How to Write a Video Brief: Template and Review Checklist

Define the viewer and the next action

Name the audience more specifically than everyone who might buy this. Say where they will encounter the video and what they should do afterward. A launch post aimed at first-time visitors needs a different opening from a product demo sent to someone already comparing tools.

Write one sentence the viewer should remember. If the brief needs three unrelated messages, decide which belongs in this cut and which can have another video. Add the claim, product name, or price that must be checked word for word.

Copy this video brief template

• Audience and placement: who will see it, and where?
• One takeaway: what should they understand after watching?
• Next action: try the product, learn more, register, or share?
• Source material: product URL, approved screens, photographs, footage, brand assets, or references.
• Must show and must avoid: required features, accurate claims, unfinished screens, or restricted material.
• Delivery and approval: destination formats, deadline, and who checks the final cut.

See a completed brief

For an illustrative scheduling app: Audience: small teams seeing a launch post on their phones. Takeaway: a meeting time can be agreed without a message thread. Next action: open the app. Source: live product URL and approved logo. Must show: selecting a group and the confirmed time. Avoid: account settings and any claim about hours saved. Approval: the product owner checks the screens and wording.

Review the first cut against the brief

Ask whether the opening reaches the promised action, whether every shown screen is current, whether type is readable at the intended size, and whether the ending gives the viewer a next step. If it misses, point to a specific moment: hold the confirmation screen longer or remove the unrelated settings shot. That turns feedback into an edit someone can make.