Video Production Project Charter
This is a practical guide to building a project charter for a video production project — the short authorising document that names the sponsor, states the objective and gives the manager authority to run the project, adapted to the realities of producing a video or film.
What a Project Charter is
A project charter is the short authorising document that names the sponsor, states the objective and gives the manager authority to run the project. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Project Charter. On a video production project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Video Production project
Video Production projects live or die on producing a video or film. A well-built project charter gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how video production projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Purpose and business justification
- Objectives and success criteria
- High-level scope (in and out)
- Budget and timeline summary
- Key stakeholders and sponsor sign-off
Video Production-specific considerations
Tailor the project charter to the risks that most often derail video production projects:
- Creative revisions
- Shoot logistics
- Post-production timelines
Example
On a real video production project, the project charter would be shaped by producing a video or film. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — creative revisions, shoot logistics, post-production timelines — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.