A film goes through rounds of revision mostly because the brief left something open. The team made a reasonable guess, the guess was wrong, and the film was rebuilt. A page of clear answers at the start is cheaper than any edit.
These are the questions that page should answer.
01The six things to decide first
- Who is watching. One real kind of person, and what they already know about you.
- The one thing they should remember. If you have five messages, you have none.
- What they should do next. Visit, book, buy, call.
- Where it will play. A phone feed, a website, a trade stand and a cinema each need a different cut.
- How long. Decided by where it plays, not by how much there is to say.
- What must appear. Product, logo, a legal line, a named feature.
02What to hand over
- Brand guidelines: logo files, colours, fonts
- The product itself, or accurate models, drawings and photographs of it
- Two or three films you like, and what you like about each
- One you dislike, and why
- Any claim that needs approval, and who approves it
- The real deadline and the reason for it
03How to give feedback that helps
- Collect comments from everyone on your side into one list, with disagreements settled.
- Describe the problem, not the fix. "The product is hard to see here" is more useful than "make it bigger".
- Use the timecode.
- Say what is working, so it is not changed by accident.
- Agree how many rounds are included before the first one.
04What AI changes about the process
With AI in the process, a team can show you several directions early, as moving images rather than as a written treatment. That makes the early decisions easier and cheaper to get right. It does not remove the need for the brief; it makes a good one go further.
Choose the direction early, when changing it is cheap. Late changes of mind cost the same as they always did.
05What to expect back
- A treatment or storyboard to approve before production
- A schedule with the review points marked
- A list of every version you will receive: lengths, shapes, languages
- A statement of who owns the finished film and its parts
In short
- Decide the viewer, the one message, the next action, the placement, the length and the must-haves.
- Hand over brand files, product references and examples you like and dislike.
- Give one consolidated list of feedback that describes problems with timecodes.
- Approve the direction early, when changing it is cheap.
Questions
How long should a product film be?
As long as the place it plays allows. Feeds reward seconds; a product page can hold a minute or two if the first seconds earn it.
Do we need a script before approaching a studio?
No. You need the six decisions above. Writing the script from them is part of the studio's work.
How many versions should we ask for?
One for each place it will play. A wide cut, a vertical cut and a short cut cover most needs; ask for them at the start, because planning for them is cheaper than adapting later.
How does Quantum Beetle start a film?
With the brief and a direction you approve, then a clear quote before production starts. The work is made with AI and finished by people who care how it looks.
Sounds like your problem?
Tell us about it. We'll say honestly whether the swarm can help, and what it would take.
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