By Edifying Pursuits Media · October 2025 archive edition. Written and added to this archive October 7, 2026.

“We need a video” is a starting point. A useful brief explains who the video is for, what they need to understand, and where they will see it. Those decisions shape the interview questions, footage, edit, and budget.

You do not need to arrive with a script. Bring the following details to the first conversation with your production team.

1. Name the audience and the decision

Choose a specific viewer: a first-time customer, a potential employee, a donor, an event attendee, or someone comparing providers. Then describe the decision you want to help them make.

A recruitment video and a customer introduction might feature the same team, but they need different stories. The first may explain the working environment; the second may show what it is like to hire you.

2. Choose one main message

Write the takeaway in plain language. “We want people to understand how our installation process works” gives the production team more direction than “make us look professional.” List two or three supporting points and the evidence that can show them.

Evidence might include a demonstration, an actual project, an employee explaining a process, or a customer speaking in their own words. Confirm permissions and avoid planning around testimonials or claims you cannot substantiate.

3. Decide where the video will live

List the website page, social channels, email, event screen, or sales presentation where the finished work will appear. Identify whether you need horizontal and vertical versions, captions, short excerpts, a thumbnail, or still images.

Plan these deliverables before the shoot. Cropping later may be possible, but it cannot recover a useful shot or clean audio that was never recorded. Our video repurposing guide explains how to give each version a purpose.

4. Prepare the people and location

Identify who will speak, who can approve the message, and who can arrange access to the location. Check for noisy equipment, interruptions, reflective surfaces, and private information that should not appear in the background.

For Southern Arizona exterior shoots, discuss timing, sun, wind, and a backup plan. If aerial footage would help explain the site or property, discuss feasibility with the production team early. Location, airspace, weather, and permissions can affect what is possible.

5. Define the scope before comparing quotes

A quote should make the work understandable: planning, filming time, crew, locations, equipment needs, editing, graphics, captions, deliverable formats, review rounds, and any licensing. Ask what is included and what would change the price.

Two quotes are difficult to compare if one covers only filming and the other includes planning and several edited versions. Share a budget range if you have one so the team can propose an achievable scope.

6. Agree on feedback and approval

Choose one person to consolidate feedback. Ask stakeholders to review the same version and explain the problem they want solved. “The opening does not explain who this service is for” is more actionable than several disconnected requests to make the edit feel different.

Confirm the delivery date, when feedback is due, and how changes outside the agreed scope are handled. Leave time to check spelling, names, captions, contact information, and the final call to action.

A brief you can bring to EPM

Audience: Who needs this? Purpose: What should they understand or do? Message: What is the main takeaway? Evidence: What can we show? Distribution: Where will it appear? Deliverables: Which versions do you need? Timing and budget: What constraints should guide the scope?

Tell us about your video project. If some answers are still unclear, share what you know. We can use that as the starting point for a practical production conversation.