Why Do Your Company’s Videos Fail Before You Even Hit “Record”?

You finally decided to produce a video. Really produce one.
You hired a production company, set aside a generous budget, involved the team, opened up time for meetings, adjusted the script, and in the end… it looked great.

Except it was empty.
No one shares it.
No one comments.

The video doesn’t resonate.

It was posted on social media, sure, but somehow it died there.
You watch it again and you feel it: something’s missing.
It’s missing soul.
It’s missing direction.

And the most frustrating part is—you can’t quite pinpoint where it went wrong.
Maybe it was the production company? Maybe the script? Maybe the tight deadline?

The truth is: the mistake happened long before the “recording” started.
It happened in that neglected, underestimated, poorly conducted moment: the briefing.
And that’s where almost everyone slips.

When we talk about corporate audiovisual production, it’s common for business owners, marketing managers, or communication directors to focus only on the final product: a well-edited video, engaging soundtrack, high-definition images, and, if possible, a few effects that impress the client.

But what happens before the lights, camera, and action is exactly where most productions fail: planning.

Because what no one tells you is that the video doesn’t begin when the camera turns on. It starts way earlier.
It starts in what should be the most important moment of the entire production: the briefing.

And that’s exactly where everything usually goes wrong.
Stick with me here to see this more clearly.

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The Trap of Aesthetics Without Strategy

You know that beautiful video that says nothing?
That corporate piece with drone shots, a sunset, and smiling people—but you forget it the moment it ends?
Yeah. That one.

It was born from a shallow briefing.
Born from a conversation that talked a lot about references and very little about essence.
Where style mattered more than purpose.

And then, what should have been content becomes decoration.
What should have been an asset becomes an accessory.

Many people treat video like clothing: “I want something that looks good on the brand.”
But a good video isn’t clothing. It’s voice. It’s presence.
It’s how your brand shows up in the world without asking for permission.

And if you start the process with a superficial conversation, you end up with content that has nothing to say.

Let me be direct: a briefing isn’t a document. It’s listening.
It’s not just asking “what’s the goal?” and “who’s the audience?”
That’s the bare minimum.

A real briefing is an immersion.
It’s when the business owner leaves the surface of what they want and dives into what they need.
It’s when the production company stops being a supplier and becomes a strategic partner.
When the conversation shifts from aesthetics to strategy.

A good briefing asks why the brand wants this video now.
What changed in the market.
Where the company wants to go.
Who it wants to reach.
And how this video fits into the company’s communication ecosystem.

Without that, the project is a blind bet… and the client inevitably ends up saying the sentence that summarizes all creative frustration:

“This isn’t what I had in mind.”

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Videos That Sell Are Born From Clarity, Not References

You know what you hear most in first meetings?

“I want a video like that Apple one.”
Or XP.
Or Nubank.

And I get it—references matter.

But you can’t build a script based on what works for others and ignore what makes sense for you.
The video that moves people, convinces them, generates value… is born from the heart of your company, not the competitor’s portfolio.

Do you want a video that helps you sell more?
Strengthen the brand?
Communicate a new internal culture?

Each intention requires a different structure, a specific language, an aligned creative approach.

And all of that begins in the briefing.

Not on set.
Not in the editing room.
At the beginning.

Yes, there are production companies that just want to execute.
They hear the briefing and say, “Okay, leave it to us.”

No depth.
No questions.
No proposals.

But there are also companies that don’t want to open up.
They hold back information, delegate everything to the intern, don’t bring strategic leadership into the conversation.

And then the magic dies before it’s even written.

Corporate audiovisual production is not a purchase.
It is a construction.
It requires partnership.
It requires co-creation.

It requires both sides to be committed to turning the video into something that represents, communicates, and provokes.

When that happens, the result isn’t a video.
It’s a speech.
A manifesto.
A piece of content with soul.

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What Separates a Forgettable Video From a Memorable One?

It’s simple: the briefing.

A well-done briefing transforms the unknown into a script.
Turns the brand’s essence into narrative.
Reveals stories even the CEO didn’t know existed.

And it makes every scene, every line, every transition purposeful.

The video stops being just a marketing piece and becomes a brand asset.
Evergreen content.
A sales tool.

A work that reflects more of what the company is than what it looks like.

Before hiring a production company, stop and ask yourself:

Do you really know what you want this video to provoke?
Do you know who your real audience is—with names, faces, pains, and desires?
Do you understand where this video fits in your communication strategy?
Did you choose a production company that thinks with you… or just one that films beautifully?

If the answer is no to any of these, it’s better to stop right here.

Because no drone, no 6K camera, no epic soundtrack will fix a project that started wrong.

Frustration begins in the briefing.
And success does, too.

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The Video Isn’t About You. It’s About the Client.

A good corporate video doesn’t talk about the company—it talks to the client.
It doesn’t sell a product—it solves a problem.
It’s not about the brand appearing—it’s about the brand meaning something.

And that only happens when the briefing goes deep.
When it uncovers what the company truly has to offer.
When it connects narrative, aesthetics, and strategy into a single piece.

A good video is one that works. That moves. That converts.
And all of that begins before filming.
It begins in the silence of the briefing.

Or rather: when that silence is filled with the right questions.

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In My View—and In Our Production Company’s—Every Project Starts Like a Good Coffee Bean

Raw, promising, and full of possibility.

We know there’s no ready-made recipe—there’s method.
And ours begins with listening.

If you haven’t seen our “How the coffee is made” process yet, there’s a short video explaining it.

Understanding what you want to say, who you want to say it to, and what result you expect to achieve.

Because producing content is more than pressing REC—it’s knowing which story deserves to be told and how it can be felt.

Our process is shaped by four variables that make all the difference:
objective, audience, budget, and time.

Each one affects the roast, the grind, and even the way we serve.
Sometimes the project calls for intensity, sometimes for subtlety.
Sometimes it’s a direct espresso, other times a long, contemplative pour-over.

But in all cases, what we deliver must be memorable.

That’s why we follow a process that respects the right timing of each step—from selection to extraction—and that always happens accompanied by freshly brewed coffee.

Because we believe good conversations lead to good videos.

Already familiar with our process and ready to talk to us?
Send us a message.
We’ll brew a coffee and start from the beginning.

A hot coffee and a present mind.
Renan