How to brief a fashion film: looks, shots and formats

To brief a fashion film, list the looks and decide what viewers need to see in each one: the silhouette, details and movement of the fabric. Note where the films will appear, which shots need landscape and portrait framing, and whether you also need photographs. You can develop the creative approach with your production company.

Prepared by Production Life.

Set the collection’s purpose

A campaign can convey the mood of a collection, while a lookbook helps viewers inspect each look. Product images may need a more precise view of fit, colour and details. Name the jobs your shoot needs to do and rank them: one expressive frame may not answer every need.

If you need photographs, list them as a separate request and discuss their production. A video shoot does not automatically include photography. Explain where and how you intend to use the images so the team can assess the work.

A brief to copy

Fill in what you know. Mark each item “confirmed”, “idea” or “to decide”, and name the person who can resolve an open question. You can start the conversation before the creative direction is complete.

• Collection and contact: name or working title, collection contents and the person coordinating decisions.
• Purpose and audience: who the campaign is for, the impression you want to create and what viewers need to see of the garments.
• Looks and samples: garment or product list, priorities, sizes, sample availability and who will provide each piece.
• Visual direction: mood and links to references, with notes on the light, movement or composition you like and anything you do not want repeated.
• People and conditions: casting needs, look availability, proposed spaces and questions about access; mark what remains unconfirmed.
• Deliverables: for each requested video and photograph, list its purpose, quantity, channel and format. Add video duration and whether it needs a separate edit.
• Usage and rights: intended channels, paid or organic use, territories and term. Name who will check rights for music, participants, images and locations.
• Dates and budget: separate the desired delivery date from the launch date; share an indicative budget and the costs you want to discuss. If unknown, ask for scope options.
• Approvals: who checks garment colour and appearance, gathers feedback and makes the final decision. Leave questions for the production team visible.

Map the looks

Add a row for each priority look. Use multiple rows when photography and video need different actions or formats. Before filming, compare your garment list with the shots planned for each piece.

Copy the table into a document; on a small screen you can scroll it from side to side.

A two-look example

This is a completely fictional teaching example. It does not describe a client or a Production Life project.

Look 1: coat and dress, first priority. The brand wants a full silhouette, a close view of the collar and a walk with a turn to show the hem moving. Video is planned for a landscape film on the website and a portrait piece with its own edit. If the brand wants a full-look photograph for a lookbook, it needs to discuss that production and its format separately. Sample availability and size are unconfirmed.

Look 2: jacket and trousers, second priority. The team should show the shoulders, the fit of the trousers and a button; the model raises her arms and walks a few steps. Video is planned for the landscape film. The need for a portrait shot and a separate photograph is still to decide. For both looks, the number of deliverables, dates, budget, location access and rights remain open.

Check before filming

• Does each priority garment have the required full view, detail and action? Mark any of these that you do not need.
• If you want photographs, has time been set aside and their use agreed? Do not assume a frame taken from the video will work as a photograph.
• Can the planned mood and lighting show colour, fit and fabric as the brand intends? Decide who will check the result.
• Will the important details fit in both orientations? You may need a separate shot and, for a short portrait film, a separate edit.
• Are samples available in the right sizes, with every piece of each look? Compare priorities, number of looks and requested deliverables with the actual scope of the shoot.
• Who will check rights against the intended channels, organic or paid use, territories and term? Keep unresolved questions visible.

Production Life makes fashion films in Barcelona, Europe and Dubai. Explore our fashion film service or send your brief via WhatsApp, Telegram or email.