THE ULTIMATE CASE STUDY VIDEO BRIEF (FREE TEMPLATE)

A strong brief is the difference between a forgettable testimonial and a case study that wins budget. Use this guide to align your stakeholders, reduce back‑and‑forth, and get exactly the footage and outcomes you need.

TL;DR (what we need nailed before filming)

• Business goal & KPI: What result will make this a win? (e.g., 10 qualified leads/mo, 25% landing-page uplift, sales enablement asset for Q4.)

• Audience & single-minded message: Who is this for, and what’s the one thing they must take away?

• Story in one sentence: Problem → Solution → Outcome, with proof.

• Interviewees approved: Names, roles, availability, and legal sign-off.

• Access & locations: Where we can film, what we can show, and any restrictions.

• Deliverables & formats: Master length(s), cut‑downs, aspect ratios, captions, graphics.

• Distribution plan: Where the video lives and how success will be measured.

• Timeline & approvals: Milestones, reviewers, and turnaround expectations.

• Budget drivers: Travel, crew size, graphics, next‑day edits, subtitles, versioning.

Want the short version? Jump straight to the Free Brief Template at the end.

When a case study video is the right tool

Use a case study when you need to:

• Move prospects off the fence with credible social proof and tangible results.

• Arm Sales with a shareable asset that answers “Will this work for a company like mine?”

• Support product or feature launches with real‑world validation.

• Retain and excite customers by showcasing success and partnership.

Not ideal when you can’t show outcomes, can’t name the client, or approvals will stall for months. In those cases consider a problem/solution story or industry montage until proof points mature.

Stakeholders & decision‑makers

List everyone who can say “yes/no” at each stage:

• Client side: Project owner, Legal/Comms approver, Interviewee(s), Brand.

• Your team: Marketing lead, Sales lead (for enablement requirements).

• Production: Producer (Headroom Films), Director/DoP, Editor, Motion Designer.

Add responsibilities:

• You: access, messaging, brand assets, proof approval.

• Headroom Films: treatment, schedule, crew, risk assessment, filming, edit, deliverables.

  
  

Success metrics (choose 1–2 primary)

• Acquisition: form fills, booked demos, qualified leads, pipeline influenced.

• Engagement: view‑through rate, % watched at 50/75/100, click‑through to case page.

• Sales enablement: usage in calls, cycle length reduction, win‑rate on deals using the video.

• PR/brand: sentiment, social shares, earned placements.

Document the baseline and the target (e.g., 1.2% → 2.0% case-page conversion by quarter end).

Story & angle (agree this early)

Write one line: “[Customer] used [your solution] to solve [problem], resulting in [quantified outcome], which mattered because [business impact].”

Then outline 6 beats:

1. Context & stakes

2. Problem symptoms

3. Why other fixes failed

4. How your solution was implemented

5. Outcomes with numbers

6. What’s next / recommendation

   
   

Audience & message

• Primary audience: industry, job title, seniority, region.

• Pain point in their words: the thing they’d Google.

• Single‑minded message: one takeaway you’d be happy with even if they forget everything else.

Tone options: confident, pragmatic, human, enterprise‑grade, challenger.

Interviewee plan & prep

Who: Customer sponsor (budget holder), day‑to‑day user, and—optionally—your CSM/SE for context.Criteria: articulate, available, comfortable on camera, authorised by Legal/PR.Prep: 10–15 minutes on purpose and beats; we avoid scripted lines, aim for natural language.

On‑camera prompts (examples):

• “What problem were you under pressure to solve?”

• “What would have happened if you had done nothing?”

• “What alternatives did you consider and why didn’t they fit?”

• “What changed after implementation—what can you do now that you couldn’t before?”

• “If you were recommending us to a peer, how would you put it?”

We’ll send a gentle do/don’t for clothing, backgrounds, and timing.

Proof & data

List all claims and the evidence we’re allowed to show: metrics, dashboards, reports, screenshots, third‑party studies. Note any redactions or anonymisation rules.

Legal, releases & compliance (UK/EU friendly)

• Appearance releases for anyone on camera.

• Location permissions where required.

• Brand usage approval (logos, product UIs).

• Music & stock fully licensed by production.

• GDPR: avoid personal data in b‑roll; if captured, ensure lawful basis and retention policy.

• Claims substantiated; no confidential info visible in shots.

We’ll supply standard release templates and track signatures.

Locations & b‑roll plan

Choose 1–2 meaningful environments:

• Where the problem is visible (before/after moments).

• Where the solution is in use (product, team, customers).

• Neutral hero space for interviews (quiet, controllable, branded subtly).

B‑roll checklist: establishing exteriors, signage, teams collaborating, product in action, over‑the‑shoulder UI, metrics board, customer scenes, textures for transitions.

