In short
- List every version you need before editing starts: language, audience and length.
- Give each file a name that shows the version and its approval status.
- Approve each language with its own reviewer, not by one person for all.
- Mark one final set and keep drafts in a separate folder.
List every version you need before editing starts, give each file a name that shows its version and status, and assign one reviewer to each language. Then mark one final set and keep everything else apart.
Why versions go wrong
One event video can quickly become six files: English and Malay, public and internal, long and short. People review on phones and email, and the “final” file is easy to mix up with the draft before it.
The usual risks are an old draft being posted, a language checked by the wrong person, or a version for a private audience reaching the public. Simple habits prevent all three.
Start with a version register
A version register is a short table made before the first edit. It says what exists and who is responsible.
| Version | Language | Audience | Length | Reviewer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | English | Public | Short | Communications lead | Draft 1 |
| B | Malay | Public | Short | Malay-reading colleague | Waiting |
| C | English | Internal | Full | Event director | Draft 1 |
Add columns that matter for you, such as the platform where it will play. The audience version planner lays this out and also covers paid advertising use.
A naming pattern that shows status
Choose one pattern and use it for every file. For example:
event_language_audience_length_status
An illustrative file name would be annual-dinner_BM_public_short_APPROVED. Another would be annual-dinner_EN_internal_full_DRAFT2. Using capital letters for the status makes it easy to spot. Avoid names such as “final” or “final2”, because nobody can tell which is newest.
Review each version on its own
- Send each version to its own reviewer, with the register row beside it.
- Collect notes by version. Our guide on consolidating feedback from several people shows how to merge them into one list.
- Update the status in the register and in the file name when a version is approved.
- Check subtitle wording with someone who reads the language. See checking subtitles and translations.
A worked example
For example, a conference needs a 2-minute recap in English and Malay, plus a longer internal version in English only. That is three files.
The organiser makes a three-row register and names a reviewer for each row. The Malay version is approved first.
It is renamed APPROVED and moved to the shared folder. The English public version needs a change to one title, so it stays DRAFT2 until the correction is checked. Nobody shares the English file until its status changes. This example is illustrative, not a past job.
Keep one final set
When all versions are approved, put them in one folder called “final”, and move drafts to another. Tell everyone that only the final folder should be shared, and keep the version register beside it, so anyone opening it later knows which version is for whom. Our guide on receiving a video through download links or physical media covers checking that the files arrive and play properly.
What each extra version adds
Every extra version adds review and may add editing work, depending on your agreement. Languages that need translation depend on who can check them, so confirm this early. Captions and translation are available on request, confirmed for each event.
What we confirm for your event
- Which versions sit inside the quote and which count as extra.
- Whether we follow your own file-naming pattern or suggest one.
- Whether subtitles come as a separate file or burned into the video.
To plan languages and outputs, use the caption language planner. For footage you already have and need edited in several versions, see event video editing.
If you need one video in several languages or for different audiences, tell us the list and who approves each. We will suggest a simple naming plan for your footage.
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