How to write a creative briefing
In video productions, there are many possibilities. We are always full of ideas, but it is important for us to know how you envision the video.
The better you can share what you want and what your wishes are, the better the end product will align with what you have in mind. It gives us insight in your vision, your goals, and wishes for the creative. We’ll able to think along with you to achieve the best result for you.
We know better than anyone what kind of input we need, to make the best production for you. So we made a list to help you write a creative briefing.
1. background information
Briefly describe the assignment you want to give us and provide a short description of the company. This “introduction” gives us some context to the content that follows.
2. Objective
Why do you want a video? What do you want to achieve with the video? It is important for us to know your goals so we can develop a suitable treatment for the video. There are 5 main goals:
- Presenting (product/concept launch or quarterly report presentation)
- Informing (employee’s day, cooking videos)
- Instructing (instructional videos, explaining a new procedure or method)
- Motivating or inspiration (event opener)
- Persuading (sales pitch, product sales)
In video, emotion is an important element and plays an important role in Superbeing’s productions. What emotion do you want to convey to the viewers of the video? Do they need to be impressed by your work or company? Or do you want them to have confidence in a product or brand? So, try to describe the “emotional goal” as well.
3. target audience
Who is the video intended for? Are you targeting the business market (B2B) or end consumers (B2C)? Or is this an internal or external target audience? What language does your target audience speak (Dutch, English, French)? The more you can tell us about who will see the video, the better we can align the script and design to your target audience.
4. Channels
Where will the video be shown? Will it be used online? Or at an (international) event? And is there audio available on (all) channels where the video will be visible? Based on this information, we can search for music and determine whether a spoken story (voiceover or with an actor) is suitable for your video production.
It is often possible to create social media versions of a production. If (e.g. in 1:1 or 9:16) this is something you would like, please let us know in the briefing so that we can take that into account in the production process.
Nice to know
It is possible to create social media versions that are suitable for each specific platform. All platforms have their own preferred size and resolution.
You want to show your video on an event, billboard or other custom display? No problem! We’ll make sure your video is suited for each specific display or platform.
5. Strategy
At Superbeing, we believe that videos are more successful when they align with the (business) strategy. The production contributes to a higher organisational goal.
For example, if you are working on a brand image change, it is super important that the video aligns with and supports that goal. What is the current and desired situation/positioning? And how do you differentiate yourselves?
6. Key message (promise)
When you make a strong and specific promise to your target audience, your video will become powerful! “Support us, and the truth will come out in journalism” (Follow the Money). “Buy this TV and enhance your viewing experience” (Philips). “This new hiring process reduces turnover in our company” (ING, internal video).
After determining your key message, think about your Call to Action: What do you want people to do after watching the video? Let us know what information you want to share in your end card.
7. Proof (reason to believe)
What are the arguments for your promise? How will you deliver what you want the viewer to believe? How do you want to show that?
8. Style & tone of voice
What style suits your company and target audience? Do you want a custom-made animation, do you need a shooting day organised on location, or do you want a combination of footage and animation? There are many possibilities, and we would love to hear what you have in mind.
9. References
Perhaps you have already seen a video that is similar to what you want. Or one that has a certain feeling or emotion that appeals to you. You don’t have to explain everything to the creatives, but a reference can help them better understand you.
If you haven’t found anything yet, you can also look at our portfolio to see if there are any productions or videos you like.
10. Conditions
Finally, there are some practical points that give us a ‘frame’ within which we can create a quote and plan for you:
- Do you have a budget?
- Is there a deadline?
- Should the video have a certain minimum or maximum length?
- How do you want the videos delivered? We typically design and produce at a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels (HD) at 25 frames per second (PAL).
- Do you want us to provide subtitles for the videos?
What’s next?
If you send us your briefing, we will respond with a debrief and pitch our ideas for your next video. You will receive a quote, concept planning and and delivery schedule.
Curious about what we will do when we get the job? Read more about our animation production process here!
We’re looking forward to work with you!
Get inspired by some of the work we already did:
