6 Practical Tips for Giving Feedback and Collaborating on Video

Are you kicking off a new video project, but you're not a video professional yourself? Then it's likely you're going to need to collaborate with someone who is. 

A lot goes into creating a high-quality product, and it's not just who you hire- it's how you work with them. 

Keep reading for some practical tips on setting up your project, getting the most out of revisions, and arriving at a video that gets the most out of your budget.

Before the project begins

Collaboration isn't just a set of notes you provide after receiving the first edit. It starts early - from the first brief that you send through, or the first call that you have to kick things off.

1) Listen to your creator's advice about the production. 

Your agency or editor wants to give you the best work possible for your budget (maybe there are some exceptions out there, but we don't know them!). If they give you advice regarding the production, it's wise to listen. This might be on anything from sound or camera equipment, hiring professional voice-over talent, or lighting setup. Video professionals know how to create high-quality video, and they know how to get the most out of a limited budget. 

2) Be clear about what you're looking for. 

Anyone who has freelanced for a long time has heard something from a client like "Just get creative with it". While this comes from a good place, it makes things difficult for an editor because they won't have a clear idea about your expectations - and their idea of 'creative' may not match up with what you're looking for. 

Instead, be as clear as possible about what you'd like in the video. Provide any graphics that should be included or brand guidelines that should apply. A script, or pre-approved copy means that both parties understand how the content should appear. Citing some example videos that you'd like to emulate can help ensure that things are headed in the right direction. 

Providing feedback and working through revisions

3) Be Specific.

A lot of time and effort is wasted when feedback is unclear, and so much can be lost in translation. Instead of saying "use a more serious font", try "change this to Times New Roman".  Instead of asking to "Change the background to something more interesting", offer a specific backdrop or description that matches what you're looking for.

4) Be Constructive.

Overly critical or negative feedback that doesn't add guidance isn't helpful. Not only that, but it can damage your working relationship, making it that much harder to arrive at a piece of work that you're happy with. Describe what you'd like to see rather than simply stating what you don't like. 

5) Understand limitations.

A good video editor can do a lot of magic with stock footage, effects, and transitions. But there is a limit- unless you have the ability to capture new & bespoke footage, your editor can only work with the footage you've already shot and the audio you've already captured. Going back to point (1), if you haven't setup the production to get the right sound and shots, you may have fewer options available during the editing stage. Limiting your suggestions to what's reasonable within your budget will keep things moving as quickly as possible. 

6) Use Review tools that are well-suited to video.

When it comes to reviewing video, email just doesn't cut it. Using a platform for collaboration like Wipster means that comments are time-coded and viewed in context, and to-do items are automatically generated from new comments. Version control and comparison shows you exactly how the video has changed throughout edits and makes it a breeze to revert a change, or tag a team member for their input on a shot. And your editor will thank you, since they can view notes within their video editing suite and easily turn your feedback into action.