Why does a video editor need a brief?
Because the editor makes hundreds of small decisions, and a brief means they make them your way. Without one, the first cut is a guess, and the revisions are where the time and money go.
Most edits that miss the mark were never wrong in craft. They were cut for a different goal, a different viewer or a different platform from the one the client had in mind. A brief puts that in writing before the work starts, so the first cut is close and the second one is right.
How do you brief a video editor, step by step?
Work through these in order. Most briefs fit on one page.
- The goal: what should happen after someone watches? A click, an enquiry, a sign-up, or simply remembering your name.
- The viewer: who they are, what they already know about you and what they care about.
- The one message: a single sentence the video must get across. Everything else is supporting detail.
- Where it runs: each platform, placement and whether it's an ad or an organic post.
- Sizes and lengths: vertical, square or landscape, and the length of each version.
- Footage: a shared folder link, named clearly, with notes on the best takes and any shots to avoid.
- Brand assets: logo files, fonts, colours, any caption style you already use, and your call to action wording.
- References: two or three videos you like, and one you don't, with a line on why.
- Rules: claims that need wording exactly as approved, people who can't appear, and music you do or don't have rights to.
- Feedback and deadlines: who signs off, how many rounds are included and the date for each draft.
What footage and files should you send?
Send everything usable in one shared folder, and nothing that isn't. An editor watching hours of rushes to find a few good minutes is time you pay for.
- Original files, not copies forwarded through a messaging app, which are often compressed.
- Folders by shoot or by person, with file names that say what's in them.
- Separate audio files if sound was recorded on a different device.
- Any product shots, screen recordings, photos or graphics you want included.
- Transcripts or rough notes for interviews, with timestamps for the best lines.
How do you describe the style you want?
Show, don't describe. Words like "punchy", "premium" or "fun" mean something different to everyone. A reference video with a note saying what you like about it, such as the caption style, the pace or the way it opens, tells an editor far more.
Be just as clear about what you don't want. One example of a style to avoid can save a whole revision round.
What changes for a video ad brief?
Ads need a hook, versions and a clear call to action, because the edit decides how hard your budget works. Ask for two or three different openings from the same footage, in each size you'll run, so you can test them against each other.
We keep a separate video ad brief template with the extra sections ads need: the offer, the proof and the hook ideas. Our guide to hooks for video ads covers how to write them.
How do you give feedback on a video edit?
Good feedback is specific, timed and sent once. These habits keep rounds short.
- Collect comments from everyone, then send one list. Conflicting notes from different people slow everything down.
- Use timestamps: "at 0:12, swap this shot for the one of the van" is clear; "the middle feels off" isn't.
- Say what's wrong and why, then let the editor suggest the fix.
- Watch on a phone, with and without sound, before you reply. That's how most people will see it.
- Separate must-change from nice-to-have.
What are the most common briefing mistakes?
We see the same few again and again.
- Asking one video to say four things.
- Adding new sizes or platforms after the first cut.
- Sending footage in dribs and drabs over several days.
- Rewriting the script in feedback, after the edit is built around it.
- No single person with the final say.