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.”
3. Target Audience
Who will watch this video? Be specific about demographics, job titles, pain points, and knowledge level.
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?
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. Check our transparent pricing for reference.
Brief Template: Copy and Fill In
- 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?]
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
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.