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Art Direction Brief Template
A fillable brief for art direction projects. Fill every section before production begins. A short brief beats a generic brief; a generic brief produces generic work.
Project: [Name]
Project type: [Photography / Illustration / Video / Animation / Mixed] Channel(s): [Where this will live] Date briefed: [YYYY-MM-DD] Production date: [YYYY-MM-DD] Director: [Name] Producer: [Name] Budget: [Range]
1. Project context
Why this project exists: [1 to 2 paragraphs. The business reason this work needs to be made.]
What it must accomplish: [The specific outcome. Awareness, conversion, brand association, internal use, etc.]
How it will be measured: [Concrete success indicator. Engagement, completion rate, brand lift, internal feedback.]
2. Concept
The big idea (one sentence): [The angle, insight, or opinion the creative work expresses.]
Why this concept now: [2 to 3 sentences. Why this idea fits the moment, the brand, and the audience.]
What this concept rejects: [The opposite or adjacent ideas this concept is not.]
3. Audience
Primary audience: [Specific persona. "Mid-career operator at a B2B SaaS company evaluating tools for their team," not "B2B buyers."]
What they currently feel about the category: [1 to 2 sentences.]
What we want them to feel after seeing this: [1 to 2 sentences.]
4. Subjects
People:
- Cast: [Demographics, archetypes, specific casting direction]
- Wardrobe: [Direction]
- Expression: [What we want them showing]
- Diversity: [Explicit casting expectations]
Products:
- What appears: [List]
- Staging: [How they're shown]
- Hierarchy: [Hero product vs supporting]
Settings:
- Locations: [Specific or category]
- Environment: [Indoor/outdoor, real/built, public/private]
- Time of day: [If relevant]
Objects/props:
- Required: [Specific items]
- Forbidden: [Things never to include]
5. Composition
Formats and channels:
| Channel | Aspect ratio | Resolution | Specific requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g., Instagram feed] | 1:1 | [px] | [Crop-safe area for text overlay] |
| [e.g., Instagram stories] | 9:16 | [px] | [Top/bottom safe areas] |
| [e.g., Web hero] | 16:9 | [px] | [Subject must allow text overlay on left] |
| [e.g., Print] | [Specific] | [DPI] |
Shot list: [Specific shots required. Include reference frame for each.]
- [Shot description]: [Reference image]
- [Shot description]: [Reference image]
- [Shot description]: [Reference image]
Framing direction:
- Crop tendency: [Tight / medium / wide]
- Subject placement: [Centered / off-center / dynamic]
- Eye line: [To camera / away / unspecified]
- Depth: [Foreground emphasis / background environment / flat]
- Negative space: [Generous / minimal / variable]
6. Lighting
Direction: [2 to 4 sentences describing the lighting approach.]
Specific qualities:
- Source: [Natural / available / controlled]
- Direction: [Front / side / back / overhead]
- Quality: [Hard / soft]
- Color temperature: [Warm / neutral / cool]
- Time of day if natural: [Specific]
Lighting references: [3 to 5 reference images with annotations.]
7. Color and treatment
Color palette: [Brand palette + any campaign-specific extensions]
Treatment direction:
- Saturation: [True / muted / desaturated / heightened]
- Contrast: [Low / balanced / high]
- Color grade: [Specific look or signature]
- Film references: [Specific films, photographers, or art if relevant]
Treatment references: [3 to 5 reference images with annotations.]
8. Tone
Adjectives (3 to 5):
- [Adjective], not [opposite tendency]
- [Adjective], not [opposite tendency]
- [Adjective], not [opposite tendency]
Pacing (moving image): [If applicable: brisk / deliberate / breathless / languid]
Sound direction (moving image): [If applicable: score, sound design, voice, silence]
9. Reference moodboard
[Link to moodboard with 10 to 15 curated images.]
Each reference labeled with what we are taking from it (composition, lighting, treatment, casting, etc.). Avoid using a single reference for everything; pull specific elements from different sources.
10. What to avoid
Visual cliches in our category to reject:
- [Specific cliche with example]
- [Specific cliche with example]
- [Specific cliche with example]
Treatments not aligned with our direction:
- [Specific treatment]
- [Specific treatment]
Casting we will not use:
- [Specific casting type and why]
11. Deliverables
Final deliverables required:
| Asset | Format | Count | Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g., Hero image] | JPG, PNG | 5 | 16:9, 4K |
| [e.g., Story crops] | MP4 | 10 | 9:16, 1080p, 15s max |
| [e.g., Behind-the-scenes] | MP4 | 1 | 16:9, 60s |
Editing/retouching specifications: [Color grading approach, retouching rules, watermarking, captions]
File naming convention:
[project-asset-version-channel.format]
Delivery method: [How files arrive. Drive, DAM, direct upload.]
12. Timeline
| Milestone | Date | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-production complete | ||
| Production day(s) | ||
| Selects review | ||
| Edit v1 / first cut | ||
| Final delivery |
13. Approvals
Approval path:
- [Person / role] - [What they approve]
- [Person / role] - [What they approve]
- [Final approver]
Maximum review rounds: [Typically 2 to 3] Hard stop: [Date after which changes are out of scope]
14. Talent
Photographer / Illustrator / Director: [Name and rate] Why we picked them: [1 to 2 sentences linking their portfolio to this brief] Crew: [Producer, stylist, lighting, etc.] Talent (on-camera): [Casting decisions]
15. Open questions
[Anything unresolved at brief-writing time. Resolve before production day.]
- [Question]
- [Question]
Sign-off
Brief approved by:
- [Name] [Date]
- [Name] [Date]
Production day(s) confirmed: [Date]