How to write a video brief that renders well
In short
A good brief states the goal, the audience and the one thing to remember, then gives the facts to put on screen: names, prices, dates and the call to action. Leave out adjectives and describe no camera moves. Four or five plain sentences with real facts produce a better video than a paragraph of mood.
RejiAI team ·
When a video is built from a brief, the brief is the footage. Everything on screen comes from it: the title, the numbers, the closing line. A vague brief gives a vague video, in the same way a blurry photo gives a blurry print.
The four things a brief needs
- The goal. What is this video for? "Announce the autumn menu." "Get sign-ups for the beta."
- The audience. Who is watching? "People who already follow the café." "Shop owners who do their own marketing."
- The one thing. If they remember a single line, what is it? "The pumpkin latte is back."
- The facts. Names, prices, dates, numbers, the address, the call to action. Whatever must be exactly right on screen.
What to leave out
- Adjectives. "Stunning, dynamic and modern" tells the video nothing. Pick a look instead; a look is a concrete set of type, colour and pace.
- Camera directions. "Zoom in slowly, then pan" belongs to a film shoot. A brief-built video is made of scenes; describe what each should say, not how it should move.
- Everything you could say. A thirty-second video holds five or six ideas. A brief with twelve gets twelve crammed scenes.
Three briefs that work
A 30-second video announcing our café's autumn menu, for people who follow us. Feature the pumpkin latte at 4.50 and the butter croissant at 3.20. Warm and calm. Close on: Come see us this weekend, Northwind Coffee, 12 Harbour Street.
Launch video for our budgeting app, for freelancers. The one thing: see where your money went in ten seconds. Show three features: automatic categories, a weekly summary, export to your accountant. Close on: Free on the App Store.
Listing video for a three-bedroom flat in Kadıköy. 140 square metres, south facing, five minutes from the ferry, 9.5M TL. Calm and premium. Close on: Book a viewing, with the agent's name and phone number.
Each one names a purpose and an audience in the first sentence, gives numbers as numbers, and ends on the action. None of them describes an animation.
Add the things text cannot carry
A logo, product photos and screenshots go in as files, not as descriptions. A photo of the latte is better than the words "a delicious latte". Scenes built to show media use what you attach; see the template gallery for what each scene needs.
Then edit the result, not the brief
A first render is a draft. It is faster to change one scene's text or swap its template than to rewrite the brief and start again. Keep the brief for what the video is about, and use the scene editor for how it says it.
Questions people ask
How long should a brief be?
Four to six sentences. Long enough to hold the facts, short enough that every sentence is one a scene can be built on.
Can I write the brief in Turkish?
Yes. The on-screen text follows the language of the brief, and Turkish letters are handled correctly in type, including capitals.
What if I do not know which look to choose?
Leave it on automatic. The same brief is compiled in three looks and you keep the one that fits.