Agency operations
A clear handoff before the first cut.
By Raihan Ghorami
An editor can have all the footage and still be unsure what to make. A folder of clips doesn’t say who the video is for, which version is due first or who will review it.
A brief doesn’t need to be long. It needs to settle those questions before the first cut, in a place the editor can find again.
Say what the video needs to do.
Start with the viewer. “This is for someone visiting our website for the first time. They should understand the service by the end.” That gives the editor more to work with than “make a brand video.”
Come back to that purpose during review. A new opening might look good but take longer to explain the service. If the purpose has changed, change the brief too.
List the files you expect back.
How many videos? Roughly how long? Landscape, vertical or both? Do you need captions baked in, a separate caption file or a clean version? Write it down before editing starts.
Flag missing assets and say who is supplying them. Mark anything that must stay, such as a disclaimer, and agree on the first-cut date and review rounds. A suggested music style should not look like a fixed requirement.
Explain the reference.
Two people can watch the same reference and notice completely different things. Point to the part you mean: the pace of the opening, the size of the captions or how little music it uses.
“Use this pace, but keep our graphics simpler” is enough. The editor needs to know what you liked about it; they don’t need to copy the whole video.
Sort out feedback before sending it back.
Pick someone to collect the comments and resolve disagreements. The editor shouldn’t have to choose between two reviewers asking for opposite changes.
Include the version and timestamp, then describe the problem. “At 00:18, I still don’t understand what the offer includes” is easier to act on than “this bit feels off.” Make clear which notes are required changes and which are ideas to discuss.
A brief you can reuse.
Put these prompts in your project card or document, next to the footage links:
- Viewer and purpose: Who is watching, and what should they take away?
- Deliverables: What files and versions are included?
- Assets: Where is the footage, and what is still missing?
- Direction: Which references matter, and why?
- Review: Who combines feedback and gives final approval?
- Timing: When are the first cut, feedback and final delivery due?