Cinematic AI Shorts for Brands: Briefing Checklist
The fastest way to get a premium result is a clean brief. Here’s a simple checklist you can copy/paste so your short comes out cinematic — not “AI slideshow.”
The 10-second rule: choose ONE outcome
For brands, a cinematic short is usually one of these outcomes: hook attention, show premium quality, or drive a click. Pick one. If you try to do all three in 10 seconds, it often looks messy.
Briefing checklist (copy/paste)
Goal: (ad / page hero / launch / social)
Length: 7s / 10s / 15s
Platform: TikTok / Reels / Shorts
Vibe: luxury / thriller / funny / futuristic
Subject: product / person / scene
Setting: location + time of day
Camera: push-in / orbit / tracking / handheld
Lighting: moody / high-key / neon / golden hour
Ending beat: logo / tagline / reveal / punchline
Do NOT: (anything you want to avoid)
Refs: (links or 2 sentences)
What makes a short feel premium
- Readable subject: faces/products stay clear — no muddy motion blur.
- Intentional camera: one strong move (push-in or orbit) beats random drifting.
- Controlled lighting: highlights and shadows feel designed, not accidental.
- Micro-detail: texture, reflections, atmosphere, particles, depth cues.
- Clean ending: last 0.5–1s “lands” with a payoff (brand-safe beat).
Fast ways brands accidentally make it look cheap
- Too many actions: “car chase + explosion + 6 locations” in 10 seconds.
- No hero subject: nothing stays centered long enough to care about.
- Text overload: small captions everywhere (keep text minimal).
- Unclear payoff: ends mid-motion with no reveal or brand beat.
Brand-safe CTA ideas (non-cringe)
Your last beat should be simple. Three clean options:
- Logo beat: 0.7s logo + one-line promise (no paragraphs).
- Product reveal: hero product frame + subtle brand mark.
- Hook loop: end on a frame that loops perfectly for page heroes.