Plan the video before you price the shoot.
A corporate video brief needs eight decisions before anyone can scope the work well. Start here, then use our existing enterprise brief to record the answers.
A useful brief states the objective, audience, message, format, distribution, deliverables, deadline, and decision owner. Mark what is decided and what is still open. That gives every production partner the same job to price. Our corporate video production team uses those decisions to shape the production approach.
Eight decisions. One working brief.
These are prompts, not another form to fill out. Put your answers in the downloadable brief and keep unresolved choices visible.
Objective
What should change after the intended audience watches?
Audience
Who is primary, what do they know, and where will they watch?
Message
What one idea must survive the edit, and what can prove it?
Format
Is the working approach an interview, demonstration, event film, or something else?
Distribution
Will versions run internally, on your site, at an event, or in paid media?
Deliverables
Count each runtime, aspect ratio, caption file, language, and launch version.
Deadline
What is the date, and is it fixed by a launch, event, or other dependency?
Owner
Who consolidates feedback and who gives the final approval?
Label each material input Decided, Preferred, Open, or Not applicable. An open decision is easier to price than a hidden assumption.
Use the right checklist at the right stage.
We already made these working documents for The Enterprise Video Production Playbook. This page helps you choose where to begin.
Enterprise video brief
Record the job, audience, deliverables, rights, access, approvals, budget, and open decisions. Use it when defining or materially changing the project.
Pre-production checklist
Check the approved creative against the actual schedule, participants, location access, crew, equipment, documents, and contingencies.
Know when the brief is ready to price.
The camera plan can remain open. The project definition and decision path cannot stay vague.
Count the outputs. “Social versions” is not a scope line. Specify the audience, channel, runtime, ratio, captions, language, and launch date for each required asset.
Name the approver. One project owner gathers consolidated notes. Name the people responsible for claims, access, rights, and picture lock. For projects with several departments or procurement steps, see our enterprise production process.
Protect the use. If an internal film may later run in paid media, flag that now. Rights, participant permissions, capture, edits, and budget may change.
Price the same job. Share a working budget range if possible. Otherwise, ask for labeled scope options and note what each excludes. See our video production budget guide.
Bring us the brief. Open questions included.
Our San Francisco video production team can help define the production approach once we know the business job, the people involved, and what has to be delivered.