What Should Actually Be In Your Video Deliverable Package

A surprising number of video quotes never actually define what’s being delivered, just “a final video,” with no detail on formats, ownership, or what happens if it’s needed somewhere unexpected six months later. Worth locking down before booking, not after.

Formats And Platforms

A single 16:9 file rarely covers modern usage. If it’s going on social, 9:16 and 1:1 cuts are likely needed too, and a good vertical cut is a re-edit, not just a crop, because the framing and pacing that works landscape often doesn’t survive a straight crop to portrait.

Master Files, Captions, And Rights

A high-resolution master file kept somewhere safe matters, not just the compressed version optimised for a website or social upload. Captions are worth specifying upfront too, since most social platforms default to sound-off viewing. And whether raw footage access is included, and what usage rights come with it, internal use only, paid advertising, indefinite use versus a set term, should be clear in writing before the shoot, not negotiated after.

Ask what can’t be done with the files being delivered, not just what can.

What To Confirm Before Booking

• Aspect ratios needed, and whether they’re genuinely re-cut or just cropped

• A high-resolution master file, not only the compressed export

• Captions, burned-in or file-based

• Raw footage access and usage rights, agreed in writing

Best practice is to set this out plainly for every project, so nobody’s guessing later what they’re actually allowed to do with their own video.