Short answer
Most wasted AI video renders start with a brief that never existed. Run the client call from a short intake form, turn the answers into a one-page brief the client confirms in writing, then compress that page into a five-line prompt. Below are the form to copy, the brief layout and a worked prompt.
The call decides the render
The client says “something punchy for Reels” on a call, the producer types that, and the first cut misses on audience, claim and length. A short intake form fixes this, and a one-page confirmation stops the revisions that come from “that’s not what I meant”.
Live-action intake forms are long: ContentSnare’s video production questionnaire has 29 questions in eight sections, from project overview to approvals. Much of that is shoot logistics (actors, locations, equipment) that AI video doesn’t need. Keep the sections that decide the output.
The intake form
Copy this into a doc or form tool. Fill it in on the call; don’t email it cold.
1. Purpose and audience
- What should this video make the viewer do? (One action.)
- Who is the viewer, in one sentence?
- Where does it run: Reels, TikTok, YouTube, website, email? Each can need a different format and length.
2. Message and proof
- The single point the video makes.
- Two or three claims we may state, each with where the client can back it up (a page, a test, a certificate).
- Claims we must not make (regulated terms, comparisons, “best”, “#1”).
3. Length, format, deliverables
- Length per video and orientation (vertical, square, wide).
- How many videos, and how many versions of each (hooks, offers, languages).
- Voiceover: language, tone, any names or words the client wants pronounced a certain way.
4. Brand
- Logo, colours, fonts, and the products or packshots to show.
- Three videos the client likes, and one they dislike.
- Words to use and words to avoid.
5. Script
- Is there a script or approved copy? If so, paste it. If not, who approves ours?
6. Approvals and timing
- Who gives final sign-off? Who else comments?
- Rounds of changes included in the quote.
- Deadline and publish date.
7. Disclosure
- Does the platform or the client require the video to be labelled as AI-generated?
From answers to a one-page brief
ContentSnare recommends turning the completed questionnaire into a one-page brief and sending it back for the client to confirm, so you have something to point to if the requests grow later. Put it in this order:
- Objective and viewer (section 1).
- The one message and the approved claims (section 2).
- Format, length and number of videos (section 3).
- Script status and who approves it (section 5).
- Approvers, rounds of changes and deadline (section 6).
Ask the client to reply “confirmed”. Your client approval workflow then starts from a document both sides have seen, not from memory of a call.
From brief to prompt
The prompt is the brief compressed to the five things a tool needs: format and length, audience and goal, one message, facts it may state, and tone and structure. Here is a worked example for an invented client, Harbour Coffee:
Make a 20-second vertical ad for Harbour Coffee’s subscription box. Audience: home coffee drinkers who buy beans at the supermarket. Goal: click “Start your box”. Message: fresh-roasted beans delivered every two weeks. Facts to state: roasted within 48 hours of dispatch; free delivery; pause or cancel any time. Don’t mention discounts or compare with other brands. Tone: warm and plain. Hook in the first 3 seconds; end with the call to action.
Everything in it came straight from the form: the approved claims, the banned claims, the length and the single action. (Harbour Coffee is fictional, and its claims are examples only.)
When the client can’t answer
- No claims they can prove: leave them out. A calm product shot with a clear call to action beats a claim you may have to pull after review.
- No references: send three examples from your own work and ask which is closest.
- No script: write one from the brief and get the script approved before you render. Rendering is what costs money, so approving words first is cheaper than approving a video. In Fabeo, the script is a separate step you approve before any scene is rendered.
- Several decision makers: name one approver on the form. Everyone else comments.
After the first render
Check it yourself before the client sees it, then share one review link rather than a file in a chat thread. If you run many clients, keep one saved form and one brief per client; running AI video for 10+ clients covers how to organise workspaces and brand kits.
FAQ
How long should the intake call be?
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes and use the form as the agenda.
Can the client fill in the form themselves?
Yes, but you lose the follow-up questions. It works best for repeat clients whose brand section is already saved.
Do I need a separate brief for every video?
One per campaign is enough, with a line for each version (hook, offer, language).
What should the quote say about changes?
State the number of rounds included and the price of an extra round. See how to quote AI video for per-video, batch and retainer examples.
Next step
Fabeo turns an approved script into a finished video, with client workspaces, brand kits and review links, at $3 per rendered minute (about $2.60 on the Agency plan’s included minutes). See Fabeo for agencies, pricing and the AI video templates.