In short
- Ask for the status first. A late video is not always a lost one.
- Check whether anything is waiting on you: feedback, names, music or a sign-off.
- Agree a new date in writing, and ask for a first preview if the video is needed for an event.
- Look at what your quote or agreement says about dates before you decide what to ask for.
If your event video is late, start by asking where it is, not who is to blame. Most delays turn out to be a missing approval, an unclear detail or a queue, and a calm message gets you a straight answer faster than a complaint.
Step 1: Ask for the status
Send a short message that asks four things:
- Which stage is the video at now: selecting footage, first edit, waiting for your review, or final export?
- Is anything waiting on us, such as feedback, name spellings, music or a sign-off?
- What is the new date, and what is it based on?
- Can we see a draft or a short preview before the final video?
Keep it friendly and specific. You are trying to get a date you can plan around, not to win an argument.
Who holds the next step?
Delays usually sit with one of a few causes. Knowing which one tells you what to ask for.
| Where it is stuck | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Waiting for your feedback or approval | Send consolidated feedback, and name one person who can approve |
| Names, titles or logos not confirmed | Send the correct spellings in one list |
| Footage or files still being transferred | Ask what is missing and when it will arrive |
| Editing queue or workload | Ask for a new date and a first preview |
| The brief changed after the edit began | Treat it as a change, and ask how it affects the date |
Our guide on consolidating feedback from several stakeholders helps if more than one person is giving comments. The approvals planner shows who should sign off what.
Agree a revised date in writing
Once you know the status, ask for a revised date in a message you can keep. Good revised milestones name:
- the date of the first draft and the date of the final video
- what you must send, and by when
- what happens if the date moves again
- how the files will arrive
The delivery timeline planner lets you lay these dates out against your own deadline. If you are still deciding dates for a new project, our guide on agreeing a realistic delivery schedule covers that stage.
An example message
This is an illustration, so change the details to suit you.
Hi, our video was due on the date in the quote and we have not received it yet. Could you tell us which stage it is at, whether anything is waiting on us, and the new date? If possible, we would like a short preview first. We need the video for our event, so a clear date helps us plan.
What the agreement says
Read your quote or agreement to see what it says about dates, review and payment. Some agreements give a date, some give a range, and some say nothing. A late video does not by itself settle your options; the wording of the agreement does, together with the facts.
What we confirm for your event
- Which stage the video is at now.
- What we need from you, and by when.
- Whether a preview or a short cut can come first.
- How the final files reach you. See receiving a video through download links or physical media.
If you also have footage that needs editing, you can discuss editing your event footage with us. We will confirm the scope and the dates with you in writing before work starts. You can also use the revision planner to keep track of feedback and dates.
For a legal question about your event, ask a qualified adviser.
If you have footage that needs editing and want the dates, approvals and handover agreed clearly from the start, tell us the event and what you will use the video for. We will suggest a plan you can check against your own deadline.
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