The short answer
A production brief tells a studio what to film. A creative brief tells them what the work needs to do. Both are useful. Knowing which one you're writing changes who you hire and what comes back.
What a production brief looks like
A production brief arrives with the idea already decided. It usually covers:
- The subject and the story, often with a script or storyboard
- Locations, talent and any product that needs to appear
- Deliverables: lengths, ratios, versions
- Dates and a budget range
It's the right brief when an agency or an internal team already owns the concept and you need a crew to make it well.
What a creative brief looks like
A creative brief leaves the idea open. It covers:
- The business objective
- Who the audience is, and what you want them to think or do
- Where the work will run
- What has to be true: brand rules, legal, product claims
- How you'll judge success
It's the right brief when you want a partner to come back with the idea as well as the plan to make it.
An example: Scott Proven In Use
Kimberly-Clark Professional came to us with a clear production brief: film Scott restroom dispensers in real industrial environments.
We saw room for a campaign inside it. So we answered with a proposal that covered a creative approach, production options and a plan to capture a photo and footage library alongside the films.
The idea was simple: the best restroom products are the ones people never have to think about. That became Proven In Use, with 3 territories: Proven In Plain Sight, Proven Under Pressure and Proven Every Time.
The production brief still got answered. Scott dispensers appear in 3 believable industrial restrooms, built in studio. The campaign idea gave those shots a reason to exist, and the library gave KCP material to use long after launch: 3 hero films cut to 30, 20, 10 and 6 seconds, 100+ stills and a footage library.
See the Scott Proven In Use campaign
5 questions to tell which brief you need
- Do you already have a script or storyboard you're happy with?
- Is there an agency or internal team that owns the concept?
- Is the goal a specific asset, or a change in what people think or do?
- Will the work need to run across several channels, or one?
- Do you want options on the idea, or a plan to make one idea?
Mostly yes to the first two: write a production brief. Mostly yes to the last three: write a creative brief.
What to include either way
- Every deliverable you can think of, including stills and cutdowns
- The deadline and any fixed dates
- Who signs off
- A budget range. It lets the studio design to what's possible.
How we answer each one
With a production brief, we plan and price it as written, and we flag where a half day or a stills package would give you more to use.
With a creative brief, we start with the idea, then build the production plan around it. That's the work we're set up for: concept to delivery, under one roof.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a production brief and a creative brief?
A production brief tells a studio what to film, with the idea already decided. A creative brief tells the studio what the work needs to do and leaves the idea open, so the studio comes back with a concept as well as a plan to make it.
When should I write a production brief?
Write a production brief when you already have a script or storyboard, or when an agency or internal team owns the concept and you need a crew to make it well.
When should I write a creative brief?
Write a creative brief when the goal is a change in what people think or do, when the work will run across several channels, or when you want options on the idea itself.
What should every video brief include?
Every deliverable you can think of, including stills and cutdowns, the deadline and any fixed dates, who signs off, and a budget range so the studio can design to what's possible.
About the Author
Will Murphy
Will Murphy is a Creative Director and commercial director based in Toronto, and the founder of WM Creative Studio. He has spent more than 15 years making brand films, campaigns and documentaries for clients including Oxford Properties, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Indspire, Svante, Kids Help Phone and LEGO. Here he writes about how video projects get made: briefs, budgets, shoot days and the decisions in between.