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How to write a video brief an AI (or a person) can follow

A one-page video brief template with every field explained, a filled-in example and tips that make AI video tools and human editors deliver what you meant.

, 4 min read

The short answer

A good video brief fits on one page and answers eight questions: what is the goal, who is it for, where will it run, how long is it, what is the one message, what should viewers do next, what must it look and sound like, and what must it avoid. Anyone, human or AI, can make a good video from that.

Most bad videos come from briefs that describe a vibe instead of a decision. The fixes are specific words and one clear message.

The template

Copy this into a document and fill in every line. If you cannot fill one, you are not ready to make the video.

  • Goal: the single result you want, such as clicks to a product page or sign-ups for a class.
  • Audience: who they are, what they care about, what they already know.
  • Platform and format: where it runs, aspect ratio, length.
  • Message: one sentence the viewer should remember.
  • Call to action: the exact next step and wording.
  • Look: characters, setting, color grade, lighting, camera style, reference images.
  • Sound: voice, language, music mood, captions.
  • Must include: product shots, logo placement in the edit, legal lines.
  • Must avoid: claims, topics, styles, real people, other brands.
  • Deadline and approver: when it is due and who signs off.

A filled-in example

Here is a brief for a neighborhood bakery's sourdough launch:

  • Goal: get people to pre-order the new loaf through the link in bio.
  • Audience: local residents, 25-55, who like good bread but rarely bake.
  • Platform and format: Instagram Reels and TikTok, 9:16, 20 seconds.
  • Message: "Our new sourdough is baked every morning and ready by 8."
  • Call to action: "Pre-order tonight, pick up tomorrow." Link in bio.
  • Look: early morning bakery, warm tungsten light against blue dawn windows, flour in the air, slow push-ins. Original adult baker character with flour on the apron. Warm film-stock grade.
  • Sound: calm English voiceover, soft acoustic music, white captions.
  • Must include: the loaf scored with a wheat pattern, a cut cross-section, the shop sign added as text in the edit.
  • Must avoid: health claims, any other brand's packaging, crowded street scenes.
  • Deadline and approver: Thursday, owner approves.

Write for an AI model

AI tools take words literally. A few habits make briefs work better as prompts.

  • Describe what the camera sees, not what the viewer feels. "Steam rising from a torn loaf, close-up" beats "cozy vibes".
  • Name the lighting and lens. "Soft window light from the left, 50mm, shallow depth of field." Try it
  • Say what to leave out. "No text in the scene, no logos."
  • Use saved characters and presets by name so they stay consistent.
  • Keep one message per video. Models and viewers both handle one idea better than three.

In ClickPop, Productions at /app/productions takes one brief and turns it into a cast, a shot list and a finished cut made of many shots. The clearer your brief, the less you rework. Create Video also accepts an idea through a link, /app/create-video?concept= followed by your URL-encoded idea, which is handy for sharing a starting point with a teammate.

Write for a person

Human editors need the same information plus context. Add a short "why": why this video, why now, what worked last time. Attach two or three reference videos you like and say what you like about each, such as "the pacing of the first five seconds". Without that note, an editor guesses which part you meant.

Try this prompt in Create Video

State who approves and how many rounds of changes are included. That prevents endless revisions.

Give feedback against the brief, not against taste. "The message line is missing in the last shot" is useful. "Make it pop more" is not. When a brief is clear, feedback can point to a line in it, and both sides know whether the video met it.

If the brief changes during production, update the document and tell everyone. A video made against an old brief is the most common cause of a wasted round.

Turn the brief into a shot list

The step between brief and video is a shot list. For a 20-second video, four to six shots is common. For the bakery:

  • Shot 1 (0-3 s): flour dusted onto a dark counter in slow motion. Hook voiceover.
  • Shot 2 (3-8 s): baker scoring the loaf, close-up on the blade.
  • Shot 3 (8-13 s): loaves coming out of the oven, steam, blue dawn behind.
  • Shot 4 (13-17 s): loaf torn open, crumb close-up.
  • Shot 5 (17-20 s): loaf on the counter, shop name and call to action added in the edit.

Use storyboard mode to draw stills of each shot first, so you can fix the plan before rendering motion. Attach the approved stills to the brief, and the brief becomes a complete package anyone can pick up and finish.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Several messages in one video.
  • Mood words with no visual detail.
  • No call to action, or a vague one like "check us out".
  • Forgetting must-avoids, then finding a competitor's logo in the shot.
  • No named approver, so feedback comes from everyone.

Questions

How long should a video brief be?

One page is enough for most short videos. If it runs longer, you probably have more than one video.

What is the most important part of a video brief?

The single message. If you cannot say it in one sentence, the video will not land.

Can I use the same brief for AI and human editors?

Yes. Write visual details for the AI and add context and references for people. Both benefit from clear must-avoids.

How to write a video brief an AI (or a person) can follow | Click Pop