Why Your Brief Matters More Than You Think
The single biggest factor in whether your explainer video turns out great or mediocre isn’t the animation quality or the voiceover — it’s the brief. A clear, detailed brief saves time, reduces revisions, and ensures the final video actually achieves your business goals.
After producing 500+ explainer videos, we’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. Here’s our complete guide to briefing a video production agency.
What to Include in Your Video Brief
1. Company Overview
Start with the basics: What does your company do? Who are your customers? What’s your market position? Even if you think the agency “should know,” spell it out. Context prevents assumptions.
Include: Company name, industry, target market, key products/services, brand guidelines (colors, fonts, logo files).
2. Video Objective
What should this video do? This is the most important question, and it needs a specific answer.
Bad: “We want a nice explainer video.”
Good: “We want a 90-second video for our homepage that explains our SaaS platform to marketing managers and drives them to start a free trial.”
The more specific your objective, the better your video will be.
3. Target Audience
Who will watch this video? Be specific about demographics, job titles, pain points, and knowledge level. A video for C-suite executives should look and sound very different from one targeting tech-savvy millennials.
4. Key Messages
List 3–5 key points you want the video to communicate. Prioritize them — if the viewer only remembers one thing, what should it be?
Pro tip: Fewer messages = stronger video. Trying to say everything means your audience remembers nothing.
5. Tone and Style
Describe the feeling you want: professional and corporate? Friendly and casual? Playful and energetic? Reference specific videos you like (YouTube links are gold for agencies).
Not sure about style? Check our video styles guide or browse explainer video examples for inspiration.
6. Call to Action
Every video needs a clear CTA. What should the viewer do after watching? Visit a URL? Book a demo? Download an app? Sign up for a trial?
7. Distribution Plan
Where will this video live? Homepage, social media, email, trade shows, sales presentations? This affects the optimal video length, aspect ratio, and style.
8. Budget and Timeline
Be upfront about your budget. This helps the agency recommend the right approach. A $500 budget and a $5,000 budget produce very different videos — both can be effective if expectations are aligned. Check our transparent pricing for reference.
Timeline matters too. Need it for a launch event in 2 weeks? Say so. Agencies can often accommodate tight deadlines but need to know upfront.
Brief Template: Copy and Fill In
Here’s a simple template you can use:
- Company: [Name, industry, website]
- Objective: [What should this video achieve?]
- Audience: [Who watches this? Job title, age, knowledge level]
- Key messages: [Top 3–5 points, in priority order]
- Tone: [Professional / casual / playful / corporate / etc.]
- Style preference: [2D animation / whiteboard / motion graphics / AI video]
- Reference videos: [Links to videos you like]
- CTA: [What should the viewer do next?]
- Where it’ll be used: [Website / social / email / presentations]
- Budget: [Range]
- Deadline: [When do you need it?]
- Brand assets: [Logo, colors, fonts, existing videos]
Common Briefing Mistakes
- Being too vague — “Make it modern and engaging” means different things to everyone
- Too many messages — A 60-second video can effectively communicate 2–3 points, not 12
- Skipping the audience — “Everyone” is not a target audience
- No reference videos — Showing is faster than telling when it comes to style preferences
- Waiting until the brief to think about budget — Know your range before reaching out
What Happens After You Submit Your Brief
At ExpansionVideos, our process after receiving your brief:
- Review & Discovery Call — We review your brief and schedule a call to clarify any questions
- Script Writing — Our scriptwriter crafts a narrative based on your brief
- Storyboard — Visual blueprint for your approval
- Production — Animation, voiceover, sound design
- Revisions — Unlimited rounds until you’re satisfied
A good brief makes every step faster and better. It’s the best investment of time you can make in your video project.
Ready to Brief Us?
You can submit your brief directly, or book a free 30-minute call and we’ll help you build your brief together. No pressure, just honest advice on what will work best for your goals.