Plan a music video brief: concept, shot list and editing handover

Choose what the video should do

Write one sentence describing the experience: a live performance of the song, a narrative connected to it or a visual concept. Then name the intended use. A full-length music video and a short vertical campaign clip need different planning; the same footage may not serve every output equally well.

Adobe’s production guidance separates preparation, filming and post-production. Use that distinction to decide what must be ready before the camera starts and what the edit can reasonably solve. A clear plan is more useful than a large folder of unrelated reference videos.

Lock the audio reference

Give the team the exact song version and duration. If performance is being filmed to playback, agree which file everyone uses. A later arrangement change can affect timing and the usable takes. Identify any planned clean edit, instrumental section or short cut separately rather than silently substituting another audio file during editing.

Keep the approved audio filename in the brief and the footage index. Where the video uses a live performance or separately captured sound, agree the recording and sync approach with the production team before filming. This is a technical brief, not permission to use another person’s recording.

Build a small production sheet

• Track title, exact audio version and creative concept.
• Intended platforms and the separately agreed full-length or short outputs.
• Location, people, props and the person coordinating the shoot.
• Reference images or links, with the specific visual quality you mean.
• A numbered shot list and any coverage essential to the idea.
• Who checks permissions and who approves expenditure or scope changes.
• Who gives consolidated edit feedback and confirms the final version.

Agree practical file and delivery requirements with the actual editor: original footage, orientation, resolution, frame rate, sound and transfer method. Avoid converting everything to a smaller social upload before the editor has reviewed the originals.

Make the shot list usable on the day

For each planned shot, record a short description, location, people involved and its purpose in the edit. Mark essential coverage separately from optional ideas. Leave room to note which take was completed and any problem the editor should know about. A simple scannable list is easier to use during a shoot than a long paragraph describing the entire video.

Check the footage before leaving the location where practical. Confirm the intended performance, framing and sound were captured. A missing key scene may need another shoot; editing cannot guarantee that absent material can be recreated. The list is an original planning aid, not a requirement to buy a particular camera or application.

Prepare the edit handover

Provide one index linking the approved audio, footage folders, preferred takes, titles and credit text. Explain any footage restrictions and which reference is current. Keep the originals and agree what the editor should receive; do not send private credentials to make a folder accessible.

A hypothetical artist films a performance and a separate narrative sequence. Their index identifies two preferred performance takes and flags an incomplete close-up. The editor can discuss a revised cut before work starts instead of discovering the missing coverage at the end. The example illustrates communication, not a promised delivery or revision entitlement.

Review scope and permissions together

Use the music-video rights checklist to check the song, master, footage and people involved for the intended uses. Include any paid advertising or later cut-downs in the actual discussion. A completed edit is not evidence that every permission is in place.

Agree the number and format of deliverables, review process, cost and schedule in the written scope. Group feedback by timecode and distinguish fixing a brief mismatch from adding a new scene, version or animation request. Keep the earlier edit until the replacement has been checked.

Choose the appropriate DistroBolt next step

DistroBolt’s existing You Film. We Edit. service edits customer-supplied footage under a confirmed brief. Ask for an assessment of the actual material and required output through the existing video review form. Review the current scope and written offer before committing; distribution and separately ordered video work are different services.

If the aim is release promotion rather than a complete music video, compare the Release Promo Pack against the actual task. Neither service guarantees platform acceptance, audience growth or placement. When the finished asset is approved, retain it with the release archive record.