Deliverables & formats

Output	Duration	Aspect	Captions	Graphics	Use case
Master case study	90–150s	16:9	Optional burned + .srt	Light GFX	Web, YouTube, sales decks
Social cut‑downs (x3)	15–30s	1:1 / 9:16	Subtitled	Openers/lower‑thirds	LinkedIn, paid
Quote graphics (x3)	—	PNG	—	Branded	Blog, email
Stills from footage	—	—	—	—	Thumbnails, PR

Add-ons: next‑day edit, multi‑language subs, accessibility versions (open captions, high‑contrast), extended 3–4 min version, portrait master.

Distribution plan (decide now, not after)

• Primary home: case-study page with summary, transcript, and schema markup.

• Sales enablement: linked in HubSpot/Salesforce; track usage.

• Social: LinkedIn + paid retargeting using 15–30s clips.

• Email: nurture step + ABM sends from AEs.

• YouTube: optimised title/description, end screens to demo/CTA.

Measurement setup: UTM links, events/goals, watch‑time KPI, “used in opportunity” CRM field.

Timeline & approvals (typical)

• Week 0: Brief sign‑off, releases sent, schedule locked.

• Week 1: Filming (½–1 day on site).

• Week 2: First cut (V1) for comments.

• Week 3: V2 + final deliverables.

Who reviews what:

• Marketing: narrative, brand fit.

• Legal/Comms: claims, approvals, naming.

• Interviewee: factual accuracy.

We include revisions within the agreed post‑production time; if feedback rounds conflict or expand scope, we’ll flag options before proceeding.

Budget drivers (where cost flexes)

• Travel/time on site; crew size (1–3).

• Number of locations and interviews.

• Motion graphics complexity and animated explainers.

• Speed (same‑day/next‑day edit).

• Subtitling, translations, extra versions/aspect ratios.

• Risk/permits/insurance for certain venues.

We’ll recommend the leanest setup that still achieves your goals.

On‑the‑day essentials

• Quiet space, power, access times, escort/ID if needed.

• Room bookings padded by 15 minutes either side.

• Brand assets on hand (logo, fonts, colour codes, product UI).

• A single point of contact to help with access and sign‑offs.

  
  

Handover & file management

• Delivery via a review link and a download link.

• Master files: ProRes 422 HQ + H.264, 4K or 1080p per brief.

• Separate audio stems if requested.

• Caption files (.srt) and thumbnail stills included where relevant.

  
  
  
  

Free Brief Template (copy/paste)

Use this section as your internal or agency brief. Replace placeholders and delete what’s not needed.

Project name:

Brand & product:

Project owner (you):

Email / phone:

1) Goal & KPI

• Primary goal (pick one): [Leads / Sales enablement / Product adoption / PR / Recruitment]

• KPI + target + by when:

• Baseline (if known):

2) Audience & message

• Audience (industry, role, seniority, region):

• Pain point in their words:

• Single‑minded message:

• Tone (tick): □ pragmatic □ confident □ human □ enterprise‑grade □ challenger

3) Story & proof

• One‑sentence story:

• Key beats (bullets):

• Claims & proof you can share (metrics, reports, screenshots):

4) Interviewees

• Names, roles, availability:

• Any talking points off‑limits:

• Releases required? □ yes □ no (we’ll supply forms)

5) Locations & access

• Addresses/rooms and any restrictions:

• What we can/can’t show:

6) Deliverables

• Master length(s):

• Cut‑downs (how many, approx. length):

• Aspect ratios: □ 16:9 □ 1:1 □ 9:16

• Captions: □ open □ .srt □ none

• Graphics: □ light □ medium □ heavy

• Thumbnails/quote graphics: □ yes □ no

7) Distribution & measurement

• Primary home (URL/page type):

• Sales enablement use:

• Social/paid plan:

• Measurement (events/goals/CRM fields):

8) Timeline & approvals

• Key dates: kick‑off, filming, V1, final:

• Reviewers at each stage: Marketing / Legal-Comms / Interviewee

9) Budget & constraints

• Range or ceiling (optional):

• Must‑haves vs nice‑to‑haves:

• Risk/permits/insurance notes:

10) Assets to supply

• Brand kit (logo, fonts, colour codes):

• Product/UI access (demo/staging):

• Previous case studies (if any):

• Any reference videos you like:

How we can help

Headroom Films can handle the whole process, from treatment and interview planning through to filming, edit, subtitles, and social cut‑downs. We film across the UK & EU and regularly support US teams who need a reliable local crew.

Next step: share the filled brief with us and we’ll turn it into a concrete plan and quote.

Related services: Case Study Videos • Event Videos • Promotional Videos • Corporate Videos • Contact.