A clearer brief for long-form videos and Shorts.
The footage, references and review notes your editor needs to turn an idea into a consistent, finished piece of content.
A good editing brief explains the message, supplies usable assets and makes the required deliverables specific. It leaves room for the editor to solve the creative problem.
Describe the job of the video
Start with the main point you want the viewer to understand. Is this a focused explanation, a conversation, a personal story or a selected moment from a longer recording? These formats call for different editorial decisions.
Describe the audience and the intended tone in ordinary language. 'Clean and direct, with supporting text when the explanation needs it' is more useful than asking for an edit to look premium without defining what that means.
Make the asset handoff usable
Group the footage, separate audio, approved graphics and brand assets in clearly named folders. Identify the preferred takes and anything that must not appear in the edit. Flag recording problems so the editor can assess what is practical before work begins.
- Footage and audio, with preferred takes or timestamps
- Brand fonts, colours, logos and existing title treatments
- Required names, spellings, links and on-screen information
- Reference videos with an explanation of what you like about each
Give long-form and short-form different briefs
A long-form brief should make the overall story clear: the opening idea, essential sections, useful B-roll and the intended ending. Confirm the finished length and source-footage allowance against the selected package.
For a Short, identify the selected moment or supply the timestamps. Explain how that moment should make sense without the surrounding conversation. Specify the vertical framing, caption treatment and any text that must stay visible. Finding moments across a long recording is a separate task from editing a supplied selection unless it is included in the brief.
Agree the files you need back
List the final format, aspect ratio and agreed resolution before the first draft. A horizontal video, a vertical version, a thumbnail and an editable project file are not interchangeable deliverables.
At Tuxsma, Long-form Editing and Short-form Editing have their own production allowances and inclusions. Check the package details when combining them, rather than assuming that every extra export or repurposed clip is part of one edit.
Make feedback precise, not contradictory
Choose one person to consolidate the team's review. Describe the change, where it belongs and why it helps the message. A note such as '02:14: remove this repeated explanation and continue from the next example' gives the editor an actionable decision.
Review against the agreed direction before adding new ideas. Unlimited revisions apply to included work within that brief. If the concept or source footage changes, clarify the revised scope and schedule before the next edit begins.