How to Brief a Film from Your Website

Why most briefs are too long and still miss things

A typical video brief is three pages of brand values and one vague line about the actual film. The maker then guesses the audience, the length and the ending, and the first draft becomes the real brief. A good brief is short, specific and mostly made of things you already have.

The goal of a brief is not to describe the film. It is to make the first draft close enough that feedback is about details, not direction. Every revision round that starts with "that is not what we meant" is a brief that left a decision open.

What your website already provides

Before writing a word, collect what is already public and approved:

• Logo files and the colours used on the site (check the hex codes in your style sheet or brand guide)
• The fonts your site uses for headings and body text
• Your tagline and the one-sentence description of what you do
• Product or service names, spelled exactly as on the site
• Photos and screenshots you have rights to use
• Claims you are comfortable making in public, because they are already on the page
• The tone: read three pages aloud and note whether it is formal, friendly, technical or playful

What only you can decide

The website cannot answer these. Put them at the top of the brief:

• Objective: the one thing a viewer should do or know after watching
• Audience: who watches, and what they already know
• Where it will play: home page, product page, social feed, trade show screen, support page
• Length and format: for example 45 seconds, widescreen plus a vertical cut
• Sound: voice-over, music, or silent with captions
• Must-haves and must-nots: required legal lines, competitor names to avoid, products not to show
• Deadline and who approves

A one-page template

Copy this and fill it in; if a line takes more than two sentences, you have not decided yet:

• Film: [name] for [audience], shown on [channel]
• Goal: after watching, the viewer [does or knows one thing]
• Key message: [one sentence, ideally from your site]
• Three supporting points: [each with a proof you can show]
• Ending: [logo + one call to action]
• Source: [URL of the page the film is based on]
• Brand: [logo file, colours, fonts, or "take from the site"]
• Length and formats: [seconds, aspect ratios]
• Sound: [voice-over language, music yes or no, captions yes]
• Avoid: [claims, names, visuals]
• Approver and date: [name, date]

Point to one page, not the whole site

The most useful line in a brief is often a single URL. If the film is about one product, link that product page, not the home page. It keeps the film to one message and makes it easy to check the result against something already approved. If the page itself is vague, fix the page first; the film will inherit the same problem.

Also say in the brief where the finished film will be hosted. Google's video guidance recommends a watch page with a title and description unique to the video, and a video needs a valid thumbnail to appear in Google's video features, so ask for a thumbnail and a short description with the film. And ask for captions as a deliverable rather than an afterthought: W3C's accessibility guidance treats captions as essential for video with speech.

Five questions that catch a weak brief

Before you send it, check the brief with these. If any answer is "it depends", decide first:

• Could two different makers read it and come back with roughly the same film?
• Is there exactly one goal, or are you hoping one film will sell, explain and train at once?
• Does every claim you want in the film already appear somewhere you have approved?
• Do you know where the film will be watched, and whether the sound will be on?
• Is there one named person who can say yes to the final version?

Giving feedback on the draft

Use the brief as the checklist when the first version comes back. Separate feedback into two kinds: things that break the brief (wrong audience, a claim that is not approved, the wrong product name) and matters of taste (a transition you dislike, a colour that feels too bright). Fix the first kind without discussion. Collect the second kind from all reviewers into one list before sending it, so the maker does not get conflicting notes from five people.

If you find yourself asking for something that is not in the brief, add it to the brief as well. The next film will need it too.

Briefing an instructions film is different

For assembly or setup films, the source is not your website but your manual. The steps, part letters and hardware counts must match what is in the box, so the brief is mostly "follow the manual exactly, in this order". Add the model number, any steps the manual gets wrong or that support hears about often, and whether two people are needed. With Manual to Video, the PDF manual is the brief: you upload it and the film follows it in your brand colours and logo, and every film is checked against your order before delivery.

Using the brief with a tool

Some tools can take most of the brief directly from the source. nine.film, our sister product, makes brand and explainer films from your website, so your job is mainly the decisions in the second list above. Whichever route you take, keep the filled-in template: it is also your checklist when the draft comes back.