, whether you mean 2D or 3D. If you're not sure, that's completely fine. Tell the studio what you're trying to show and they can recommend an approach. We wrote a separate guide on choosing between a launch film, an explainer, and a product demo if you want to think it through first.

Share your deadline and the date behind it

Give the date you need the finished film, and if there's an event driving it, like a launch, a funding announcement, or a conference, say what it is. A studio can plan around a fixed date much more easily when they know why it can't move.

Our own process runs three to four weeks from first call to final cut for most projects, so give yourself at least that much room, plus some time for your team's review.

Share a budget range, even a rough one

This is the part a lot of teams hesitate on, but it's one of the most useful things you can include. Every video is priced differently depending on the shoot, the crew, locations, animation, and how many versions you need, so a range lets the studio recommend the strongest approach for what you have rather than guessing.

A rough range is fine. It just keeps everyone from spending time on ideas that don't fit.

Send what you already have

Link your website and your pitch deck. Include brand guidelines if you have them, and any existing footage, product screens, or photography. If there's a specific person who'll be on camera, like a founder or a customer, mention them too.

The more context a studio has, the more specific their ideas will be.

Show a few films you like

Two or three links to videos you admire go a long way. They don't need to be from your industry. Add a sentence on what you like about each one, whether that's the pacing, the tone, the way the founder speaks, or how the product is shown.

It's just as helpful to share something you don't want, like a style you've seen too often in your space.

Name who signs off

Tell the studio who's making decisions and who needs to approve the final cut. If your CEO, Head of Brand, and a board member all need to weigh in, that affects the schedule, and it's much better to plan for it from the start.

A video brief template you can copy

Company: [name, website, deck link]

Goal: [what you want viewers to do or believe after watching]

Audience: [who it's for, and how much they already know]

Where it will run: [homepage, LinkedIn, X, investor emails, events, ads]

Length and format: [target length, live action or animation (2D or 3D), versions needed]

Deadline: [date, and the event or launch behind it]

Budget range: [rough range]

What we have: [brand guidelines, footage, product access, people available to be on camera]

Films we like: [2 to 3 links, with a sentence on why]

Approvals: [who signs off]

What a clear brief has led to for our clients

Every film starts with a brief, and the clearer it is, the more room there is to focus on the work itself. Speakology AI sent their brand film to investors during their raise, and their investor reply rate went up 86 percent and the round closed 120 percent above their original ask. Fuse AI used their launch film in investor outreach during a $3 million seed round. Flowy AI's launch brought in more than 350,000 organic views and over 45,000 signups with no ad spend, and our launch film for Polaris reached 2.4 million views across YouTube and X.

Frequently asked questions

What should a video brief include? The goal of the video, the audience, where it will run, the length and format, your deadline, a budget range, links to your website and deck, examples of films you like, and who approves the final cut.

How long should a video brief be? One page is usually enough. A studio can fill in the details on a call.

Do I need to know whether I want live action or animation? No. Tell the studio what you want to show and who it's for, and they can recommend an approach.

Should I include a budget in my video brief? Yes, even a rough range. Every project is priced differently, and a range helps the studio recommend the best approach for what you can spend.

How far ahead should I send a brief to a production studio? At least four to six weeks before you need the finished film. Our timeline is three to four weeks from first call to final cut, and your team will need time to review.

Ready to send yours?

Horizon Studios makes brand and launch films for AI, SaaS, and deeptech companies, with teams in San Francisco and Los Angeles. If you have a project coming up, send us your brief, or as much of it as you have, and we'll take it from there. Get in touch.

Horizon Studios is a brand film and cinematic video studio for technology companies, based in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Recent work includes Polaris, Speakology AI, Flowy AI, and Fuse AI. See the full portfolio at horizonstudios.us/projects.