Before commissioning digital marketing video production, check what your team already has. An asset inventory can show which approved videos are ready to use, which need a defined edit and which depend on new footage or information.
Start with one campaign or product range. Gather the current files and the brief for their next use. A folder of exports alone may not tell you whether the message is current, who approved it or whether the intended reuse is covered.
Identify the version people are using
Record a stable link and an identifiable filename for each asset. Ask the person who publishes the video which version is actually on the website, channel or sales page. Keep that separate from an older file in the edit archive.
Watch the whole video. Look for superseded product screens, old team names, expired offers, changed branding and statements that no longer have supporting evidence. Record the timecodes of each issue rather than labelling the entire file outdated.
Use an asset inventory with explicit unknowns
This is a blank working checklist. Fill it from the project records and the people who own the material.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Asset and owner | Filename, viewing link, owner and last known approval. |
| Current use | Where it is published and which audience it serves. |
| Content accuracy | Claims or scenes to confirm, with timecodes and verification owners. |
| Available materials | Finished exports, source footage, project files, graphics and caption files actually located. |
| Approved use | Evidence of permitted channels, territories, duration and changes; record unknowns for review. |
| Next destination | Placement, language, framing, duration and accessibility needs. |
| Next action | Use, edit, investigate or replace; name the person making that decision. |
Separate a usable export from editable material
A finished video does not establish that the source footage, project files or individual graphics are available for a new edit. Ask the original project owner what was delivered and what can be supplied under the relevant agreement.
Show an editor the actual materials before assuming a wide film can become a vertical ad. Text may be baked into the picture, a product may sit outside the proposed crop, or a shorter sequence may lose its explanation. The editing scope guide explains the inputs to gather for an edit discussion.
For captioned versions, locate the caption file and check its timing against the intended export. W3C's caption guidance distinguishes captions that a viewer can switch on from captions that are always visible. Record which form the destination requires and check its accuracy.
Choose what needs a new production brief
Group the unresolved items by the work they need. Replacing an outdated title card differs from showing a product feature that was never filmed. A missing interview answer may require a new conversation; a new audience may need a different explanation throughout the film.
Build a short gap list with the message, available material, missing material and required versions. Use it with the production process guide to discuss the shoot and edit. Avoid assigning a fixed budget percentage or filming time before the work is scoped.
Finish with a usable decision record
Keep the inventory beside the approved files. Record who will replace outdated embeds or downloads when a revised asset is ready, and who will confirm that the correct version is live. Keep access to superseded material controlled so it is not mistaken for the current export.
Measure the next use against its own purpose with the metrics planning worksheet. An existing video's views do not establish the result a different audience or placement will produce.
Bring the inventory and gap list when you talk with a producer about the next shoot or edit.
The original CMS record did not identify an individual author. This substantive revision was prepared and checked by Viva Media with AI assistance. No individual authorship or personal review is asserted.
