Every editor has had the same experience: a first cut comes back covered in notes, and almost none of them are about the editing. They are about intent – what the video was supposed to do, and for whom. That information existed all along. It just never made it into the brief.
A good brief is short. It does not need a script, a storyboard or a shot list. It needs six things, and most of them take one sentence each.
Start with the purpose. Not “edit this webinar” but “cut this webinar into something a prospect will finish before a sales call”. The second version tells the editor what to protect and what to cut. Then say who it is for, where it will be published, and what the viewer should do after watching.
Next, give a reference. One link to a video whose style you like will save more back-and-forth than a page of adjectives. If you do not have one, say what you dislike instead – that is nearly as useful.
Finally, say your deadline and your budget. Both. An editor who knows the budget can shape the scope to fit it. An editor who does not will either overquote and lose the work, or underquote and cut corners you will notice later.