A video brief that gets you an accurate quote fits in one message. It needs ten lines: what you sell, who it is for, where the video will run, format and length, how many, references you like and dislike, what must be accurate, the deadline, a budget band, and who approves. Below is a video brief template you can copy, an explanation of each line, a filled-in example and the mistakes that send quotes off course.
The video brief template you can copy
Paste this into WhatsApp, email or a notes app and fill in each line. One or two sentences per line is plenty.
VIDEO BRIEF
1. What we sell:
2. Who it is for:
3. Where the video will run:
4. Format and length:
5. How many videos:
6. References we like / references we do not like:
7. What must be accurate:
8. Deadline:
9. Budget band:
10. Who approves:That is the whole thing. A competent studio can price from this, and the questions it sends back will show how carefully it read.
What does each line of the brief mean?
1. What we sell. One sentence, with a link. “Refillable soy candles, sold online, £24 to £38” beats three paragraphs of brand story. If the video is about one product or offer, say which.
2. Who it is for. Describe the buyer the way you would to a friend: age range, where they are, what they already know about you. “Women 28 to 45 in the UK who already buy from independent shops” gives a writer something to aim at. “Everyone” does not.
3. Where the video will run. This line changes more than any other. An organic reel for your own page, a paid ad on Meta or TikTok, a product page video and a screen at a trade stand are four different pieces of work. Placement decides the shape, the length, the pacing, whether there is sound, and how much of the frame is hidden by buttons. If it is a paid ad, say so, because ads for Meta, TikTok and YouTube are built around the first two seconds and usually need several versions. Our list of twelve hook types to test for one offer shows what those versions can look like.
4. Format and length. Vertical 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts; square or 4:5 for some feed placements; 16:9 for a website or YouTube. Give a rough length: 10 seconds, 20 seconds, up to a minute. If you do not know, write “not sure” and let the studio recommend.
5. How many. One video, six reels a month, or one master film plus five cut-downs are priced very differently. Series are usually cheaper per video than one-offs because the look, the character and the sound are developed once. If you might want more later, mention it now.
6. References you like and dislike. Send two or three links and say what you like about each: the pace, the colour, the humour, the voiceover. Then send one you do not like and say why. “Not this glossy” or “no talking heads” removes a whole direction in five words.
7. What must be accurate. List the things that cannot be wrong: the product’s shape, the label, the logo, brand colours, a price, a claim you are legally allowed to make, how a name is pronounced. With AI video this line matters even more, because generated footage drifts unless the studio works from your own photos or files. We describe how that is controlled in how AI reels are made. Attach packshots or a link to a folder if you have one.
8. Deadline. Give the real date and the reason for it: a launch, a sale, a trade show. “ASAP” is not a date. If there is no fixed date, say “this month” or “next month”.
9. Budget band. A range, not a number: under £1k, £1k to £3k, £3k to £10k, over £10k. Why it helps you is explained below.
10. Who approves. Name the person who says yes. If a founder, a marketing lead and an investor all have opinions, decide who collects them and speaks for everyone. Two rounds of clear feedback from one person is normal. Six rounds from four people is how a two-week job takes two months.
What does a filled-in video brief look like?
Here is an example for an imaginary business. Tallow & Pine does not exist; we invented it to show the level of detail that works.
VIDEO BRIEF (example, invented business)
1. What we sell: Tallow & Pine, refillable soy candles, online only,
£24 to £38. This brief is for the winter range (3 scents).
2. Who it is for: Women 28 to 45 in the UK who buy gifts from
independent brands. Most have never heard of us.
3. Where the video will run: Paid ads on Instagram and Facebook Reels
and Stories, November to mid December. We may post them
organically too.
4. Format and length: Vertical 9:16, 10 to 15 seconds each.
5. How many videos: 3 concepts, each with 2 different openings,
so 6 files.
6. References: We like [link 1] for the slow macro shots and warm
colour, and [link 2] for the on-screen text. We do not like
[link 3]: too glossy, looks like perfume advertising.
7. What must be accurate: The jar shape, the cream label and the
pine logo. Photos attached. Burn time claim is "up to 40 hours",
please use those exact words.
8. Deadline: Final files by 24 October. Ads go live 1 November.
9. Budget band: £1k to £3k.
10. Who approves: Hannah (founder). One voice, replies within
a day.A studio can price that without a call. It knows the product, the placement, the number of files, the look to aim for and the look to avoid, the hard deadline and the scale of the job. The only questions left are useful ones, such as whether a voiceover is wanted. What happens after the quote, stage by stage, is set out in our guide to what to expect from an AI video agency in London.
Which mistakes make quotes come back wrong?
- Leaving out the placement. A quote for “a video” assumes something. If the studio assumes an organic reel and you wanted a paid campaign with six variants, the price will be wrong in both directions.
- Hiding the quantity. Asking for one video when you need a monthly series gets you the expensive one-off price.
- Sending references without comments. A link on its own could mean “this music”, “this pace” or “this colour”. One line of explanation fixes it.
- Forgetting what must be accurate. If the label has to be readable or a regulated claim has to be worded exactly, that is extra checking time. It belongs in the quote, not in round three of the amends.
- Giving a fake deadline. Studios price urgency. If the real date is three weeks later than the one you gave, you may have paid for a rush you did not need.
- Sending a different brief to each studio. You cannot compare quotes for different jobs. Send the same ten lines to everyone. Our checklist for choosing an AI video production company covers what to look for in the replies.
- Asking for “something viral”. Nobody can quote for an outcome they do not control. Ask for a format, a quantity and a date.
Why does a budget band get a better answer than “how much is a video”?
“How much is a video” has the same answer as “how much is a holiday”: it depends, followed by a list of questions.
Video scales in a way most purchases do not. The same ten-second idea can be made simply or lavishly: one scene or five, stock music or composed sound, one version or eight. A studio given no budget has to pick a level blindly. If it guesses high, you are scared off a job it could have done within your means. If it guesses low, you get a thin proposal for a project you would happily have funded properly.
A band solves this without giving anything away. “£1k to £3k” does not mean the quote will be £3k. It tells the studio which version of the idea to design, and it lets the studio say so plainly if the money and the ambition do not match. Hearing “for that budget we would make three simple product reels, not a brand film” on day one saves everyone a week.
If you are worried about being overcharged, the protection is comparison, not secrecy. Send the same brief with the same band to two or three studios and compare what each offers inside it.
At Zero Shot, an AI video studio in London, the brief form on our contact page asks for exactly this: what you need, when, and one of the bands above, including “not sure”. We reply with a fixed price and a short plan. For a run of reels and short-form video, the reply also says how many we would make.
You already have most of a brief. Fill in the ten lines and send them to us by WhatsApp or email, in English or Russian.
Questions people ask
How long should a video brief be?
For short-form social video, ten lines in one message is enough to get a real price. Longer documents help on large brand films, but a studio can only quote accurately once it knows the placement, the quantity, the deadline and the budget band, and those fit in a paragraph.
Do I have to tell the studio my budget?
You do not have to, but you will get a more useful answer if you give a range. A band such as £1k to £3k tells the studio what scale of idea to propose. Without it the studio either guesses or sends questions back, and you lose a few days.
What if I do not know what kind of video I need?
Say so. Describe what you sell, who buys it and what you want them to do after watching, then write 'not sure' on the format line. A good studio will suggest a format and explain why, which also tells you something about how it thinks.
Can I send a video brief by WhatsApp or voice message?
Yes. Most short-form projects start with a chat message, and a voice note works if you cover the same ten points. Follow it with links to your product page and two or three reference videos so nothing is lost.