Name the viewer’s unfinished question
Write one sentence describing what someone should understand after the clip. “Build awareness” is a business aim, not an editing instruction. “Explain why the setup needs a dry surface” gives an editor something to preserve. If the source cannot answer the question honestly, choose another passage rather than inventing a stronger claim in the hook.
Attach the source and boundaries
Record the original filename, relevant timestamps and speaker identity needed for review. Note sentences that must remain attached, including qualifications and warnings. Keep private client information out of a tool test unless the upload is authorized. This brief is a local editorial record; it need not contain contracts, passwords, customer lists or other material unrelated to the edit.
Specify what will be delivered
List the aspect ratio, caption treatment, visible labels and required file types. Distinguish a reviewed video from a project file or timed-text sidecar. Name who approves the wording and who checks the export. If the client requires several versions, say which differences are intentional so later reviewers do not mistake a change for an error.
Use a fictional example to expose ambiguity
For a workshop demonstration, the point might be “dry the surface before applying the sample.” The source includes a warning about one material. The brief retains that warning and asks for a close-up that genuinely shows the surface. It does not ask the editor to manufacture a result or claim that every material is suitable.
Define the hold condition before editing
Add one line explaining what would prevent delivery. Examples include an unverified quotation, missing permission for a source insert or a caption format the receiver cannot use. Naming the condition early prevents a nearly finished clip from creating pressure to overlook it. A hold is a useful production state: it identifies what remains unresolved without treating all the completed work as worthless or approved.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- Submagic documented editing workflow — Merchant documentation · care.submagic.co · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-25