You can describe an API in one sentence, but describing a video is harder. Most first drafts miss because the brief left out something obvious to you and invisible to the designer. Here is a brief that works.
1. The goal. One sentence: what should a viewer do after watching? Sign up, book a demo, or just understand the product.
2. The audience. "Backend developers who ship weekly" is useful. "Everyone" is not.
3. Length and format. Landing page (16:9, 60 to 90 seconds), social (vertical or square, 15 to 30 seconds), or both.
4. Your material. Send the real product: Figma files or screenshots, a screen recording of the main workflow, your logo, colors and fonts, and a rough script.
5. References. Two or three videos you like, with one line on what you like about each. Examples beat adjectives like "clean" or "modern".
6. Deadline and budget. A date and a range, so the designer can suggest the right scope.
A rule that saves rework: freeze your interface before animation starts. If the UI will change next week, tell the designer, so they build in layers.
I wrote a longer version with a template here: How to brief a video editor.
Bhavesh Vaghela is a freelance video editor and motion graphics designer in Rajkot, India, working on SaaS and AI product videos.
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