A brief is not a creative essay. Its job is to let someone who has never seen your project choose the right voices and read your script correctly the first time. The more specific the first page, the fewer rounds of samples you need.
What goes on the page
Audience
Who is listening: customers, new staff, learners, callers. Age and context matter less than what they are doing while they listen.
Where it plays
Web video, broadcast, a phone line, a course, a presentation. The place decides the pace and the level of energy.
Tone
Three words and one example of a voice you like. An example is worth a paragraph of adjectives.
Language and variant
Name the market, not only the language. “Spanish for Mexico” is a brief; “Spanish” is not.
Script status
Locked, draft or still in translation. If it may change, say where.
Names to pronounce
Brands, people, places and acronyms, each with how you want it said.
Versions
How many cuts, lengths or languages you need from the same session.
What to leave out
Brand history, mission statements and long lists of values rarely change how a line is read. Include them only if they change who the voice is speaking to. If you have a reference film, send it instead of describing it.
Before
We want a friendly, professional, modern voice for our company video that conveys our values.
After
Audience: new employees on their first day, watching on a laptop. Tone: warm, calm, a little informal; think a colleague explaining, not an announcer. Language: Spanish for Mexico. Script: locked, 280 words. Names: say the product name as one word.
Why it works: The second version fits in three lines and answers most of the questions a casting director would otherwise ask. Word counts and names here are placeholders for your own.
Brief checklist
- Audience and context are named.
- Where it plays is stated.
- Tone is described and illustrated.
- Language includes the market or variant.
- Script status is clear.
- Names and acronyms have a pronunciation note.
- Number of versions is stated.