PricingA reference contains more than one instruction
A short film might have fast cutting, warm colour, handheld shots, large captions, and a particular song. If you only want the pacing, say so. Otherwise the reference leaves several possible interpretations.
Write a short “take this, leave this” note. Take the quick setup and longer reveal. Leave the text style and soundtrack. This is a practical way to direct an edit without trying to describe every visual choice from scratch.
Bring enough source material
The reference can guide treatment, but your clips still need to support the sequence. If it shows a reveal, an action, and a reaction, look for equivalent moments in your own footage. You can change the structure when an equivalent does not exist.
Use an uploaded or built-in reference through the options available in Shorty, or describe the direction in words. Use material you are allowed to use and check any reference audio in the output. The reference should help explain the work, not introduce an accidental soundtrack or borrowed claim.
Check the translation
Compare the result with the choices you named, not with every pixel of the reference. Is the reveal given enough time? Is the text restrained? Does the colour still represent the product accurately?
If one part is wrong, ask for that change specifically. “Keep the sequence, but make the text less prominent” is easier to assess than “closer to the reference.” Your final video should make sense to someone who has never seen the example that inspired it.
A brief to adapt to your footage
Example direction. Replace the subject, shots, and wording with your own.
Use the reference for its quick opening and patient final reveal. Keep my footage and product colours accurate. Use the plain caption style I supplied instead of the reference typography. Do not use the reference soundtrack unless I approve it.