Free Resource
The United Process
A guide to how we approach a commercial edit, from the first conversation through finishing. Use it to talk through the work, the schedule, and who needs to approve what.
Start with the decisions that shape the job
Before anyone builds a schedule, we want to know what the film needs to do. Is the product unfamiliar? Does the idea depend on a performance? Is there a reveal that only works if the audience has time to wait for it? Those answers affect the edit, and they belong in the conversation about scope.
The United Process gives that conversation a structure. It covers the brief, editorial reviews, and the move into finishing, with places to agree on responsibilities along the way.
Give the first cut a clear brief
A treatment is a useful starting point, but the shoot may have changed things. Share the approved idea alongside what actually happened: a performance worth following, an unavailable setup, or a client request that arrived on set. The editor needs both the intention and the context.
Agree on what the first presentation should resolve. If the story structure is still open, say so. A review goes differently when everyone knows whether they are choosing a direction or refining one.
Make reviews workable
Name the person who gathers feedback and the person who can approve it. Put agency and client reviews on the schedule, including time to reconcile conflicting notes. A delivery date alone does not tell the team when decisions need to happen.
Before picture lock, revisit the deliverables. Durations, aspect ratios, alternate endings, language versions, and legal changes can each create work beyond the main film. Identify that work before booking finishing sessions.
Use the guide with the people doing the job
Bring it to the kickoff with your producer, agency lead, director, and editor. Mark what is decided and what is still open. For a small project, that may be a short conversation. For a campaign with several approval groups, keep a written record the team can return to.
For a closer look at the creative brief, see the Pre-Edit Alignment Guide. If you are still preparing to shoot, start with Post Planning for Directors.