The agency footage problem starts before the edit

Make the right files easy to recognise

The folder contains three product versions, two old logos, and a clip that the client asked you to stop using. An editor can work quickly and still pick the wrong one. The first improvement is making the current, approved material obvious.

Keep a source archive, then create a small selection for each deliverable. Use names that identify the client, product, and shoot. Put current wording and required exclusions beside the brief. Do not rely on someone remembering an instruction from last month’s call.

Give each edit a bounded assignment

Shorty can accept local media or selected videos from an accessible shared Google Drive folder. Import is a way to bring material into an edit; do not treat it as an automatic understanding of your entire client archive.

Prepare the source selection for one video, then write the message and output requirements. If two clients have similar products, keep their assets in separate jobs. Verify filenames and visible branding before submission rather than discovering the mix-up in the final review.

Preserve the handoff trail

Record which source selection and brief produced the approved version. Keep the final file distinct from review versions. If the client asks for a new ending later, you should be able to find the right job without reopening every export.

Choose tools partly on how well they fit this process. A fast first cut is valuable, but reliable retrieval, permissions, and review matter too. Start with one recurring client workflow and check the whole path from intake to delivery before moving the full library.

A brief to adapt to your footage

Example direction. Replace the subject, shots, and wording with your own.