How to Brief a Video Production Company: The Question That Separates Good Projects From Great Ones
The Brief That Gets Results
Most briefs we receive are about what the client wants to show. Show our office. Show our team. Show our product. These are valid starting points. They're also the reason most corporate videos are forgettable.
The briefs that produce great video aren't about showing. They're about changing. Change how the viewer thinks about this company. Change whether a prospect feels confident enough to call. Change how an employee thinks about where they work. When you start with what you want to change, the visual approach follows from the goal rather than the reverse.
The One Question That Changes Everything
Before any production conversation, ask yourself: what do I want someone to do or feel differently after watching this video, compared to before? If the answer is "they'll know more about us," you'll get an informational video. If the answer is "they'll believe we're the right choice in a way they didn't before," you'll get something that actually converts.
Timothy Kline has been asking this question in pre-production meetings for 23 years across 500+ productions in Orange County. The clients who have a clear answer to it get better videos. Not because the production is more expensive or technically superior — because the brief gives the director something to work toward.
What a Good Brief Includes
A useful production brief doesn't need to be long. It needs to answer: Who is watching this? What do you want them to feel or do after watching? What does success look like six months after publication? What's the single most important thing about your company that this video needs to communicate?
What it doesn't need: detailed shot lists from clients who aren't directors, references to competitor videos, or lists of features to "make sure we cover." Feature lists produce feature videos. Nobody shares a feature video.
How We Use the Brief
Hilo's pre-production process starts with a conversation, not a questionnaire. We push back when a client's initial framing won't produce the result they're actually after. We propose visual approaches based on what the video needs to accomplish rather than what's easiest to shoot. The brief drives the production — camera choices, location decisions, talent direction, pacing in the edit.
If you're considering a production partner, ask them how they use your brief. If the answer is "we'll make sure to include everything you listed," you're hiring an execution service. If the answer involves a conversation about what the video needs to accomplish, you might have found a director.
Timothy Kline | CEO & Primary Director | Hilo Motion Pictures LLC
(949) 449-4472 · director@hilomotionpictures.com · 220 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
