A great video starts with a great brief—especially when you’re working with a video production team. The brief is your foundation for clear communication, creative alignment, and real results. Whether you’re creating a campaign film, branded content, or a short-form social spot, your brief is the first (and often most important) step in setting your production team up for success. At Sante Productions, we’ve collaborated with brands, agencies, NGOs, and creators—and one thing we know for sure is this: a clear, thoughtful brief can unlock massive creative potential.
So, how do you brief a production team in a way that brings out their best work—and gets you the results you want?
Here’s your complete guide.
Why the Brief Matters
Before the cameras roll, the story must be clear. A good brief isn’t just about what to shoot. It’s about why you’re making the video, who it’s for, and how it should make people feel. It provides context, direction, and clarity—especially for creative collaborators who are about to translate your vision into visuals.
The stronger your brief, the less guesswork your production team has to do—and the more room they have to add value, elevate ideas, and bring creativity into the process. Whether you’re working with a freelance editor or a full-service video production team, a well-prepared brief saves time, budget, and energy.
What Happens Without a Good Brief?
- Misaligned expectations
- Budget and timeline overruns
- Vague or inconsistent messaging
- Endless rounds of feedback and revision
- Frustration for everyone involved
The production team may be skilled, but without a clear starting point, they’re flying blind. A good brief helps avoid these traps.
What Your Video Production Team Needs in a Great Brief
A great brief is not about length or complexity—it’s about clarity and intention. Whether it’s one page or ten slides, what matters is that it answers the right questions.
Here’s a breakdown of what to include when briefing a production house like Sante Productions:
🔑 1. The Objective (What’s the Goal?)
Start with the big picture.
- What are you trying to achieve with this video?
- Is it brand awareness? Sales? Education? Internal motivation?
- Is this part of a campaign or a standalone piece?
- How will success be measured?
🎯 Example:
“Our goal is to launch our new plant-based snack to Gen Z consumers with a fun, relatable video that drives social engagement on TikTok.”
Knowing the goal helps the team prioritize tone, pace, visuals, and format.
👥 2. Target Audience (Who Are You Talking To?)
Creative choices depend heavily on who’s watching.
- Are they teens, professionals, parents, investors, or a niche community?
- What do they value? What do they fear?
- Where will they see this content—Instagram, LinkedIn, cinema, or internal comms?
The more you know your audience, the better we can speak their language.
🎯 Example:
“Primary audience: Millennial parents who value sustainability and quality. Secondary: their kids who influence purchase decisions.”
🎨 3. Key Messages (What Should They Remember?)
Boil your message down to its core. What do you want people to think, feel, or do after watching?
Try to keep this to 2–3 points max. Overloading the message can dilute the impact.
🎯 Example:
- “Our product is safe, natural, and doctor-recommended.”
- “We support local farmers and environmental causes.”
- “Buy now and try it risk-free for 30 days.”
📐 4. Tone, Style & References
Help us understand the desired mood, pace, and energy.
- Should it feel cinematic, documentary-style, playful, or corporate?
- Are there existing videos or ads you love? Drop the links.
- Do you already have brand guidelines or a visual identity?
🎯 Example:
“We want something fast, humorous, and self-aware—like this [brand’s video]. Avoid anything that feels overly formal or slow.”
📦 5. Deliverables & Formats
What exactly do you need at the end?
- A 60-second main video + 3 x 15s vertical cutdowns?
- Square versions for Instagram?
- Subtitled versions for internal use?
Knowing this upfront helps the production team shoot and edit efficiently.
🎯 Example:
“One hero video (16:9, 60s), two vertical cutdowns (9:16, 15s), all with Bahasa Indonesia subtitles.”
🗓 6. Timeline
Be clear on the launch date and key milestones.
- When do you need the first draft?
- How many feedback rounds are expected?
- Is this tied to a specific campaign launch or event?
🎯 Example:
- “Shoot date: mid-March”
- “First draft: April 1st”
- “Final delivery: April 10th”
- “Goes live: April 15th for Ramadan campaign launch”
💰 7. Budget (Yes, Be Honest)
Budget clarity helps production teams propose realistic ideas that match your resources. If you don’t have an exact figure, a range is fine.
🎯 Example:
“We’re working with IDR 150–200 million. Open to creative ideas within that.”
A transparent budget discussion can save everyone time—and lead to more effective planning. Why mentioning your budget is important? Because it helps us to work effectively and efficiently. Remember, we are your partner who wants to find the best solution for you. By mentioning your budget range, we could help you delivering the best creative results possible.
📄 8. Background Context
Give any context that might shape the direction:
- Is this part of a bigger campaign?
- Have you done similar videos before?
- What worked? What didn’t?
- Are there product limitations, sensitive topics, or things to avoid?
🎯 Example:
“This is the second video in a five-part campaign. The first video was more serious; this one should bring a lighter, fresher energy.”
📋 Bonus: What to Leave Behind
A good brief empowers, not restricts. Trust your production team’s expertise by stating the “what” and “why”, but letting them explore the “how.”
❌ Avoid:
- Overloading with too much background theory
- Giving frame-by-frame instructions
- Being too vague or saying “we’ll figure it out on set”
✅ Do:
- Be clear about your goals and tone
- Share brand values and boundaries
- Be open to creative solutions you didn’t expect
🎥 What to Expect From Your Video Production Team After the Brief
At Sante Productions, once we receive your brief, we usually follow up with:
- A creative treatment or approach
- A preliminary production plan (budget, timeline, crew)
- Any clarifying questions or options to choose from
- A quote and production agreement
From there, we move into pre-production, casting, shooting, post-production, and delivery—always with your goals and audience in mind.
🧠 Pro Tip: Keep the Brief Collaborative
We believe the best briefs aren’t “set in stone”—they’re starting points for dialogue. A conversation after the brief is always helpful. We might see new angles or offer solutions that make the project stronger.
Think of your production team as creative partners, not just service providers.
📎Final Thoughts
Briefing a production team isn’t just a technical step. It’s a creative opportunity. The clearer your vision and the more honest your intentions, the better the outcome will be. The better your communication, the better your video production team can deliver work that meets—and exceeds—your expectations.
At Sante Productions, we thrive on clarity, collaboration, and story-first thinking. Whether you’re a brand manager, agency, or founder, we’re here to help shape your ideas into visuals that work.
📩 Have a project in mind? Brief us here
📁 Want to see how we’ve helped other brands? Explore our portfolio
Let’s build something purposeful—together.
