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Video Editing Brief Template
A video editing brief needs seven things: the project basics, the audience and goal, 2–4 timestamped reference videos, must-include moments, brand do's and don'ts, deliverable specs, and a timeline with one named approver. The full template is below, free and ungated: tick through it on the page or copy it as text.
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VIDEO EDITING BRIEF — template from markstudios.com/resources/video-editing-brief-template 1. THE PROJECT - Working title (The title you plan to publish, or the top two options): - Channel or brand (Where it will be published): - Footage location (The folder link and what's in it): - Length target (A target with a hard floor and ceiling): - Publish date (Date and time, not just a day): 2. AUDIENCE AND GOAL - Who it's for (One sentence): - The one metric (What success means for this video): - How viewers should feel (The reaction you want at the end): 3. REFERENCES - 2–4 reference videos (Links with timestamps): - What to copy (Pacing, captions, color, music, graphics): - What not to copy (The traps to avoid): 4. MUST-INCLUDE MOMENTS - MUST (Timestamps from the raw footage that have to land): - NICE-TO-HAVE (Moments to use if they fit): - KILL (Anything that can't be used): - SENSITIVE (Faces to blur, legal or private material): 5. BRAND DO'S AND DON'TS - Fonts and colors (Font names and HEX codes): - Brand files (Lower-thirds, intro, outro, logo): - Music rules (Which library or tracks are licensed): - Sponsor read (Where it goes, if any): - Don'ts (Past mistakes not to repeat): 6. DELIVERABLE SPECS - Master (Resolution, frame rate, audio level): - Captions (Burned in, SRT file, or both): - Short clips (Number, ratio and length): - Thumbnail frames (Frames to export as stills): - Delivery (Where final files go): 7. TIMELINE AND COMMUNICATION - Rough cut due (Date and time): - Final due (Date and time): - Approver (Exactly one person): - Response time (How fast you reply to a cut): - Revision rounds (How many, in writing): PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST [ ] All raw footage uploaded and labeled with shoot date [ ] Reference videos linked with timestamps, not just URLs [ ] Title and thumbnail direction locked, not "TBD" [ ] One primary metric named [ ] At least one MUST-include moment timestamped from the raw footage [ ] Brand assets (fonts, templates, HEX codes) attached or linked [ ] Sponsor placement confirmed, or "no sponsor" stated [ ] One final reviewer named [ ] Revision round count in writing [ ] Delivery date includes a time, not just a day
The rule: editors interpret words, but they execute references. A brief without 2–4 reference videos with timestamps is incomplete, however detailed the prose. Not sure what to send? Read how to send a reference video.
The template
The 7-section video editing brief
1. The project
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Working title | The title you plan to publish, or the top two options | "I Tried Budgeting Like My Grandparents for a Week" |
| Channel or brand | Where it will be published | YouTube channel, main account |
| Footage location | The folder link and what's in it | Google Drive folder, 3 cameras + 1 audio recorder |
| Length target | A target with a hard floor and ceiling | 11–14 min (floor 9, ceiling 16) |
| Publish date | Date and time, not just a day | Saturday, 9:00am ET |
2. Audience and goal
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | One sentence | 25–34-year-olds who watch budgeting content |
| The one metric | What success means for this video | Average view duration |
| How viewers should feel | The reaction you want at the end | "That was harder than I expected." |
3. References
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 reference videos | Links with timestamps | Video A 0:00–0:45 for the cold open |
| What to copy | Pacing, captions, color, music, graphics | Video B for caption style only |
| What not to copy | The traps to avoid | No jump cut every two seconds |
4. Must-include moments
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| MUST | Timestamps from the raw footage that have to land | Clip 3, 14:22: the reaction (don't soften it) |
| NICE-TO-HAVE | Moments to use if they fit | Clip 5, 02:10: the barista |
| KILL | Anything that can't be used | Day 4: a brand mention we can't run |
| SENSITIVE | Faces to blur, legal or private material | Clip 7, 12:30–12:33: blur the child's face |
5. Brand do's and don'ts
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fonts and colors | Font names and HEX codes | Inter Bold for titles; accent #3385FF |
