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Checklists & briefs

Writing a commercial video brief that survives stakeholder review

Briefs fail when they try to be clever instead of clear. These sections keep projects aligned through marketing, legal, and leadership review—without ballooning into slide decks.

Audience and outcome

State who the piece is for and what decision or emotion should follow viewing. If there are multiple audiences, rank them.

Distribution and versions

List channels and aspect ratios early. It changes capture and editorial strategy more than most teams expect.

Approvals

Name approvers and expected turnaround. “Legal will look at it” is not a timeline.

Brand and restrictions

Fonts, supers, music policy, and topics that are off-limits should be explicit—especially for institutional clients.

Photography

Supporting stills—optional context for this article.

Related services

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FAQ

How long should a brief be?
Long enough to remove ambiguity about audience, message, and distribution—not long enough to replace discovery. If everything is decided, you likely need a workshop, not a paragraph.