Here is a repeatable process for delivering with no nasty surprises: read the brief, plan, shoot, edit, self-check, deliver, handle feedback and get paid.
What a repeatable process looks like
Seven steps, always in the same order.
Reading the brief and asking the missing questions the same day.
Writing the script and the shot list.
Preparing the product and the setting the day before.
Shooting sentence by sentence, dealt with above.
Editing, subtitling, exporting.
Self-checking, with the checklist.
And delivering, invoicing, following up.
What to do before accepting an order
Six checks, in five minutes.
Checking that the delivery date fits your diary.
Checking that the product will arrive in time.
Checking that the category needs no particular clearance.
Checking that the price covers preparation, not just the shoot.
Checking what is included in corrections.
And checking that the requested setting really exists where you are.
How to read a brief and ask the right questions
Seven questions to ask before shooting, never after.
Who the video addresses, in one sentence.
What the single idea to convey is.
Which sentences are permitted, and which are forbidden.
Which formats are expected, and for what use.
How many corrections are included.
Who approves, and within what time.
And what the brand absolutely wants to see on screen.
How to write the script and the shot list
Six rules, applicable to any order.
One idea per video, written at the top of the page.
A two-second opening, written word for word.
Three to five sentences, no more.
A cutaway planned for each sentence.
A single call to action, at the end.
And a backup sentence, if the first does not work at the shoot.
How to prepare the product and the setting
Seven checks, the day before the shoot.
The product unpacked and genuinely tried.
The spare package, intact, for the product shots.
The setting tidy but lived in.
The light source scouted, with the hour.
The phone charged and the storage cleared.
The microphone tested over thirty seconds.
And the shot list printed or displayed.
How to film, edit and deliver
Six habits that save an hour.
Filming the product shots before speaking.
Recording three seconds of silence at the start.
Redoing every sentence twice, always.
Filming the cutaways straight after.
Checking the sound after the first sentence, not at the end.
And keeping the camera fixed throughout the session.
How to edit, subtitle and pace
Six steps, in this order.
Laying the chosen sentences end to end.
Cutting the pauses for thought.
Adding the cutaways.
Generating the subtitles and proofreading them by hand.
Checking the volume from shot to shot.
And exporting a master file, then the requested formats.
How to self-check and deliver cleanly
Seven checks before sending.
The video is understandable with no sound.
The opening holds in the first two seconds.
No subtitle strays outside the safe zone.
Every requested format is present.
The files are named as requested.
The stated length matches the real one.
And the link opens with no sign-up.
How long each step takes
Seven markers for pricing an order.
Reading the brief and asking questions, fifteen minutes.
Writing the script and the shot list, thirty minutes.
Preparing the setting and the product, thirty minutes.
Shooting, an hour for a short video.
Editing, an hour once you are practised.
Proofread subtitles, a quarter of an hour.
And delivery and invoicing, a quarter of an hour.
What to prepare once and for all
Seven documents, reusable on every order.
A template of questions to ask at briefing stage.
A fill-in-the-blanks script template.
A standard shot list.
A pre-delivery checklist.
A delivery message template.
A quote template and an invoice template.
And a lighting sheet, with the hours that work where you are.
How to handle several orders at once
Six rules that avoid collisions.
Never shooting two orders on the same day.
Grouping shoots at the start of the week.
Reserving a whole day for editing.
Blocking a slot for corrections, at the end of the week.
Keeping one single list of all deadlines.
And turning down one more order when the week is full.
What wastes the most time
Six causes, from the most frequent to the rarest.
An incomplete brief, not clarified before the shoot.
A product received late.
An approval dragging on the client side.
Badly filed files, to be searched for.
A correction outside the scope accepted with no quote.
And a shoot restarted for one forgotten shot.
What to keep after delivery
Six items, archived per order.
The final approved brief.
The rushes, if the licence includes them.
The master file and the delivered formats.
The delivery message, with the date.
The invoice and the proof of payment.
And the licence end date, noted in the calendar.
The path of an order, step by step
| Step | Real time | What you produce |
|---|---|---|
| Reading the brief | 15 min | A shot list |
| The shoot | 1 h | The takes and the cutaways |
| The edit | 45 min | The deliverable file |
| The review | 10 min | An approved video |
What saves the most time
Naming the files at the shoot. Five minutes invested there save twenty minutes of hunting in the edit, and it is the only place where the gain repeats with every order.
What is checked before delivering
The sound on headphones, subtitles on a phone, the requested formats, and a first second with no greeting. Four quick checks that remove almost every return.
How to handle feedback and get paid
Six rules that prevent tension.
Restating the number of corrections included, in the delivery message.
Asking for all comments in one go.
Politely declining what falls outside the scope, with a quote.
Issuing the invoice on the day of delivery.
Writing the due date in plain terms.
And chasing the day after the due date, without waiting.
One last marker: a process beats irregular talent. Yours should fit on one page, and you should be able to follow it on a day when everything is going wrong.
