Before you commission a brand film, settle five things inside the company: who the film is mainly for, the one sentence viewers should remember, what proves that sentence, the tone, and what you want viewers to do once it ends. Most brand films run one and a half to three minutes, with a 30- to 60-second cut for social media and the sales team.
When a company makes its first brand film, the temptation is to put everything in: the founding year, the size of the factory, certifications, the client list, the chairman's philosophy, every product line. The result is thorough, but viewers come away remembering only that it looked nice, and can't say how your company differs from anyone else. Most brand film problems don't come from the editing or the footage. They come from not deciding, before the work starts, what the film should make people remember. Talk these five points through internally before you approach any production team.
1. Who the film is mainly for
The same company needs a different film for potential clients, investors, job applicants or a government review panel. Clients want to know whether you can solve their problem. Applicants want to know what it's like to work there. Investors want to see the market and the growth. A film that tries to speak to everyone at once usually leaves each viewer feeling it wasn't meant for them.
The fix is simple: choose one main audience, and handle the others later with a short cut or a separate version.
2. One sentence to remember
Try to sum up the film in one sentence, such as "We bring automation within reach of small and medium-sized factories" or "The homes we build are still good to live in twenty years on". The sentence doesn't have to appear in the film, but every section should support it. If no one can write it, that usually means the company hasn't yet agreed on who it is. At that point, an internal meeting will do more than contacting suppliers.
3. What proves that sentence
Adjectives don't persuade people; concrete things do. Material that can serve as proof usually falls into four kinds:
- Real people: founders, engineers and front-line staff describing what they do.
- Real places: the production line, the building site, the lab, the service in progress.
- Concrete results: completed projects, the types of client you serve, figures you can make public.
- Clients' voices: a line or two of genuine feedback carries far more weight than a narrator praising the company.
Figures and claims should follow data the company can back up. For what material to gather, see what to prepare for a corporate video.
4. The tone
The same content can be made measured, warm, crisp and technical, or lightly humorous. The tone should match how the brand usually comes across, and it should suit the audience: a film aimed at hospitals and clinics will have a different pace and music from one aimed at a games company. The quickest way to agree on tone is to find two or three reference videos you like and one you don't, and say what you like about them. See how to describe the editing style you want.
5. What viewers should do next
A brand film isn't an advert, but it shouldn't simply stop either. Do you want viewers to visit the website, book a visit, contact your sales team or apply for a job? That decision shapes how the film closes, and where it will be shown.
A common brand film structure
- Opening (under 10 seconds): a question, an image or a line that tells viewers this film is relevant to them.
- Who we are and what we do: said as briefly as possible.
- Proof: people, places and projects; choose the three strongest.
- Why us: back to the one sentence.
- Close: the logo and the next step.
The main film usually runs one and a half to three minutes, with a 30- to 60-second short version for social media and sales. For how a brand film differs from a product video or an advert, see brand film, product video or ad.
Once it's clear, write the brief
Write down your answers to the five points above, then add the state of your material, where the film will be used, the versions you need and the timeline. That makes a good brief; see the corporate video brief template. Where the film can be used once it's finished is covered in where to use your corporate video, and our services and process are set out under corporate video production.
Frequently asked questions
Does the founder have to appear in a brand film?
Not necessarily. A founder on camera adds authenticity and warmth, but if they aren't comfortable in front of a camera, staff, clients or footage of the workplace can tell the story instead.
There are many opinions inside the company. How do we keep the film focused?
Have the decision-maker confirm the audience and the one sentence first, then judge every later comment against those two points. During revisions, one contact person gathers all the comments and sends them in a single reply. See getting a corporate video through internal approval.
We have no filmed footage. Can we still make a brand film?
It may be possible. Photos, presentation slides, 3D renders and older videos can all be used, and gaps can be filled with motion graphics and AI video. Real people and real places still come across better in filmed footage. We don't offer filming; we specialise in editing, post-production and AI video. Filming can be done by your own team or a crew you hire, and the original files then come to us.
