Before the First Cut – Video Editor Client Onboarding Kit

An edit starts before the timeline opens.

Before the First Cut gives freelance video editors a repeatable way to collect a client’s requirements, check their assets and record what is approved to begin. Use it for brand films, interviews, social content and other client video projects.

FIVE FORMS FOLLOW THE PROJECT FROM FIRST ENQUIRY TO KICKOFF

1. Client Intake — collect the goal, audience, decision makers, requested dates, budget and dependencies.

2. Creative Direction Brief — turn references and general preferences into clear choices about picture, sound, copy and pacing.

3. Footage and Asset Checklist — check what arrived, confirm access and record missing items, owners and expected dates.

4. Deliverables Planner — specify each exported version, including duration, format, captions, delivery date and approver. Four records are included; expand the Word version for more.

5. Kickoff Approval — identify the exact brief and deliverables being confirmed, record the review process and state whether work can begin.

YOUR DOWNLOAD INCLUDES

• Five fillable PDFs, two pages each.

• Five editable Word documents with the same questions.

• A two-page quick-start guide with a fictional worked example.

• A one-page shareable Before You Send Footage checklist.

• A plain-text start-here file with setup and usage instructions.

The design uses bold typography, charcoal, white and lime accents. Customise the Word documents with your own branding and send working copies to your clients.

HOW TO USE IT

Save a fresh project copy, send the intake, agree the brief and assets, list the final files, then record the kickoff decision. The kit works on its own. If you use the Framekind Freelance Video Project Tracker, the guide explains which details to copy across manually.

FORMATS AND REQUIREMENTS

Digital download only. Use a desktop PDF application that supports standard fillable forms, or a word processor that opens .docx files. PDF fields have limited space; use the Word versions for longer answers. Word pagination can change with your fonts and software.

LICENCE

Use within one business. You may customise the forms, remove Framekind branding and send working copies to your own clients to complete for your projects. Do not resell or redistribute the forms as standalone templates. The separately labelled free checklist may be shared unchanged.

These forms record working decisions. They do not include a service contract, automatic integrations or an electronic-signature service. The Framekind video project tracker is sold separately.