Briefing a construction project video: a practical worksheet

Choose a project your team can explain

Start with one completed project. What should a prospective client understand about the work? Choose a specific point your team can support, such as a coordination decision or a delivery challenge, rather than a broad claim about being the best.

List the people who can explain that point and what can still be filmed. If the work is no longer visible, note any existing material available for discussion. Confirm what can be included before building the story around it.

Name the audience and first use

Write down one main audience and where they will encounter the material: a project page, a capability presentation or a proposal conversation. State what they should understand after watching.

Adobe’s creative-brief guidance recommends identifying the audience, deliverables, timing and stakeholder responsibilities. Use these as discussion points; you do not need a finished script before talking to a production team.

Source: Adobe Australia — The creative brief: everything you need to know.

Identify participants, access and the approver

Ask who is willing and available to take part. Name a site contact to discuss the proposed areas, dates and access arrangements, and identify any project or client approval still needed.

Choose one person to gather feedback and identify who gives final approval. Record unresolved questions with a responsible person and a date, rather than treating them as confirmed.

Agree library handover and finished-film outputs separately

If your team will edit, agree which captured material will be supplied, how it will be organised and the formats your editor needs. Ask what preparation or finishing is included; do not assume a library means every camera file or a finished edit.

If you also need a finished film, give it a separate brief: audience, message, intended length, viewing format, captions, deadline and review process. Identify any extra versions you need. Agree included material and intended uses with the production team before booking.

Copy this short brief

Fill in what you know. Mark anything unresolved “to confirm” and use the list in your first production conversation.

• Project: name, location, completion status and what can be shown.
• Purpose: main audience, first use and one point they should understand.
• Evidence: who can explain the point and what supports it.
• People: willing participants, site contact, feedback coordinator and final approver.
• Access: proposed date, areas to discuss and outstanding approvals.
• Library: agreed material, file formats, organisation and handover recipient.
• Finished outputs: film or versions needed, format, captions and review process.
• Timing: delivery date, available budget range and unresolved decisions.