How to Brief a Video Production Partner: What to Share Before Pre-Production Starts
A great video starts before the cameras ever roll. And if you’re partnering with a production company, the way you kick things off matters.
A strong brief isn’t just paperwork — it’s a communication tool. It aligns your marketing goals with the creative process, sets realistic expectations, and helps your production partner deliver content that actually performs.
Here’s what we recommend including in every creative brief to get the most out of your next video project.
- What’s the Objective? Why Are You Making This Video?
- Who Are We Talking To?
- Where Will This Content Live?
- What Are We Actually Making?
- Budget Range
- Creative Tone & Visual Style
- Brand Resources
- Technical Details
- Coordinate With Your Event & Production Teams
- What Does Success Look Like?
What’s the Objective? Why Are You Making This Video?
Start with the “why.” What are you trying to achieve? Are you launching a campaign, shifting brand perception, driving event attendance, or recruiting new talent?
We recommend framing this as a clear, action-oriented goal:
- To attract more women to apply for roles in engineering
- To position our product as a category leader in sustainability
- To drive conversions on our new landing page
This is the thesis of your video — and everything else should support it.
Who Are We Talking To?
Knowing your audience helps us shape the tone, messaging, and delivery. Be as specific as possible:
- Job titles or roles
- Industry or segment
- What they already know (or don’t) about your brand
- Motivations, values, or challenges
A clearly defined audience informs how we tell the story — and what kind of story they’ll actually care about.
Where Will This Content Live?
Distribution should never be an afterthought. Knowing where the video will be seen helps guide pacing, framing, and even sound design.
Let us know:
- Primary platforms (LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, paid media, email, internal comms, etc.)
- Format needs (16:9, 9:16, square, etc.)
- Audio-on vs. audio-off playback environments
- Any deadlines or scheduled launches
Understanding placement ensures we’re building the right kind of content for the right screens.
What Are We Actually Making?
Now that we understand the why, who, and where — we can start talking about what.
Are we producing a polished 60-second anthem for your homepage? A docu-style testimonial for recruiting? A bank of verticals for social? A highlight reel for post-event coverage?
Be specific about your deliverables:
- 1x long-form (~2 min)
- 3x vertical cutdowns (15–30 sec)
- Subtitled versions for social
The scope should match the strategy. When we understand your goals, audience, and placement, we can design the most effective creative and deliverables list.
Budget Range
Sharing a budget range doesn’t limit the creative — it anchors it.
Even a ballpark range helps us propose realistic ideas, plan shoot days efficiently, and recommend production approaches that make the most of your spend. Whether you’re working with $15K or $500K, transparency here saves time for everyone.
Creative Tone & Visual Style
How should the video feel? Provide a few descriptive words to help set the visual and emotional tone:
- Confident, polished, corporate
- Warm, inspiring, documentary-style
- Gritty, bold, handheld
If there are examples from your brand (or elsewhere) that nail the look, include them. Your production partner will translate those references into a visual plan that fits your brand identity and your audience.
Brand Resources
Your production team will need access to:
- Brand guidelines
- Logos
- Font files
- Color palettes
- Any required intro/outro animations, music libraries, or legal disclaimers
This ensures the video feels consistent across your brand ecosystem and avoids back-and-forth in post.
Technical Details
The more we know, the smoother production will run. Include:
- Output resolution (1080p, 4K, etc.)
- Target number of speakers or interviews
- Audio needs (lapel mics, handhelds, room tone)
- AV support if filming at a live event
- Multi-cam setups or live-switching requests
We’ll tailor the crew, gear, and workflow to fit the needs.
Coordinate With Your Event & Production Teams
One of the biggest production challenges? Lack of access or information on-site. Loop us in with the venue, event planner, or facilities team ahead of time. Ideally we would get access to:
- Floor plans
- Access to the loading dock or service elevator
- Security badge procedures
- Gear storage/staging locations
The more visibility we have, the more efficiently we can execute — and the more attention we can give to capturing great content.
What Does Success Look Like?
Share 2–3 video examples that align with your vision. Let us know what you like: tone, pacing, style, animation, interviews, transitions — whatever stands out.
This isn’t about copying. It’s about aligning visually and emotionally so we can hit the mark faster.
A Better Brief Builds a Better Video
A thoughtful, thorough brief gives your video team the context they need to deliver creative that’s not just beautiful — but built for results. It creates alignment, avoids guesswork, and allows your production partner to focus on what they do best.
At Swng Productions, we take briefs seriously — not to box in the work, but to unlock what’s possible. Let’s make something great, together.
