A freelance contract template built for video editors — with the specific clauses that prevent the disputes most common in your line of work.
Video editing contracts have to manage a peculiar dynamic: the client thinks they're hiring you for editing, but they're also implicitly hiring you to handle revisions on footage they shot, drive the timeline through a vague approval process, and deliver finished files in formats they may not have named upfront. The contract that prevents the predictable problems names the deliverables precisely (3-minute final cut at 1080p in H.264 plus a 9:16 vertical version, not 'a video'), caps revisions explicitly (because re-exporting 4K footage is expensive even when the change is small), defines what happens to raw footage and project files after delivery (the client paid for the edit, not the source), and includes a clause about the client providing footage in usable formats by an agreed date. Layer on the credit, portfolio, and usage rights and the contract becomes the operating manual for the engagement. This template covers the clauses video editors actually need to stay profitable.
These are the sections specific to video editors — the ones that actually come up in disputes.
Footage ownership and what happens to raw files after delivery
Number of revision rounds and definition of a revision
File delivery specs and which formats are included
Credit and portfolio rights for finished work
Turnaround time and what happens if client delays provide footage late
Drop these into your own contract and adapt the bracketed values. Each clause is written for video editors specifically — not lifted from a generic SaaS contract.
The Editor will deliver the following: (a) one final edited video of approximately [duration] in [format] at [resolution] and [aspect ratio]; (b) additional exports as listed in the Statement of Work; (c) a high-resolution master file (ProRes or equivalent) for archival use. All deliverables will be supplied via secure file transfer. Additional export formats not listed in the Statement of Work may be quoted separately at the Editor's standard add-on rate.
The Editor will deliver the rough cut within [10] business days of receipt of all footage, reference materials, and required briefing inputs from the Client. The final cut will be delivered within [5] business days of revision approval. If footage or briefing inputs are delivered late, the project timeline shifts by an equivalent number of business days. The Editor cannot guarantee delivery dates that depend on inputs not yet received.
Two (2) rounds of revisions are included in this engagement. A revision round consists of all of the Client's feedback consolidated into a single coordinated set of changes, delivered in writing within five (5) business days of receiving the relevant cut. Multiple sets of feedback received separately within this window are consolidated into a single round at the Editor's discretion. Additional revisions, structural changes after sign-off, or scope changes are billed at [$rate]/hour with a one-hour minimum.
Raw footage provided by the Client remains the property of the Client. The Editor's project files (Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci, After Effects working files) remain the property of the Editor and are not included in standard delivery. If the Client requires the project files for future modification, this is available as an add-on service quoted separately, and is subject to the Client receiving full IP transfer of the project — which constitutes a separate engagement and licence.
Upon approval of the final cut, the Editor will issue the final invoice. Watermarked preview files may be supplied for the Client's internal review prior to payment but do not constitute final delivery and may not be published, broadcast, or used commercially. The full-quality un-watermarked deliverables, including all agreed formats and high-resolution masters, will be delivered upon receipt of full payment.
Sample wording is informational, not legal advice. For high-value engagements or unusual arrangements, have a contract lawyer review your final template once.
Most video projects miss their deadline because the client delivered footage late. The contract should anchor the timeline to the footage handover date, not to absolute calendar dates: 'The Editor will deliver the rough cut within [10] business days of receipt of all footage and reference materials. The final cut will be delivered within [5] business days of revision approval. If footage is delivered late, the timeline shifts by an equivalent number of business days.' This single clause eliminates most timeline-related disputes — and protects you from clients who deliver three weeks of footage on a Friday afternoon and expect Monday's deadline to hold.
Without a definition, a 'revision round' becomes whatever the client says it is — three notes in three separate emails is 'one round,' and so is twelve notes in a video Loom. The contract should say: 'A revision round consists of all of the Client's feedback consolidated into a single coordinated set of changes, delivered in writing (email or written notes on a review platform) within five (5) business days of receiving the relevant cut. Multiple sets of feedback received separately within this window are consolidated into a single round at the Editor's discretion.' Two rounds of this kind of revision is generous; ten rounds of the loose kind is unsustainable.
The standard practice in video work: deliver a watermarked or lower-resolution preview for the client to review and approve the cut, but hold the full-quality, un-watermarked, deliverable-format export until full payment is received. The contract should state: 'Upon approval of the final cut, the Editor will issue the final invoice. The full-quality deliverable files (including all agreed formats, source-quality exports, and high-resolution masters) will be delivered upon receipt of full payment. Watermarked preview files do not constitute final delivery.' This converts payment-day into a structural moment rather than a hopeful conversation.
Each scenario below is a real conflict pattern video editors run into. The clauses above are designed to resolve it before it starts.
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