Hiring a video editor helps you free up your brainspace and scale up your content quality and quantity.
However, there’s a key foundation you need to lay first. Communication.
A professional video editor can attune to your unique voice and produce high-quality drafts at lightning-fast turnaround times. Provided that communication works well.
Here’s three strategies to streamline this process and make sure you get the most out of working with your video editor.
Key Takeaways
- Streamlined communication will let your editor produce better first drafts and incorporate feedback faster.
- Share the vision you have for your edit, including detailed descriptions, your video script, and example videos of the editing style you want.
- Be clear about your timeline. When are you planning to publish? By when do you need to review drafts? Make sure you and your editor are on the same page about which channels to use – email, messaging platforms, filesharing or a proprietary system.
Keep reading for the full scoop!
Contents
Share Your Vision - in Detail
To start off with, you need to be clear about the vision you have for your video. Especially when you first start working with your editor.
A good editor will quickly learn what type of pacing, transitions, and styles you like in your edits. At the start, though, the more details you give them the better.
Share your video script or outline. Send examples of video edits you like and highlight what elements you want in your own edits. Describe in detail how you’re imagining the feel of your finished video.
The more specific you are, the better the first drafts your editor will produce. Fewer revisions. Faster publishing timelines.
Be Clear About Your Timelines
Talking about schedules, you need to set timelines out clearly for your editor.
When are you planning to publish your videos? By when will you need to review drafts?
Some creators like to batch-produce content and have several projects edited at once. If that’s you, make clear to your editor which ones to prioritize and in what order you want to go live.
Similarly, you need to get clarity about time zone differences and availability. Check if your editor is a few hours ahead or behind you. This can have major impacts on their responsiveness and understanding of deadlines. For example: A basic, but all too common misunderstanding is whether “end of day” means theirs, or yours.
In the same vein, state clearly when you’re available to review drafts and check deliverables. As a creator, it’s critical to guard your time off to recharge your batteries. The last thing you want is to get a message from your editor asking for feedback just before you’re about to go offline for a few days.
Use the Right Communication Channels
Finally, there’s the question of picking communication channels.
When you first start working with an editor, agree right away on how you’ll be sharing raw footage and instructions, how you’ll keep in touch, and which tools you’ll use to give feedback on drafts.
Especially working with freelance editors, this is often a bit of a challenge since it can mean hopping between a lot of different platforms. Professional video editing services often offer more integrated solutions.
At Tasty Edits, for example, all communication is handled through VOMA – our proprietary Video Order Management Application. Custom-built based on the feedback of dozens of creators, it’s a single point of access for sharing footage, giving notes, reviewing drafts, messaging your editor and downloading deliverables.
At the end of the day, communication is key. As soon as you start working with a new editor, lay a strong basis and clarify your expectations. That way, you’ll get the maximum benefit out of working with a professional to elevate your content.
FAQs
When you’re communicating with your video editor, first agree on which channels to use and what your availabilities are. Factor in time zone differences. Be clear about timelines. Then, give detailed instructions for the edits you expect and send examples of the editing styles you expect.
Most freelance video editors are fine sharing raw footage via cloud platforms like Dropbox, Google Drive or WeTransfer. Professional video editing services often offer faster solutions. At Tasty Edits, for instance, creators can submit footage through our proprietary Video Order Management Application (VOMA), which gives you studio-grade transfer speeds.
One of the best tools for reviewing drafts of video edits and leaving feedback is Frame.io. As its name suggests, you can leave notes frame-by-frame, giving detailed instructions for revisions based on timestamps, and even highlighting elements in the video stills itself. At Tasty Edits, the Frame.io interface is integrated into our internal Video Order Management Application (VOMA).
