Handing off your video edits to a seasoned professional will help you free up your time and brainspace and take your content to the next level.
If you do it right.
Finding a great video editor is part of the challenge.
Communicating with them is a different hurdle altogether.
Done right, communication will help you share your creative vision and leave you with fantastic first drafts. Done wrong, you’ll be stuck in an endless loop of revisions and frustration.
Quick Facts
- To streamline communication with your editor, first optimize your brief. If you’re not sure what to put in it, ask your editor what kind of input they require, then try to be as detailed as possible.
- Share examples of edits that you like and point out what it is you’d like your editor to replicate.
- If you have a video script, share it with your editor and include notes on the raw footage you filmed for it.
- When sharing your raw footage, make sure that your files are named systematically, especially if you have multiple takes for a single sequence.
Keep reading for the full scoop!
Contents
Optimize Your Brief
Your brief contains all your instructions to your editor – including the expected output length of the edited video, the style of the edits, the pacing, the effects you want to see, and any additional wishes. (Pro tip: Some video editing services such as Tasty Edits provide a detailed intake form where you get to specify aspects such as the tone of your video.)
Tasty Edit’s streamlined intake process – share your vision, your brief and your files all in one place.
The better your initial brief, the quicker you’ll be happy with your final edit.
If you’re not sure what to put in your brief, ask your video editor for an example – or check with them what kind of input they need to produce a great first draft.
Share Examples
If you’re new to outsourcing your video edits, it can be difficult to articulate exactly what you want.
Sharing examples can help. If there are videos that you love, share them with your editor and pinpoint what about them you’d like to replicate. This can be something general like the overall color grading or pacing. Or it can be something specific, like that amazing transition at 2:35 or the jaw-dropping effect at 4:15.
The more specific you are, the easier it will be for your editor to incorporate the elements that you like into your own edits.
Share Your Script
Most video creators work with a script – at least initially. Even if you end up deviating from it, sharing an outline of your script can go a long way towards helping your editor produce a killer first draft.
Not only will it give them an instant idea of the overall content and structure of your video. It will also save them significant amounts of time while going through your raw footage.
Pro tip: If there were any points during filming where you went off-script big time, make a quick note of that before you send it to your editor.
Name Files Systematically
Finally, be sure to name your raw footage systematically before sending it to your editor.
You may be intimately familiar with all the clips you filmed, but one of the most time-consuming tasks on your editor’s part is to go through all of them. By naming them properly and ordering them for easy access, you can speed up this process significantly – and see a first draft faster.
The golden rule of assigning names to your raw footage files is to make sure that they’re easily comprehensible to someone who’s familiar with your overall video concept – or your video script.
Plus, make sure to choose a file transfer solution that allows you to conserve the folder structure of your raw footage files. If you have a folder with B-roll, for example, you don’t want it to be mixed up with all your primary files! (At Tasty Edits, we integrate a lighting-fast, all-round file transfer solution that does just that into our proprietary Video Order Management Application, VOMA.)
The Bottom Line
Communication can make or break your working relationship with your video editor. By following the tips above, you’ll be able to efficiently share your creative vision, get a first draft faster, and minimize the number of revisions.
Want to streamline this entire process? Check out VOMA: the one-stop video order management solution we offer at Tasty Edits. It provides a central point of access to share your files, give detailed order briefs, and communicate with your editor.
FAQs
To share your creative vision with your editor, send them a detailed brief of what you expect from your edit, share example videos, and send them your working video script. Plus, when you share your files, make sure that they are named systematically.
To minimize the number of revisions you go through, make sure to send a detailed brief to your editor from the get-go. Also share your video script and examples of edits you enjoy.
When you share your raw files with your editor, make sure they are named systematically and choose a file transfer solution that conserves your folder structure. Or turn your files into a .zip!
