How to brief a video editor so the first draft is close

Decide three things first

An editor can make good choices for you, but not the ones that depend on your business. Settle these before you order, or ask the seller to suggest options for them.

1. 1

   Where it will be posted

   A vertical short for Reels, Shorts or TikTok and a long YouTube video are different jobs, with different pacing and framing. If you need both, say so. They are often separate items in a package.

2. 2

   How long it should be

   Give a target or a maximum for the finished video. Without one, the editor has to guess what to cut, and you may get back something much longer or shorter than you expected.

3. 3

   How it opens

   The opening seconds decide whether people keep watching. Tell the editor which moment, line or question should come first, or ask for two openings to choose from.

Show, do not only tell

Words like 'dynamic' or 'clean' mean different things to different people. A reference video settles it. Send one or two links and write a line under each, such as 'I like the fast cuts in the first half' or 'I like the yellow captions, not the music'.

A reference is a guide to style, not a request to copy. Do not ask for another creator's graphics, intro or music to be reproduced. If you already have videos of your own that you like, those are the best reference of all.

Organise the footage

A gig's questions can ask for files or for a link, so large footage can stay in your own cloud storage and you share a link to the folder. Before you send it, check that the link opens for someone who is not signed in to your account.

• Name the clips, or list the best takes with their time stamps.
• Mark anything that must not be used: a wrong take, a person who did not agree to appear, private information on a screen.
• Send the logo, the fonts and the colours for any text on screen.
• Include the script or an outline if there is one, even a rough one.
• Keep your original files until the order is completed.

Captions and text on screen

Many people watch short videos with the sound off, so captions are often part of the edit. Say whether you want them, which style (words that appear as they are spoken, or full lines), and whether names and brand terms have a set spelling. Send a list of those terms, because transcription tools often get them wrong.

For a long video, ask whether you will also get a separate subtitle file, which some platforms let you upload. Each package lists what it includes, so read it before you assume.

Rights to footage and music

You confirm you have the right to use what you send. That covers your footage, the people who appear in it, photos, logos and any music you supply. If someone appears on camera, make sure they know the video will be published.

Music needs particular care. A song you bought to listen to is not cleared for use in a business video, and a track used without a licence can get a video muted or taken down. Ask the editor for a track from a licensed library, send a track you hold a licence for, or go without music.

Once the order is completed and paid in full, our Terms say the finished work is yours to use for any purpose. Music, stock clips and fonts inside it stay under their own licences. Ask what was used if you plan to run the video as an ad.

How long an edit takes

Typical gigs here price a basic package of one edited YouTube video at $25 to $120, with a delivery time of 2 to 3 days. Each gig shows its own prices and delivery times, and those are the ones you pay and plan around.

Delivery time counts from when work starts, and work starts once your payment is confirmed and the gig's questions are answered. A long or complex video takes longer, so if you have a posting date, tell the editor before you order.

When the first cut arrives

Watch it once without stopping, as a viewer would. Then go through it again and write notes with time stamps, such as '0:42 cut this pause' or '1:10 caption spelled wrong'. One clear list of notes is easier to act on than several separate messages.

Each package lists how many revisions it includes, so group your notes into one round where you can. A delivery you do not answer is accepted automatically after 3 days, so set time aside to review it when it arrives.

Before you order

• I know where the video will be posted and how long it should be.
• I have decided how it opens, or asked the editor for options.
• I have one or two reference videos and a line on what I like in each.
• My footage is in one shared folder that opens without my login.
• I have listed the names and terms that must be spelled a set way.
• I have the right to use the footage, the people in it and the music.
• I have read what the package includes: length, captions and revisions.

Questions people ask