In short
- Check each delivered file against the agreed list before you accept.
- Record acceptance in writing, naming who accepted and what was accepted.
- List any outstanding items, such as raw footage or corrections, with an owner for each.
- Agree how long files will be kept and how you can ask for them again.
A project is closed when you have checked the films, recorded your acceptance, settled anything still outstanding, and agreed how to get files again. Doing this soon after delivery keeps the record clear for everyone.
What should you check first?
Start with the list you agreed at booking. Compare it with what arrived.
| Check | What to do |
|---|---|
| Every film is there | Tick each item on the agreed film and file list |
| Plays correctly | Play each film through, with sound, on a normal device |
| Names and text | Check spellings of names, titles, event name and dates |
| Captions and language | If captions or translations were agreed, check them for accuracy |
| Version | Confirm which file is the final version |
| Format | Check the format fits where you will use it |
The final video acceptance checklist puts these checks into a form. Keep your comments precise and tied to a time in the film. The timecoded feedback tool helps if corrections are needed.
How do you record acceptance?
Accepting should be a clear step, not an assumption. Send a short written message that says:
- Who is accepting, for the organisation.
- Which films and files are accepted, by name.
- Which items are still outstanding, with who is responsible and a date to review them.
- Which review rounds have been used, if the booking counted them.
Keep this message with your booking documents. It protects both sides, because everyone can see what was accepted and when. For how review rounds work, see the video review and revision planner.
What about outstanding files?
Some projects close with a few loose ends. Common ones are corrections, extra cuts, raw footage or a file in another format. For each one, write down:
- What is outstanding.
- Who is responsible for providing it.
- By when you expect it.
- Whether it is included in the agreed scope or needs a separate agreement.
Do not close the project while an item is unowned. It is easy to forget a file that nobody was asked to send.
What should you agree about future access?
Films matter long after the event, so decide how you will get them again.
- Where are the final files stored, and for how long? Ask; do not assume.
- If you lose a file, how do you ask for another copy?
- Can a different format or length be made later, and how is that requested?
- Who in your organisation may ask for files?
- What are you allowed to do with the films, such as posting online? The filming and publication responsibilities checklist is a good place to start.
Keeping your own copies is the safest step. The video archive and handover planner and our guide to keeping and reusing event recordings cover storage and handover in more depth.
A worked example
This is an illustration. A school committee receives a highlight film, a full recording of the prizegiving and short clips. The coordinator plays each one, notes a misspelt name in one caption, and sends the correction request with a timecode.
After the corrected file arrives, the coordinator writes: “We accept the highlight film, the prizegiving recording and the clips. Nothing outstanding.” The committee also saves all files to a school drive and notes the date.
Months later, a new coordinator needs the files. The message and the drive show exactly what was accepted and where it is.
What we confirm for your event
- How long files stay available, and how you request them again.
- Which files are in the final handover.
- How acceptance is recorded, and what counts as final.
- The process if you find a problem later.
If you are deciding on a booking, the event videography page explains what we film, and our editing, review and delivery guides explain how films reach you.
If you are planning a booking and want the close-out agreed from the start, tell us which films, files and access you expect afterwards. We will include them when we set out the scope.
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