AI video production brief template: scope, shots and approval
An AI video brief should explain what the finished film must do, what needs to be delivered and what must remain accurate. Agree on a representative test and approval milestones before committing to the whole sequence.
Download the editable production brief (.md) ↓Free · no email required · open in any text editor
Start with the outcome and deliverables
Write one sentence describing who the film is for and what they should understand, feel or do. Then list each required edit: runtime, aspect ratio, captions, language, sound and delivery deadline. A 15-second product film and three social cutdowns are separate deliverables even if they share footage.
Specify what you already have and who supplies what is missing. Include approved product images, brand guidelines, a script or voiceover if available. Use a reference link to explain an intended quality; distinguish the camera movement, lighting or edit you like from elements you want to avoid.
Separate visual requirements from preferences
| Requirement | How to check it | Fallback to discuss |
|---|---|---|
| The product silhouette and label must match approved assets. | Compare the product in each delivered shot with the approved reference. | Use a photographed, rendered or composited product for the critical element. |
| The same character appears across several shots. | Review the sequence for changes in identity, wardrobe and screen direction. | Revise the shot design or use a production method suited to the required continuity. |
| The camera reveals something at a particular moment. | Review start, reveal and end frames against the intended edit. | Block out the motion or simplify the move before another generation test. |
| The edit must fit a fixed runtime. | Add shot durations, transitions and the end card before generation. | Adjust the shot plan and trim the source clips in the edit. |
This is ReelStack’s planning framework, not a benchmark or a claim that a reference guarantees fidelity. A warmer colour palette can be a preference to explore; a correctly spelled label can be a condition for acceptance.
A small example: a 15-second bottle film
Fictional brief: show a commuter refilling a reusable bottle, packing it and arriving outdoors. Three simple shots; 16:9 delivery; natural daylight; no brand logos or product claims. Proposed planning durations are five seconds each, subject to the edit and selected tool.
Approval conditions: the refill action is readable, the bottle looks consistent across cuts, and the full delivered edit fits 15 seconds. Agree on what will happen if a generated shot fails one of those checks.
In our actual storyboard-tool test, the model returned three six-second shots for a 15-second request. That produced an 18-second draft. We did not render those shots. The example shows why checking the returned plan belongs in the brief and approval process.
Agree on a test before approving the full production
- Approve the brief and shot plan. Confirm the message, required assets, runtime and acceptance conditions.
- Review one representative shot. Choose a shot that exposes the hardest requirement, rather than the easiest attractive frame.
- Approve the rough sequence. Check pacing, continuity, voice and sound before detailed finishing.
- Review the delivery files. Confirm formats, captions, audio, required visual details and the agreed changes.
Name the person who can approve each milestone. Set a feedback deadline and clarify which changes are included in the quote. A new concept after an approved shot plan may require different work from correcting a missed requirement.
Give filmmakers enough information to quote
Share the budget range, deadline, number of deliverables, complexity of the required details, existing assets and review milestones. Ask what the quote includes: preparation, generations, editing, sound, finishing, revisions and handover files. Record assumptions and options that could change the scope.
Ask who supplies and clears source assets, music, voice and likeness permissions, and which intended uses the proposed agreement covers. Resolve these questions with the filmmaker before production. The template is a planning aid, not a contract or a fixed price list.
Choose a filmmaker by relevant finished work
Look for a portfolio close to the deliverable you need. Ask what the creator personally handled and how they would meet your hardest constraint. A tool list or impressive still frame does not establish that someone can deliver the whole edit.
Browse AI filmmaker portfolios, or send ReelStack a private project brief. Your submission goes to our team for review; it does not book a filmmaker or publish your project.
Turn the brief into the next production decision
- Build and review the shot plan, then use the text storyboard tool for a draft.
- Decide whether a Blender blockout helps the camera move.
- Read the published AI OUTBREAK production breakdown for a separate example of production decisions.
- Ready for public applications? Post a production brief through the jobs workflow.