A practical video review and handoff checklist.

Before the review

Send the specific version together with the brief and its intended destination. State whether you need feedback on the message, factual claims, brand details or the whole cut. A question focused on the remaining decision is easier to answer than “any thoughts?”

Record the decision

Tie each requested change to the version being reviewed. Keep approval separate from informal positive feedback. Identify who can approve the work and whether another reviewer needs to check claims, permissions or brand requirements.

Illustrative photography / not customer work

Deliver a recognizable set

Package only the approved versions with their format, filename and relevant usage notes. Archive the review context beside the exports. If the brief changes after approval, create a new version rather than replacing the existing final file without explanation.

Separate a requested change from approval

A reviewer can like a direction and still request changes. Use clear states such as candidate, changes requested and approved. Name the reviewed version in the note and preserve the decision when a new file is created. If a message arrives outside the review thread, bring the substance back into the record before acting on it.

Package the decision with the asset

The next owner needs the selected file name, destination format, approval reference and relevant rights or usage notes. Include a brief description of what changed after review. Keep superseded candidates clearly separate from the final handoff. A text checklist is enough to start this discipline; it does not require pretending that a client portal is already available.

Try it on one small piece of work.

Choose one approved source and write a single audience question. Describe two opening directions while keeping the core message fixed. Ask a reviewer to explain the difference without seeing the original conversation. If they cannot identify what changed, rewrite the candidate descriptions before producing more versions.

This exercise is deliberately bounded. The point is to check whether the brief and review language carry enough context, not to produce the largest possible package. Once the structure is clear, add the required frame and caption checks. Keep the approval reference with the selected revision so the next owner receives both the asset and the decision.

Questions for the person reviewing the handoff.

• Can I trace this version to an approved source?
• Does the cut preserve the intended message and context?
• Are captions, frames and usage notes ready for the destination?
• Who actually approved the selected revision?

The reviewer should be able to answer these questions from the handoff itself. Add a missing source reference or a clear unknown rather than relying on a verbal explanation that disappears after the meeting.