A useful product video brief tells the production team who is watching, what they need to understand and where the video will appear. It also names the assets, approvals and deliverables. You do not need a finished script to begin.
Download the product video brief template (.txt) and fill in what you know. Leave unknowns marked for discussion. The template is free to use and does not require an email address.
Choose the job of the video
A product demo shows someone how a particular task works in the product. An explainer introduces a problem and how the product addresses it. A launch video announces what is new and gives people a reason to look further. They can share material, but they need different scripts.
For example, an existing customer learning to approve an expense needs to see the relevant interface and steps. A prospective buyer seeing the product for the first time may first need to understand who it is for. Treat these as separate viewing situations before deciding on length or animation style.
Write the audience, message and next step
Describe one primary audience and what they already know. State the single point they should remember and the next action available where they are watching: use a feature, visit a product page, sign up or book a demonstration.
Here is a fictional brief opener: “For team leads evaluating our scheduling tool, show how they can review a week's coverage and resolve a gap. The video will sit on the product page beside a link to try that workflow.” It sets a task without promising a business result.
Collect usable source material
- A product link or a demo environment with synthetic data.
- Approved logos, typefaces, colours and any existing motion rules.
- Current screenshots, screen recordings or footage, with a note on anything likely to change.
- The features and claims approved for publication.
- Reference videos with a sentence explaining what you like about each.
- Available voice, music and footage rights, and any restrictions the production must respect.
Keep real customer details, private notifications and credentials out of screen recordings. If the interface is not finished, agree how the video will identify any conceptual screens. A polished animation should not imply that an unavailable feature is already working.
Specify each deliverable
List where each version will run, its intended duration and the required framing. For example, a landscape product-page video and a vertical social cut are different compositions. Small interface text that works on a desktop can become unreadable when cropped for a phone.
Discuss captions, voiceover, music, language versions, thumbnails and whether editable project files are required. Confirm the current publishing specifications with whoever owns the channel before export. Do not assume one master file covers every placement.
State whether production includes uploading or distribution. Drevhe scopes production separately from posting, paid media and creator placements.
Set review points before production
Name one person to consolidate feedback. Agree approvals for the message and script, storyboard, visual direction and final edit. This gives each review a clear purpose; changing the product story after animation is underway changes the work.
Give the actual launch date and the dates reviewers are available. Ask the proposal to specify revision rounds, dependencies and how changes outside the agreed scope will be quoted. There is no useful universal price or turnaround without those details.
Check the finished video where it will play
Watch every version at its intended display size. Check that interface text and captions remain readable, audio is intelligible and no private information appears. Confirm that the closing action matches the link beside or under the video.
Agree what you can observe after publication. A product team might examine whether viewers reach a linked demonstration or whether support staff can use the video to explain a task. A view count alone does not show that the intended message was understood, and production does not guarantee sales.
See Drevhe’s Video & Motion Graphics service or send a video brief when you are ready to discuss it.