The product film brief

The one-page brief we ask every client for. Seven answers decide what a film costs and how long it takes. Fill them in and any studio, including this one, can quote you properly the first time.

What the product is, in one line. Then the one thing the film must make people feel or do. One thing, not five.

If you cannot pick one, the film will not either.

Who watches it, and where: a reel, a booth screen, a product page, a pitch. The place decides the length, the pace and the type size.

A booth film and a reel are different films.

The date it must be live, and what that date is tied to. A listing, an event, a campaign. Studios plan backwards from it.

Less than two weeks usually means a rush fee.

Pack artwork, product photos, 3D files, a script, brand guidelines. Every one of these saves days and changes the quote.

Attach them to the brief, do not describe them.

How long, and in which shapes. Asking for a square version after delivery costs more than asking before.

List every placement you will run it in.

One person or five? How many rounds of changes? Agree it up front and the project finishes on time.

One list of feedback per round. One voice.

Say the range. A good studio will tell you what it buys, and what to cut if it does not stretch. Hiding it only wastes a week.

A range is not a commitment. It is a filter.

• Pack artwork or label files, as vectors if you have them.
• Clear product photos, front and angle, on any background.
• A 3D file if one exists; it saves the modelling step.
• A script or the key lines, and any brand guidelines.