The single biggest cause of over-budget, late, and disappointing video projects isn't poor editing — it's a poor brief. A vague brief leads to guesswork, and guesswork leads to revisions. Every unnecessary revision costs time and money. Here's how to brief a video editor so your project runs smoothly from day one.
Why the Brief Matters More Than You Think
A professional video editor can work with almost any footage and almost any style — but they can't read your mind. Without a clear brief, they'll make assumptions about tone, pacing, music, and structure. Some of those assumptions will be right. Many won't. The result? Multiple revision rounds, frustrated client, frustrated editor, and a final product that still doesn't feel quite right.
A solid brief eliminates that problem. It aligns expectations before a single frame is cut.
The 8 Things Every Video Brief Must Include
1. Purpose and Goal
What is this video for? What do you want viewers to do after watching it? Examples: "Build trust with new website visitors," "Explain our software to potential enterprise clients," "Drive traffic to our contact page." Be specific.
2. Target Audience
Who is watching? A video for C-suite executives feels very different to one for 25-year-old Instagram users. Describe your audience: industry, age range, pain points, what they care about.
3. Desired Length
Give a target length or a maximum. "Under 90 seconds" or "2–3 minutes" gives the editor a clear constraint to work within. If you're unsure, ask for their recommendation based on the platform.
4. Style References
Share 2–3 video links that match the feel you're after — even if they're from other industries. This is the fastest way to communicate tone, pacing, and aesthetic without lengthy descriptions.
5. Music Preferences
Upbeat or calm? Corporate or casual? Instrumental or with vocals? Music drives the emotional feel of a video more than almost anything else. If you have a specific track in mind, share it. If not, describe the energy you want.
6. Text, Captions, and Graphics
Do you need subtitles? Lower-thirds (name and title labels)? A logo animation? Specific calls to action as text overlays? List every graphic element you need, or explicitly say "no text overlays."
7. Deadline
Give both your ideal deadline and your hard deadline. "We'd love it by Friday but need it no later than Monday" is much more useful than just "ASAP."
8. Delivery Format
How will you use the video? Web (H.264 MP4), social (vertical 9:16 for Reels/TikTok, square 1:1 for feed), broadcast (ProRes)? Do you need multiple aspect ratios? Confirm this upfront — reformatting after the fact adds cost.
A Simple Brief Template
Copy and fill in this template before your next project:
- Project: [Name/description]
- Goal: [What this video needs to achieve]
- Audience: [Who will watch it]
- Length: [Target or maximum]
- Style references: [Links to 2–3 videos]
- Music: [Genre/energy/specific track]
- Text/graphics needed: [List or "none"]
- Delivery format: [Platform and specs]
- Ideal deadline: [Date]
- Hard deadline: [Date]
- Revision rounds included: [Confirm with editor]
Common Briefing Mistakes
- Sending raw footage without context: Always explain what you filmed and why, even if it's obvious to you.
- "Make it look professional": This means something different to everyone. Use references instead.
- Changing the brief mid-edit: Scope changes after editing has begun are the most common cause of budget blowouts. Finalise your brief before work starts.
- Forgetting about music licensing: If you want a specific commercial track, check licensing costs before committing it in your brief.
A great brief is a partnership. The more clearly you communicate what you need, the better your video editor can deliver it. Take 20 minutes to complete your brief properly — it will save you hours of back-and-forth later.