Notes on the craft

The Edit Journal.

Better decisions before the first cut.
Practical guides for your next video project.

How to Write a Video Editing Brief That Gets a Useful First Cut

Define the audience, message, footage, visual direction and deliverables before your edit begins. Includes a practical example of a focused brief.

Design speech captions with sensible phrase breaks, clear hierarchy and purposeful animation, while protecting readability on small screens.

Find self-contained ideas in a longer interview, preserve context and create varied short-form edits with a deliberate sequence and visual plan.

Understand how footage-led editing and designed animation solve different problems, and how to scope a project that combines both effectively.

Use timecodes, clear priorities and consolidated notes to explain what needs changing without losing the creative direction of the edit.

A practical framework for opening a short video with a clear promise, useful context and a payoff the edit can actually deliver.

Organise source footage, sound, brand assets and references so your editor can start with the right material and fewer avoidable questions.

Learn how dialogue, music, pauses and restrained sound effects work together in a clear, polished short-form video mix.

Plan a 9:16 edit with readable text, intentional reframing and room for platform overlays, without sacrificing the subject or story.

Look beyond flashy transitions and assess storytelling, typography, sound, relevance and workflow before choosing an editor for your project.