Method
The brand video checklist: what to prepare before you start
A practical checklist for a brand video: goal, audience, message, assets, format and review. Works with a designer, a template or a generator.
Most disappointing brand videos fail before anyone opens a tool. The goal is vague, the message is a list, and the assets are scattered. Spending twenty minutes on the brief saves hours of revisions, whether you work with a designer, a template editor or a generator.
1. Decide the one thing
A short film can carry one message. Write it as a sentence: “After watching, the viewer knows that…”. If you need an “and”, you probably have two videos.
2. Name the audience and the action
- Who is this for: new customers, existing ones, candidates?
- What should they do next: visit, sign up, buy, apply?
- Where will they see it: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn?
3. Gather your assets
- Logo in a high-quality format, plus the background it was designed for.
- Brand colors and typeface.
- Product screens or real interface components.
- The exact wording you want on screen: headline, proof, call to action.
- Any figures, with their sources.
If you have a website, much of this is already there. A generator such as MotionMaker reads it for you; see website to video.
4. Choose the format first
For social feeds, plan for vertical 9:16 at 1080×1920 and a length of roughly 15 to 25 seconds. Compose for it from the start; the vertical video guide explains how.
5. Plan for sound off
Write the message so it works as on-screen text. Audio is a bonus. See designing video for sound off.
6. Verify every claim
- Every number has a source.
- Every quote is real and used with permission.
- Every person shown is real and consents.
- Nothing promises what the product does not do.
This matters even more with AI tools, which can fill gaps with invented content; read why AI videos invent facts.
7. Pick a direction before you cut
A film with a clear idea beats a sequence of decent shots. Write two or three candidate ideas, pick one, and let it drive every scene. MotionMaker proposes three ideas from your site for exactly this reason.
8. Review with fresh eyes
- Watch it once with the sound off. Is the message clear?
- Watch it on a phone, at arm’s length. Can you read everything?
- Check the first two seconds. Would you keep watching?
- Check the end. Is the next action obvious?
The checklist on one page
| Step | Question |
|---|---|
| Message | What is the one thing? |
| Audience | Who, where, and what next? |
| Assets | Logo, colors, type, screens, words, sources |
| Format | Vertical 1080×1920, 15–25 seconds |
| Sound | Does it work with the sound off? |
| Claims | Can every statement be verified? |
| Idea | What is the through-line? |
| Review | Phone, mute, first two seconds, last two seconds |
If you want to understand what makes the final result feel professional, start with what motion design is.