How to Prepare and Send Footage to a Video Editor

If you're hiring an editor to cut footage you already have — an increasingly common and cost-effective way to work — how you prepare and hand off that footage makes a real difference. Organized, complete footage gets you a faster edit, a lower bill, and a better result. Disorganized footage means the editor spends billable time untangling it before the real work even starts. Here's how to send footage to an editor the right way.

We edit footage for clients well beyond Las Vegas, so we've received handoffs of every kind. This is what makes them go smoothly.

Keep Your Original Files

Always send the original, full-quality files straight from the camera or recorder — not compressed versions, screen recordings, or clips re-exported from your phone's photo app. Editors need the highest-quality source to produce a professional result, and quality lost in a bad export can't be recovered. If in doubt, send the biggest, most original files you have.

Stay Organized

Before you send anything, organize the footage in a way that makes sense: by scene, by day, by camera, or by interview subject. Clear folder names and a logical structure save the editor hours of hunting and save you money. If there are specific takes you love or want to avoid, a short notes document pointing to them is enormously helpful.

Include All the Elements

Footage is often only part of the job. If your video needs specific music, logos, graphics, brand fonts, lower-third text, or a script, gather those and send them together. If there's separate audio — a recorded interview track, a voiceover, or music — include it and note which clips it goes with. The more complete the package, the fewer back-and-forth delays.

Write a Clear Brief

Tell the editor what you actually want: the final length, where it will be used, the tone, any must-include moments, and how many versions you need (a hero cut plus social variants, for example). A clear brief up front prevents rounds of revisions later. The best handoffs pair organized footage with a short, specific description of the goal.

Use the Right Transfer Method

Video files are large, so email won't work. Use a proper file-transfer method — a secure upload link, a cloud service, or a shipped drive for very large projects. A good editor will set up secure file transfer for you; ask before you start so the handoff is smooth. Never rely on compressing footage small enough to email, since that destroys the quality.

Confirm the Scope First

Before you send everything, have a quick conversation about scope and cost so both sides are aligned. Sharing four things — how much footage, the final length, how polished it needs to be, and how many versions — lets the editor quote accurately. For how those factors affect price, see our video editing cost guide.

If you have footage ready to edit, our editing services handle the whole process from your files to a finished video. Send us the details and we'll take it from there.

From Mr. Camera. Las Vegas video production since 1981.