Video editors: footage batches, timestamped notes and the "five more versions" problem

Most edit projects don't go over budget in the timeline. They go over in the inbox: footage that keeps arriving after you've cut, feedback sent as a voice note, and a cheerful "can you make five more versions for TikTok?" after the final export.

None of these are bad clients. They're gaps in the agreement. Here are the clauses and line items that close them, in the order they usually bite.

1. The clock starts when the footage is complete

If footage arrives in six batches over three weeks, you end up cutting the same sequence three times. Put the start condition in writing:

Footage delivery: Timeline starts when all footage, assets and brand files are delivered in one batch.

Pair it with a general inputs clause so the rule applies to everything, not just footage:

Client will provide content, access, assets and feedback by the dates agreed at kickoff, and confirms it has the rights to any material it supplies. Delays in inputs extend the timeline by the same number of days.

And in your SOW's out-of-scope list:

• Re-cutting from new footage after the first cut
• Raw footage organization over [N] GB

Now a late batch isn't an argument. It's a date shift or a change order, and the client picks which.

2. One round = one document of timestamped notes

"Two revision rounds" means nothing if a round can be a voice note on Tuesday, three Slack messages on Wednesday and a stakeholder's comments on Friday. Define a round:

The SOW includes [2] revision rounds per deliverable. A round is one consolidated list of feedback from the named approver.

Extra rounds are billed at $[RATE]/hour or $[AMOUNT] per round.

Then add the video-specific part to your SOW deliverables:

• [2] revision rounds via timestamped notes

Timestamped notes ("00:42 – trim the pause", "01:15 – swap to the wide shot") are faster for you to action and harder to contradict later. Voice notes with no timestamps aren't a round yet. Ask for them to be consolidated before you open the project file.

One more line worth having: what counts as a revision vs. a change.

New footage or a new story structure after the first cut = change order.

A revision refines the approved cut. A new structure is a new edit.

3. Define "version" before someone asks for five more

"Can you make 5 more versions for TikTok?" is really several requests packed into one: new aspect ratios, new lengths, maybe new captions, maybe new hooks. Each is real work.

Spell out what you're delivering:

• [N] edited videos up to [LENGTH] each
• Captions/subtitles in [language]
• Export in [formats/aspect ratios]

And put this in out of scope:

• Additional aspect ratios or versions
• Motion graphics or animation beyond lower thirds
• Licensed music/stock footage (billed at cost)

A practical working definition: a version is any additional export that differs in aspect ratio, length, edit structure or on-screen text from a delivered video. Write your own definition into the SOW. The point is that it exists before the request does.

4. Price extras as line items, not one number

When "extra version" is already a priced line, quoting it isn't awkward. You're just reading from the sheet.

5. A change-order clause, and the reply that uses it

The agreement side:

Client may request changes at any time. Provider will reply with a short change order stating the added cost and timeline impact. Work on the change starts after Client approves it in writing (email is fine). Small changes can be billed at $[RATE]/hour, in [15/30]-minute increments.

The email side. When the five-versions request lands, pause first:

Subject: [PROJECT] — treating [REQUEST] as a scope change

Hi [NAME], thanks for the note on [REQUEST]. Compared to our scope baseline ([DATE / SOW]), this looks like a change because [ONE CLEAR REASON]. I'm pausing on that piece until we pick a path so we don't burn timeline or budget by accident. I'll send options shortly (trade scope, move the date, add a fee, or defer).

Then give a clear choice:

1. Trade scope: Add [REQUEST]; remove/reduce [ITEM]; keep deadline [DATE] and fee.
2. Move the date: Add [REQUEST] and keep full scope; new deadline [NEW DATE]; same fee.
3. Add a fee: Add [REQUEST]; keep deadline [DATE] and full scope; change order $[FEE].
4. Defer: Keep the current plan; park [REQUEST] for a later phase.

Reply with 1, 2, 3, or 4 and I'll update the plan. I won't start the extra work until you choose.

Most clients pick quickly when the options are laid out like that.

6. Two clauses editors forget

Music & stock: Client licenses music and stock in Client's name, or Editor licenses at cost with written approval.

Project files: Project/source files are archived for [30] days after delivery and delivered for $[AMOUNT] if requested.

The first keeps licensing liability where it belongs. The second answers the "can you send the project file?" request six months later.

Keep a log

Track every request in a simple sheet: date, who asked, summary, in scope or change, hours impact, fee delta, option chosen, approval date. When an invoice gets questioned, the log is what you point to.

If a client has stopped paying after delivery, the free final notice email template is a calm, firm last message before escalation.

The full set (proposal, SOW and services agreement in .md and .docx, 10 client emails, change-request triage, revision log CSV, invoice emails and the video editor niche guide these clauses come from) is the Client Contract & Scope Kit for Video Editors, $19.

Templates are practical starting points, not legal advice. Have your agreement reviewed locally once, then reuse it.