| Brand files | Lower-thirds, intro, outro, logo | Lower-third template in /Brand |
| Music rules | Which library or tracks are licensed | Only the licensed library; no trending audio |
| Sponsor read | Where it goes, if any | 0:45–2:15, after the hook |
| Don'ts | Past mistakes not to repeat | No zoom punch-ins on emotional moments |
6. Deliverable specs
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Master | Resolution, frame rate, audio level | 3840×2160, 23.976 fps, −14 LUFS |
| Captions | Burned in, SRT file, or both | SRT on the master; burned in on clips |
| Short clips | Number, ratio and length | 3 clips, 9:16, 35–58 seconds, hook first |
| Thumbnail frames | Frames to export as stills | 5 PNGs from marked frames |
| Delivery | Where final files go | The same Drive folder, /Final |
7. Timeline and communication
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rough cut due | Date and time | Monday, end of day |
| Final due | Date and time | Friday, noon |
| Approver | Exactly one person | The host only |
| Response time | How fast you reply to a cut | Within 4 working hours, Monday–Friday |
| Revision rounds | How many, in writing | 2 rounds |
Before you send
Pre-flight checklist
Feedback
How to phrase revision notes
Timestamps are the most important part of editing feedback. Name the issue, say why it matters and suggest a fix.
| Don't say | Say instead |
|---|---|
| "This part is boring." | "@03:14: the energy drops. Cut to the b-roll from clip 3 or trim this section by half." |
| "Make it punchier." | "@00:45–01:30: tighten the pauses. The hook needs to land before 0:30." |
| "I don't like the music." | "@04:20: swap to something calmer; the track is pulling focus from the narration." |
| "Fix the color." | "@06:40: white balance shifts from the shot at 06:20. Match the warmer tone." |
| "It feels off." | Don't send this. Watch it again and find the timestamp. |
Mistakes that cause re-edits
- "Make it pop" with no reference: the editor guesses and you reject.
- No length target: a 14-minute cut when you wanted 8 changes the whole pacing.
- Several approvers and no hierarchy: late surprises mean a full re-edit.
- Title and thumbnail still "TBD": the cut is built around them, so expect a re-cut.
- No music rules: the whole audio bed gets replaced when the library is wrong.
- Notes sent in eight messages over six hours: consolidate before you send.
More on the handoff in our guides to briefing a video editor and writing revision notes that get fixed. For what a brief is worth in time and money across the industry, see our video editing statistics.
Recent work
Edits that started with a brief like this
Finished edits from our portfolio: finance, tech review and travel.
FAQ
Video editing briefs: frequently asked questions
Seven things: the project basics (title, footage location, length target, publish date), the audience and the one metric that matters, 2–4 timestamped reference videos, must-include moments, brand do's and don'ts, deliverable specs, and a timeline with one named approver. The template on this page covers every field.
One page. A paragraph plus 2–3 reference videos is often enough for a straightforward edit; the full template earns its keep on long videos, new editors and anything with a sponsor, a launch date or legal sensitivities. Fill it once, then reuse sections 5 and 6 for every video.
Yes. Editors interpret words and execute references, so reference videos matter most: they show pacing, tone, color and energy faster than any document. A brief without timestamped references is incomplete, however detailed the prose. Our guide to sending a reference shows what works.
Yes. The whole template is on this page, free to copy, edit and share, with no email or signup. Use the copy button to paste it into a doc, an email or a project tool. The designed PDF version is still available on our free resources page.
Yes. A Loom plus a few reference links works too. The written template is a checklist for what the video should cover, so nothing gets missed: length, references, must-include moments, specs and the approver. If you use a video, walk through the same seven sections.
If you hire Mark Studios, the intake form on our platform walks you through the same fields in about 10 minutes. Send the footage and your references, and we confirm scope, references and delivery dates before work starts.
Want us to edit it?
Paste your brief and reference links into the instant quote. A senior editor matched to your format picks it up, with turnaround confirmed before you pay.
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