Script and Brief Intake Gate (Onboarding)

Script and Brief Intake Gate (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Collect the client's raw source material before any assembly work starts

   Ask for existing footage, brand assets, product screenshots, and any prior video the client considers on-brand. Screen-recording libraries and template packs from earlier campaigns are often the fastest path to a usable first cut.

2. 02

   Write the script and shot direction as a signed artifact, not a chat message

   A one-page script with hook, three talking points, and a call to action gives the client something concrete to approve. Avatar and voiceover tools will render whatever script they are handed, so the script is where creative judgment actually lives.

3. 03

   Lock the aspect ratios and platform cutdowns in writing

   Confirm 9:16, 1:1, and 16:9 deliverables plus caption burn-in rules up front. Template-based makers resize automatically, but the client still needs to agree on which platforms get which cut.

4. 04

   Agree on the number of revision rounds and what counts as a revision

   Two rounds of script edits and one round of assembly edits is a workable default. Unbounded revision is the fastest way to turn a profitable video retainer into an hourly loss.

5. 05

   Name the single client-side approver and their response window

   Diffuse approval across a marketing team stalls delivery. One named approver with a 48-hour window keeps the production calendar honest.

6. 06

   Record the voice, avatar, and brand-asset choices in a reusable project profile

   Store the selected voice, avatar, fonts, and color values so the next video in the retainer does not restart from zero. This is the compounding asset an agency actually owns.

7. 07

   Set the delivery date backward from the client's publish calendar

   If the client publishes on Tuesdays, the final file is due Friday. Working backward from publish, not forward from kickoff, prevents the last-minute scramble that erodes margin.