The best films are decided before the camera ever rolls. When a shoot underdelivers, it's almost never the gear or the edit — it's a fuzzy brief. Here's the short, honest brief we ask every client for, and why it saves you money on the day.
Start with the feeling, not the shot list
A shot list is our job. Yours is to tell us how the piece should feel and what it needs to do. "Premium but warm," "fast and fun for Reels," "make the villa feel lived-in" — those three lines steer every decision downstream: pacing, grade, music, lens choice.
When a client hands us a locked 40-shot list instead, we usually end up shooting someone else's guess at the feeling. Leave the how to us; be precise about the why.
The five things we actually need
- Goal — what this video is for (launch, ad, profile, memory).
- Audience — who watches, and where they watch it.
- Feeling — three adjectives, no more.
- References — two or three links you love (and one you don't).
- Non-negotiables — the one shot or message that must be in the final cut.
Two good references tell us more than a two-page script. Show us the feeling — we'll build the rest.
Why references beat descriptions
Words like "cinematic" mean ten different things to ten people. A reference removes the guesswork: we can see the grade, the movement, the rhythm you're drawn to. Send what you love and — just as useful — one thing you don't, so we know where the guardrails are.
Leave room on the day
The best moments are rarely on the list. Hold 15–20% of the schedule loose so we can chase the light, the crowd, the unplanned shot that ends up being the hero. A brief that's clear on intent but open on execution is the one that comes back better than you pictured.
Ready to shoot? Send us your three adjectives and two references — that's genuinely enough to start.
