Video Processing Checklists

Introduction

Have you seen our YouTube videos, webinars, and one-minute videos on social media and wondered how we create them?

The secret lies in our use of checklists for every task at Content Factory. We process content repeatedly, multiple times a day, and over the years, we've developed checklists that we consistently follow for both our internal and client content processing.

Processing videos is the second stage of the content factory. We start with raw footage and turn it into different pieces of content, such as YouTube videos, one-minute videos, and more. These pieces of content are then shifted to stages 3 and 4 (posting and boosting) to reach our target audience and help us achieve our business goals.

Whether you're an internal or external VA responsible for editing on behalf of us or our clients, these are the checklists you should adhere to for processing any type of video content. Our checklists cover everything from basic editing tasks, such as trimming footage and adding music, to more advanced tasks like creating subtitles and incorporating lower thirds and CTAs.

We've also included example videos that showcase the outcomes of following these checklists step by step. Make sure to watch them first to gain a better understanding of our expectations for video processing.

One-Minute Video Checklist

General

  • Ensure the spelling of your name is correct.
  • Use square or portrait format (1080 x 1350 or 1080 x 1920).
  • Add matching music.
  • Do not start a sentence with "so."

What Not to Do

  • Do not include an intro bumper.
  • Do not use copyrighted music or images.
  • Do not use images found by using Google or a general search engine.

Intro

  • Add a lower third with your name that lasts 5 seconds at the beginning of your video.
  • Ensure the lower third is placed in either the left or right lower third of the frame.

Captions

  • Must be centered.
  • Ensure the font is readable (we suggest white).
  • Caption lines must not exceed three.
  • Must not contain: "Uh," "Um," "Hm," words that have been repeated due to stuttering.
  • Do not include curse words.
  • Must be placed at the bottom of the video in the 1:5 or 4:5 aspect ratio.
  • For portrait videos, you can change its placement according to the video's subject placement.
  • Must not take up more than 20% of the frame.

Main Content

  • Remove clips where you say "uh's," "um's," and "hm's."
  • Mute audio clips where you curse or place a "beep" noise over them.
  • Remove low authority moments such as when you stutter or there is dead air. Also, if you use filler terms and items that take away from the story.
  • Cut moments that do not belong, such as when people say, "This is my first time speaking...," "I'm nervous...," "I'm scared...," or "I haven't talked into a microphone before..."
  • Trim intros and outros as needed.
  • If you have two clips of the same video, transition between the two camera angles.
  • Do not cut off your head when filming your one-minute video, and be careful not to cut off too much of your body on the side of the video frame.
  • Ensure that the audio is synced with the video.

Outro

  • Add another lower third with your name on it that lasts for 5 seconds.
  • If applicable, show shots of the audience clapping.

Examples:

Checklist for Editing a 1-Hour Long-Form Podcast Video

 
❑ Start with a hook - It should be followed by a killer snippet from the interview that is up to 15 seconds long.
 
    • We want to catch our audience's attention to keep them watching the entire episode.
    • Then, cut it with OOB (Opening Break Bumper) and proceed to the introduction, followed by the entire video.
    • Watch the first 45 seconds of this video to see what it should look like.
❑ Color Correct/Color Grading - This will improve the general appearance of the podcast video and make it look more professional and appealing to watch.
 
    • If there are two or more camera angles provided, ensure that the color balance for the A-roll matches the others.
❑ Cut pauses, dead air, long breaks, and unnecessary scenes. You can accomplish all of these tasks using the 'remove filler words and shorten word gaps' option in Descript. You can also punch in or punch out of your subject to keep your viewer oriented in the space.

 

❑ Insert lower thirds - In most cases, we add the lower thirds while introducing the person. If this is inappropriate, add them whenever you deem it fitting. 
 
❑ Reset the audience's attention every 10 seconds. Avoid making them stare at the speaker for more than 10 seconds without any visual support (b-rolls, photos, screenshots, text animation, motion graphics). 
 
❑ Watch this 14-minute video from Parker Walbeck to see the basic workflow we want to incorporate into our videos.
 
    • Note: Log in to YouTube using your BlitzMetrics account.
❑ Add a call to action - Check out relevant websites and social media to generate leads or promote their brand.
 
    • Note: Follow the client's color scheme/codes if they have one.
❑ Create a thumbnail for YouTube (1920x1080). Consider the color palette/scheme for each podcaster.

Examples:

Checklist for Editing a Video for YouTube or a Landing Page

 
1. Understand the content so that you don't simply add random B-rolls or animations to the video.
 
2. Start with a hook. This can be around 10-15 seconds long since YouTube videos usually run longer than FB and IG videos. Then transition to the main video with an OBB (Opening Bumper).
 
3. Always follow the client's branding colors.
 
4. Alter the video to the desired format: 16:9 or 1920x1080.
 
5. Remove unnecessary chatter, scenes, and dead air.
 
6. Ensure our client looks and sounds professional.
 
7. Add lower thirds of the speaker when necessary. Place these whenever the speaker is introduced or introduces him/herself.
 
8. Add captions. Run the video through Descript. You can also use YouTube's auto-generated captions.
 
9. Always double-check spelling, punctuation, and other grammatical errors, as we want to minimize the number of iterations.
 
10. Color grade/correct when needed.
 
11. Add relevant B-roll, superimposed text, or graphics. Do not use stock images.
 
12. Let the audience see what the speaker is saying. Do not make the audience stare at the speaker for more than 10 seconds without any visual support (B-rolls, photos, screenshots, text animation, motion graphics). You can also punch in or punch out of your subject to keep your viewer oriented in the space.
 
13. Add minimal background music. Do not use copyrighted music throughout the entire video.
 
14. Add a call to action if needed, according to the content and purpose of the video. Add appropriate tail slides if needed.

Examples:

These checklists outline the video processing procedures we adhere to for both our content and our clients' content. We believe that this will make it much easier for you to independently QA your videos. If you wish to delve deeper into video editing, we also offer a webpage on our site where you can learn how to edit videos using Descript.
That's it. Now, let's see you process your first video.
If you enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to explore our Task Library for a plethora of additional tasks waiting to be mastered!