Most briefs we see are 80% what the client thinks we need and 20% what we actually need. Here's the template that flips it.
Every studio's website tells you to 'send us a brief.' Almost no studio tells you what's actually in a brief that gets you a usable quote in 48 hours instead of three weeks of back-and-forth. Here's our template.
1. The deliverable, in concrete units
Not 'some renders for the website.' Tell us: 12 hero stills at 4K, 5 lifestyle scenes, 1 looping animation. Pixel sizes, file formats, aspect ratios. The number that goes on the invoice depends on this — 10 minutes spent here saves three days of scoping.
2. CAD or photo reference
If you have CAD (Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, FBX, STEP, IGES — any of them), send it. We'll ingest it. If you don't, send 5–10 reference photos from every angle plus dimensions. The cost difference between CAD-driven and reference-driven is usually 30–50%.
3. The mood, in 5 reference images
Five is the magic number. Less than five and we don't have enough signal. More and the references contradict each other. Pull from the actual brands, photographers, and campaigns whose look you're chasing — not generic Pinterest boards.
4. The launch date, working backwards
Tell us when the campaign goes live. We work backwards: review windows, revisions, render time, modelling, scoping. If your launch is in 4 weeks and the project needs 6, we'll tell you on day one — not on week 5 when there's no time to recover.
5. Who signs off
The fastest projects have one named decision-maker. The slowest have a committee. Tell us who has the final word on creative — even if it's a committee, name the chair. Stakeholder review cycles are where most projects lose their delivery date.
