Whether you’re a client, producer, or editor, video production requires collaboration where providing feedback is part of the game. Knowing how to give clear, effective feedback will not only improve the overall communication within the project, but will keep your team motivated, keep your project on schedule, and will help you greatly in coming up with a great final video.
Start with a brief with clear cut objectives and expectations
Having a clear and well-thought out brief will lay the groundwork for a successful review process later on in your project, which is why it is ultimately crucial to invest time and focus towards this part of the process. Having this all properly laid out in the beginning will also help you avoid costly surprises later on.
Relate feedback to the set objectives of the project
So you’ve prepared well… Don’t forget the vision you have set out for right at the beginning. As you provide feedback, make sure that you tie it all back to these objectives; doing this also helps in keeping personal preferences out of the way which often times can lead to costly and unnecessary revisions.
Aim to get the feelings right, rather than the style
It’s better for you to explain to your video production team how you want your audience to feel, rather than exactly how you want it done. Giving your video production team a clear understanding of how you want your viewers to feel will serve as a guide for them to make the right adjustments to your video. While it may be tempting to dictate to them exactly how to change the video, doing so will lead you to miss out on opportunities to come up with a more effective solution, all the while undermining your creative team’s expertise.
Value your creative team’s time
Keep in mind that any delay on your part as the reviewer will put unfair pressure on the creative team to hit the deadline that has been agreed on. Take responsibility towards your role as a reviewer to set your creative team up for success.
Good things take time
While the things that video editors can do may seem like magic, this magic may take some time to create. Working on a video isn’t as simple as making changes in a Word document – what you think may be a relatively simple revision could require hours of having to jump between different editing tools. Remember what they used to say about patience being a virtue? 🙂
Implementing these tips on your video project will keep you on schedule and leave you with a team of creatives excited and motivated to work with you in creating a superb end product.