Why the brief matters
Most bad edits aren't caused by bad editors. They're caused by editors guessing. Every guess you remove saves a revision round.
The template
Copy this and fill it in once; reuse it for every video, adding a short per-video note.
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Channel / brand | Name, link, one-line description |
| Goal of the video | Educate, sell, entertain, update |
| Audience | Who's watching and what they care about |
| Reference video | Link plus what you like about it |
| Pacing | Tight (cut all pauses) / natural / slow |
| Opening | Start with this line or timestamp |
| Captions | Style, colours, font, highlight rules |
| Zooms | How often; on key points only? |
| B-roll and visuals | Stock allowed? Screenshots? Text callouts? |
| Music | Mood, volume, sources you're licensed for |
| Brand assets | Logo, fonts, colours, intro, outro |
| Always cut | Mistakes, retakes, specific phrases |
| Never cut | Key points, jokes, calls to action |
| Call to action | What viewers should do at the end |
| Length | Target finished length |
| Delivery | Format, resolution, deadline, where to upload |
| Revisions | How many rounds and how you'll give feedback |
Per-video notes
For each video, add a short note:
- Title or topic.
- Timestamps of mistakes or sections to cut.
- Timestamps where b-roll or a screenshot is needed, with links.
- Anything different from usual.
How to give feedback
- Use timestamps: "3:42 cut to the end of this sentence."
- Be specific: "Captions too small on mobile" instead of "captions look off".
- Explain once: say why you prefer something so the editor applies it next time.
- Group feedback: one list per revision, not a stream of messages.
- Update the brief with recurring notes.
Common brief mistakes
- No reference video.
- "Make it engaging" without saying what that means to you.
- Forgetting brand assets.
- Unclear deadline or time zone.
- Changing direction after the first draft without saying so.
Briefing DoneEdit
DoneEdit, our own service, asks for a short version of this: your video, plus optional notes on what to cut, emphasise or keep. Two revision rounds cover anything we miss.
Worked example: a filled-in brief
Here's what a short brief can look like for a talking-head channel. Copy it and change the details.
- Channel: weekly tips for small-business owners.
- Video: "3 mistakes when pricing your services", around 6 minutes finished.
- Raw footage: one camera, about 15 minutes, a few retakes.
- Style reference: a link to a video whose pacing you like.
- Pacing: tight cuts, no pauses over a second, keep a few natural laughs.
- Captions: yes, short lines, white text with a dark outline.
- Zooms: on each of the three mistakes.
- B-roll: simple stock footage when I mention invoices, clients or laptops.
- Music: calm, low under voice, none in the last 10 seconds.
- Cut: the section at 7:30 where I lose my train of thought.
- Must keep: the story about my first client.
- Deadline: in two days.
Checklist: before you send the brief
- Have you linked a reference video?
- Have you listed timestamps for anything to cut or keep?
- Is it clear what "done" looks like?
- Have you said where the files are and how the edit should be delivered?
- Have you named any brand fonts or colours?
Giving feedback step by step
- Watch the full edit once without stopping.
- Watch again and note timestamps for each change.
- Group notes: must fix, nice to have.
- Say why, not just what. "Too slow here, I want this point to land faster" teaches more than "cut this".
- Send everything in one message.
Keeping a running style guide
After each video, add any new preference to your brief, such as fonts, words you never want in captions, or how you like jokes paced. Over time the brief does most of your feedback for you.
Brief length
One page is usually enough. Long briefs often go unread; a short brief plus a reference video works better.
Key takeaways
- A one-page brief plus a reference video covers most of what an editor needs.
- Include timestamps for anything to cut or keep.
- Give feedback in one message, grouped by priority, explaining why.
- Update the brief after every video so it becomes your style guide.