Plus a free brief template download
When you have found the right company to use for your animated or filmed marketing video, then you will need to communicate with them exactly what you are looking for. When you are working with companies like Stormy Studio and others, it’s important that you let them know exactly what you are looking for so then you are not disappointed by the end result. This is done through writing a succinct and clear animation brief. Whether you are working with a big South West England video production company or a smaller Plymouth video production company, they have to know all the details. The only way to do this is to create an animation brief that outlines everything you are looking for. Here are the most important things to include in your animation brief to make sure you get the marketing video you want. Plus at the end, we provide a free downloadable animation brief template for download.
Your Company Background
Start by telling them a little bit about your business’ background and the kind of services and products you have had on offer. This is effectively a way of setting the scene so then the video production company has a clear idea of what kind of business you are.
The Competition
It’s good to let the production company know about the kind of marketing campaigns that your competitors use. Try and provide them with examples of things that you thought were really good and others you thought were terrible. This is a good way of showing the production company what they up against, along with giving them an idea of what kind of competition they are going up against with their video.
The What
Basically speaking, this is where you tell the producers what you want your video to be about. This doesn’t need to be too complicated as the producers will no doubt want at least a little creative freedom to come up with something fresh and inviting. Just give them a rough idea of what you would like your animated or filmed marketing video to be about. Consider it a means of giving the producers a framework they can work with.
The Why
Use the animation brief to tell the producers what the objective of the video is supposed to be. Maybe you’re trying to attract new customers and clients, or you are trying to improve the lines of communication with your customer base. It’s vital that you know what the aim of your video is so then the video producers are able to make a video that helps you achieve your goal.
The Who
This is possibly the most important aspect of making a marketing video, so you need to make it clear to the producers exactly what audience you are targeting. Try and give them as clear an idea as possible so then they are able to design a video that appeals to that specific audience directly. Also point out if you want your video to target customers or other businesses.
The When
There is always the possibility that the video you are planning is because of a specific milestone or yearly event. It could even be a seasonal video of some description. Whatever the case, if the timing of the video is an important part of the marketing strategy, then make sure that you include those details in the brief.
The How
This is basically the point where you tell the producers exactly what you are planning on achieving. Don’t hold back with this, let them know exactly what you are hoping will happen once your video is completed and available to be watched by anyone. Also let them know if you think your video should be shown to a test audience of some description first so then you can get a measure of its success.
Other Campaigns You Like/Dislike
You don’t just have to talk about your competitors when referring to video marketing campaigns you like. Pick out some other ones that you found really appealing, along with some that you thought were terrible. This can give the producers a very clear idea of the kind of quality you are looking for when you watch the finished video for the first time.
The Budget
The production company needs to know how much money you are willing to spend. The last thing either of you need is for them to spend a large amount of money on a video that you can’t afford. Tell them exactly what your budget is so then they can work out exactly what they can achieve with that kind of money.
Other Requirements
If you want your video to have a call to action, you need to let them know that’s what you’re looking for. Same goes for if you want a voice-over or if you want more animation than something filmed in camera. Just basically run down all the additional requirements you have that you weren’t able to cover in the areas we have already looked at. Make sure you don’t leave anything out and that you double check this section to make sure.