# Write the brief

> Turn your idea into a brief, set the story, platform, formats, tone and length, and answer Claude's questions.

Source: https://demovexa.com/docs/videos/brief

The brief is step 1 of every project. It tells Claude what the video is about, who it's for and how it should look and feel, and everything after it (script, voice, animation and posts) is based on it.

The step is titled **Tell me about the video** and has three parts: the story, the format and feel, and Claude's questions.

## Start from your idea

You don't have to write the brief yourself. Give Claude a line or two and it drafts the rest.

1. Under **Start from your idea**, type into **What's the video about?**. One or two sentences is enough, for example "Show how a manager approves an expense in under a minute".
2. Click **Write the brief for me**.
3. Read what Claude wrote and edit anything that's off.

Claude reads your product's how-to guides and, when you use your Claude login, your app's code. Under **Based on:** it lists the sources it used, so you can check where a detail came from.

To start over with a different angle, change the idea and click **Rewrite the brief**.

> [!TIP]
> If you chose **Create and write the brief** when you created the project, this has already been done for you. Review it and move on.

## The story

| Field | What to put in it |
|---|---|
| Brief text | What the video shows and the order it happens in |
| **The one thing viewers should remember** | One sentence. If viewers forget everything else, this should stay |
| **Who it's for** | The viewer: their role and what they care about |
| **Facts and numbers we can say** | Real figures, results or claims you're happy to use on screen |

Claude won't invent numbers. If you want a statistic in the video, put it in **Facts and numbers we can say**; otherwise the script will leave numbers out.

## Format and feel

These settings shape the length, look and wording of everything that follows.

| Option | Choices | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Platform** | LinkedIn, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, X / Twitter, Website, deck | Where the video will mainly be shown |
| **Formats** | **Reel 9:16**, **Landscape 16:9**, **Square 1:1** | Pick one or more. One is the main format; each extra format adds build time |
| **Tone** | Warm, Energetic, Professional, Inspiring, Playful | Sets the voice of the script and the posts |
| **Length** | 10, 15, 20 or 30 s, or any length from 8 to 60 s | The script is written to fit |
| **Language** | Any of the 31 supported languages | Used for the voiceover, captions, cards and posts. Your app's on-screen labels stay as they are |
| **Call to action** | Free text | What viewers should do at the end, such as "Start your free trial" |

The language defaults to the one you picked when you created the project. See [Languages](/docs/more/languages) for the full list and how voices are chosen.

## Claude's questions

Claude can ask you a few questions to fill gaps in the brief.

1. Click **Ask me questions**.
2. For each question, pick one of the suggested answers or type your own in **Your answer**.

Your answers go into the brief.

## Go to the script

When the brief looks right, click **Write my script**. Claude writes the voiceover script from the brief and takes you to the [Script step](/docs/videos/script).

## Tips for a good brief

- **Show one thing.** A short video works best when it shows one task or one feature from start to finish. Make a second project for the next feature.
- **Name the real screens.** Say which part of your app the video should show, using the names your app uses, so it's clear which screens to recreate.
- **Write for the viewer.** Describe the problem they have before they use your product, not the features you want to list.
- **Give real numbers or none.** Add any figures to **Facts and numbers we can say**. Claude won't make them up.
- **Keep the call to action short.** A few words reads well on the end card.
- **Pick the main format for where it'll play.** Choose **Reel 9:16** first for Reels and Shorts, and **Landscape 16:9** first for a website or deck. Add other formats only if you'll use them.

## Next

- [Write the script](/docs/videos/script)
- [Projects and video types](/docs/videos/projects)
- [Languages](/docs/more/languages)