YouTube video editing brief template with a filled example

Copy the blank brief: story and files

Keep this brief with the raw video files. Name who owns it and when it last changed. Write “not supplied” for anything that is missing. Fill each blank with an answer or name the person who will decide.

A source timecode is a time in a raw file. Give the filename too, so the editor can find the right shot. A time in a finished draft may point to a different moment.

• Project name: ___. Version: ___. Channel: ___. Creator/contact: ___. Last changed: ___.
• Viewer and goal: this video is for ___. They should learn or feel ___.
• Story: start with ___. The main points are ___. End with ___.
• Source files: folder and access ___. Total footage ___. Camera/audio files ___. Script or transcript ___.
• Source map: filename ___. Start time ___. End time ___. What it shows ___. Why it matters ___. Repeat for key parts.
• Must keep or check: names, facts, key details, sponsor lines, and needed context ___.
• Style guide: link or file ___. Time in that video ___. What to borrow ___. What to avoid ___.
• Missing files: ___. Who will send them ___. New shot or file needed ___. Due date ___.

Copy the blank brief: final files and choices

List each final file you need. A thumbnail is a video’s cover image. A caption file holds the words and their times. A tall clip and an edit project are separate files too. Mark which are part of the agreed job.

Frame shape, or aspect ratio, means wide, tall, or square. Frame size, or resolution, is the width and height in pixels. Frame rate is the number of frames each second, shown as fps. A codec sets how the video is stored. H.264 is one codec, often used in an MP4 file.

• Main files: ___ videos. Length ___. Shape/aspect ratio ___. Size/resolution ___. Frame rate/fps ___. File type and codec ___.
• Other files: captions ___. Cover image options ___. Social clips ___. Edit project and source files ___.
• Extra files: approved logos/fonts ___. Music or stock files ___. Who can approve their use ___. Rules for adding new files ___.
• Choices: the editor may decide ___. Ask me before changing ___. Required words or order ___.
• Dates and time zone: all files sent ___. First draft ___. One set of notes ___. Final files ___. Agreed with editor ___.
• Review: final approver ___. Review link or app ___. Draft file names ___. Who answers open questions ___.
• Final checks: story needs ___. Sound/caption checks ___. Required files ___. Tell ___ about any missing work.
• Budget and limits: fee or plan ___. Work included ___. How to approve extra work ___.

Filled example: a small desk gets a reset

This project is fictional. Sam, the files, the times, and the choices are made up. They do not come from a Sauce client. Use your own details in their place. You can use the same brief for a how-to video, talk, essay, or other kind of video.

The project is Desk Reset, brief v1. Sam is the creator and has the final say. The viewers work at small desks and want to use what they already own. The video shows the desk before and after, plus the choices Sam makes. It does not claim the new desk makes people work faster.

• Start: show the messy desk, then a quick look at the clean one. Show what Sam will change.
• Main steps: clear the desk, sort things by use, put them back, and check if key items are easy to reach.
• End: show the same view before and after. Keep Sam’s thoughts on what to keep or change.
• Source: 45 minutes of made-up 1080p, 30 fps footage in /DeskReset/source/. Sam also sends a voice file and shot list.
• Main file: one wide video, 6-8 minutes long. Use 1920 x 1080, 30 fps, H.264 MP4 for this example.
• Other file: one English SRT caption file. No thumbnail, Short, or edit project is part of this example.
• Style: let Sam sound natural. Keep the moment Sam changes their mind if it helps explain the desk layout.
• Facts: this is Sam’s own setup. It is not a tested plan that promises the same results for everyone.

Filled example: find the shots and agree on choices

Each time below uses minutes:seconds. It points to a place inside the named source file. These are raw files, so the times will not match the final edit. Use both the name and time to help the editor find the right part.

Sam sends approved font and logo files. Sam wants speech with no background music. The editor may change the order of the sorting steps to make them clear. They must ask before cutting why some items go back on the desk. Agree on review dates once all files are ready. This example does not set a delivery time.

• A_cam_01.mp4, 00:00-00:32: the untouched desk. Use it for the “before” view. Keep the address label in the wide shot out of view.
• A_cam_02.mp4, 08:10-10:25: Sam sorts items by use. Keep the reason the notebook stays close.
• B_roll_03.mp4, 00:14-00:27: the finished desk from the same angle. Pair it with the “before” view.
• VO_take_04.wav, 00:42-01:06: the fixed line. Use it in place of the old words from the camera take.
• Missing shot: a close view inside the drawer. Sam will send it. Flag the gap if it is still missing.
• Review file: DeskReset_v01.mp4. Sam sends one set of notes that names this draft.
• Story check: start and end show the same desk. Each main change makes sense. No one can read the address.
• File check: the final MP4 and matching SRT are ready. Captions use the approved words. Flag any unfinished parts before approval.

Give the editor a clear change to make

Words like “fun” or “fast” can start a chat about style. Then point to a part and explain what you want it to do. You do not have to plan each cut. Give the editor a clear goal and room to choose how to reach it.

When you share a video you like, name the part that helps. Do not ask the editor to copy every detail. Your words and footage may need a different style. Keep files they may use separate from videos you share just to explain an idea.

• For a faster pace: “Keep one clear example of each choice. Cut actions that repeat.”
• For more graphics: “Label the three groups when they first appear. This will help viewers follow how Sam sorts them.”
• For a style guide: “Use the sample’s calm labels as a guide. Keep Sam’s natural way of speaking.”
• For the end: “Go back to the first camera angle. Keep Sam’s thoughts on what to change next time.”

Check the brief before the edit starts

Ask the editor to open the files, not just the folder. Read the brief as if you missed every planning call. Can you find the story, key shots, final files, and person who has the final say? If a missing answer changes the work, sort it out before setting dates.

YouTube says to use the frame rate you filmed at when you export. To export means to save the edit as a finished video file. Check the real settings with your editor. Do not copy this example’s 30 fps just because it is here. If your footage has mixed frame rates, agree on how to handle it.

• Check that the shots support the start and main story.
• Check names and required words. Name who will answer any doubts.
• List which files are part of the job and which would be extra work.
• Keep a list of missing shots, access issues, and rights to check.
• Agree on dates once both sides know the work and when files will arrive.

Tie your notes to the right draft

Once you have an edit, name that draft and use its playback time in your notes. For example: “DeskReset_v01.mp4, 02:18: the notebook reason is missing. Bring it back from A_cam_02.mp4, 08:10-10:25.” The first time points to the draft. The second points to the raw source.

Use the brief to see if a note fixes missed work or adds a new idea. A new tall clip or a new ending may change the job. Write down the change and agree on it. Update the brief so the next draft has one clear set of instructions.

Use the brief to talk about a plan

Bring the filled brief and your usual footage when you speak with an editor. Show whether you have picked the shots or need help finding the story. Our handoff guide covers how to work together over time. This brief covers the one video you need to make.

Sauce Starter is $2,799 a month. Creator is $4,499, and Empire is $7,299. Each plan includes different work. Check the pricing page against your brief. Creators who qualify can ask for one free sample edit. No payment is needed, and it does not start a paid plan. Agree on the sample work before you send files.

Vague: “Make this faster and more engaging.” Useful: “The viewer wants to know why this happened. Open with the result at 18:20, then return to the explanation at 03:10. Keep the example at 07:45; it makes the answer concrete. Cut the repeated explanation at 12:00.”

The timestamps above are an illustrative example, not a reference to your footage. Use the same pattern in your own brief: the viewer’s question, the key evidence, the desired order and the material that can go.