How to reply to a freelance video editing brief
Open with the footage, finished length and viewing format the client describes. Show a relevant edit and explain your role in making it. Then ask about the missing input that changes the workload: raw footage, a locked script, audio, or the number of versions. A thirty-second video can involve very different amounts of work depending on what already exists.
An example: replying to a short product video brief
This is an illustrative project, not a current job post or a real company's commission.
Brief: "We need a 30-second vertical product video for social. We have phone footage and a rough script. Add captions and music. Please also provide a square version. We'd like two feedback rounds."
Weak reply: "I edit videos with transitions, music and captions. Please see my showreel and let me know when you need the finished file."
Example reply:
You're looking for a 30-second vertical edit, captions and music, plus a square version. A short edit I can share shows my work on editing and captions. I'd agree on the script and opening before building the first cut, then use the two feedback rounds to refine it. Roughly how much raw footage is there, and does the script still need writing? I can confirm the edit scope once I've checked those inputs, including whether the square version needs a different composition.
The example assumes editing and caption experience; change that sentence if it does not describe your work. Only include work you can honestly claim. If you edited a video but someone else handled the animation, make that distinction. The client needs to know which parts of their request you can deliver.
Plan the edit around its source material
Find out how much footage needs reviewing
Sorting several hours of unorganized clips is a different task from cutting a selected folder. Ask about the amount of footage, its format and whether a selects list exists. If you need to review the files before quoting, explain what you are checking.
Identify audio, graphics and script work
Captions, motion graphics, voiceover recording, scriptwriting and cleanup of difficult audio are distinct work. State which are included. "Add music" also needs an agreed licensing approach; don't promise a track for commercial use before checking the license.
Scope crops, captions and exports
A square version might need repositioned text, different crops and additional checks. Confirm aspect ratios, caption treatment and export requirements. Ask whether the client wants burned-in captions, a subtitle file or both. Avoid assuming every format can be produced by a single automatic resize.
Set approval points before polishing
If the script is rough, settle it before polishing every shot. Agree on when the client approves the structure and when you handle smaller timing or visual changes. Two feedback rounds should have an understood scope; replacing the whole script after an approved cut is a different request.
Explain the editable project handover
Clarify whether project files, selected stills, alternate openings or an organized media handover are needed. Editable projects may rely on fonts, plugins and linked footage. State what the client will receive and what they would need to open it.
Compare edits by the footage and deliverables
Video and animation sit together on the video hub, where the current snapshot is maintained. That grouping does not tell you whether a brief needs editing, animated scenes or both. Inspect the production request rather than infer the workload from its field. A budget without its currency, payment unit and included versions is incomplete context: the board's bands neither convert currencies nor distinguish hourly amounts from whole-project payments. Raw footage and asset creation belong in your scope conversation.
Offer a concrete next step
Ask to review a sample of the footage or confirm the script's status. That gives the client something useful to answer without asking them to read a complete production plan. Keep performance promises out of the reply: a well-made edit and a successful campaign are different outcomes.