Start with the job of the video
Write one sentence that answers: what should the viewer do, feel or understand after watching? Book a demo. Trust the brand enough to click through. Understand one product benefit. Compare two options and choose yours.
If the brief cannot name that job, the shoot will try to do three jobs at once. Conversion drops when the message spreads thin. Pick the primary outcome and let every line support it.
Name the audience and the moment
Who is watching, and where will they see it? A homepage hero video is not the same brief as a paid social ad, a SaaS onboarding clip or a trade-show loop.
Say whether the viewer is cold, warm or already in a sales conversation. Say the platform. Say the approximate length you need. Those details change tone, pace, wardrobe and how hard the call to action can push.
Give the presenter a point of view
Spokesperson work lands when it sounds like a person, not a brochure. In the brief, include the core claim in plain English, three must-say points in priority order, anything that must not be said, and preferred tone.
If you already have a draft script, mark which lines are fixed and which can be paraphrased. Presenters perform better when they know where they have room to sound natural. Small stumbles often help trust; over-rehearsed perfection can make a business message feel fake.
Spec the look without over-designing it
You do not need a 20-page production bible. You do need green screen or real location, wardrobe notes, logo / lower-third / end card requirements, and whether B-roll, screen capture or product-in-hand is expected.
If the video has to match an existing series, send a reference link. Consistency is cheaper than re-shoots. If you have brand guidelines, send the two pages that matter for on-camera work, not the whole PDF.
Connect the CTA to the page or ad
The brief should name the exact next step and where it appears. “Learn more” is weak. “Start a free trial”, “Book a 15-minute walkthrough” or “See pricing” are clearer.
Make sure the landing page or ad destination matches what the presenter promises. Mismatch between spoken CTA and on-screen offer is a common conversion leak.
Define success and delivery
Close the brief with practical edges: final length range, aspect ratio, delivery format and deadline, how many revision rounds are included, and who signs off on the cut.
When those are clear, QC is faster and nobody argues about what “done” means. If legal or compliance needs to review claims, say that early so the script is cleared before filming day.
A simple brief checklist
Before you send the job, check you can answer yes to all of these: one primary job for the video; audience and placement named; must-say and must-not-say lists; tone and look references; length, format and deadline; and a clear call to action that matches the page or ad.
A tight brief does not make the video rigid. It makes the shoot efficient and the message convertible. The best spokesperson videos feel natural on camera because the hard decisions were made in writing first.
