Video Brief Template: What to Put in a Product Video Brief
A video brief tells an editor or studio what the video is for, who it is for, what must be on screen, and what to avoid. Eight things cover most jobs: the product, the goal, the audience, where it runs, the length, the must-show shots, the claims you can make, and who approves. Put them on one page and you will get a usable first draft.
What should a video brief include?
A good brief answers six questions in plain words: what is the product, what should the viewer feel or do, who is watching, where will it run, how long is it, and what must be shown. Add the claims you can make, the words to avoid, and a deadline. That is the core.
Here is each field and why it earns its line:
- Brand and product. Name the exact product and variant. "The 30 ml serum" beats "the skincare line."
- Product link and photos. Send clean, high-resolution images from several angles. The editor can only match what they can see.
- What the viewer should feel or do. One goal. "Want it, then tap Shop now" is a goal. "Raise awareness and drive sales and show the range" is three briefs.
- Audience. Describe the person, not a demographic bucket. What do they already believe? What annoys them about the category?
- Hook idea. Viewers decide fast, so the opening matters most. Give your best idea, even a rough one.
- Tone, with one or two reference ads. Links beat adjectives. "Warm and premium" means something different to everyone.
How long should a brief be?
One page. A brief that fits on a single page forces you to decide. It also gets read to the end, which a five-page document often does not. If something does not fit, it is probably a detail you can answer in a message, or a decision you have not made yet.
A short brief is not a thin brief. Each field should hold a real answer. If a field says "TBD," the editor will guess, and you will see the guess in draft one. Better to write "not decided, please propose two options" so the choice is clear.
What does the editor or studio need from you that people forget?
Most first drafts go wrong on missing basics, not on creative. Check this list before you send:
- Product facts and claims. You supply them. The studio should never invent a benefit, an ingredient or a result. Write down what the brand may say, and what it may not.
- Must-show shots. The label, the cap, the texture, the pack in a hand. If the product has a feature the buyer cares about, name the shot.
- Logo and end card. Send the logo file and say what the last two seconds show: logo, product name, a call to action.
- Music and voice rights. Say whether you have a track or a voice you must use. If not, say the studio should supply cleared audio.
- Sizes. Vertical 9:16 for Reels, Shorts and TikTok, square 1:1 for some feeds, wide 16:9 for sites and YouTube. Ask for every size you need up front. We cut all three from one piece.
- Length. Pick one per cut. A 6-second hook, a 15-second cut and a 30-second story are different videos, not one video trimmed.
- Where it runs. Paid ad, organic post, product page. The first frames and the captions change with the place.
- Deadline. The date you need the file, not the date you would like it.
- Who approves. One name. If three people give notes, send one merged list.
How do you brief a UGC-style ad differently?
A UGC-style ad is built to feel like a real person talking to a friend, so the brief needs less polish and more voice. Spend your words on three things: the hook, the script tone, and the on-screen text.
- Hook. Give the opening line or situation. "Still dull after moisturizer?" is a hook. "Introducing our new serum" is not.
- Script tone. Say how the person talks. Short sentences? A little tired, a little funny? Give two sample lines in that voice.
- On-screen text. Say whether you want captions, one word at a time or full lines, and keep them clear of the platform buttons. Some people watch with the sound off, so the text should carry the message.
- The proof moment. What does the viewer see that makes them believe? A texture, a pour, a hand using the product.
A good UGC brief also lists what to avoid: stock-pretty skin, a fake review read aloud, "comment below" bait. Put those in the "words never to use" field.
An example: the brief behind a 25-second serum ad
Dewlight is an invented skincare brand we made to show our work. It is a spec piece, not client work, and the brief was our own. Here is what it said.
What the brief said. One idea: one golden drop, followed from the dropper to the cheek. A vertical ad with a warm female voice-over, one big word on screen at a time, and a silent end card with the product name and "Shop now." One woman, cropped face and hands, with real skin texture. Claims limited to hydration and glow. No invented numbers, studies or reviews, and nothing about fine lines.
It also listed what to avoid: a fake-creator feel, floating bottles, plastic skin, an oily shine, and a before-and-after split of the face. Those "nots" saved time. Nobody had to guess where the line was.
What changed between drafts. Once the final voice-over existed, its timing set the pace, and the ad grew from a planned 20 seconds to about 25. The idea, the claims limit and the list of “nots” stayed the same, so the second draft was a timing pass, not a rethink.
The lesson for your own briefs: the first draft is a plan, and the real timing shows up once the voice exists. A brief that names the idea, the claims limit and the "nots" survives that change. A brief that only says "make it feel premium" does not.
How many rounds of changes should you expect?
Expect one or two. The brief sets what a round may cover. A round fixes things inside the brief: a cut that lands late, a caption in the wrong place, a swapped shot, a color tweak. A new product, a new concept or a different length is a new brief, and it should be priced as one.
We work this way. Each order is quoted in writing before work starts, and it includes up to 2 rounds of changes within the original brief. A written brief makes the rule easy to apply. If a note matches a field on the page, it is a change. If it contradicts the page, it is new scope.
Free template
We made a one-page product video brief you can print or paste into your own tools. It has each field above with a one-line hint, and it fits on a single printed page. Fill it in, send it to any editor or studio, and keep a copy for the next job.
Download the one-page brief (PDF)
FAQ
What is the difference between a video brief and a creative brief?
A creative brief covers the whole campaign idea. A video brief is narrower: it tells a maker what to produce, in what sizes, at what length, by when. On small jobs many teams use one page for both.
How do I brief a video editor who has never seen my product?
Send the product link, clean photos from several angles, and the must-show shots. Add the claims you can make. Then add one or two reference ads so they can see the tone.
How do I brief a videographer for a product shoot?
Use the same fields, then add the practical items: location, props, who is on camera, permission for any people in the shot, and a shot list in order of priority.
Should a UGC brief include a script?
Give a hook line and two or three sample lines in the right tone. A full script can sound read out. Say which claims must appear and which must not.
Send a product image
Want to see a brief turn into a video? Send one product image and we will make a free 15-second sample, no obligation. We make white-label product videos for agencies, from 5 seconds to 2 minutes, in 9:16, 1:1 and 16:9 from one piece.
Or read how it works on the agencies page.