How to write a brief that gets you incredible AI work
Maya Rivera
Head of Creative · · 5 min read
A brief is a creative instrument. Tighten it and the work sharpens; leave it vague and you'll spend your budget on revisions. After thousands of projects on Reeldit, a pattern emerges in the briefs that consistently produce standout work.
Lead with the feeling
Before format or runtime, name the emotion. "Cinematic and a little melancholic" gives an artist more to work with than "a 30-second video." Feeling is the north star every other decision orbits.
Show, don't tell
Three strong references beat three paragraphs. Pull frames, not just links. Annotate what specifically you love — the grade, the pacing, the typography — so taste transfers cleanly.
State the non-negotiables
Aspect ratio, brand palette, logo safe-zones, delivery format. Boundaries don't limit creativity — they free the artist to be bold inside them.