Professional delivery is more than sending an MP4. Translate the client's destination into export settings, test the rendered file, and define revisions without reopening the whole project.

You will build a one-page standard covering destination specs, filenames, pre-send QC, handoff, and revisions.

// concept

Lock the Destination Before the Final Export

Record platform, placement, duration, ratio, captions, deadline, and approver. “Instagram” is incomplete; “Instagram Reel, 9:16, 45 seconds, burned English captions plus SRT, approved by Ayesha” is usable.

These are house standards, not platform maxima. Ad and organic rules differ. Recheck official pages and record the date.

Destination	Delivery aspect	Delivery resolution	Length and current-rule note
Instagram Reel	9:16	1080×1920	Use the approved runtime. Verify current Reel limits and minimum quality before export.
TikTok organic	9:16	1080×1920	Preview behind the interface. Official ad guidance recommends 9:16 and at least 720p, but verify organic limits separately.
YouTube Short	9:16	1080×1920	Qualifying square or vertical uploads currently support up to three minutes; recheck when using music.
YouTube standard video	16:9	1920×1080	Runtime follows the brief. Keep the recorded/timeline frame rate rather than converting 25 fps footage to 30 fps without a reason.
LinkedIn feed video	4:5 or 16:9	1080×1350 or 1920×1080	Confirm current limits and preview the crop/safe zone on a phone.

Do not let every app auto-crop one horizontal export. Quote separate reframed files for separate placements unless the brief accepts one format.

// concept

Export a Master, Delivery Copy, and Captions

For a compatible copy, use MP4, H.264 video, AAC at 48 kHz, progressive scan, and the timeline's frame rate. YouTube currently suggests 8 Mbps for standard-rate 1080p SDR and 12 Mbps for high frame rates. Inspect motion and text, then confirm current destination guidance.

Create separate outputs:

File	Purpose	Example setting
Review draft	Fast approval over a limited connection	720p H.264 MP4, visible `REVIEW` watermark, timecode if useful
Delivery copy	Client upload	1080 destination size, H.264 MP4, AAC 48 kHz, no watermark
Archive master	Future revisions	Highest practical quality; use a mezzanine codec only when contracted
Caption file	Editable/uploadable captions	UTF-8 `.srt`, language identified; also burn captions in when ordered

Proof captions against audio. Correct names, prices, Roman-Urdu spelling, line breaks, and timing. Keep text and logos away from controls; preview in the destination app.

Use filenames that remain understandable outside your computer:

// prompt — copy me3 lines

client_project_asset_destination_ratio_language_v##_YYYY-MM-DD.ext
sample_iftar-offer_15s_instagram-reel_9x16_en-v01_2026-07-18.mp4
sample_iftar-offer_15s_instagram-reel_9x16_en-v01_2026-07-18.srt

Never use FINAL_final2.mp4. Increase the version only when content changes.

// concept

Make Revision Scope and Acceptance Explicit

Adapt this sample policy in the quotation before work begins:

Sample revision policy: This package includes two revision rounds on the first review cut. One round is one consolidated written list from the named approver. Corrections against the approved script, supplied facts, brand guide, or export specification do not consume a round. Changes to script, duration, language, voice, direction, platform, or assets are new scope with a revised fee and timeline. Acceptance requires written approval or upload. Source-project handoff and archive duration are included only when listed.

If you typed the wrong approved PKR price, correct it. If the client changes that price after script approval, it is new scope. Archive the brief, consolidated notes, approvals, exports, captions, rights log, and invoice reference. State a retention period; never imply indefinite storage.

// worked_example

Worked Example

The editor first sends sample_summer-kurta_15s_instagram-reel_9x16_en-v01_2026-07-18_REVIEW.mp4 at 720p with a review watermark. The client replies in one email: “Correct washable cotton to cotton blend from the approved product sheet; move the logo up; change the offer to next month.”

The first two notes are corrections: the claim is wrong and the logo violates the safe zone. The new offer changes approved content, so it gets a new-scope quote. After correcting the defects, the editor exports the 1080×1920 H.264 copy and UTF-8 SRT, watches both on a phone, and sends:

// prompt — copy me8 lines

Subject: Sample summer-kurta Reel — v02 delivery

Approved destination: Instagram Reel, 9:16, 15 seconds
Files: upload MP4 + English SRT + delivery checklist
Corrections in v02: product material; logo safe-zone position
Not included: next-month offer change (new-scope quote attached)
Please reply “v02 approved” or send one consolidated revision list by 2026-07-20.
Download/archive note: please save the files; project archive is retained for the agreed period.

A bad delivery would be final.mp4 plus scattered WhatsApp notes. The fix is one handoff, one approver, and a written correction/scope boundary.

// failure_cases

Failure Cases to Diagnose

6 cases to diagnose

Soft upload
confirm the delivery copy—not the 720p draft—was sent; inspect resolution and bitrate before blaming compression.
Cropped captions
reframe and preview inside the current destination interface.
Audio drift
check source/timeline frame rates and watch the rendered file fully.
Wrong Roman-Urdu
correct the UTF-8 SRT manually against the narration.
Revision rounds never end
require one consolidated list from the named approver and number each round.
A “small change” requires a rebuild
identify the changed approved input and revise fee/timeline before editing.

// pakistan_angle

Pakistan Angle

Large masters may fail on mobile data or during load-shedding. Send a watermarked 720p review first, upload the master on a stable connection, and keep it locally until download is confirmed. Tell the client the file size before they spend data.

For Pakistani clients approving on WhatsApp, turn voice notes into one written summary for the named approver. Put PKR fees, applicable tax treatment, JazzCash/easypaisa or bank instructions, revisions, source-file cost, and final-payment milestone in the quotation. Keep CNICs, phone lists, and banking screenshots outside the delivery folder.

// hands_on

Hands-On Exercise

6 steps

Choose a finished sample and name its exact destination and placement.
Record aspect, resolution, runtime, frame rate, captions, approver, and check date.
Name review, delivery, master, and caption outputs with the pattern above.
Write the rounds, correction/new-scope boundary, approval method, and archive period.
Export review and delivery copies; watch both on a phone and proof captions/audio.
Package the one-pager, MP4, SRT, rights log, and approval record. Done means another editor can identify what to upload, the client can approve one exact version, and both sides can classify the next requested change without guessing.

// completion_rubric

Completion Rubric

5 checks — tick as you verify

0/5

// sources

Sources

5 official sources — check every claim yourself

// check_yourself

Check yourself

4 questions · answers and options are taken word-for-word from this course

0/4

1 / 4 · diagnose
Your work shows this failure mode: “Cropped captions.” What does the lesson tell you to do about it?