A good footage handoff gives you the source files, the brief and enough context to begin the edit. Decide what you need before the client records rather than discovering missing sources after the session.
Send a short capture brief
Describe the picture and sound you need in plain language. For a tutorial, ask for the clean screen capture, an independent webcam picture when necessary and a usable microphone recording. For a podcast, specify separate microphone recordings for each speaker.
Explain why: separate sources let you change framing, adjust dialogue and choose coverage. Read the separate-track recording guide for the difference between isolated audio and independent picture files.
Approve a test recording
Ask for a short sample made with the same settings as the real session. Inspect the delivered files, rather than a screenshot of the recording application. Check resolution, text readability, microphone quality, independent sources and synchronization.
Make a note of any limitation you can accept. If the client can only deliver a flattened webcam overlay, scope the edit around that source. Moving or removing the baked-in webcam may require a new recording.
Collect the editorial decisions
Alongside the footage, request the intended audience, delivery format, target duration, reference examples and any statements that must stay intact. Ask the client to identify factual names, product terms and approved claims.
Agree on where feedback will live and who gives final approval. A timestamped note such as “remove the repeated explanation at 04:20” is easier to apply than several contradictory messages from different reviewers.
Verify the package before cutting
- Confirm that every expected source and take arrived.
- Open files from the delivery folder and check for corrupted or incomplete uploads.
- Listen near the start and end for audio drift.
- Keep a source copy and create a separate working project.
- Record missing assets and ask for them before committing to the final cut.
Use filenames and versions that both people can understand. A project board helps track which job is waiting for feedback; see organizing video projects.
Automate only after the input is usable
Multicam can help with separate, mapped microphones. Local captions can produce a draft transcript and SRT, but names and cue timing still need review. Neither tool replaces a clear source handoff or fixes a missing recording.
Finish by checking the export against the agreed brief. Send the client the review version and keep the original sources until the project’s retention policy says they can be removed.