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Revision rounds in a corporate video: how I manage them
How I organize revision rounds in a corporate video, how many I include in the quote, how I ask clients for structured feedback and what I do when requests go beyond the approved script.
The first cut of a corporate video is almost never the one that gets delivered. In between there are one or more revision rounds where the client watches the cut and asks for changes: a shorter shot, a different order for the interviews, removing a line that sounds off. That's normal and part of the process. The problem comes when those rounds have no limit and no structure, and the edit turns into endless back-and-forth with no end date.
I've been delivering corporate video for years, and the difference between a clean wrap and a project that runs a month over almost always comes down to how revisions are set up in the quote, not the quality of the edit. Here's how I organize it, how many rounds I include and what I do when a change goes beyond what was approved at the start.
What it is and why it matters
A revision round is when I deliver a cut of the video, the client watches it and sends me back a list of specific changes to that cut. It isn't an open conversation about whether they like the video in general: it's targeted feedback on decisions already made in a script and brief that were approved before filming.
It matters because every round takes real time: reviewing the feedback, applying the changes in DaVinci Resolve, exporting again, sending the new cut. If the number of rounds isn't fixed in the quote, every extra round is work I do for free, and sooner or later that affects the quality of the result, because the time goes into repeating rather than polishing.
The other reason it matters is that a poorly defined review process creates friction with the client. If they don't know how many rounds they have or what can be changed in each one, they ask for everything the moment it occurs to them, and the edit loses coherence because it piles up patches instead of being cut with a clear vision from start to finish.
How to do it well
Fix the number of rounds in the quote
I include two revision rounds in the quote for a standard corporate video. The first is on the first cut, covering structure, pacing and shot selection. The second is on the corrected version, with finer adjustments: color, sound, the odd trim. A third round is available if needed, but it's billed separately, and I say so in the quote, not once it has already been requested.
Ask for feedback in a single document
I ask for all changes to arrive in one list with timecodes: 'at 0:45, cut line X'. No scattered WhatsApp comments at different times, because that means opening the project several times for the same round and multiplies the time it takes to apply the changes. One consolidated document with all the feedback is one work session; several scattered messages are several sessions.
Separate surface changes from substantive changes
A surface change is moving a shot, trimming a take, adjusting a subtitle. A substantive change is adding an interview that was never filmed, changing the core message of the video, or asking for a shot that doesn't exist in the raw footage. The former fall within the normal rounds. The latter mean rethinking the script, and sometimes reshooting, so I handle them separately from the moment they come up.
Common mistakes
- Not fixing the number of rounds in the quote, which leaves the door open to endless revisions.
- Receiving feedback in scattered messages at different times instead of in a single list with timecodes.
- Confusing a substantive change (message, script structure) with a surface adjustment that does fit into a normal round.
- Applying changes directly to the master without saving a previous version, which makes it hard to go back if the client prefers the earlier cut.
- Letting several people on the client side weigh in on each round without a single person consolidating and prioritizing the feedback.
Frequently asked questions
How many revision rounds does a corporate video normally include?
My quotes include two rounds: one on the first cut and another on the corrected version. Additional rounds can be added, but they're billed separately, and I make that clear from the initial quote.
What happens if the client asks for a change that wasn't in the approved script?
If it's a substantive change, like adding a new interview or changing the core message, I treat it as a change in scope rather than part of the normal rounds. It's quoted separately before being applied.
How should feedback be delivered so the revision is quick?
In a single document, with the exact timecode of each requested change. Scattered comments spread over several messages force repeated work sessions on the same cut.
Can you go back to an earlier version of the edit if the client prefers the previous cut?
Yes, as long as intermediate versions of the project have been saved in DaVinci Resolve. That's why each round is saved as a separate version before applying the next set of changes.
If you're planning a corporate video and want the review process locked in from the start, tell me the scope of the project and I'll suggest how to structure the rounds. Get in touch via /en/contacto.