Copy. Adapt. Keep a record.

Video & audio brief

For edited videos, short clips, or voice-over projects. Start with the blank brief or learn from a complete worked example, then confirm your scope in the freelancer's offer.

See the filled-in example ↓

Your editable project brief

VIDEO & AUDIO PROJECT BRIEF
Replace the prompts below with your details. Keep scripts and source assets versioned.

1. PURPOSE
Audience:
Message and desired viewer action:
Publishing channels:
Organic post, paid advertisement, internal use, or another use:
Project owner and final approver:

2. OUTPUTS
Number of finished videos or audio files:
Duration of each output:
Aspect ratio, resolution, frame rate, and file format:
Caption language and sidecar/burned-in requirements:
Thumbnails, alternate hooks, or platform versions required:
For voice-over: word count, language, pronunciation notes, tone:
Budget, delivery date, and review checkpoints:
Work explicitly excluded:

3. INPUTS AND RIGHTS
Footage inventory, duration, and folder structure:
Approved script and version:
Brand assets and reference examples:
Music, sound effects, fonts, and stock assets:
Who obtains usage permission:
Paid-media channels, territories, duration, and renewal terms to confirm:
AI voice, synthetic likeness, or generated content allowed:
Consent or license documentation required:

4. WORKFLOW
Select a representative pilot before producing a batch.
Agree rough-cut and final-review checkpoints.
Send timestamped feedback in one consolidated list.
Define included revisions and charges for script or footage changes.
Confirm whether editable project files and linked assets are included.

5. ACCEPTANCE AND HANDOVER
Watch/listen to every final output from start to finish.
Check spelling, pronunciation, captions, crop, and end cards.
Check intelligibility, abrupt edits, audio clipping, and unwanted silence.
Verify file names, export settings, music/asset licenses, and versions.
Confirm project files open if these were commissioned.
Ask who keeps source material and for how long:
Questions for the editor or voice artist:

Download the original blank template

See how the decisions fit together

One pilot followed by a small batch of vertical clips

Fictional teaching example. The business, budget, and schedule illustrate planning choices; they are not a client case study, seller quote, or market-price estimate.

Read the complete worked example

WORKED EXAMPLE — VIDEO & AUDIO BRIEF
Fictional teaching example by BestSift. Alder Ledger is an invented business, not a client or a reported purchase. The production choices, budget, and schedule below are illustrative and require agreement with the editor.

1. PURPOSE
Audience: Small-business owners preparing monthly bookkeeping records.
Message: Three simple record-preparation habits explained by the business owner.
Channel: Organic vertical posts on the business's own Instagram and YouTube accounts. Paid advertising and third-party reuse are outside this proposed scope.
Desired action: Visit the business profile for the website link; no claims about expected reach or leads.
Approver: The owner provides one consolidated timestamped feedback list.

2. OUTPUTS
Deliver three clips total: one representative pilot, then two further clips after style approval.
Each clip: 30–45 seconds, 9:16, 1080 x 1920 px, MP4/H.264, 30 fps, with intelligible dialogue.
Captions: Corrected English burned-in captions plus one UTF-8 SRT sidecar file per clip. Do not burn in captions and accidentally display a second caption track during review.
Versions: One final version per clip; no alternate hooks, thumbnails, landscape exports, or translations.
Audio: Clean the supplied speaker audio and balance levels without audible clipping. No music, paid stock, new voice-over, or synthetic voice in this scope.
Illustrative cap: USD 700 including checkout charges. Ask for an itemized quote; this is not a market benchmark.
Schedule proposal: Pilot within four business days after complete inputs; remaining clips within four business days of pilot approval. Allow two business days for buyer review and confirm calendar dates in the offer.

3. INPUTS AND RIGHTS
Owner supplies: Three named source videos totaling 18 minutes, a transcript, proposed in/out points, spelling and pronunciation notes, logo exports, and a caption-style reference.
Footage: Owner-recorded interview material with documented permission from the speaker. Confirm permissions for every supplied asset before production.
Script: Approved transcript version 1.0; retain the speaker's meaning. Flag unclear wording instead of inventing business claims.
Asset limits: Use supplied cleared assets only. No third-party footage, generated likeness, or new music without a written scope and rights check.
Usage: Confirm the agreed organic channels and any source-asset restrictions in the offer. Expanded paid-ad use requires a fresh rights check.

4. WORKFLOW
Pilot: Select one clip with representative dialogue and captions. Approve framing, pacing, caption contrast, and logo placement before batch production.
Revisions proposed: One consolidated pilot style round, then one consolidated content/correction round per remaining clip. New recordings, rewritten scripts, or extra versions require revised scope.
Feedback format: File name; timestamp; observed issue; requested change. Example: “clip-01, 00:12: caption says invoice twice; remove the repeated word.”
Project files: Include editable Premiere Pro projects and all permitted linked assets, stating the version used. If the editor uses another application, agree the replacement format before ordering.

5. ACCEPTANCE AND HANDOVER
Watch every final export with sound, then review captions without sound.
Compare captions to approved speech; check spelling, crop, end frames, and that text stays visible in the intended platform preview.
Check file dimensions, duration, frame rate, file names, and the absence of unwanted silence or audible clipping.
Receive MP4 and SRT files, editable projects with dependencies, an asset/permission inventory, and brief export instructions.
Owner stores the complete package. Agree how long the editor retains source files; no indefinite backup is assumed.
Question before ordering: Does the quote cover three total clips including the pilot, all caption files, project handover, and the stated review rounds?

Why this brief works

Count source minutes and final versions separately. Alternate hooks and aspect ratios add work.
Approve one representative pilot before applying the editing style to the remaining clips.
Describe caption files, audio, project files, and licenses explicitly.
Treat the proposed budget, timing, and revision count as terms to negotiate for your footage.

Read the related buying guide →